Here are BLADE Magazine’s Featured Knives of the Week. Browse through these articles to find the best knives available from both custom knifemakers and factory knives.
The New Ambitious Lightweight Black Blade From Spyderco Is A Fun, Affordable Folder That Comes In Plain Edge And Serrated Versions.
Sometimes basic is perfect, and the new Ambidextrous Lightweight Black Blade from Spyderco checks that box. This affordable folding knife features black G-10 handle scales married to a black-oxide-coated 8Cr13MoV stainless steel blade.
The dark, low-profile theme bleeds into every other part of the knife from the skeletonized steel liners to pocket clip, and other black-coated hardware. The blade itself is 2.31 inches when deployed, and a liner lock keeps everything in place when in use. And it truly is lightweight at just 2.8 ounces, making it a breeze to use.
An affordable knife for anyone interested in jumping into the world of Spyderco cutlery, and it’s a testament to the company’s build quality.
Knives Are Becoming More Multidimensional Every Year. These Sporty Kitchen Knives Are Ready For The Cutting Board Or The Campsite
When many of us blade enthusiasts think kitchen knives, we don’t necessarily associate them with outdoor or sport use. Likewise, many of us would not consider bringing our hard-use blades into the kitchen for prep work. Nonetheless, there are a few knives that have a broad range of uses in both the kitchen and camp.
I tend to see a knife not just by the edge but by its blade thickness. While there is a utility to extremely thin-edged knives with thin spines, such blades are almost always designed for secondary or finishing uses. In my opinion, the thicker the spine the more utility a knife has for crossover work between kitchen and field.
On the other hand, the thicker the spine gets, the harder it is to use for fine work—it can even be dangerous. Thinner blades are much better in the kitchen. As far as field use goes, they are pretty much only for light work and very small amounts of game processing. I’ve seen many thin blades break while working on deer. Some of these have resulted in injuries to the user.
Best 3 Sporting Kitchen Knives
There is a sweet spot for crossover, though, and the test knives fit the mold. None would be my preference for dressing a whitetail, but all certainly would be at home in camp or the kitchen after the heavy lifting has been accomplished.
The TOPS Frog Market Special test knives could be used as skinning knives, as could the White River, but the main enemy of any thin blade is going to be breaking and edge chipping. Of the test group, the White River is the only one thick enough to be a primary use hunting knife, but it is a rather small knife with a slender handle. On small game it will work, if it’s not a bit obtuse in spine thickness, though when moving large amounts of muscle and skin, the hand would fatigue.
So, if we tend to think of a kitchen sporty as a secondary tool, a wide number of its features become handy that would not be so great on a primary field knife or even a primary kitchen knife. The first is the ease of cleaning and the ability to hold an edge.
I put the review knives to work quite extensively in the kitchen, doing everything short of fully deboning large game. All were used on cuts of meat, to cut vegetables, peel apples, cook over an open flame, and as eating knives at the table or camp. In the process, I learned a few things about each one.
White River Exodus 4
Of the test group, the White River Exodus 4 is probably the most well-rounded for field and table use. A relatively small knife, it is very slender in overall profile, both grip and blade. For general use, it is extremely functional. I found it suitable for virtually all small game, able to process a whole chicken and an excellent skinner.
It could be used for slicing vegetables, chopping onions, and cutting many other types of fruit and produce as well. The edge profile does not lend itself to fine cuts. For presentation or fancy plates, it tends to split rather than give clean cuts, especially in apples and things like cucumbers. This is not a major concern, just something to note.
The Micarta® handle is contoured superbly and cleans easily. It isn’t slippery when wet. Notably, it’s a full-tang blade that’s extremely strong. Despite its size, it has a blade profile thick enough for baton work on small pieces of wood, though it would not be my first choice for such a job. The blade spine has a sharp 90-degree profile excellent for use with a ferro rod.
There aren’t many if any, downsides to this knife. It can be used in just about any setting and will not look out of place if you take it to town for dinner. You also will not look like “that guy” if you use it to cut a sandwich in half or an apple for your kids in public. Note: The sheath is a bit stiff when you first get it but it breaks in fairly quickly. The knife was very easy to keep clean and sharp.
MSRP: $175
TOPS Knives Frog Market Special
I’ve used the Frog Market Special (FMS) models by TOPS Knives for a couple of years. They’ve given me a long time of service in the kitchen as well as around the campfire. They’re available as individual pieces or a set. If you get the set, it comes with a piggyback sheath. The sheath is very nice and has a belt clip.
