Welcome to CANCON A Fully Suppressed Range Day! The World’s Favorite Suppressed Shooting Festival moves to the Carolinas!
We can’t wait to welcome you to the new home of CANCON on the East Coast: Clinton, South Carolina. Join us on November 8th & 9th, 2024 for an action-packed weekend of fully suppressed shooting!
With a new BIGGER venue to host CANCON there will be MORE sponsors, more bays, more guns, more suppressors, and more fun!
The Clinton House Plantation Shooting Complex is a massive venue and gives CANCON the room we need to expand! Located just 45 minutes south of Greenville, South Carolina, 1 hour north of Columbia, and 2 hours south-west of Charlotte, NC.
More space means more shooting lanes and more sponsors! Find more guns to shoot, more suppressors to test, all for the same low price of $50 per day.
New this year will be a 1,000-yard AND 1-mile shooting range! Get to test high-performance rifles AND high-performance suppressors and see how far you can reach out.
Friday only stop by the Blade Magazine Tactical area and shop custom tactical knives!
Clinton House has tons of FREE onsite parking! Shooting all that free ammo will make you hungry so stop by the concessions to refuel!
General admission is available Friday and Saturday, Nov 8 & 9th, $50 per day, or save money and get the entire weekend at a discount!
More information and ticket pre-sales are now available at the CANCON WEBSITE!
Returning to CANCON is PROS Vs. JOES! We select a random participant from the crowd to go head-to-head against a seasoned pro shooter. Can an everyday Joe outshoot a Recoil Pro in a high-stakes shooting competition? If they do, they win BIG!
CANCON T-shirts will be available for pre-order and at CANCON! These are high-quality shirts that feel great and look awesome.
Filmed on location is a RECOILtv original, Run N Gun! Watch your favorite Sponsor as they run through our Run N Gun course of fire.
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People with a government-issued ID card showing they live in the following zipcodes are eligible:
27830
28801
28720
28735
28778
A government-issued identification card that states that you live in one of the following zipcodes. Bring your ID to the festival, as it will be checked at the gate to confirm your residence. Note: CANCON is only accepting ID cards, and will not accept utility bills or other proof of residence.
Eligible people can unlock their free ticket by going to the CANCON CAROLINAS tickets page or visit Universe.com, clicking on the ‘Have an access key’ link, and entering HELENERELIEF into the box.
If you’re on Universe, you will have to click the GET TICKETS button.
Click the link and enter the code HELENERELIEF into the box that appears. Click the UNLOCK button. A free Hurricane Helene ticket for Friday, November 8th should now be available to you.
Change the dropdown next to the Hurricane Helene ticket from 0 to 1.
Check out. You will receive an email with your ticket. REMEMBER, every free ticket holder will need to bring a Government-issued ID showing that you live in one of the Zipcodes above in order to gain entry with a Helene relief Ticket.
Only one free ticket is allowed per visitor. Once they check out on the site, they will need to bring their digital free ticket, along with their ID card showing their residence to CANCON in Clinton, South Carolina.
A budge-priced EDC cleaver that is priced for rough use.
Cleavers have broken out of the butcher shop and kitchen in recent years to become a sought-after EDC. Seems counterintuitive, but there’s a method in the knife-buying world’s madness.
One of the more interesting conversations I had at BLADE Show West 2024 came with a crane rigger who favored this style of blade. With the flat cutting edge that makes mincemeat of heavy-duty rope and a muted tip, he didn’t have to worry about perforating himself, the knife class is highly practical in the pocket.
This is all a long way to say, there’s a new pocket cleaver in town with True Knives dropping the Berm Cleaver Flipper.
Part of the brand’s new Berm series, the knife offers a budget option most users won’t shy away from rough use. Yet, for its price, the knife offers a nice profile, though it might lack some in the steel True Knives uses for the blade.
Berm Cleaver Flipper Blade
To that point, the Berm Cleaver Flipper is constructed of 7Cr17MoV, a popular choice in budget knives. While the metal does take a good edge and has respectable hardness and excellent corrosion resistance, it has a few hitches in its giddyap. In particular, its toughness—particularly in thinner blades—is wanting, and edge retention is not among the best.
