Once Again The Ontario Knife Company Has Produced Two Stellar Knives In Its RAT Series. The RAT-3 Gobar and RAT-3 Utility Are Both Strong, Compact Blades.
The new RAT-3 Gobar from the Ontario Knife Company is a sturdy knife that is worthy of carrying the RAT name. A chisel-style knife, the Gobar has a 3.5-inch straight cutting surface and a flat chisel head.
Made of high-carbon steel and with a flat grind, the blade has a black phosphate coating and a handle made of Micarta. It’s a lightweight, nimble knife and comes with a shetah so you won’t have to worry about chipping or damaging it because it doesn’t fold like many other knives.
OKC RAT-3 Utility
The RAT-3 Utility is for more detailed work and is just as beautifully constructed. It’s made of the same materials as the Gobar but features a slightly curved belly to go with the flat chisel head. It also has a larger finger choil than the Gobar to aid in detailed knifework.
At 3.4 inches in length, the blade is slightly shorter than the Gobar, but the overall length is slightly longer (7.9 vs 7.81 inches in total length). This is a high-quality knife that stand up to daily use outdoors or in the shop.
Both knives come with a nylon MOLLE compatible sheath, which is perfect to attach to your pack and keep the blade safe and secure. Both knives have an MSRP of $91.95.
Sometimes You Need A Sharpener On The Go. These Five Pocket Knife Sharpeners Are Everything You Could Want In A Mobile Sharpener.
Many knife sharpeners are designed exclusively for the kitchen. Whether handheld or electric, they’re made to be used on a countertop in the kitchen or in the home. But what about when you’re out and about and need to sharpen a knife.
Maybe your EDC took a beating while you were cutting up boxes as you cleaned your job site. Maybe your rough-and-tumble Bowie knife needs a little love after hacking through some brush while hiking.
That’s where pocket knife sharpeners come in.
Small and easy to use, the best pocket knife sharpeners can fit anywhere and go anywhere. These are five that we’ve found can handle the tough task of sharpening your knives while also easily hiding away when not in use.
Lansky Quadsharp Knife Sharpener
Lansky Quadsharp
What’s better than a knife sharpener with one sharpening option? How about a sharpener with five ways to sharpen. You read that right — five.
The Lansky Quadsharp is a quintessential pocket knife sharpener. It is easily held in the palm of your hand, and its bright blue color helps it stand out if its buried in your work bag or in your hunting equipment.
The Quadsharp features four angled carbide slots to pull your knife through and a ceramic benchstone for more routine maintenance and honing. The slots each have a different angle (17, 20, 25, and 30 degrees) so you’ll be able to get the right angle for each of your knives.
The carbide slots are meant to revive dull and damaged blades. The 800-grit ceramic benchstone is meant for more regular use and can sharpen both straight edge and serrated knives. The slots are only good for straight-edged blades. The ceramic is harder than steel so it will never wear out and can keep your knives sharp for decades to come.
With an MSRP of $23.99, the Quadsharp swings way above its weight thanks to its small size, durability, and versatility.
Smith’s Pocket Pal X2 Sharpener & Outdoors Tool
Smith’s Pocket Pal X2 Sharpener & Outdoors Tool
Smith’s has made a product that not only sharpens but does a whole bunch more. The Pocket Pal X2 features a coarse carbide angled sharpening slot and a fine 1000-grit ceramic sharpening slot. It also features a fold-out diamond honing rod that is perfect for sharpening serrated knives, single-bevel knives, and gut hooks.
The Pocket Pal X2 is so much more than just a sharpener. It comes with a compass and a built-in LED flashlight. There’s also a high-pitched signal whistle so you can call for help if in distress. And, what I think is the coolest part of the Pocket Pal X2, is the built-in fire starter. Use it by pulling it through the coarse sharpener to make a spark.
You can see all of the tool’s features in action in this video below.
Coming it at an MSRP of $17.99, the Pocket Pal X2 is a great pocket knife sharpener and all-around tool if you’re planning to do anything outdoors or to just keep in the car in case of an emergency.
AccuSharp Knife And Tool Sharpener
AccuSharp Knife And Tool Sharpener
AccuSharp takes the concept of “grab and go” to a whole new level with their Knife and Tool Sharpener. Rather than pulling the knife through or across the sharpener, you pull the sharpener across the knife.
By using tungsten carbide blades, and a finger guard so you don’t slice your hand, AccuSharp has made a tool that subverts what you think a knife sharpener should look like. You can see how the tool works in AccuSharp’s own video below.