Steven Dick, U.S. Army ranger veteran and editor of the old Tactical Knives magazine, based his design for the FMS on knives he saw on a trip to Hanoi, Vietnam. He watched butchers and fishmongers using knives of a pattern he’d never seen before. They prepared meats and fish of many varieties easily using the blades.
I’ve done just about everything you can imagine with my FMS knives in the kitchen, and also processed dozens of deer with them. They maintain their edges very well and required only occasional resharpening. Because of the unusual blade shape, the knife can cut just about any type of meat and vegetable, including slicing, chopping, and in a rocking motion. They’ve replaced several other knives in my kitchen and serve as my go-to set.
While they have a large, deep-bellied profile, the FMS knives aren’t especially durable for field use. I have not used them to break down large game for the same reason I would be afraid of breaking any thin-spined knife. They excel for chicken and duck, as well as other small game. The Micarta handle is very comfortable and slip-resistant.
I’ve had an extremely good time with these knives but they have a downside—the blade finish. I’ve had excellent luck with all my TOPS knives, though I’ve never been a fan of the finish. I prefer knives that are bare metal. I don’t like it when the coatings begin to chip away. In a couple years of use, the finish has begun to flake and the metal underneath has become discolored, even with oiling and care. While it is a minor gripe, for knives used to process food I don’t like the idea I may also be eating blade coating. I would like to see this profile in some sort of stainless, or perhaps a slightly thicker spine in a tougher steel.
MSRP: $375 for the set
Spyderco Utility Knives
Spyderco offers some very affordable and high-performance knives that are at home in the kitchen and easy to clean and maintain in the field. The company sent me its 4.5-inch Utility Knife with a serrated edge and red handle, as well as a plain edge 6.5-inch model in black.
The first thing about these knives is they are extremely slender and likely would not be suitable for hard field use. However, if you are already at camp, these are exceptional for end processing and cooking. I used them for weeks straight for all my cooking and they never dulled or chipped. They were both so sharp at the end of the review that they could still cut paper-thin slices of tomato, a hard feat for most knives.
One of the most important parts of these knives is they are essentially foolproof. Even after cooking with them for several meals a day for a long time, I cleaned them without issue and returned them to the knife block. The fact they are so easy to clean and stay sharp for so long really makes them worth the already low price. You don’t really have to worry about oiling them or keeping them in a special container.
In a pinch, the knives can be used for striking on a rod, though I would not recommend it long term. Their utility in the field is very limited, though when it comes to fishing or pursuits that don’t involve moving large animals, they’re just fine. I would not replace my fillet knives with either of these, though they certainly work for the task.
The New Andromeda From Artisan Cutlery Is A Gorgeous, Sturdy Folding Knife That Works Just As Good As It Looks.
Made in collaboration with Ray Laconico, the Andromeda from Artisan Cutlery is a gem. The folder features a 3.42-inch M390 stainless steel drop point blade with a stonewash finish treated to a durable 59-61 HRC.
The handle is where the Andromeda visually shines. The entire construction is made from gray titanium for a sleek, clean look, but it is the single piece of blue & black fat carbon on the side opposite the clip that makes the knife stand out.
The key feature on the knife is the deployment method. There’s a traditional dual-sided thumb stud and an inset button lock for one-handed deployment making the Andromeda one of the first Artisan models to feature it.
The Sheepsfoot Blade Isn’t The Most Popular Style, But It Is Certainly Quite Useful. This Quartet Of Knives Show Why You Should Try A Sheepsfoot.
I promise there will be no butchering graphics in this article. The sheepsfoot blade is one of many blade styles out there today, but it isn’t as popular as say the drop point or clip point.
And that might be due to the shape of the blade. Instead of tapering down to a fine tip like a clip point, the sheepsfoot has a large belly and a smooth, usually curved, tip.
The name of the blade is a pretty literal one. It was named because it was made to trim the hooves of sheep. The shape of the blade looks nothing like a sheep’s foot. The use of the blade gave it its name, and it stuck.
Are Sheepsfoot Blades Only On Pocketknives?
Yes, most sheepsfoot blades are on pocketknives and other EDC knives, but that’s not all. The popular Santoku knife features a sheepsfoot blade. The long dull spine that leads to the curved tip makes the knife great for slicing and chopping, and the wide belly allows it to act as an excellent scoop to get food off the board.
What Are Sheepsfoot Blades Good For?
Thanks to its long, flat edge, a sheepsfoot blade is perfect for slicing and chopping. Need to cut lengths of rope? Grab a sheepsfoot. Have to chop hard vegetables like carrots to drop in the pot over a campfire? Grab a sheepsfoot.
