Fixed Blade Knives Archives

Boker And Condor’s Back To Basics Bushcraft Knives

Abe Elias

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April 8, 2024

Boker And Condor’s Back To Basics Bushcraft Knives

We put the Boker Plus Vigtig vs. Wild and Condor Tool & Knife head to head to see which come out on top in the backwoods.

A couple of decades ago, attention started turning to the category of bushcraft knives. As usual, custom knifemakers were the ones filling the demand and leading the way. I was proud to be among them, along with such makers as Scott Gossman and others. There were those* before us but the push back then seemed more on survival knives with a tactical leaning.

After the push started, many smelled the opportunity to make money and the genre was flooded with assorted marketing schemes and people seeking their 15 minutes of fame. In all the confusion of people wanting to become famous and cash in, the true meaning of bushcraft was lost.

Boker Vigtig vs. Condor Wild — The thinner steel thickness on the Condor Tool & Knife Lipotes enables it to make finer curlicues than the Boker Vigtig vs. Wild. Designed by Dave Wenger and made in Germany, the Boker has an MSRP of $194.95. Joe Flowers designed the Lipotes, which is made in El Salvador. MSRP: $64.98.

A bushcraft knife is not something meant to be indestructible at all costs. It instead has always been a tool of creation. Now I see most marketing or testing related to whether the knife can be pounded through a log, a log that most likely would be unavailable if not for a chainsaw. No, the bushcraft knife started out as a tool, nimble in hand, keen in cutting and used to fabricate things in the bush, things not just to accommodate survival but to help a person thrive. In that reasonable light and practical expectation of the genre, let’s see how the Boker Plus Vigtig vs. Wild and Condor Tool & Knife Lipotes are suited to help you thrive in nature.

Boker Plus Vigtig

The Boker sports a molded Kydex sheath with an ambidextrous belt clip. The sheath holds the knife secure while still allowing for an easy draw when using a thumb push off.

The Boker’s 3.35-inch blade features a Scandinavian, aka Scandi, grind, a grind in which the major bevel is the only bevel and goes straight to zero. Executed correctly, the grind should take up at least a third of the blade’s width. If the grind is any shallower it will be too steep. Some variation on the height of the grind is due to the thickness of material. Being too steep will decrease the effectiveness of the blade to cut because the angle of the edge will plow into the work material—and when I cut with the Boker, it did just that. It is not that it won’t cut with a steep angle, it just tries to take heavier cuts as it dives. Therefore, you don’t get the thin controlled cuts as easy as a properly executed grind.

Scandi grinds are popular in bushcraft because of their amazing effectiveness carving wood. In the game area they work fine but you will often find that bone wreaks havoc on a Scandi edge. In addition, the cross profile of the blade is not optimized for processing meat. Full flat grinds process soft, malleable materials such as meat best since there is no shoulder on the blade to bind as the meat flows along the cross-section profile. On flat grinds you also have a secondary bevel, or micro bevel as some call it, and it takes hitting bone better.
The Boker is a full-tang knife with a blade .16 inch thick at the thickest, somewhat thick for a bushcraft knife. A clever feature is how the spine is finished. To strike a ferro rod off the blade spine you need a crisp edge. Sharp spines are more effective at generating sparks but are not very comfortable if you need to use a pinch grip or a thumb extension on a power grip. To address the issue, the Boker has a sharp spine toward the tip and a crisp spine section near the handle.

Blade thickness comparision — Note how much thicker (.16 inch at the thickest) the Boker blade is than that of the Lipotes (.13 inch at the thickest).

The handle is green linen Micarta® with beefy mechanical fasteners that double as lanyard holes. For those who prefer a full grip it has good profile contouring and leaves a blocky handle from side to side. There are no hot spots while still providing control.
The blade is CPM MagnaCut stainless steel and is wide for its size. With its thicker blade it batons well through small branches to make small kindling. You trade some agility for durability with a beefier blade material.

The molded Kydex sheath rides high and boasts a metal belt clip that screws on for right- or left-hand carry. The knife locks securely into the sheath yet not so much you can’t easily withdraw it.

I think the Boker has its good points. I do prefer my bushcraft knife to be more of a nimble cutting tool. Overall, if the edge were ground higher this knife would up its game substantially.

Wild and Condor Tool & Knife Lipotes

Lipotes batoning — For ease of baton work, the general rule is the cutting medium should be no wider than one-third the length of the blade. The Lipotes has a 4.15-inch blade of 14C28N stainless steel.

Let’s start with the handle on the Lipotes (among others, a lipotes is an endangered species of dolphin). It is an extended hidden tang and not a full tang—that’s right, not a full tang. Some time ago a well-known knife company introduced an extended-hidden-tang version of a knife and called it a full tang, and all the marketers and social media influencers decided to rename a feature so everyone could fall in line. If you can’t see the tang all around the knife’s handle, it isn’t a full tang.