The most affordable sharpener on this list, with an MSRP of $10.99, AccuSharp’s Knife and Tool Sharpener can sharpen your kitchen knives, your EDC, and even the axe you keep in the shed.
Victorinox Dual Knife Sharpener
Victorinox Dual Knife Sharpener
Shaped like a pen, the Victorinox Dual Knife Sharpener can sharpen and hone knives in a sleek, elegant package that can easily tuck away in a pocket or clip onto your belt line.
Opening one end reveals an angled pair of ceramic discs to pull across your blade to sharpen it. On the other end, there is a honing stone so you can polish and maintain the edge of your knives.
You can see how nimble and easy to use the sharpener is by watching this quick video below.
The sharpener is so compact and light, coming in at just 1.4 ounces in weight, that there’s no place it can’t go. From the same company that makes the iconic Swiss Army Knife, you can trust that the Dual Knife Sharpener, with an MSRP of $19, will be sharpening your knives for years to come.
WorkSharp Guided Field Sharpener
WorkSharp Guided Field Sharpener
From one of the top companies for all things knives, comes a sharpener that is made for you to take into the field, keep in the shop, or use at home. This sharpener from WorkSharp can sharpen straight-edge knives, serrated knives, and fish hooks.
Utilizing five stages of sharpening and honing, the Guided Field Sharpener is as dynamic as they come. Features include 20-degree angle guides of 320 and 600-grit diamond to sharpen your knives and the pair of a fine ceramic rod and leather strop to polish and hone your edges.
You can even remove the diamond sharpening plates to get access to the storage cavity and broadhead wrench inside of the device. There’s also a small hole in the casing so you can attach the sharpener to a lanyard or strap.
WorkSharp made this in-depth video showing off all the sharpener’s features and how to sharpen different blades with it.
With an MSRP of $34.95, you are getting an absolute steal of a sharpener. Packed with features, and tough enough to last for years, WorkSharp once again has made a sharpener that stands out from the pack.
Editor’s Note: This article was written by Mike Ableson.
Frame Handles Remain Just As Useful In Making A Knife Today As It Was Centuries Ago.
Frame handle construction for knives has been around for centuries. Historical examples of many Eastern styles like the kard, khyber and yataghan often feature ornamented frame handles. Nineteenth-century knives attributed to James Black and some of the early American bowies also had frame handle construction. Though it’s been around a long time, the frame handle remains a viable modern construction method for today’s custom knifemakers.
There are many ways to crack the nut/skin the cat on frame handle construction. This article will walk through the frame handle process and point out particular problems and potential solutions for those who wish to pursue building a frame handled knife.
Why You Should Build A Frame Handle
Frame handle construction is best defined as using a wrap-around “frame” to conceal the tang of a hidden tang knife. The first question many people ask regarding a frame handle construction is, “Why would you want to do it that way?”
My first thought goes back to the earlier days of the internet when forums were at their peak, and fine makers like ABS master smith Bruce Bump took the time to document “work in progress” (WIP) threads. Bruce had a fine frame handle WIP on the KnifeDogs.com forum in 2013, and the consensus at the time was that you build a frame handle for quite a few reasons, though the first one is “because you can!”
An exploded view shows an ABS journeyman smith Karl Andersen frame handle construction knife before assembly. (Karl Andersen image)
A frame handle is a much more complex build process than your standard full- or stick-tang knife. However, in addition to the show of skill by the maker, frame handle construction has a few distinct advantages that make the complexity worth the effort:
1. A frame handle allows for the look of a full tang, but with the guard-fitting techniques of a stick tang. For a forged stick-tang-knife design that needs a guard, a frame handle allows the use of full-tang-style handle construction;
2. A frame handle is a good way to use scales or slabs on a stick-tang knife. If you have a good set of stag or mammoth slabs, or if you have stabilized wood slabs that might be too fragile for through-tang construction, the frame handle allows you to use the materials on a stick-tang knife; and;
3. The use of a frame handle gives the maker another area to embellish the knife. Some frames are great for engraving, while others may highlight a damascus pattern. Either way, the frame makes the embellishment stand out in ways that are harder to accomplish on a full-tang knife.
How To Build A Frame Handle
At a basic level, the frame of a frame handle is a piece of material, usually metal, that wraps around a stick tang and mimics the look of a full-tang knife. This presents some challenges that have resulted in a few different creative solutions.