Beyond slicing, a sheepsfoot is also great for tasks that involve longer knife strokes like opening boxes, slicing through sections of cardboard, and whittling wood. There’s countless uses for a sheepsfoot blade because it is such a basic, straightforward blade style.
Why Might You Want To Pass On A Sheepsfoot?
The long, straight edge that makes a sheepsfoot perfect for slicing makes it a liability for things like piercing and. There is no fine point like a dagger or a clip point because the dull spine curves down to meet the cutting edge. This means that things like poking and puncturing are difficult with a sheepsfoot. Sure, you could angle it to puncture through a bag or a case, but it’s much harder than if you used something like a drop point.
Best Sheepsfoot Blades
This guide will stick with pocketknives as that is where the sheepsfoot is most widely seen. Classic EDC blades, keychain knives, the sheepsfoot appears across the knife landscape.
Benchmade Griptilian
Benchmade makes excellent knives, that is without question, and the Griptilian is one of their best. The knife features a 3.45-inch CPM S20CV steel blade with a flat grind and treated to a 59-61 HRC. The satin finish looks great on it.
The gray G-10 handle scales look clean and provide a great grip. The AXIS lock keeps everything secure and is ambidextrous. Everything about the knife is class all the way down to the deep-carry pocket clip. This knife is a prime example of what a sheepsfoot blade can be.
MSRP: $149.95
Kershaw Copper Cinder Keychain Knife
A tiny sheepsfoot is still a sheepsfoot, and this fun multi-tool form Kershaw is a blast to use. The 3Cr13MoV blade has a 1.13-inch cutting edge with a hollow grind. It looks exotic with the machined copper handle, but this knife is all about practicality.
The small blade is sharp and can easily handle the simple day-to-day tasks that life can throw at you. The large keychain hole lets you easily pop it onto your chain with ease, and the integrated bottle opener will easily crack open your next beer.
It’s not the biggest or the baddest, but the Copper Cinder performs exactly as advertised.
MSRP: $28.79
Kizer Vanguard Mini Sheepdog
A compact, cleaver-style knife, the Vanguard Mini from Kizer is a great blade for someone who spends time camping. Yes, this is a strong EDC blade, and the 2.5-inch straight edge makes it ideal for cutting rope or slicing food to prepare over the campfire. Its versatility helps sell the knife in a major way.
The blade is a satin-finished 154CM stainless meted to a micarta handle. The flipper mechanism makes the knife a blast to use, and everything stays in place thanks to a liner lock. Functional, classy, enjoyable. That’s what the Vanguard Mini is all about.
MSRP: $99
Spyderco SpydieChef
This folder from Spyderco is another excellent model from the company. The SpydieChef is an EDC folder designed to have the ergonomics and feel of a chef’s knife. The titanium handle is light yet robust in the hand, and the LC200N stainless blade is highly corrosion-resistant. That’s to be expected from a blade steel developed by NASA.
The SpydieChef is multiple things depending on how you look at it. Its size makes it firmly an EDC that is made from high-quality materials. However, the design philosophy makes it look more like the most company kitchen knife on the market. Regardless, it has a steep price but more than makes up for it with its construction.
The Case Mini CopperLock Looks Great And Functions Like A Champ. A Modern Take On The Classic Slip Joint Is Sure To Please.
The classics are classics for a reason. They endure because they are beloved for their style and functionality, and the Case Mini CopperLock is a beautiful contemporary version of a tried and tested style of knife.
The knife opens and closes like butter. It’s so smooth to deploy and doesn’t fight you at all. The 2.72-inch Tru-Sharp stainless clip point looks as good as it slices thanks to a mirror polish. The handle is made from a bright Ruby Stardust Kirinite, and the lockback holds everything securely in place.
This is a multi-purpose knife that’s great for EDC tasks or for keeping on your pack while camping. At just two ounces it’s light and always easy to use. Case knocked this one out of the park.
The Ontario Knife Company’s New Knife, The Old Hickory, Is A Modern Take On The Classic Outdoor Slip Joint Folder.
The new Old Hickory slip joint folder from Ontario Knife Company is a classy knife. It looks straight out of a classic Western film with its 1075 high-carbon steel blade, walnut handle scales, and brass liners. It may be made in New York, but this feels like a cowboy knife at heart.
And it’s a great EDC thanks to a heat treat that hardened the 2.9-inch blade to a 56-58 HRC. The knife opens with ease thanks to a sizable nail nick toward the tip. At 5.6 inches in total length, the OKC Old Hickory is a compact knife that can serve you well as an everyday carry without feeling too big or bulky.
The Old Hickory is an All-American knife made by an All-American company and stands out from the pack.