Still, this is a budget EDC we’re talking about. Despite the steel’s drawback, True Knife has come up with a fairly spiffy blade profile. The knife has a fairly traditional cleaver look, though the 2.5-inch blade boasts a slight belly and does have a bit of a tip. The tip is welcome, making the knife more useful for everyday tasks where a puncturing point is required.
The brand includes generous jimping on nearly the entirety of the spine, offering extra purchase on chopping tasks. Additionally, there is a good choil on the blade, which helps in making sure you can sharpen the entire blade.
Berm Cleaver Flipper Handle
The grip is where the cleaver shines, with a relatively nice affair laid out. First off, I’m a sucker for the translucent green G-10, it gives the knife a modern look without being too audacious. Plus, particularly on a build at this price point, the G-10 is a solid material choice—textured nicely to make it stick to the hand.
Also appreciated, the cleaver’s clip is not only reversible but can be situated for tip-up or down carry. A versatile bonus on the knife.
Berm Cleaver Flipper Action
As its name suggests, the Berm Cleaver Flipper, though it’s a front flipper offering both index finger and thumb deployment. Additionally, it has a prominent thumb hole.
Smartly, True Knives has cut away some of the handle to offer access to the deployment mechanism, allowing users plenty of leverage options to get the blade to work. Caged bearing aids in a smooth and fast opening.
Final Cut
With an MSRP of $30, the Berm Cleaver Flipper is made for heavy use and abuse. The best part, if you put it through the wringer you won’t cry over a broken knife.
What’s on the menu this month? A bevy of new kitchen knives–both factory and custom.
With the big holidays ahead, we’re heading into the thick of eating season. In turn, it might be time to up the game of your kitchen tools. We have selected a bevy of new custom and factory kitchen knives to show off this month, which only leaves the question—what’s on your menu?
Gabe Fletcher and Don Nguyen Slicer
KNIFE TYPE: Slicer BLADE LENGTH: 17.25” BLADE MATERIAL: Damascus of 1080 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels BLADE GRIND: Convex w/a fuller HANDLE MATERIAL: Carbon fiber and G-10 OVERALL LENGTH: 23.25” MAKERS’ PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $8,000 KNIFE TO KNOW: The knife is a collaboration between Gabe Fletcher and Don Nguyen; Gabe forged the damascus and the blade, and Don finish ground it and made the handle; Gabe also made a special beer called Nguyen for the collaboration through his Anchorage Brewing Co.; Gabe is an ABS apprentice smith MAKERS: Gabe Fletcher and Don Nguyen, (Jocelyn Frasier image)
DP Custom Knives Chef’s Knife
PATTERN: Chef’s knife MODEL NAME: Honyaki gyuto BLADE LENGTH: 9.45” BLADE MATERIAL: W2 tool steel BLADE GRIND: “S” type BLADE FINISH: Hand-sanded satin HANDLE MATERIAL: Ukrainian bog oak BOLSTER MATERIAL: Antique Westinghouse Micarta® and copper OVERALL LENGTH: 15.95” KNIFE TO KNOW: The maker’s Honyaki Gyuto won Best Chef’s Knife at the 2024 Sydney Knife Show MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $1,546 at press-time exchange rate MAKER: Dmitriy Popov, DP Custom Knives, dpcustomknives.com.au, (Rod Hoare image)
Jonas Blade & Metalworks Senshi
KNIFE NAME: Senshi PATTERN: Chef’s knife BLADE LENGTH: 9.25” BLADE MATERIAL: Damascus of 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels DAMASCUS PATTERN: River of Fire + twist BLADE GRIND: Flat w/a convex edge HANDLE MATERIAL: Black stabilized amboyna BOLSTER: Micarta® and brass OVERALL LENGTH: 14” KNIFE TO KNOW: The maker is an ABS master smith MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $4,600 MAKER: Zack Jonas, Jonas Blade & Metalworks, (SharpByCoop image)