Along with rat-tail tangs, hidden tangs have the distinct advantage of being some of the most comfortable knives in use. The steel element is totally encapsulated in the handle, allowing the maker to have full control in contouring the scales. In other words, you basically have a tang that will not interrupt how the material is shaped.

The Lipotes handle is very comfortable and the texture in the molded material provides a secure grip. As for the hidden tang extension, it can be used as a small hammering device or even a scraper.

Except for the grind, I like the overall proportions of the knife. As with the Boker, the grind doesn’t go high enough. It will still cut but the cutting would be greatly optimized if the grind were half its height taller. It performed well in its cutting tasks with power cuts, feathering and the like. However, it still missed the ease of cut and control of a higher grind. If I could, I would love to get my hands on a bunch of these blades and regrind them.

Lipotes sheath — The Lipotes has a quality sheath that holds the knife nice and tight when you ramble through the woods. The leather belt loop riveted to the back won’t accommodate a wide belt.

I really like the sheath. It has a nice, deep carry. It is a molded plastic with a good friction fit. It is a bit mysterious to me as to why the belt loop is so small. Only a dress belt would fit through it. You could still run a cord through it for neck carry or a baldric. The Joe Flowers design checks off so many of the boxes for a good tool. I would have been singing its praises more with a higher grind. Instead, I am pretty much humming.

More Than Survival

To repeat, a bushcraft knife isn’t just for survival, it is a tool of creation. Often the real goal of an issue gets lost in the minutiae that results from personal gain and egos. Over the years, marketing and self-promotion have polluted bushcraft until we have lost it in a sea of books and an ocean of social media. A look at a simple tool such as a knife can really remind us of what bushcraft is about. It is about man’s will to do more than just survive. Man strives to prosper.

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes about tools by Thomas Carlyle: “Man is a tool-using animal. Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all.”

*Author’s note: The origins of the discussions of bushcraft can be attributed to such enthusiasts as Mors Kochanski, Larry Dean Olsen, Lofty Wiseman, Ray Mears and others.

Check Out More Outdoor Knives:

NESSMUK KNIFE: OPTIONS IN THE ALL-AMERICAN OUTDOOR KNIFE
BEST TOMAHAWKS: OUR TOP HAWKS FOR BACKWOODS TO BATTLEFIELDS
BEST BUSHCRAFT KNIFE: WHEN STEEL MEETS THE WOODS
BEST EDC FIXED BLADE KNIFE: A CUT ABOVE THE REST
BEST CAMP KNIVES: OUTDOORS DO-ALLS

Blades and Bands: Ready To Cut Through Outdoor Chores

Msg Kim Breed (ret.)

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July 30, 2025

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Blades and Bands: Ready To Cut Through Outdoor Chores

Blades and Bands Kukri is a forward-cutting knife design.

In the search for knives to test for “Spec Sheet,” I get referrals. Tracy Price is one. He’s a fairly new knifemaker but does quality work. The Kukri is a knife he made for himself to push his skills, something most makers do.

It’s always good to learn a different way to do things or a new shape. The more skills, the wider variety of knives the maker can build. No matter how pretty they look, form and function must be there. Let’s see how the Kukri functions.

Blades and Bands Kukri Specs

Maker: Tracy Price, Blades and Bands LLC
Blade length: 9”
Blade material: 5160 carbon steel
Blade grind: Flat
Blade @widest: 1 7/8”
Blade finish: Stonewashed
Handle: Stabilized maple burl w/TruStone™ inlay
Extras: Thong hole; spine of “flintknapped” steel
Weight: 20.1 ozs.
Overall length: 13 3/16”
Sheath: Kydex available
MSRP: $299.99

Pros

Exceptional Chopping and Whacking Power
Excellent Edge Retention
Durable Construction

Cons

Weight Can Be a Factor in Control

Kukri Light-Duty Cutting

The cardboard slices curled from the edge geometry but resulted in no slowing down of the edge.

For a quick edge check, I use the paper slice. The knife cut smoothly and fast. The blade shape pulled the edge through the paper. I had to control the knife’s forward weight, but after a few slices, it was no issue. It’s a sharp blade for sure.

I cut up an old postage box and used a side of it for a single-walled cardboard cut. The knife sliced aggressively and was easy to control. The slices curled from the edge geometry but resulted in no slowing down of the edge.

Kukri Medium-Duty Cutting

Next up: 8-ounce leather for skiving. I shaved a thin slice of leather to remove the squared-off cut during sheath construction to get the leather to flow together. It was fairly easy to skive the leather; I just had to be careful of the excess part of the blade I was not using. In other words, I was both skiving leather and shaving wood off my workbench at the same time.

