Knife collecting is an extremely rewarding experience for knife enthusiasts. There truly is a knife for everyone. Many increase or hold their value throughout the years, making collecting knives something to pass on to the next generation of knife collectors.
If you’re lucky enough to attend a knife show in-person this year, take advantage of the time to use your smartphone—or even a camera, heaven forbid—to help establish the provenance of the knife you buy.
A provenance that not only can you show proudly to anyone and everyone who might be interested in the cool little enclave of makers that comprise the knife industry, but also to help increase the knife’s value.
What Is “Provenance?”
Provenance, in case you don’t know, is defined by Webster’s as “place or source of origin,” and proof of it is something those who deal in the world of collectables value almost as much as the collectable itself.
Such is the case in the world of edged collectables, where the knives of certain makers can be extremely valuable. Being able to prove beyond almost a shadow of a doubt that one of those makers made the knife you assert he or she has made can mean hundreds if not thousands of dollars of difference in the amount of money you can get for it—if and when you decide to sell it.
In later years, if you keep the knife and its provenance together, it can mean even more money and prestige than that.
What Forms of Proof Count as Provenance?
Even if you can’t make it to a knife show in 2020, such as this scene at Jerry Van Eizenga’s table during a past BLADE Show, you can still request signed business cards, specs, receipts and photos from the knifemaker through the mail. A notary public isn’t out of the question, either. (file photo)
Provenance can take any number of forms, including dated written and signed documentation, sales receipts, product boxes (with the overall condition of those boxes playing a large part in value, too), etc. The more legitimate examples of proof you have, the better the provenance is.
Among other forms of such proof are photographs, and such photographs can come in any number of renditions.
For instance, once you buy the knife from the maker at his or her table, you might ask if it’s OK if you:
photograph the knife on the maker’s table, perhaps even with his/her autographed and dated business card situated next to the knife;
have your photograph taken with the maker, with you and/or he or she holding the knife; and
any other image you can think of to date or memorialize the occasion.
And you don’t have to stop there. You can keep the maker’s autographed business card from the photo, any kind of signed and dated receipt, knife specs (including name of knife, steel, blade length, handle material, lock, any unusual facts or descriptions of how the knife was made, etc.) and so on, and store it all with the knife.
If you feel even more enterprising, bring a recorder and record the maker’s answers to questions concerning the knife.
Of course, you will need to ask the maker’s permission for all of the above beforehand, but, if you’re paying the maker’s asking price for the knife, chances are he or she is going to be more than happy to comply and help you establish the knife’s provenance.
Provenance Benefits Both Ways
After all, the more money you get/more prestige you establish for the knife is probably going to benefit the maker’s ability to get top dollar for/reinforce the collectability of his/her knives, too.
Besides, it helps you establish a better rapport with the maker and is all kind of fun to boot.
Introducing kids to knives is a good way to teach safety and start a lifelong interest in blades. Here are three rules to instill in youth right off the bat.
RULE 1: “My knife is a tool, not a toy.”
Removing the curiosity through knowledge and experience is incredibly effective for creating a safe environment for a kid.
Just because the knife is a Buck fixed blade does not make it any more dangerous than a steak knife in a kitchen drawer. Though innocent, a curious boy who has acquired a steak knife to play with is far more dangerous than a boy who has earned the privilege of owning a Buck knife as a tool, in my opinion.
Has anyone ever heard the phrase “curiosity killed the cat?”
RULE 2: “Look around me.”
Granted, this is a vague rule but it stems from so many important aspects of sharing the world with other people.
My goal is to teach him not only about his personal safety but the safety of others as the highest priority. Hurting yourself is one thing but hurting someone else in ignorance is unacceptable.
Therefore, before he uses his knife, he must reflect on his surroundings and ask himself if it is safe through a form of risk mitigation. Risk mitigation fundamentally implies safety and will aid his ability to foresee unsafe situations as he grows.
RULE 3: “Put it away before moving.”
Have you ever misplaced your car keys and wound up driving somewhere in a rush because of the time wasted searching for them? I am guilty of it. Driving in a rush increases your risk of injury and, more importantly, the risk of injuring others. Roughly 37,000 deaths are attributed to vehicle accidents each year. I wonder how many of those deaths were because of people in a rush to get somewhere?