Brent Stubblefield Chef’s Knife
PATTERN: Chef’s knife BLADE LENGTH: 12” BLADE MATERIAL: Mosaic damascus BLADE GRIND: “S” type HANDLE MATERIAL: Desert ironwood BOLSTER: Fine silver OVERALL LENGTH: 17.5” MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $2,400 MAKER: Brent Stubblefield, joinordieknives.com, (SharpByCoop image)
Alexandre Chaves Chef’s Knife
PATTERN: Chef’s knife BLADE LENGTH: 9.75” BLADE MATERIAL: A damascus of 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels ROCKWELL HARDNESS: 60 HRC BLADE GRIND: Convex BLADE FINISH: Contrast etched w/Gator Piss etching solution HANDLE MATERIAL: Elforyn synthetic ivory; filework inlaid w/crushed natural Shattuckite and contrasted w/gold resin BOLSTER MATERIAL: 9,000-year-old bog oak w/purple maple spacer OVERALL LENGTH: 14” MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $3,000 KNIFE TO KNOW: The blade features a K-tip, aka kiritsuke tip, designed for precision and versatility in fine slicing, dicing and scoring, as well as more delicate work such as preparing fish and fine cuts of meat; the knife is a wedding present for the maker’s little sister MAKER: Alexandre Chaves, (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Modern Cooking UG Chef’s Knife
PATTERN: Chef’s knife BLADE LENGTH: 9.25” BLADE MATERIAL: Damasteel DS93x dense twist pattern stainless steel BLADE GRIND: Convex BOLSTER: Integral forged HANDLE MATERIAL: Redwood lace burl and copper OVERALL LENGTH: 10.4” SHEATH: Redwood lace burl and copper MAKERS’ PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $2,775 at press-time exchange rate KNIFE TO KNOW: The knife is a collaboration between Naohito Myojin of Japan and European Jonas Johnsson; Johnsson did the forging, profiling, handle and saya (scabbard), and Myojin ground the blade; Modern Cooking organized the collaboration in partnership with Bonsai Boys Trading MAKERS: Naohito Myojin and Jonas Johnsson, Modern Cooking UG, moderncooking.com, (SharpByCoop image)
Andrea Lisch Chef’s Knife
PATTERN: Chef’s knife BLADE LENGTH: 6.5” BLADE MATERIAL: Feather pattern damascus BLADE GRIND: Custom convex BOLSTER: Damascus HANDLE MATERIAL: Black walnut CONSTRUCTION: Forged integral OVERALL LENGTH: 11.25” MAKER’S PRICE FOR A SIMILAR KNIFE: $1,300 KNIFE TO KNOW: The maker is a journeyman smith in the American Bladesmith Society MAKER: Andrea Lisch, (SharpByCoop image)
Ceilidh Dalton Veggie Chopper
KNIFE NAME: Yellowjacket KNIFE TYPE: Veggie Chopper BLADE LENGTH: 3.94” BLADE MATERIAL: Damascus of 1075 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels BLADE GRIND: Flat DAMASCUS PATTERN: Feather forged by Mathew McVicker HANDLE MATERIAL: Spalted tamarind BOLSTER: Ebony OVERALL LENGTH: 8.27” KNIFE TO KNOW: The maker is a probationary member of the Australian Knifemakers Guild MAKER: Ceilidh Dalton, (Rod Hoare image)
Jose Santiago-Cummings Steak Knife Set
PATTERN: Steak knife set BLADE LENGTHS: 5” BLADE STEEL: Damasteel stainless damascus in a Thor pattern BLADE GRIND: Full flat HANDLE: Mastodon ivory, red spacer, ironwood BUTTCAPS: Mokume gane and red-dyed coral OVERALL LENGTHS: 9” MAKER’S PRICE: $1,500 for the set, including stand; $300 per knife MAKER: Jose Santiago-Cummings, santiagoknives.com, (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Geoffrey Baze Chef’s Knife
PATTERN: Chef’s knife BLADE LENGTH: 9” BLADE MATERIAL: W2 tool steel BLADE GRIND: Flat HANDLE: Tasmanian blackwood w/bird’s-beak butt HANDLE PINS: Black Micarta® OVERALL LENGTH: 14” KNIFE TO KNOW: The maker is an ABS apprentice smith MAKER: Geoffrey Baze, (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Coast Contra