Cutting leather was one push and the edge hit bottom. The Kukri smoked the leather cut. I moved up and down the blade and couldn’t find a dull spot. The blade belly was the smoothest. Again, I forgot to check the clearance on the first cut and carved into my benchtop. I’m blaming it on the heat.

It was time to whittle some fire sticks. I easily controlled the depth of the curlicues by choking up on the handle. The knife curlicued the cedar very quickly. Yes, the Kukri can be used for finer chores, too.

Kukri Heavy-Duty Cutting

The author easily controlled the depth of the curlicues by choking up on the handle.

Chopping was next on the test menu. Finally, I got to use the Kukri and put some whacking into it. Using some red cedar firewood as a base, I started chopping kindling. One whack and I was halfway through the piece. The forward balance worked perfectly for splitting—and man, does it whack! The choil does have a sharp spot but that was easily fixed.

I went back to slicing the original piece of paper to check for dulling and/or chips. The Kukri sliced the now-damp paper very well (97° F and 90 percent humidity make paper kind of soggy). It was simply too hot to stay in the shop—test over!

Final Cut

The Kukri is an excellent field/camp knife. It’s made to chop and whack in the outdoors. However, I soften the edge of the steel at the choil.

More Knife Reviews:

Sharps Bros. Meanstreak Review: Keen, Mean Cutting Machine
Relentless Knives Curved Fillet Knife Review
Cold Steel Finn Bear Review: Light, Sharp And Up To Snuff
Spartan Blades Clandestina Review: 2024 Blade Knife of the Year

EDC Clip Points: Little Big Clips

Pat Covert

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July 13, 2026

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Small-in-stature clip points that punch above their weight.

There’s a reason Buck Knives chose a clip-point blade for their iconic, mega-selling Model 110 as the blade style for their folding knife. The profile has a history of being a hard-working blade. The clip point’s most distinguishing characteristic is a noticeable change in the downward angle of the blade in its spine, which makes for a sharper angle of the blade toward the tip. This change can be subtle to severe, but it always results in a thinner blade height. In essence, the break in the blade angle “clips” it to a thinner, sleeker, more pointed shape. In this BLADE® feature, we’ll look at four modern and totable clip points and their attributes to see how they fit your needs.

Civivi Slippy Sendy

The Civivi Slippy Sendy is the only gentleman’s folder of our test group, and it carries the banner well. Having no pocket clip, it is made for pure loose pocket carry, and at just 1.90 ounces, its weight is no issue. The Micarta handle is a simple slab-style with an overall length of 3.7 inches with a flat, rounded-cornered top that ends in a 1-inch, semi-circular base. The backside scale has a 1/2-inch cut-out that allows the user to access the blade’s rectangular nail nick to engage the blade.

The 2.8-inch blade has its clip breaking 0.80 inch from the tip, while the cutting edge is 0.60 wide, flat-ground and is rounded toward the tip. The blade is Nitro V stainless, a very respectable proprietary knife steel from New Jersey Steel Baron that allows the Civivi Slippy Sendy to punch above its class.

The author kept the Civivi Slippy Sendy on his office desk for a few days and tested it cutting various and sundry “desk stuff.” The 2.8-inch Nitro V stainless blade was plenty sharp and did a good job of cutting crisp, sharp lines on this card stock.

This is an all-round lightweight pocketknife that is very good for light duty around the home, office or on the go. It is not a tactical knife because it doesn’t lock up or have a fighting blade style of thick blade steel. That said, the Civivi Slippy Sendy is handy for tackling mail duty, light meal prep and other unexacting duties encountered daily. I tested it on heavy card stock, packaging twine and thick packing tapes of all types and found the upgraded steel and comfortable ergonomics both handy for all-around use daily.

Cold Steel Engage 2.5

The Cold Steel Engage’s 2.5 sports a 4116 stainless steel made by Böhler of Germany. Of all the knives tested, this is the one that most resembled a modern-day tactical knife.

The Cold Steel Engage 2.5 may be small, but it’s a lot of knife in a 6-inch package. The blade width is just shy of 1-inch wide (0.90-inch), and it looks like a scaled-down tactical, which, in fact, it is. This knife is a shrunken version of the Engage 3.5 and is part of a whole series of varied models in the same platform. The Engage 2.5 is named for its blade length, leaving 3.5 inches for the handle.

The 2.5-inch clip-point blade is 4116 stainless steel made by Böhler of Germany, which opens via ambidextrous thumb studs on either side of the blade. The handle features Cold Steel’s patented Atlas slide lock located on the upper spine. An ambidextrous 1.5-inch pocket clip is located on the rear base.

Even though its steel didn’t sport an upscale moniker, the Cold Steel Engage 2.5 did a yeoman’s job of cutting sharp, crisp lengths of this tough leather.