Practicing a consistent pattern of safe behavior has a butterfly effect. Getting in a car accident because you were in a rush is no excuse. The same concept applies to my son, and if he is taught that he is accountable for his pattern of behavior at this age, he will likely grow into an adult unwilling to sacrifice the safety of others because of a personal breach in consistent safe behavior.
Answer: Even in the age of Instagram knife photos, online knife forums, and tweet-first-think-later social media, there is still a need for experts like custom knife dealers who stand behind their experience.
Editor’s note: An expanded version of this article appears in the book,KNIVES 2020.
It Takes a Certain Kind of Person to be a Custom Knife Dealer
Custom knife dealers must develop a unique skill set. Unlike knifemakers who, for the most part, only need to be concerned with their knives, custom knife dealers must familiarize themselves with hundreds of makers and their knives.
Through sheer repetition, custom knife dealers come to know more handmade knives and their makers than any collector can ever hope to achieve.
If you were to stand behind my table at a show, after three days of listening to me answer questions about the 50 or more knives on display, you’d have the handmade pieces committed to memory. Years later, you could still answer questions about any of those knives. Now imagine doing it for 34 years.
Something Only Time Can Give You: Perspective
This is what gives the purveyor of handmade knives the advantage of understanding what the market is truly about. The better-known dealers will buy and sell more custom knives in a year than most collectors will own in their lifetimes.
This should not be a revelation to anyone. If it were your profession or obsession to buy and sell handmade knives daily, developing a sense of “who’s who” in the market would be inevitable.
Generally, the custom knife dealers who are known as experts in certain knife styles have gained this reputation due in no small measure to longevity. Most of the nationally recognized dealers have been around for more than 10 years.
They Can See What’s Coming Before It’s Popular Elsewhere
The interesting thing about this expertise is that, for many of the dealers, it follows the trends. As with makers, many of the custom knife dealers are extremely versatile. Because of their unique perspectives of the entire knife market, some can move from specialty to specialty while still maintaining their reputation or even further developing their position in several areas.
Custom Knife Dealers Spread Knowledge
A custom knife dealer’s expertise is often sought out for a myriad of reasons. Magazines, such as BLADE, will solicit their expertise when researching stories on individual makers, trends or market sectors. In some cases, purveyors are commissioned to contribute or write articles based on their areas of expertise.
Expertise is further sought for seminars at knife shows like BLADE Show and BLADE Show West. Because of the spectrum of handmade knives submitted for judging at various shows across the country, a dealer is often called on to judge the pieces in these competitions.
They Increase the Return on Your Investment, Because They are Also Invested
For the more serious custom knifemaker and collector, custom knife dealers’ unique insights into the market are invaluable. Custom knife dealers can provide guidance with regards to pricing, position and potential return on investment.
I have given these words of advice to thousands of custom knifemakers and buyers: “Do your homework!”
Designed by Leo Espinoza, the El Chappo cleaver from TOPS Knives features a 6-inch blade of 1095 carbon steel in an acid-rain finish.
If you want a handy outdoor blade for camp chores, skinning or a compact tool with enhanced chopping power, check out today’s ever-growing cache of cleavers.
Designed by Leo Espinoza, the El Chappo cleaver from TOPS Knives (above) features a 6-inch blade of 1095 carbon steel in an acid-rain finish. Rockwell hardness: 56-58 HRC. Handle: black canvas Micarta. Weight: 16 ounces. Overall length: 10.9 inches. Sheath: black Kydex.
White River Knife & Tool is the latest outfit to join the chop party with its new Clever Camp Cleaver.
White River Knife & Tool is the latest cutlery company to join the party with its new Clever Camp Cleaver. Featuring a 5.5-inch blade of premium CPM S35VN stainless steel, the camp tool comes with a Micarta handle and a heavy-duty leather sheath. Weight: 9.2 ounces. Overall length: 10.25 inches. MSRP: $230.
The CL1-Cleaver is one of the latest models in ESEE’s Expat Knives line. The 1095 carbon steel blade is 3.25 inches at its widest and 3/16 inch at its thickest.
The CL1-Cleaver is one of the latest models in ESEE’s Expat Knives line. The 1095 carbon steel blade is 3.25 inches at its widest and 3/16 inch at its thickest. Haft: black G-10. Finish: black oxide, tumbled. Weight: 25.5 ounces. Overall length: 11.5 inches. MSRP: $276.50 (includes a leather sheath).