KNIFE NAME: Contra MODEL TYPE: EDC pocketknife BLADE LENGTH: 2.5” BLADE STEEL: 7Cr17 stainless BLADE PATTERN: Wharncliffe BLADE FINISH: Flat black titanium nitride coating BLADE OPENER: Blade hole HANDLE MATERIAL: stainless steel w/hole for a lanyard POCKET CLIP: One position LOCK: Framelock CLOSED LENGTH: 3.75” CONTINENT OF ORIGIN: Asia MSRP: $29.99 COMPANY: Coast, coastportland.com
SOG Knives Bulwark
KNIFE NAME: Bulwark DESIGNER: Mikkel Willumsen KNIFE TYPE: Flipper folder BLADE LENGTH: 3” BLADE MATERIAL: D2 tool steel BLADE PATTERN: Drop point BLADE @THICKEST: .14” BLADE FINISH: Black PVD coating BLADE OPENERS: Blade hole and flipper tab HANDLE MATERIAL: Micarta® in green (shown) or blue color options POCKET CLIP: Reversible, low carry LOCK: Framelock WEIGHT: 3 ozs. CLOSED LENGTH: 4” CONTINENT OF ORIGIN: Asia MSRP: $124.95 COMPANY: SOG Knives, sogknives.com
The Japanese take on Western chef’s knives are mighty mealmakers. Here are some top-notch options.
A gyuto is a versatile, multi-purpose kitchen knife perfect for professional chefs and home cooks. It typically features a thinner, lighter blade than traditional chef’s knives, sharpened at a steeper angle for extremely precise and clean cuts. It often has a flatter profile toward the heel and a more gradual curve near the tip, making it versatile for various cutting techniques. The handle is often lighter and more agile, reflecting the Japanese emphasis on nimble and efficient movements in the kitchen.
Fox Knives Gyuto 2C 504 0L
The Fox gyuto effortlessly prepared chicken thighs for delicious teriyaki chicken and yakitori, trimming excess fat and skin.
FOX Knives Gyuto 2C 504 OL Blade Length: 6.69” Blade Steel: 4119 nitro-B stainless Blade Grind: Flat Blade @Thickest: .08” Blade Finish: Satin Handle Material: Olive wood Overall Length: 11.81” Country of Origin: Italy MSRP: $75.70
Pros
Durable 4119 Nitro-B Stainless Steel Blade
Exceptional Balance and Lightweight Design
Comfortable Olivewood Handle
Cons
Limited Grip for Large Hands
The Fox Knives Gyuto 2C 504 0L is a representative example of the genre. Crafted with precision and passion, it features a razor-sharp blade that is durable and holds an edge. The elegant handle offers a comfortable grip and a smidge of rustic charm.
At just 5.11 ounces, this featherweight beauty is a breeze to manipulate and perfectly balanced for effortless slicing, dicing and chopping. The 4119 nitro-B stainless steel blade’s Rockwell hardness of 55-57 HRC guarantees superior resilience, while the satin finish adds a touch of sophistication. Equipped with sturdy stainless-steel rivets, this gyuto is a culinary companion you can trust, not just a kitchen tool.
When in Japan, I love ordering yakitori—skewered, grilled chicken with a savory, slightly sweet flavor and smoky aroma. Making the dish was a team effort using specific knives for deboning and slicing the chicken into proper portions for the skewers. The key is to use a slow rocking/chopping motion to make clean, decisive slices rather than sawing through the meat, resulting in “chainsaw chicken.”
The Fox sliced potatoes, onions, garlic and carrots for pot roast. The thin edge and super comfortable handle were unmatched.
Since the gyuto is the Japanese version of the archetypal Western chef’s knife, I made a Western dish—beef pot roast—and did the vegetable prep with the Fox. Slicing vegetables, potatoes, carrots and onions was a breeze with this slicing machine. I keep it simple, using rock chops, cross chops and pull cuts 90 percent of the time. Push cuts with the heel of the blade work well for hard veggies. Meanwhile, the olivewood handle remained comfy with no hot spots and grippy even when wet or covered with chicken fat. Leave it to the Italians to utilize this stunningly underused wood. Regarding plating, the Fox sliced the most elegant roast beef that ever graced a dish.