I tested the Cold Steel Engage 2.5 on some thick, cured boot leather. Taking off lengths of the tough material in strips using a metal ruler as a guide, the blade of the knife never wavered or tried to change angles as lesser steels are prone to do. The curved front tip of the blade dug in at an angle and stayed on course with each slice and despite the blade not being a glitzy name brand, the 4116 stainless did its job well and the Engage 2.5 proved its worth.

Demko Knives Nano Shark

The Demko Knives Nano Shark is a pint-sized EDC designed for serious slicing. The very slightly curved blade has always been a workhorse, but during the modern tactical knife era, many edged weapons specialists embraced the blade for its ability to grab and not let go until it had done serious damage.

The Nano Shark has a 2.25-inch blade that breaks to its clip 1 inch into its traverse forward, then breaks downward again where it meets the blade’s flat-ground edge. The upper rear portion of the blade features a healthy, rounded cutout for opening the blade once the user has released it via a pull-down thumb lock. The Nano Shark’s 3.5-inch GRN handle is ample enough to house the entire blade with only the thumb cutout protruding. A reversible 1.75-inch pocket clip completes the package.

The Nano Shark may be a short knife, but it acts like a behemoth thanks to its tall profile and blade thickness. The blade is similar to a short bowie, which makes it a serious small work knife. I tested it as such on a stubborn 3/8-inch synthetic rope. I started by just taking off short lengths on a flat surface before tying a large knot into both ends and free-handing the excess off each knot. I ended up with two tidy knots at each end. When in doubt, practice first!

Big Idea Design TI Lookout

The 6.2-inch Big Idea Design TI Lookout is a simple fixed-blade knife with very few parts to break so it is better for stronger tasks. The Ti Lookout is basically one large piece of premium CMP MagnaCut stainless steel from tip to base with two lightweight, diagonally textured Grade 5 Titanium handle scales for gripping. Aside from the few pieces of hardware holding the handle together and forming its lanyard fitting at the base, that’s basically the sum of parts.

With so few parts to break, the fixed-blade can handle larger, tougher tasks. The downside is the user doesn’t have the compact convenience of a folding knife, but sometimes it is necessary to get the job done. The Lookout comes with a small 4.5-inch black Kydex sheath with a steel hanger fitted to the rear for added strength.

The Ti Lookout fixed-blade offers the safety of having no moving parts to break under extreme pressure whereas the folding knife can be vulnerable at its blade pivot. When in doubt, call on a fixed blade for the tough chores.

I gave the little fixed Ti Lookout a run for its money on a length of dried redwood 2-by-4. Holding the plank vertically, I dug the blade in at an angle, taking off shavings and holding in consecutively longer and deeper lengths. The Big Idea Design fixed-blade bit in and did its job until its size was simply outweighed by the larger length of wood, but not before the small fixer had proven its worth. I never felt during the process that the Ti Lookout was going to fold or break. That’s why you use a fixed-blade for the tough jobs.

More Reviews:

Mike Bradshaw’s Large Hunter Review: Large And In Charge
Pepperwool Merino MM Review [Field Tested]
KSW Custom Knives Bushcrafter Review: Upcycled Edge
Hults Bruk Spika Review: Backwoods Beast

Bowie Beauties: Three Quality Factory Bowie Knives

Dexter Ewing

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October 4, 2022

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The Bowie Is A Beloved, Historic Knife That Continues To Inspire Makers Today. This Trio Of Factory Bowies Stands Out.

Perhaps no other pattern in knife history has as rich a legacy as the bowie. It is a highly recognizable design featuring a large blade in a variety of shapes, some of which have a prominent swedge, and handles of varying designs, often with a guard.

The pattern dates back to 1827 as a knife given by Rezin Bowie to his legendary brother, BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Jim Bowie, the famous American pioneer who participated in the Texas Revolution and who was killed in the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. Jim Bowie was a principal in the Sandbar Fight of Sept. 29, 1827, a melee that established the bowie’s reputation as a fearsome combat knife that lives on to this day.

Boker Magnum Giant Bowie

Whittling is easy for the Giant Bowie. The knife is well balanced and agile in hand.

The bowie remains a widely sought-after pattern for knife collectors and users alike. Its commanding stature attracts attention. A striking example is the Boker Magnum Giant Bowie, Magnum being Boker’s more affordable knife line made in China.

Boasting a stacked leather-washer handle with integrated finger grooves, polished double guard and pommel, and clip-point blade with a pronounced swedge, the Giant Bowie looks all business.

The 8-1/8-inch blade is 440A stainless steel. The handle is comfortable and the finger grooves index your grip nicely. The leather is covered with a clear coat that prevents moisture from soaking in and ruining the handle. The buttcap screws down to compress the washers.