A Pair Of Gifted Knifemakers Show Off The Tools They Use To Turn Raw Steel Into Razor-Sharp Works Of Art.
Simply put, Salem Straub makes art and culinary knives of the highest order. He began forging in 2003 when a previous project introduced him to blacksmithing and, like so many knifemakers, once the bug bit there was no turning back.
Twenty years later Salem is at the top of his game and all his work is sole authorship. What’s more, he delighted many knife lovers by competing and winning in the second season of the History Channel’s popular reality show, Forged in Fire.
Award-winning bladesmith Salem Straub makes fine art folders, fixed blades and swords, and added culinary knives out of his passion for cooking.
Salem operates his custom cutlery business under the name Promethean Knives after a passage from noted British writer Zia Haider Rahman: “Is that not the Promethean fable, that the fire stolen from the gods will light men their way even while it burns their hands?”
Salem built his reputation for making fine art folders and fixed blades, including swords, but he added culinary knives out of his passion for cooking, which in turn led to his winning the Best Integral Award at the 2019 Damasteel Chef Invitational. His forging specialty is extremely fine patterned damascus.
Inside Salem Straub’s Shop
Salem leads off his list of top tools with his bandsaw.
“The Marvel Model 81 Hydraulic Vertical Bandsaw is the ideal saw for a dedicated pattern welder,” he begins. “It will easily handle all the normal operations that either a horizontal or vertical bandsaw can, but also affords the additional capability of ripping lengthwise with power feed, miter cuts, compound miter cuts and rips. Everything from the table vise to the saw feed and drive wheel is hydraulically powered, and a flood coolant system is integral to the design.”
Straub’s Marvel Model 81 Hydraulic Vertical Bandsaw easily handles anything a horizontal or vertical bandsaw can, and affords the additional capability of ripping lengthwise with power feed, miter cuts, compound miter cuts and rips.
His lathe of choice is his Pratt & Whitney Model C Toolroom model.
“It’s a bit larger than might be strictly necessary for knifemaking,” Salem notes, “but affords the ability to create parts for repair of, or modification to, other machines. It’s also very smooth, accurate and convenient for making and threading small knife parts to close tolerances. The P&W ‘C’ lathes are among the truly legendary lathes from the heyday of American machine tool manufacturing.”
His Abrasive Machine Tool Model 3B Surface Grinder features an 8×24-inch capacity automatic table with a magnetic chuck, a 2×72-inch-belt modification by Salem, and a 3-horsepower motor.
“The table feeds are mechanically powered and relatively quiet and very reliable in operation,” he explains. “This machine is MVP in the shop, especially on many damascus production days. The belt modification allows for much faster removal of stock, making billet and tiling work much faster and more precise.
“Another piece of equipment I can’t do without is my Beaudry Champion #9 300-pound power hammer. I bought it from the late Larry Langdon, who gave me quite a deal as it needed lots of work to restore, and some difficult parts had to be made. After I took seven months to overhaul and install it, this hammer has become the cornerstone of my operations in making composite damascus billets and blades. The large flat die surfaces and excellent control make it ideal for forge welding, and it has plenty of power to forge large cross sections efficiently.”
Straub’s chef’s knife sports a 9-inch blade of a stunning herringbone/mosaic composite damascus and a Japanese-style wa handle. (knife image by Abe Shaw of Eating Tools, Inc.)
Next up Straub extols the virtues of his rolling mill.
“My 10-horsepower rolling mill with 6×6-inch rollers is probably a tertiary forging machine for most hot shops to have—after a hammer and press—but it’s very handy indeed for cleanly drawing billets to bar stock, welding san-mai, and sizing pattern elements before tiling or four-way welds and the like. It was built to spec by a fab shop for my friend Mike Blue, whom I bought it from. I consider it a very good working design, and for production damascus it’s a huge help.”
Last but not least, Salem mentions his 1960s-era Deckel GK21 Pantograph.
“This is a machine quite unlike the others. Its use is quiet, contemplative, technical, and its mode of use is more artistic than one of brute force. The GK21 is a machine that pretty much defines its class—very smooth to operate and fascinating in its potential. I’ve been learning to use it for a few years and so far I’ve been mostly doing inlays for handle work, but I’m branching out into engraving designs onto handles with it, too. I look forward to decades of finding out new cool ways to use it.”
Andreas Kalani
Andreas Kalani specializes in mainstream and culinary fixed blades and also folders.
Andreas Kalani spent 30 years in the corporate world, but once he discovered knifemaking he knew he’d found his calling. Now, nearly 10 years after leaving his former occupation, the Iranian-American is a full-fledged U.S. citizen grinding steel and making the knives of his dreams.