Fox Knives
$78
BladeHQ
$35
Condor Tool & Knife Shefu Kitchen Gyuto
The Condor Shefu deboned multiple chicken thighs using a roll-cutting method for yakitori skewers and teriyaki chicken.
Shefu Kitchen Gyuto Specs Blade Length: 7.83” Blade Steel: 440C stainless Blade Grind: Full flat w/second bevel Blade @Thickest: .12” Blade Finish: Blasted satin Handle Material: Epoxy resin and hickory Overall Length: 12.92” Sheath: Welted leather Country of Origin: El Salvador MSRP: $154.98
Pros
Versatile Outdoor and Culinary Tool
Comfortable and Ergonomic Handle
Full Flat Grind with Second Bevel
Cons
Bit hefty
The Shefu Kitchen Gyuto from Condor Tool & Knife is a multi-use knife designed for bushcraft enthusiasts who want to prepare delicious meals while enjoying the great outdoors. Crafted with precision in mind, the Shefu is perfect for slicing vegetables and expertly preparing meat and fish. It is a versatile tool ready to tackle any culinary challenge.
The Condor gyuto is hardy and beautiful. The full flat grind with a second bevel ensures optimal slicing performance, while the handle provides a comfortable, secure grip. The knife strikes the perfect balance between heft and maneuverability. The leather sheath provides safe storage and easy transport.
I pushed the Shefu into service sectioning beef roast and deboning and trimming six chicken thighs. The knife tackled the tasks with ease. Slicing 3.5-pound roast required a sharp yet hefty slicer like a cleaver. The Shefu fit the bill and delivered. Bottom round roast is tough as woodpecker lips, and a thin, flexible blade need not apply here. At 9.88 ounces, the Condor’s robust blade strikes the perfect balance between heft and finesse.
The Condor has the only sheath of the test bunch, of a beautifully handcrafted welted leather for safe storage and easy transport.
The handle has a colorful, comfortable oval shape that nestles in the hand. Hot spots and fatigue are nearly impossible with this grip. The full tang offers strength and security while keeping balance and weight at the forefront. The Shefu is an essential for any cooking enthusiast, whether at home or in the wild.
Condor
$155
SMKW
$132
Spyderco Itamae Gyuto
The author prepared the chicken yakisoba using the Spyderco. The knife sliced and diced carrots, onions, peppers, shiitake mushrooms, chicken and green onions for garnish.
Itamae Gyuto Specs Designer: Murray Carter Blade Length: 10.06” Blade Steel: Super Blue/SUS410 Blade Grind: Full flat Blade @Thickest: .094” Blade Finish: Satin Handle Material: Burl G-10 in the octagonal wa style Overall Length: 15.35” Country of Origin: Japan MSRP: $334
Pros
Exceptional Blade Construction
High-Quality, Ergonomic Handle
Beautiful Design and Craftsmanship
Cons
Higher Price Point
The Itamae Gyuto is part of the Spyderco Murray Carter Collection Itamae Series. The elite cutlery series is designed for highly skilled sushi chefs and showcases uncompromising craftsmanship and premium materials.
The Itamae Gyuto features a blade expertly crafted from laminated steel—an Aogami Super Blue core clad between layers of high-quality stainless. The three-layer construction ensures exceptional durability and sharpness, with Carter’s signature “Carter Elbow*” adding strength to the blade’s tip.
Paired with a traditional wa-style octagonal handle of stunning burl G-10 and highlighted with a black G-10 ferrule, the Itamae Gyuto embodies the spirit of Carter’s coveted custom kitchen knives. Tipping the scales at 7.4 ounces, it sets an impressive standard in high-performance household cutlery.
The Itamae Gyuto is a sushi knife and I’m a fan. Part of my time in Japan was seeking out various types of sushi. The second most rewarding part was watching the chefs work precisely as if it were the most critical game of Operation ever played—they are pros!
I used the test model to prepare carrots, onions, shiitake mushrooms, peppers, green onions and chicken for the famed yakisoba dish: fried street food noodles choked full of veggies, savory sauce and protein. Simple ingredients still require various knife techniques.