One drawback is I cannot find any evidence that the handle is of a full-tang construction. It doesn’t have the balance of such in hand, as it is slightly blade heavy. As a result, use this one with caution—meaning no use bordering on abuse.

The black leather sheath has a single retention strap with a button snap. A small accessory pocket also has a button-snap closure and contains a sharpening stone. The stone is too small for major resharpening but can be used for quick field touch ups.

MSRP: $65.95

Spyderco FB44GP Respect Bowie

The Respect chops with controlled reckless abandon and makes chunks of wood fly. The massive stock thickness gives a blade-heavy feel, an excellent trait for such tasks

Spyderco’s FB44GP Respect Bowie pays homage to classic bowie design, hence its name. Sal Glesser, company founder and BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member, designed this beast to be his version of the bowie executed in modern materials and manufacturing techniques.

Incorporating massive .3-inch-thick CPM 154 stainless steel, the 7-inch blade is fully flat ground. While the blade is massive, the distal taper of the spine lightens it progressively toward the tip and makes it feel agile in hand. The ergonomic G-10 handle has rounded edges, which make for a very comfortable grip.

A stainless steel double guard provides ample protection from your hand sliding up on the blade, and acts as a positive stop for choking up for additional control. You can move your grip rearward on the handle to shift the balance point to where the feel is blade heavy for chopping tasks. Torx® screws fasten the scales to the full tang securely.

The Respect makes an excellent expedient chopper, with the flat-ground blade providing excellent bite into saplings. It aggressively eats away at green wood, sending chunks flying with each blow. Toning it down, the blade makes a great slicer with the graceful curve of the cutting edge that terminates at the tip. It sliced foam blocks easily, an indication that the cutting edge quality and blade grinds are spot on. There is enough of a defined tip to perform scoring jobs if needed. The blade can do some serious penetration as well. There were no problems with cutting performance.

The heavy-duty sheath is sewn leather. A brass frog helps secure the leather retainer strap over the guard to prevent the knife from falling out of the sheath. A belt loop on the reverse side provides further ease of carry should you opt for it.

The Respect is a high-end production knife through and through and very well engineered at that. Made in Golden, Colorado, at the Spyderco facility, the bowie comes with a zippered padded storage pouch.

MSRP: $616

A.G. Russell Knives California Bowie

Though the knife is not blade heavy, chopping with the California Bowie is possible. The edge quality and flat grind make the blade bite into green wood easily. You will have to use more deliberate muscle action than relying on a heavyweight blade.

Built in the A.G. Russell Knives shop in Rogers, Arkansas, the California Bowie is based on an English-style pattern popularized by knifemaker D.E. Henry in the 1960s and ’70s. Henry was thought by many to be the best at the time in crafting this style of bowie, the end result being a handmade knife of meticulous fit and finish that garnered him fans worldwide. ]

The 8.5-inch clip-point blade is 154CM stainless steel with a full flat grind. Stock thickness is .185 inches, thick enough to handle the heavy work but not so thin as to be fragile. The stainless steel guard fits tight to the tang with no gaps.

The handle is beautiful wild African wild olivewood, and there is also a version with African Ironwood scales as well. The material is a blonde color with a highly contrasting grain for a stimulating visual effect. Red fiber liners give a pop of color, something seen more in custom knives than production.

The wood scales are pinned to the full tang, and the inward curved handle lines make the knife sit in your grip very nice and secure. It may be a boxy style handle but the way it is executed makes for a comfortable feel. There is no lanyard hole.

The sheath is done right: brown leather with contrasting white stitching and a simple button-snap retention strap. The shade of brown complements the color of the scales quite well. Knife and sheath are a “10” in overall appearance. Another nice touch is the satin finish throughout, including the blade, double guard and tang, so there’s that continuity.

The California Bowie is a real slicer. The knife is balanced in proportion to the hand and feels agile and very controllable, though it is not much of a chopper due to the lack of a blade-heavy feel. If you are primarily slicing, this knife is for you. It may be a looker but it’s also a really nice user.

MSRP: $395

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Cool Customs: Joe Mangiafico’s Trout Knives

BLADE Staff

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April 24, 2023

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Cool Customs: Joe Mangiafico’s Trout Knives

Inspired By His Time Fly Fishing In The Pacific Northwest, Joe Mangiafico’s Trout Knives Are Durable, Eye-Catching Tools.

Joe Mangiafico’s trout knives not only are built to use but are cool and colorful to boot.

The 28-year-old Massachusetts maker acid etched the flat areas of the blades for a damascus look, yet it’s the handles and sheaths that really stand out.