•Challenge 1: The tang must fit inside the frame. Some makers insist on precision so there are no gaps and the fit is tight. Others concede that the handle will be held together with mechanical fasteners and sealed with epoxy, so a precise fit between the frame and the tang is not necessary.
•Challenge 2: All parts of the handle must be securely fastened together. I sat through a class with ABS master smith Mike Williams in which he admonished the students, “Don’t trust in the magic of chemistry” by putting your faith only in the strength of glue. Likewise, veteran bladesmith Jerry Fisk challenges makers to think ahead to what their knives might be like in 100 or 1,000 years, and recommends a mechanical connection that won’t fail over time.
One way to address this challenge is to use pins. If you pin the scales to the frame, pin the completed handle assembly to the tang and follow up with glue, there’s no opportunity for failure. Some choose to make all the pins visible as an artistic element, while others take advantage of hidden pins for all but the one through the tang. Another way is to use a threaded fastener.
Bladesmith Salem Straub recently illustrated the technique on a frame handle WIP on his Instagram feed. Salem used a threaded fastener in an internal slot in the frame to mechanically lock all the parts together tightly. The handle material is relieved on the inside to accommodate the fastener.
Another way to use a threaded connection is to thread the end of the tang and use a fastener on the handle butt. An advantage of this approach is that the fastener itself can become part of the embellishment.
•Challenge 3 is the complex fit-up between all of the knife’s elements. Frame handle construction naturally doesn’t excuse a poor guard fit, but it also provides other places for gaps and misalignment. Once again, there are several potential solutions to alignment problems.
One is the use of alignment pins to make sure everything is secure. Pins on the end of the frame go through any spacers and into holes in the back of the guard so that each part indexes the same during assembly. Some makers, including Bruce Bump in the aforementioned epic WIP, advocate for leaving metal tabs on the end of the frame and fitting the tabs into similar holes on the back of the guard
. In both cases, there’s a mechanical connection that prevents the guard, spacers and frame from rotating out of alignment around the center axis of the handle. Either way, when you build a frame handle, the construction will require you to assemble and disassemble the knife repeatedly, so you’ll need some mechanical way to keep things lined up.
Another fit-up challenge is the overall requirement for clean-fitting joints with no gaps. It sounds simpler than it is, but two surfaces that are dead flat will join together without a gap. The challenge of a multi-piece frame handle with a guard and a few spacers is that you are creating a multitude of surface joints, and every single surface must be dead flat.
At a minimum, you’ll have a joint between the guard and frame, and also between the frame sides and the handle material. Any bump or wiggle on any surface and you’ll have a gap in the final product. Flatness comes in degrees. You can get a fairly flat surface on a platen, flatter on a disk, and still flatter on a surface plate or surface grinder. You have to make the joints as flat as you can with the tools you have available if you want a gap-free fit.
I tend to prefer the look of a tapered tang on a full-tang knife, so I’ve started tapering the frame of my frame handles as well. Others stick with a full thickness frame, where the thickness closely matches that of the blade at the ricasso. Some add spacers between the tang and handle material, while others choose to go with the frame and handle slabs only.
ABS master smith Mike Quesenberry used frame-handle construction on his dog-bone bowie. (Eric Eggly/PointSeven image)
Another fit challenge is presented by the frame itself. In order to adequately finish the visible surface of the frame, whether by simple polishing, bluing or etching, or by engraving, the frame must be 100 percent at final-grit finish prior to final glue up.
Many makers learned to make a full-tang knife by finishing the front edge of the scales, gluing the knife together, shaping the scales down to the exposed tang, and then polishing the handle and the tang at the same time. That method will not work for a frame handle that needs to be blued or etched. Personally, I tend to use dummy pins to fit the entire handle assembly together, then grind the scales down to the frame. In his recent Instagram example, Salem Straub used small screws to hold the handle material to the frame.
With regard to the relationship between the handle material and the frame itself, some choose to leave the material slightly proud of the frame for a “museum” or “heirloom” fit. Others prefer the material to fit flush to the tang. Less commonly, some makers round the frame and leave it slightly proud of the material. Whichever you choose, it is important that the fit be maintained consistently all the way around the frame, from the joint at the guard on the top all the way down to the joint at the guard on the bottom.
Once the profile is set, I polish the handle and the frame together down to final grit, and then apply any surface finish to the frame itself. Once all parts are 100 percent complete, they can be glued together as a final step.