I used push-cuts on the tough carrots to square them to a safe position to stabilize them and make thin slices. From there, I stacked the slices for some rock-chopping to julienne a pile of carrots—in this instance, to make matchstick-sized carrot sticks. The secret to stir-fry cooking is preparation and cutting relatively equal-sized pieces of food to ensure equal cooking time.
To create julienne slices, the author employed the rock-chopping method with the Spyderco, again utilizing a chef’s pinch-grip and a claw grip with the offhand to support the food.
I used rock chopping and pull cuts—two techniques in which the Itamae excels—to slice the red peppers. To pull cut them, I placed the knife tip down on the board and sliced backward. By this time, the laminated steel had formed a nice patina from avocado, peppers, onions and chicken on the bevel, giving it a nice used look. Crafted in Japan, the Itamae Gyuto is an ultimate favorite among professional chefs and passionate cooking enthusiasts.
*Editor’s note: Through the Carter Elbow, Murray Carter combines the best features of a traditional Japanese wabocho kitchen knife with his Wharncliffe Brute neck knife. The design feature allows more steel to reinforce the forward tip of the blade compared to standard gyuto or French-style chef’s knife profiles.
Find out why the Spartan Blades Clandestina took home Blade Knife of the Year, thanks to its standout tactical design, top-tier materials, and unbeatable performance.
A deadly beauty, Spartan Blades’ Clandestina packages the best of both worlds. Yup, it’s a looker, but dang if it isn’t engineered to inflict damage.
The dueling personalities of the BLADE Knife of the Year aren’t surprising, given who cooked up this wicked fixed blade. Bill Harsey has built his reputation on designing robust outdoor and tactical knives.
Photos by Marty Stanfield, Marty Stanfield Photography
A favorite of Army Special Forces and figures such as Col. Rex Applegate, Harsey work also has a certain lethal aesthetic to it as well. But even with operators enamored with his work, Harsey’s Spartan project has an appeal beyond serving in foreign conflicts.
Spartan Clandestina Specs
Knife Type: Fixed Blade Type: Spear Point Blade length: 5.5 Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut Blade grind: Flat ground Handle material: Canvas Micarta Black and Camo Blade Hardness: 61-63 HRC Overall length: 10 3/16” Sheath type and material: MOLLE and Kydex options Special features: Available in Black and FDE PVD Coating, Double Deep Cryogenic Treatment MSRP:
Pros
Superior Ergonomics
Premium Blade Material
Sheath Options
Cons
Large For Everyday Carry
High Price Point
Niche Design
Spartan Clandestina Handle
Oddly enough for a knife review, I’m going to start at the handle. There’s a method in this madness, given this feature is what gives the Clandestina its edge.
The canvas Micarta handle is slim in profile, even understated, yet sports big-league features.
Photos by Marty Stanfield, Marty Stanfield Photography
Boasting two-finger grooves leverage the use of the middle finger to help stabilize the knife in the user’s grip and help lock it in for security. The double guard is somewhat subtle but does its job very well.
The entire handle is rounded and therefore, extremely comfortable to hold. No hot spots or harsh angles to get in the way. Overall outstanding ergonomics make the knife one with the hand. In brief, it’s pure Harsey all the way.
Micarta itself was an excellent choice for the tactical fixed blade—it’s lightweight yet strong. Comprised of fabric saturated in phenolic resin, it is also impact-resistant and fluid-resistant.
These attributes were engineered in the Clandestina with combat in adverse conditions in mind. Yet, the everyday user benefits, given it’s a robust system that should last a lifetime. Not to mention, the Micarta is available in a multitude of colors, besides my black and camo.
Spartan Clandestina Blade
From the understated to the obvious—the knife’s nefarious.
At 5.5 inches long and sporting a spear-point profile, the Clandestina was designed for more than opening boxes. A testament to this was Spartan opting for premium CPM Magnacut stainless steel.
Photos by Marty Stanfield, Marty Stanfield Photography
Know for its capability of long-term edge retention, the metal makes the ready to slash or perforate with ease. Again, this material also has superior corrosion resistance, adding to the overall hardiness of the knife.
The blade is flat ground and the factory edge right out of the box is outstanding. I found nothing needed to be done to improve the edge, I just took it out of the box and put it right to work!