The grips are structural mosaics of G-10, brass, and copper. For instance, the blue haloed red center pins of the model with the green handle are inlaid plugs, and the brass pins are press fit and epoxied all the way through. He designed the Kydex sheaths with centered pocket clips to attach to your pocket or waders while fishing. The red-banded model is inspired by the redband trout Joe fly fishes for in the Deschutes River Valley of central Oregon.

Who Is Joe Mangiafico

Mangiafico began making knives while still a college student several years ago. Joe makes his knives in his shop in Cotuit, on the southern coast of Cape Cod. While the majority of his work is custom knives, he does have a factory collaboration with the German company Boker Knives. His Brook fixed blade is made from VG-10 steel and, like his trout knives, showcases his deft ability to craft an eye-popping handle. It retails for $156.95 and can be found on Boker’s website.

Trout Knife Specs
Model names: Brook Trout, Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout
Knife type: Trout knife
Blade lengths: 3 inches
Blade steel: Nitro V stainless
Blade grinds: Flat
Handle materials: G-10, copper and brass
Bolster materials: Brass, Micarta® and mokume gané
Overall lengths: 6.5 inches
Sheaths: Kydex
Maker’s price for similar knives: $375 each

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Custom Hunting Knives: Hunting For The Best Value

Les Robertson

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September 17, 2024

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Custom Hunting Knives: Hunting For The Best Value

Understand how and why custom hunting knives cost what they do.

When I attend shows, one of my main goals is to talk with knifemakers and check the prices of various custom knives. One of the best shows to do that is the BLADE Show. This past June my goal in the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta was to talk with 50 custom makers to get their takes on trends, material prices, overall demand, etc., regarding the knives they make and sell.

The custom knife that dominates the fixed-blade market is the hunter. This is due primarily to the fact that there seems to be an endless variety of hunting knives that can be made, and they usually have a lower price point than many other custom knives. Unlike other customs, hunting knives are often bought for use. Consequently, they are frequently tested by many users, from the casual outdoorsman to the professional hunting guide. The firearm may dispatch the game, but the knife provides the meat and potentially the trophy the taxidermist creates.

Over the years, thousands of articles have been written on and about hunting knives, including a few by this writer. In this article, I want to discuss not types or designs but pricing on knives in the hunter category.

Custom Hunting Knives Cost

Wess Barnhill ladder-pattern damascus hunter.

Several factors go into the cost of building or making anything. Most makers need a place to make the knives, usually a garage or a shop. Next comes the equipment, which varies from maker to maker. Belts for grinding, polishing and putting an edge on the blade can be one of the more costly items a maker utilizes. Electricity, propane or wood provide the energy to work the materials that become the knife. No matter how the knife is built, these are typical costs shared by most makers. The costs vary depending on the prices of the materials to make the knife. Steel, guard/bolster material, handle material and leather if a sheath is required all impact the finished knife’s price, as will the maker’s skill at using these materials.

Custom Hunting Knives Blade Steel

Dan Lewis' dmascus and copper san-mai hunters, both striking outdoor options. — Dan Lewis’ dmascus and copper san-mai hunters, both striking outdoor options.

The majority of makers use either stainless or carbon steel. Each offers advantages and disadvantages. Because of the diversity of steel, hunters can select a knife with the steel that best suits their needs.

Some hunters prefer patterned damascus steel, such as the ladder pattern of the damascus hunter by ABS master smith Russ Andrews (see accompanying image). Some hunters indicate the damascus blade’s distal tapering and differential heat treatment give the knife a better edge-holding capability. Others prefer steel of a san-mai construction as in the knife of ABS journeyman smith Dan Lewis. By forge welding more malleable steel onto either side of a harder steel, san-mai provides the blade with more structural integrity without sacrificing its ability to hold an edge.

As you can imagine, creating these steels takes additional time and is an added expense. The steels can add anywhere from $150 to $400 to the knife’s cost.

Custom Hunting Knives Handle

Russ Andrews amber stag hunter is a looker.

The handle material varies from natural to such synthetic(s) as G-10, carbon fiber and Micarta®. Natural handle materials are even more diverse, including ivory, antler/horn, wood, mother-of-pearl and bone. The advantage of synthetics is they are not subject to the effects of weather and temperature and so do not shrink and/or expand. Also, Micarta and G-10 are less expensive than some natural handle materials.

Natural handle materials can give your knife a unique look, making it stand out from other knives. Ivory, predominantly mammoth or ancient walrus ivory, is among the most distinctive and expensive handle materials used on hunting knives. Mammoth ivory comes in the form of scales and can cost anywhere from $100 to $250. Ancient walrus ivory costs are largely determined by the color(s) and condition. Prices generally range from $200 to $400.