The Reaver Cleaver from Zombie Tools is a full-tang chopping machine with an 18-inch blade of 5160 carbon steel in a Rockwell hardness of 55 HRC.
The Reaver Cleaver from Zombie Tools is a full-tang chopping machine with an 18-inch blade of 5160 carbon steel in a Rockwell hardness of 55 HRC. Weight: 3 pounds, 10 ounces. Overall length: 31 inches. MSRP: $374.95.
The Quest Custom Knives Custom Kutzu 2.2 Flipper is a micro-cleaver flipper folder with a 2-inch blade of CPM 154 stainless steel.
The Quest Custom Knives Custom Kutzu 2.2 Flipper is a micro-cleaver flipper folder with a 2-inch blade of CPM 154 stainless steel and a sculpted titanium 6Al-4V frame and pocket clip. Closed length: 3 inches.
Michael Zieba’s cleaver sports the iconic brass-knuckle-guard handle taken from an original example of one of the most famous blades of World War I—the Trench Knife. (SharpByCoop image)Learn how to make knives with Murray Carter with this terrific knifemaking book. Only $7!
Michael Zieba’s cleaver sports the iconic brass-knuckle-guard handle taken from an original example one of the most famous blades of World War I—the Trench Knife. Zieba custom made the cleaver for Chris Wallace, aka “Flavor God,” a maker of seasonings who is big on the Internet. Zieba met Wallace on Instagram. Wallace supplied him with the original U.S. Mark 1 Trench Knife from his knife collection.
Zieba modified the knife’s iconic handle and integrated it into the cleaver blade, which is 52100 ball-bearing steel forged in a san-mai construction. He achieved the blue and gold patina with water and vinegar. “Sometimes you get blue or you may get another color. It depends,” he said. “You never know how it will come out. It’s just a reaction to the metal.”
The cleaver is one solid piece with a skull-crusher pommel. The square holes in the blade are for aesthetics. Zieba has done the blades with egg-shaped and round holes as well.
The Spyderco Caly 3 (above) features a blade of ZDP-189 stainless and a carbon fiber handle. For info on how to buy one, click here.
THE CUTLERY INDUSTRY OFFERS MANY GREAT FACTORY KNIVES, but not all the companies who sell them promote them effectively. On the other hand are those who do. My top 11 list* of those who do it best follows.
No. 1: Spyderco. Spyderco’s catalog excels in content and looks. The company has a comprehensive website with high-resolution, easily downloadable images for media use, runs colorful, creative ads, and even has a professional calendar illustrated with a Spyderco knife for each month. The company exhibits at most high-profile knife shows, has a solid Internet knife discussion forum presence, and curries an outstanding stable of collaborative makers who are Spyderco ambassadors by proxy.
No. 2: SOG Specialty Knives. Any company that gets R. Lee “The Gunny” Ermey to plug its knives through ads, appearances at knife shows and elsewhere gets my vote. SOG exhibits at many high-profile knife shows, has a professional catalog and supplies the media with high-resolution images of its knives.
No. 4: Cold Steel. Cold Steel’s catalog is very well done and mailed to customers on a regular basis, with seasonal updates. The company is a master of “promotion in motion”—that is, it offers a number of CDs that show Cold Steel knives being used. The company’s website is outstanding, with high-resolution, easily downloadable images for media use.
No. 5: Buck. Buck recently signed Haley Heath of the “Family Traditions with Haley Heath” program on the Sportsman Channel to have her own line of Buck hunting knives. Buck has a comprehensive catalog and offers high-resolution images for media use. It excels at sending e-mails on the latest in its knives and other company initiatives. It exhibits at most high-profile knife shows and benefits from the goodwill and publicity generated by the Buck Collectors Club.
No. 6: Benchmade. A top-notch catalog, a complete media supply of outstanding high-resolution images, a steady stream of e-mail updates on company doings, an impressive array of collaborative makers who promote the company line by osmosis, a presence at most major knife shows, and effective use of such celebrities as Michael Waddell and the Bone Collector line make Benchmade a prime-time self-promotion player.