When To Make A Frame Handle
So when should you try making a frame handle? In my mind, if you can make clean full- and stick-tang knives, you could be up to the challenge. If you have slabs of exceptional handle material that deserve more than a simple full-tang knife, a frame handle is a way to step up and put the materials on full display. If you have a knife in mind where the frame and guard need to be blued, damascus or engraved, a frame handle is the way to go.
A frame handle knife has its advantages, but the complexity of the construction presents plenty of challenges. As a skilled maker, you may choose to rise to the challenge of a frame handle just to show that you can.
The SOG Recondo FX Is A Top-Tier Knife For The Hunter Or The Outdoorsman. A Nimble Fixed Blade, It Can Withstand The Wear Of Regular Use With Ease.
Sometimes you need a knife with a little more heft and a little more punch than a standard pocket knife. When you’re out on the hunt it’s imperative to have tools that can hold up to tasks big or small, easy or debilitating.
The new SOG Recondo FX is the knife you’re looking for. A full-tang, fixed blade made of 440C steel and cryogenically treated to a black nitride finish, the Recondo FX is the type of knife you’ll be able to trust in a pinch.
You can choose between a straight edge or a partially serrated blade when buying the knife. Both versions have a clip point and are 4.6 inches long. Additionally, you can choose between a black handle or a dark earth handle. Each is made with an overmolded grip and rubberized texture. This is designed so you can maintain a strong hold of the knife even if your hands get wet or slippery.
SOG Recondo FX in its sheath
Regardless of the style you choose, your knife will also come with a UMS-compatible sheath that won’t need any tools to set thanks to its adjustable tension system. The sheath is made of Kydex and can be mounted in a variety of positions.
This knife won’t be your normal EDC. What it will be is a tool worthy of being added to your set when you go hunting or into the outdoors. Strong, light, and easy to maneuver, SOG has, once again, made a top-quality knife.
MSRP: $129.95
Editor’s Note: This article was written by Mike Ableson.
Whether It’s An Inexpensive Model Or One The Chefs Use, There’s An Electric Knife Sharpener Out There For You.
There is no one-size-fits-all for electric knife sharpeners. Some specialize in sharpening certain steels or styles of knives. Some have multiple stages, and others are a basic, affordable option for a less discerning home cook. And some are made for pocket knives rather than kitchen knives.
No matter your desire and needs, there is a sharpener out there for you. We’ve scoured the crowded marketplace to pick out five electric knife sharpeners we think will check the important boxes for you today and for years to come.
Chef’s Choice Model Trizor 15XV 3-Stage Professional Electric Knife Sharpener, Platinum
Chef’s Choice Model Trizor 15XV 3-Stage Professional Electric Knife Sharpener, Platinum
Our list starts with what is, arguably, the baddest sharpener on the block. Highly-rated, and with a price to match, this sharpener from Chef’s Choice is called professional for a reason. With three different stages (sharpening, honing, and polishing), the device truly can do it all and revive your knives.
The sharpener is engineered to the point of ridiculousness. The sharpening stage features proprietary diamond abrasives, and the polishing stage features patented stropping disks to give your knives a pristine finish. It can even convert a traditional 20-degree edge to a finer 15-degree edge.
If there is a knock on the machine, it’s it isn’t rated to sharpen ceramic knives or scissors. Everything from a chef’s knife to pocket knives and yes, even serrated knives, can be brought back to life using the Trizor 15XV.
In a test of nine different electric knife sharpeners, the 15XV was named the best by America’s Test Kitchen. You can take a look at their methodology and how they determined the winner below.
The hefty MSRP of $179.99 is eye-popping to start, but there is no other sharpener like this on the market today.
Presto EverSharp
Presto EverSharp
Maybe a three-stage, pro-level sharpener isn’t what you need, and you’d prefer something a bit more affordable. I’m right there with you. That’s where the Presto EverSharp comes in.
The EverSharp uses Sapphirite sharpening wheels — a synthetic material almost as hard as diamond — to sharpen your blades to a razor’s edge. The EverSharp comes with two stages, one for sharpening and the other for honing & polishing. Each stage features internal guides so your knife always is at the perfect angle every time you pull it through. There’s two slots on each stage, one for each side of the blade.
It’s so easy to use you could probably do it with your eyes closed (but please keep them open so you don’t slice off a finger). The one drawback of the sharpener is it can’t sharpen serrated blades.
Durable and affordable with an MSRP of $47.99, the EverSharp provides great bang for your buck.
Wüsthof Easy Edge
Wüsthof Easy Edge Electric Knife Sharpener
From one of the legendary makers of kitchen knives, Wüsthof’s electric sharpener is robust and easy to use.