Antlers and horns of all types have been used as knife handles from the onset of knives being built. The most commonly used antler on custom hunting knives is Sambar stag. In addition to its classic look, the natural lands* and grooves of the antler will contour to your hand, giving you a better grip when using the knife. Stag’s demand and lack of supply over the past 15 years have driven the price up considerably. You can expect to add $125 to $175 to the cost of the knife for an excellent piece of stag.

Mike Malosh's hunters are outfitted with either an elk and black Micarta or stacked leather washers. — Mike Malosh’s hunters are outfitted with either an elk and black Micarta or stacked leather washers.

Watching the price of stag increase encouraged me to look at other members of the deer family. One such member is the elk. It has many of the same characteristics as the stag antler, such as the natural lands, grooves and coloring. However, the price is considerably less than stag—around $50. The Elk Hunter (see accompanying image) by Mike Malosh gives you an idea of what an elk antler looks like on a custom hunting knife.

Wood is also a favorite handle material for both makers and collectors. Talk about diversity—wood offers just about any color you could want. Now, with the wood stabilization process commonplace, you eliminate most of the adverse effects of weather on the natural handle material. The price point for wood ranges from $5 to $50 to $75 for scales or a block of desert ironwood or koa. The damascus hunter by ABS journeyman smith Wess Barnhill features a beautiful set of desert ironwood scales. Its range of colors helps ironwood find its way to many knife handles.

Walnut is a hardwood favored by makers such as ABS journeyman smith Luke Dellmyer. It is a very stable, attractive wood that costs $30 a block. Another natural handle material I like, but you don’t see much, is stacked leather washers, as on the Mike Malosh Bear Hunter. One advantage I found with stacked leather is that, over time, the handle material will conform to your hand, providing you with a custom grip. You can expect stacked leather to add about $30 to the knife’s cost.

What Makes A True Value

As a professional custom knife purveyor, I offer prices based on my conversations with suppliers and makers and the materials I have bought over the years. As you know, everything gets more expensive, so prices may vary. The makers’ ability to combine the materials to create functional and aesthetically pleasing knives comes from years of honing their skills in their shops. Once you understand material pricing and can differentiate the skill levels of the different makers, you will realize that this is where the true value lies.

*Like on the inside of the barrel of a firearm, lands are the raised part of the antler and the grooves are the recessed part.

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New Knives December 2025

BLADE Staff

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December 5, 2025

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If it needs cutting, do it in style with one of these gems.

Of any class of knife, there’s nothing handier than an EDC blade. From mending hoses to knocking down cardboard boxes and prying open stuck latches, these knives trim down daily chores. Though what exactly defines an EDC knife? Honestly, anything could be an everyday carry if you simply carry it every day. And while a few of our new knife picks aren’t precisely what you call your typical EDC, they’re certainly worthy of keeping at hand to cut into your workload.

Brian Milinski Paratrooper

BLADE LENGTH: 3.25”
BLADE MATERIAL: Dragonskin damascus by Bertie Rietveld
BLADE GRIND: Hollow
BLADE FINISH: Nitre salt blued
SCALES: Carbon fiber
CLOSED LENGTH: 4.5”
MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $1,650
MAKER: Brian Milinski, mrknives.com (Felipe Silva image)

Buck Knives 791 Range Elite

KNIFE TYPE: Folder
BLADE LENGTH: 3 3/8”
BLADE STEEL: MagnaCut stainless
BLADE GRIND: High-panel flat
BLADE OPENER: Thumb stud
HANDLE MATERIAL: Anodized aluminum
LINERS: Tumble-polished stainless
LOCK: Crossbar
POCKET CLIP: Deep carry, reversible
WEIGHT: 3.3 ozs.
CLOSED LENGTH: 4.5”
SPECIAL FEATURES: Spine gimping
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
MSRP: $275
COMPANY: Buck Knives, buckknives.com

Sean Alonzo Dalisay 2.8 Cigar Cutter

BLADE LENGTH: 2.8”
BLADE MATERIAL: Yggdrasil pattern damascus by Damasteel
BLADE GRIND: Single bevel
SCALES: Mammoth tusk ivory
BOLSTER: Black burlap Micarta®
KNIFE TO KNOW: Pivot collar, inlay and thumb screws are mammoth ivory; zirconium pivot and backspacer
MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $4,200
MAKER: Sean Alonzo, baleteblades.shop (Jocelyn Frasier image)

Brion Tomberlin Personal Carry Fighter

BLADE LENGTH: 4.5”
BLADE MATERIAL: W2 tool steel w/hamon
BLADE GRIND: Flat
SCALES: Ironwood
GUARD: 416 stainless steel
OVERALL LENGTH: 9.5”
MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $650
KNIFE TO KNOW: Brion Tomberlin is a master smith in the American Bladesmith Society
MAKER: Brion Tomberlin (Jocelyn Frasier image)