No. 7: Case. A great catalog, intuitive use of such American icons as John Wayne, Johnny Cash and celebrities that have included Blake Shelton and others on company knife lines, providing high-resolution images of its knives to the media, an “American heartland” approach to ad content and design, exhibiting at most high-profile knife shows and more all guarantee Case a top spot in the self-promotion sweepstakes. Plus, the Case Collectors Club adds its 19,000 members to the mix.
No. 8: Columbia River Knife & Tool. CRKT’s catalog is right up there with Cold Steel’s and Spyderco’s. CRKT offers high-resolution images, including great close-ups of specific knife features, for media use. It exhibits at most high-profile knife shows, and its vast stable of collaborating knifemakers serves as a P.R. agency in and of itself.
No. 9: Boker. Another of the companies with a great catalog, Boker supplies a comprehensive array of high-resolution images of its complete knife line to the media. Like CRKT, Boker has a vast fleet of collaborating makers who no doubt spread the good word of their designs for Boker as well. It exhibits at most major knife shows.
No. 10: William Henry Studio. William Henry recognizes the value of celebrities to promote its knives (i.e., actor Joe “Pants” Pantoliano’s appearance at the 2009 BLADE Show). It offered a William Henry knife valued at $10,000 to celebrate the 30th Annual BLADE Show and gave it away at last year’s show, creating mini-membership drives for Knife Rights, the American Knife & Tool Institute and the Custom Knife Collectors Association in the process. In other words, William Henry’s good P.R. for others was also good P.R. for William Henry. The company offers elegant ads, too.
No. 11: Gerber. Two words: Bear Grylls. Gerber has a nice catalog and supplies high-resolution images of its knives to the media, but it is the Bear Man that puts it on this list.
*The list rates the companies’ promotional ability only, not the quality of the knives. However, “perception is reality,” and effective self-promotion influences many people’s opinions of knife quality, whether it is an accurate barometer of quality or not.
For more on the latest knives, knife legislation, knifemaking instruction, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where and much more, subscribe to BLADE Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication. For subscription information click on http://www.shopblade.com/product/blade-magazine-one-year-subscripti…?r+ssfb043012#BL1SU.
Survival instructor and host of The Weather Channel’s new series “SOS, How To Survive,” Creek Stewart is releasing a new addition to his line of Whiskey Knives. The 7.75-inch-bladed tanto in A36 carbon steel is designed by Hank Gevedon of Reptile Toolworks with continual input from Creek.
Creek Stewart of “Fat Guys In The Woods” fame is hosting a new Weather Channel series: SOS, How To Survive. He is also adding The Rising Sun to his line of Whiskey Knives.
Creek runs Willow Haven Outdoor in Anderson, Indiana, where he teaches survival skills, provides some survival supplies and especially enjoys partnering with American artisans to offer items of high quality craftsmanship at affordable prices. His Apocabox is a subscription-based collection of survival items that arrives at your door every two months. He also offers a monthly survival skill program. Creek was the star of “Fat Men In the Woods,” and is again working with The Weather Channel on the new series. He is the author of an young adult survivalist romance titled “Rugosa.” A follow-up to that is also in the works.
In “SOS, How To Survive,” Creek and other survival experts analyze a series of real-life survival situations. They discuss what happened, what was done correctly by the survivors or what went wrong. The show started Sunday, August 20 and is ongoing. Throughout Creek offers tips that can be used in survival situations.
Creek Stewart Hosts The Weather Channel’s New SOS Series
Meanwhile back in Mount Vernon, Kentucky, Hank and his crew are gearing up to roll small batches of The Rising Sun into production by early 2018. Like all Whiskey Knives, The Rising Sun marries the early American frontier spirit and looks with the precision of Asia’s strong cutlery tradition. All of the knives are asymmetrically ground (so remember to only sharpen one side and just strop the other). The A36 carbon steel allows for a hard outer edge that is sharp and holds an edge with a tough inner core that is flexible and stands up to the rigors of hard outdoor use.
The Rising Sun from Whiskey Knives has a “ghost” guard that rides up the sheath, creating a striking visual when carried.
The handles are made from upcycled white oak whiskey barrel staves, which have already gone through a processing and aging. Fitting rivets are aluminum, and Whiskey Knives come with a 9-ounce belly leather sheath, stapled and dipped in paraffin wax. The Rising Sun’s sheath slides up through the knife’s ghost guard for an attractive-looking carry. MSRP: $189.