Unlike the previous sharpeners on this list, the Easy Edge is a belt-drive sharpener. No stones or grinding wheels in this one. The machine can sharpen, hone, and shape your straight-edge knives. It does this by varying the speed of its sharpening belt.
While the device can’t sharpen serrated blades it can sharpen Asian-style knives, which typically are ground to a different angle than traditional German-style knives.
Made of professional quality materials, and coming in with an MSRP of $160, the Easy Edge is worth the price and can replace your whetstones, honing steels, and many other pieces of knife maintenance equipment.
WorkSharp Combo Knife Sharpener
WorkSharp Combo Knife Sharpener
Unlike the other sharpeners on this list, which are made for kitchen knives, this sharpener from WorkSharp is made for pocket and EDC knives.
Like the Wusthof sharpener, this one uses an abrasive belt to sharpen your knives and uses internal guides to guarantee that your knives are at the perfect angle every time.
There’s also a ceramic honing rod built directly into the machine to help you polish and finish your flat-edge knives. The rod is also perfect for sharpening knives with small or large serrations.
It’s also relatively small. Some of these sharpeners are a bit bulky; WorkSharp has made a nimble sharpener that won’t take up much space on your workbench. You’ll love using this every day, and it’ll make your knives like new. At an MSRP of $59.95, it’s worth the price for the type of product it is.
Smith Essentials Compact Electric Knife Sharpener
Smith Essentials Compact Electric Knife Sharpener
If you’re looking for an electric knife sharpener on a budget, or simply don’t need the heft of professional machines, Smith has you covered. Their compact sharpener features both electric and manual elements for the low MSRP of $29.99.
The electric part of the machine features a synthetic sharpening wheel and built-in guides to keep your knives at the best angle. The ceramic rods on the manual side are there to hone and finish your blades.
It can only be used on straight-edge Euro/American style knives though so you would need some other sharpening implement if you have serrated knives at home. However, for a sharpener under $30, you may not be able find much more out there today.
Hogue Has Paired With Sig Sauer To Create A New Line Of Folding Knives, And They Are Beautiful.
Hogue, in conjunction with Sig Sauer, has released a new line of knives known as the K320 AXG. Inspired by the P320 line of the pistols, the K320 AXG series come in many varieties that you can tailor to your specific tastes. The knives get their name from the Alloy XSeries Grip (AXG) on the P320s.
While Hogue does make the knives, they feature the Sig Sauer name and branding.
Let’s start with the blade. You can choose between a tanto or a drop point, and each style comes in at 3.5 inches in length. More importantly, each blade is made of CPM 30V steel so you know it’s designed to hold up to regular use.
SIG K320 AXG Pro
You can also pick between a variety of blade finishes and handle styles. There are three styles of K320 AXG: Pro, Classic, and Scorpion. The Pro and Classic models have a black Cerakote finish to the blades and feature a plain edge. The Scorpion has a flat earth-tone Cerakote finish and is partially serrated.
The handle is an aluminum, and the inserts vary depending on the model. The Pro features G10 laminate while the Scorpion has a G-Mascus Green laminate. The Classic has a Heritage Walnut insert instead.
MSRP is between $219.95 and $229.95
Editor’s Note: This article was written by Mike Ableson.
TRUE Knives Swift Edge Is A Flexible Folder That Allows You To Change Blades To Meet Your Needs.
What’s better than a good folding knife? How about a good folding knife with three blade options. The newest folder from TRUE Knives can do just that and a whole lot more. The Swift Edge can handle numerous cutting situations thanks to coming with a tanto blade, two drop points, and a sawing blade that can all be changed in seconds.
Utilizing a two-step release system for safety and simplicity, you can change blades quickly. The tanto and drop points come in a black oxide finish and are made of 5Cr13 steel. The saw blade is made from 65Mn steel and is coated in titanium nitride to aide in wear resistance.
The Swift Edge features a two-step release system that you can use to change between the knife’s three styles of blades.
All of the blades are 3.5 inches in length, and the knife is 8.5 inches when fully open. Coming in at roughly 6.5 ounces, the Swift Edge is heavier than many other folders, but the added mass helps while cutting especially with the saw.
The handle is made from durable reinforced G10 laminate which can hold up to heavy use with ease. The knife also comes with a pocket clip that you can put on either side of the knife.
With an MSRP of $49.99, the Swift Edge comes with all four blades as well as a carrying case for the knife.
Editor’s Note: This article was written by Mike Ableson.