Craig Brewer Slipjoint

BLADE LENGTH: 2.5”
BLADE MATERIAL: Mike Norris stainless damascus in a Frequency pattern
BLADE GRIND: Hollow
SCALES: Mammoth ivory
CLOSED LENGTH: 3”
MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $1,100
KNIFE TO KNOW: Craig Brewer is an apprentice smith in the American Bladesmith Society
MAKER: Craig Brewer (Jocelyn Frasier image)

Quintin T. Hardtner IV Take-Down Frame-Handle Bowie

BLADE LENGTH: 8.25”
BLADE MATERIAL: Feather damascus of 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels
BLADE GRIND: Flat
SCALES: Curly koa
FURNITURE MATERIAL: Same as blade
SPACERS: Nickel silver
OVERALL LENGTH: 13.5”
KNIFE TO KNOW: Won Best Fixed Blade and Best of Show at the 2025 Louisiana Knife Show
SHEATH: Leather; custom made by Bob Bobbitt
MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $3,000
MAKER: Quintin T. Hardtner IV (Jocelyn Frasier image)

Spartan Blades Soter Carbon Fiber Edition

KNIFE TYPE: EDC folder
BLADE LENGTH: 3.25”
BLADE STEEL: CPM S35VN stainless
ROCKWELL HARDNESS: 58-60 HRC
BLADE FINISH: Satin
HANDLE MATERIAL: Carbon fiber/G-10 composite
LOCK: RaceLock™
POCKET CLIP: Machined from one piece of steel, PVD-coated in flat dark earth
WEIGHT: 3.9 ozs.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
MSRP: $310
KNIFE TO KNOW: Soter is the Greek mythological figure known as the “protector”
COMPANY: Spartan Blades, spartanbladesusa.com

Tory Utt Arkansas Hunter

KNIFE TYPE: Slipjoint
BLADE LENGTH: 4”
BLADE MATERIAL: Feather pattern damascus forged by Bill Poor
BLADE GRIND: Flat
BLADE PATTERN: Clip point
HANDLE FRAME: Nickel silver
SCALES: Westinghouse Micarta®
SHIELD: Mother-of-pearl
BOLSTERS: Topo pattern damascus forged by Tory Utt
CLOSED LENGTH: 4.25”
MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $1,300 range
KNIFE TO KNOW: Tory Utt has been making knives for 12 years
MAKER: Tory Utt, sacredbearknives.com (SharpByCoop image)

Mace Vitale Bowie

BLADE LENGTH: 12.5”
BLADE MATERIAL: W2 tool steel w/hamon
BLADE GRIND: Flat
SCALES: Tasmanian blackwood
GUARD & FERRULE: Mild steel
OVERALL LENGTH: 17.5”
KNIFE TO KNOW: The design is inspired by early American knives; Mace Vitale is a journeyman smith in the American Bladesmith Society
MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $1,750
MAKER: Mace Vitale (SharpByCoop image)

Bear & Son Cutlery 112A 4” Stainless Steel Framelock

BLADE LENGTH: 2 7/8”
BLADE MATERIAL: Stainless steel
BLADE PATTERN: Drop point
BLADE OPENERS: Flipper and thumb stud
OPENING MECHANISM: Assisted
HANDLE MATERIAL: Stainless steel
LOCK: Framelock
POCKET CLIP: Yes
WEIGHT: 3.8 ozs.
CLOSED LENGTH: 3¾”
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
MSRP: $59.99
COMPANY: Bear & Son Cutlery, bearandsoncutlery.com

Camillus Explorer

BLADE LENGTH: 3”
BLADE STEEL: 3Cr13 stainless
BLADE PATTERN: Drop point
HANDLE MATERIAL: Nylon glass fiber
LOCK: Crossbar
WEIGHT: 3 3/8 ozs.
CLOSED LENGTH: 4.5”
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Offshore
MSRP: $29.99
COMPANY: Camillus, camillusknives.com

5.11 Pryme Double Duty DP

KNIFE TYPE: Folder
BLADE LENGTH: 3.25”
BLADE MATERIAL: D2 tool steel
BLADE GRIND: Compound
BLADE PATTERN: Drop point
BLADE OPENERS: Flipper and thumb stud
HANDLE MATERIAL: G-10 on mark side/420J2 stainless on lock side
BOLSTER MATERIAL: 420J2
LOCK: Framelock
POCKET CLIP: Steel, deep carry, reversible
WEIGHT: 5.3 ozs.
CLOSED LENGTH: 5.125”
SPECIAL FEATURES: Built-in, full-handle-length pry tool/screwdriver/optic
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: China
MSRP: $85
CONTACT: 5.11, 5.11tactical.com

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If it needs cutting, do it in style with one of these gems.

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Craig Brewer Slipjoint

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Tory Utt Arkansas Hunter

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