Kalani is an American Bladesmith Society apprentice smith currently working on his journeyman smith designation on the way to his ultimate goal of master smith. The versatile maker builds fixed blades—both mainstream and culinary—and folders.
Among those pieces are some top-shelf art knives. Meanwhile, he also makes a point of offering affordable fare for his customers. He markets his cutlery under the AK Custom Knives label and also instructs budding makers with a separate division called AK University. Needless to say, Andreas keeps himself busy with a full plate of cutlery interests.
Inside Andreas Kalani’s Shop
He leads off his knifemaking go-to equipment with a lightweight wonder.
“One of the most valuable tools in my shop is my Dremel 4000 Rotary Tool,” he reveals. “I use Dremel for engraving, polishing, sanding, cutting and much more. Dremel was my shop’s first official tool before I became a knifemaker. I used to make small and miniature swords and knives for my wire sculpture, and I could grind and shape the blades and handles with my Dremel tool. You can use various tips and bits for multiple uses such as carbide tips for steel and alloys or diamond tips for clay, woods and other materials. The possibilities are endless and you can be super creative with this tool; you can either mount it on the table, make a stand for it, or get an extra pen cable to do much more.”
Next on his list is his Evenheat Kiln.
Andreas not only uses his Evenheat Kiln for heat treating his blades but also for lost-wax processing.
“It is generally used for the blade heat treatment to have better steel structure and accurate Rockwell hardness,” he states. “However, sometimes I use it for lost-wax processing as well. Before I got the kiln I had to send out all of my blades for professional heat treatment and it was time-consuming and costly, especially when I wanted to work on one custom project. Therefore, I had to get my own. With this kiln in the shop I can now heat treat various steels from high carbon to stainless, and know I have a good grain structure and a suitable heat treatment. An Evenheat kiln is one of the must-have tools for any knifemaker in the shop.”
According to Andreas, finishing tools play multiple roles in his operation.
“They are the most used on every project in my shop,” he observes. “From the finishing stones to G-10 sanding blocks, I use them for various sanding and polishing. Gesswein® EDM Blue Stones are made from premium aluminum oxide. EDM Blue is a more complex formulation of EDM stones specially designed to handle the high-speed back-and-forth motion of a profiler or ultrasonic machines, and are superior for polishing the most challenging scales. The stones are designed for use on hard surfaces at high speed and hold their shape very well.”
For the sanding blocks, Andreas created different G-10 paddles for such various uses as flat, concave or convex sanding.
“I add additional leather or plastic backing to each paddle to have more give on a harder surface when sanding,” he notes. “By combining these tools, I can achieve a beautiful finish on all of my blades.”
The Milwaukee Portable Bandsaw 6232-20 is another must-have machine in his shop.
“It’s precise when you want precision cuts or to create an intricate geometry—for example, when you want to make a guard for a knife, you can outline your guard on whatever [steel/alloy] you use and then quickly cut it to the shape. Afterward, you can go straight to the grinder to shape the final form,” he states. “You can purchase different types and styles of the blade for this machine to have a better cut and precision for other materials. It’s portable and I purchased a stand for it separately, which is made specifically for this machine by SWAG Off Road.”
Another invaluable tool in Kalani’s shop is the 25-gallon Sandblaster cabinet, which helps remove material, clean, and applies the final finish to blades.
Kalani’s14.5-inch Lagertha Middle-East chef’s knife features a blade of 1095 carbon steel with an electro-pattern mirror polish. The Natural Galaxy handle is a combo of Middle Eastern turquoise and flowers. (SharpByCoop knife image)
“You can achieve different results on other materials using various media types from the walnut shell, glass bead, aluminum oxide, steel bead and so on,” Andreas explains. “There’s a learning curve and trial and error at the beginning. For example, if you want to sandblast titanium and be able to anodize it, you cannot blast it with aluminum oxide or steel media. The pressure will infuse the titanium and prevent it from anodizing. Based on my trial and error I found out that glass beads not only give a good matte surface to titanium but also keep it clean—and I am able to anodize it.”
He calls the 2×72 TW90 Grinder “the mother of all the machines in the shop.” It has a multi-position setup and various speeds, giving him limitless capability for different styles and types of grinding.
“I own at least five other attachments for this machine, including an 8-inch wheel, a 4-inch wheel, a modular switchable small wheel, a surface grinding attachment, plus flat and slack-belt platen,” Andreas observes. “One best modification I applied to it was adding an earth magnet on my work rest to use for different sizes and styles of work. It’s helpful for a different kind of grinding. For example, if you want to grind a sword, you need a more extensive work rest to run your blade over it, and this is super helpful.”