Contact Creek Stewart, Willow Haven Outdoor, 2867 N. 200 E., Anderson, IN 46012, www.creekstewart.com/whiskey-knives, on Facebook at Creek Stewart and on Instagram at @creekstewart.
A Digital Subscription To BLADE Is The Answer
You can read your digital issues of BLADE Magazine anywhere you have your phone, tablet or computer, and there’s no need to find storage for all your old issues.
If piling-up issues of magazines seems like a waste to you… If you feel like you don’t have time to read a magazine… If you like the stories we offer in BLADE, but want a more economical option, then a digital subscription is the answer. An annual subscription to BLADE is $17.98, $4 off the print price.
Lockbacks have never been so diverse. From left, with manufacturer’s suggested retail prices in parentheses: Spyderco Manbug Lightweight ($79.95), Cold Steel Grik ($59.99), KA-BAR Folding Hunter ($24.21) and Bear & Son Cowhand ($70.95).
Locking folders have been part of the cutlery scene for centuries. As for the lockback, some form of it has been around since the mid-1800s, when it started out as a tabbed lock and progressed over time as the more user-friendly detent style most of us know today.
The simple yet effective lockback mechanism got a massive shot in the arm in 1964 when Buck Knives introduced the now legendary Model 110 Folding Hunter.
These back-locking stalwarts have never left the folding knife scene, they have just been overshadowed by newer locking mechanisms. Lately they’ve been making a nice resurgence and are more diverse than ever.
Lock positions vary on the four lockbacks. The Cold Steel Grik and Spyderco Manbug Salt (from left) have mid-locks or front locks, while the Bear & Son Cowhand and KA-BAR Folding Hunter (from right) have theirs located near the base, which is more common among the breed.Three of the test lockbacks have pocket clips for everyday carry. From left: Bear & Son Cowhand, KA-BAR Folding Hunter and Cold Steel Grik. The Cowhand’s clip can be removed for loose pocket carry as you would a traditional pocketknife.
Spyderco Manbug Salt Lightweight
The Spyderco Manbug Salt Lightweight is a small, pocket carry model bent on defying its weight class. The smallest of the test knives, the Manbug Salt is a scant 4.4 inches extended with 1.9 inches of the total focused on a wicked, fully serrated sheepfoot blade. Spyderco knives come extremely sharp out of the box and this small lockback was no exception.
The bright yellow handle is the company’s classic, molded FRN synthetic, accoutered with the same, bumpy pattern found on its popular Delica and Endura models. The Manbug Salt’s rustfree blade of “corrosion-proof” H-1 work-hardened steel makes for pocket carry worry-free from sweat and moisture. Its midlock positioning is located halfway up the rear handle spine, and there is a lanyard/neck cord hole in the base. MSRP: $79.95.
The Spyderco Manbug is small enough to carry loose in the pocket, or you can use a cord for neck carry if so inclined. Excellent for daily chores such as opening packages, the small folder also makes for a wicked little hideaway knife.
The Manbug Salt Lightweight is not designed to be a serious knife user’s primary blade, but it is a great secondary carry loose in the pocket. I tested it for a week around the office opening boxes, ripping through corrugated board and other daily functions. The blade is extremely sharp, as Spydercos typically are, and slices through packing tape with ease. I stacked up three layers of heavy-duty reinforced packing tape and it sliced through it like butter—and after a week the edge was as effective as ever. In the pocket you hardly know its scant .8 ounce is there. I also like it as a last ditch hideaway knife should I ever need one. That little 1.9-inch blade is bigger and badder than it looks.
Bear & Son Cowhand Lockback
With its sleek California clip point blade, the Bear & Son Cowhand is a great slicer for medium size cutting chores such as rope. If you like a blend of traditional styling brought up to modern standards, the Cowhand will fill the bill.
The Bear & Son Cowhand Lockback has the look and feel of a modernized version of the traditional copperhead pattern. The 3.75-inch handle sports rosewood scales sandwiched between nickel silver bolsters, with the lock located at the lower rear base.
The slender 1095 carbon steel blade, a California clip point, is 2.875 inches long and accessed via an ovate thumb hole. On the back side is an ample 2.5-inch stainless steel pocket clip positioned for tip-down carry, or if you like you can remove the clip and carry the Cowhand loose in the pocket. At about 3 inches closed and tipping the scales at 2.3 ounces, the Cowhand is a medium-size folder that won’t bog you down. MSRP: $70.95.