While larger than most folks’ carry option, the blade length isn’t over the top. I found it nearly perfect for belt carry, hitting an elusive sweet spot many fixed-blades miss.
Spartan Clandestina Sheath
Sheath-wise, there are two options – form-fitting Kydex or a tried and true ballistic nylon. The sample knife shipped to me with the latter.
Photos by Marty Stanfield, Marty Stanfield Photography
I found the sheath is very well made, with double sewn edges and a button snap retention strap to hold the e knife in. A large belt loop allows the use of various widths of belts to be used.
Should you opt for Kydex, the sheath is of a riveted construction with a belt loop attachment. The form-fitting sheath locks up around the integral guard of the handle. There are two MOLLE straps that also double as belt loops.
Testing The Spartan Clandestina
Putting the Clandestina to work is nothing short of an excellent experience.
All of Harsey’s tactical fixed blade design expertise comes into play here, and you quickly realize you have a piece of serious bladeware in your possession. It makes slicing cuts with brash confidence thanks to the excellent factory edge coupled with the flat grind.
Photos by Marty Stanfield, Marty Stanfield Photography
The blade thickness tapers down progressively to the tip, allowing it to have the ability to do some serious piercing without being too thin where accidental breakage can occur. The overall blade profile is somewhat dagger-like, as you will notice.
The handle is downright comfortable. It allows the user to obtain a secure grip at all times, instilling and promoting user confidence. Thanks to the dual finger grooves, these allow the slender handle to have such a great grip quality. Locking your grip on the handle, it feels very stable and unlikely to rotate.
Furthermore, when you grip the handle and allow your thumb to rest on the blade spine, you can feel how secure this choke grip is and the knife is very controllable in this grip. Whittling and wire stripping are two such tasks that this grip facilitates. Simply put, the Spartan HARSEY Clandestina is built for use.
Short Cut
It’s definitely not a toy! Use it with confidence and use it hard. Spartan Blades’ craftsmanship skills are highly rated consistently, with each knife they turn out. You cannot go wrong with choosing the Clandestine.
Ethan Becker and Dan Eastland collaborate on a sharp tool for the kitchen.
Long-time knife designer Ethan Becker and Dan Eastland of Dogwood Custom Knives have collaborated on a chef’s knife that combines each of the principals’ vision of exactly what such a knife should be.
Introduced at BLADE Show 2024, the Joy of Cooking 8-inch K-tip chef’s knife is a mix of Japanese and Western styles and premium stainless steel and synthetic handle materials.
It also has the iconic Joy of Cookinglogo on the blade, Joy of Cooking the internationally renowned cookbook originally written by Becker’s mother, Irma Rombauer, and edited in some subsequent editions by Ethan. He handed those duties off and today the book is co-edited most ably by his son, John, and Megan Scott.
The heel of the blade curves toward the rear and sits flat on the surface for controlled cutting.
With extensive experience as both a knifemaker and a cook, Eastland brings the kind of know-how to the project that gives it edged gravitas.
“Dan is pretty much the perfect person to do this because he’s been in a commercial kitchen and knows his way around that,” Ethan said.
Dan also spent a number of years as an apprentice maker to Georgia Knife Makers Guild member Andy Roy of Fiddleback Forge in North Georgia, and now builds knives at Dogwood Custom Knives in Greenville, South Carolina.
Handle materials come in a choice of natural (shown here; note the texture and grain) and black Micarta® and blue, red or black G-10.
As for the Joy of Cooking knife and its features, Dan approaches it all from the maker/cook perspective.
“The blade has a Japanese influence. I always liked Japanese blade geometry and balance, but I didn’t like their handles. Ethan and I both like a little palm swell,” he noted, “so we wanted more of a Western-style handle.”
In Joy of Cooking, Ethan writes about a grip for home cooks that’s comfortable, Dan said, so the handle has rounded corners to eliminate hot spots and an overall design that helps promote a pinch grip. The blade is weighted toward the front for balance and has the K tip for precise tip work.
The K tip gives the knife a piercing feature lacking in such Japanese designs as the santoku.