I gave the Cowhand an initial run on some 550 paracord. The blade sliced through one, two and three lengths of cord with ease on both flat surfaces and pull-through strokes. I moved up to some much tougher waxed quarter-inch lasso rope on a flat surface. Applying pressure, I had no trouble slicing the rope in single strokes. Pull-throughs required multiple strokes but this extremely dense material gives most knives fits. Of the three folders in our lineup with pocket clips, the Cowhand’s is the deepest fitting. If you’re an aficionado of traditional folders, you’ll enjoy the feel of Rosewood in your hand as opposed to a synthetic.
Cold Steel Grik
The Cold Steel Grik is nothing short of cool and every bit as handy. The deep-bellied grind worked well for slicing sausage for a meal of red beans and rice, and can handle similar chores around the home.When it comes to pocket clips, the Cold Steel Grik gets the award for thinking outside the box. The company provides a mirror-image clip for left-hand pocket carry with an additional base plate to complete the package.
As cool looking lockbacks go, the Cold Steel Grik rates an 11 out of 10. Cold Steel has been a longtime proponent of the lockback and uses the trademarked name Tri-Ad Lock™ for its mechanism. The aggressively styled Grik is a mid-sized midlock folder—6.875 inches overall, 3.875 inches closed, 3.3 ounces—with a tactical-looking handle profile and a 3-inch spear-point blade of AUS-8 stainless steel.
Adding to its attitude is a heavy, ramped and checkered lug-shaped thumb stud on each side for ambidextrous access. Another cool feature is a tip-up pocket clip that spans the width of the GFN injection molded handle. Left -hand conversion is available for southpaws. MSRP: $59.99.
I liked the Grik’s wide, deep-bellied blade and put it to the test on slicing up sausage for a pot of red beans and rice. The links were approximately 1 inch in diameter and, while the Grik doesn’t have a long blade like a chef ’s knife, it had no trouble whatsoever taking off clean, consistent slices. Similar edibles such as carrots and shallots would be no problem.
As an EDC the Grik would be useful performing other daily chores around the office, and its wicked, double-ground blade can offer up a sweet bit of protection should the occasion arise. If you desire a thoroughly modern mid-sized lockback with a wide range of capabilities, the Grik will serve you well.
KA-BAR Folding Hunter
The KA-BAR Folding Hunter’s 3.87-inch clip point blade has ambidextrous thumb studs with an optional long-pull nail nick for blade deployment options. The blade was equally at home slicing leather strips and taking off portions of 3/8-inch rappelling rope.
The KA-BAR Folding Hunter is, simply stated, a modern tactical take on the legendary Buck 110 and KA-BAR’S subsequent Model 1189. The overall design and dimensions are very close, but the new KA-BAR version takes off from there in a hurry. About 5 inches closed, the KA-BAR Folding Hunter has a gray, nonreflective 3.87-inch clip point blade of 420 stainless steel with matching bolsters and black G-10 scales—which combined give it a very stealthy look.
The blade has ambidextrous thumb studs along with an optional long-pull nail nick on the front side for opening. On the backside is a 2.25-inch tip-down reversible stainless steel pocket clip. The cross-section of the handle is a trim .5 inch across, cutting down on weight and signature. The KABAR Folding Hunter is affordably priced at an MSRP of $24.21.
KA-BAR’s Folding Hunter was the only large-sized lockback in the pack and, like its predecessors, has the ability to perform tough tasks. I tested the blade on some 1/16-inch suede leather to see how well it could take off nice, clean strips. Laying the suede down on a flat wooden surface, I used the knife to slice through the material in easy, even strokes. The blade sliced equally well through 3/8-inch rappelling rope. Skinning, meal prep and shaving wood would be no problem with the KA-BAR Folding Hunter.
Lockback Knives are Back
Very much alive, the lockback folder is more diverse than ever, and choices abound. The Spyderco Manbug Salt Lightweight can fulfill many daily chores and also prevent wear and tear on your larger EDC, if so desired. The Bear & Son Cowhand and Cold Steel Grik give you a choice between a lockback with traditional styling versus a modern tactical one. If you want a full-size carry capable of more heavy-duty chores, the KA-BAR Folding Hunter will do the trick.