Ethan said he’s a big fan of the santoku style and has designed santokus and used them in the kitchen almost exclusively for 20 years.
“The one problem with the santoku is it really doesn’t have a good piercer,” he noted. “You can get by without a piercer if you keep the knife really sharp but guess what—most people don’t keep their knives sharp enough. But for such jobs as taking off the top of a tomato, for instance, the K tip works pretty good.”
Dan lauded the utility of the K tip for other tasks as well, adding, “My grandmother opened all the packaging with the tip of a kitchen knife. No matter what knife you gave her, she sliced the top of the package open with the tip and went to work.” The K tip is tailor made for such chores, as well as others.
The collaborators prefer a Western-style handle and gave the Joy of Cooking Knife grip a palm swell as a result.
The edge has a nice curvature for rock chopping and push cutting meats and vegetables. The heel of the blade also curves toward the rear and sits flat on the surface for controlled cutting.
“The neat thing is when the blade comes down [at the heel during a rocking cut or chop], it stops,” Ethan explained. “It’s also good for a push cut,” Dan added, “so it’s good for both a rock chop and push cut. And having that heel down a little bit it will bottom out, so you cut all the way through something and don’t wind up with little partially cut bits at the end.”
Joy Of Cooking Knife Details
The 8-inch blade is CPM S35VN stainless steel. The Rockwell hardness is 60 HRC and the blade is 3/32-inch thick at the thickest. Along with the contoured handle the knife weighs in at a scant 5.5 ounces.
A hard plastic cover with plastic snaps contains and protects the knife.
“I’m of the opinion the Greeks told us everything we need to know about a double-inclined plane—the longer the plane and the lower the angle, the more efficient it is,” Dan said. “A knife blade is a double-inclined plane, and I wanted to make this knife as light as possible.”
He returned to his grandmother’s experience.
“And again, my grandmother used to complain that Henckels and Wusthof, she loved the knives, but they weighed almost as much as she did. By using the S35VN we’ve been able to thin it out and get a mechanically better cutting blade, but also a lighter blade.”
Ethan agreed that most kitchen knives are too heavy.
From left at BLADE Show 2024: John Becker, co-editor of Joy of Cooking, Dan Eastland of Dogwood Custom Knives and long-time knife designer Ethan Becker.
“The wrist gets tired easy and to be able to not have very much weight that you’re working with, hey, what’s wrong with that?” he observed. “Most traditional kitchen blades were thick because they were forged before they were ground … The cutlers in Europe were very, very concerned that the housewives would use the blades for things they weren’t supposed to, so they used soft steel so it wouldn’t nick and if they opened bottles with it it wouldn’t hurt it. The result was blades that didn’t hold an edge worth a damn and were not terribly efficient.”
Dan said the S35VN has good corrosion resistance and the edge retention is phenomenal.
“We tested the knife extensively in an industrial kitchen to ensure edge retention and durability, and I like S35VN because it’s a good balance of durability and edge retention. And we can get that 60 Rockwell so it can take a nice, keen edge and we don’t have to worry about it chipping out.”
As noted, Dan and Ethan wanted a Western-style handle with a palm swell and offer it in a choice of G-10 and Micarta®. The Micarta is available in black and natural versions, both with texture and grain for purchase. The G-10 comes in red, black and blue.
“Those colors will always be the same over time as we introduce other knives in the lineup, so you can buy a knife that will match whichever color knife you previously bought,” Dan said. The intent is for there to be a complete set of Joy of Cooking knives, though nothing was set in stone in that regard at press time.
Pros
Collaborative Expertise
Versatile Blade Design
Premium Blade Material
Cons
Higher Price Point
Plastic Snap Cover
Joy Of Cooking 8” Chef’s Knife Specs Designers: Ethan Becker and Dan Eastland Company: Dogwood Custom Knives Blade Length: 8” Blade Steel: CPM S35VN stainless Rockwell Hardness: 60 HRC Blade @Thickest: 3/32” Handle: Black and natural Micarta® and blue, red and black G-10 options Overall Length: 13” Carry: Plastic snap cover Knife to Know: K tip blade; lightweight design; hidden handle pins Country of Origin: USA MSRP: $200
