New Knives: Must-Have Production And Custom Blades

From kitchen to camp and beyond, these puppies will perform.

Christmas may have passed and all your presents have been unwrapped, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start building out your wish list for the coming year. We’re here to help with a slew of new knives—and non-knives—that are certain to tantalize and tempt. From production options full of pomp and customs cutting one-of-a-kind profiles, there’s something for knife lover.

Greiner Chef’s Knife

Blade length: 10”
Blade material: 80CrV2 carbon steel w/forged finish
Blade grind: Flat
Handle material: Double-stabilized karelian birch
Overall length: 14.5”
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $600
Maker: Erik Greiner, greinerblades.com (SharpByCoop image)

Franklin Bread Knife

Blade length: 9.25”
Blade material: 52100 carbon steel
Handle material: Hawaiian koa
Overall length: 14”
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $575
Knife to know: Also comes in a set of three that includes chef’s and paring knives w/a price of $1,750 for the entire set; Thomas Franklin is an ABS apprentice smith
Maker: Thomas Franklin (Jfrasierphotography.com)

Spyderco Petty

Designer: ABS master smith Murray Carter
Blade length: 4.64”
Blade steel: CTS BD1N stainless
Blade grind: Full-flat
Blade @ thickest: .068”
Handle design: Wa style (octagonal)
Handle material: Black polypropylene
Weight: 1.8 ozs.
Overall length: 8.87”
Knife to know: The Petty is part of Spyderco’s Minarai Series; meaning “to look and learn,” minarai is the Japanese way of describing the role of an apprentice
Country of origin: Japan
Company: Spyderco, spyderco.com

Morakniv Rombo

Model: Camp chef’s knife
Blade length: 3.86”
Blade steel: Swedish stainless
Blade grind: Flat
Blade @ thickest: .09”
Blade finish: Two-tone
Handle material: Wood
Weight: 5.5 ozs.
Overall length: 8”
Country of origin: Sweden
Knife to know: Designed for right-hand use
MSRP: $230 (at press time rate of exchange)
Company: Morakniv, industrialrev.com

Spartan Blades Poros

Designer: Curtis Iovito
Knife type: Flipper folder
Blade length: 3.75”
Blade steel: 154CM stainless
Rockwell hardness: 58-60 HRC
Blade grind: Flat
Blade @ thickest: .125”
Blade finish: Black titanium nitride coating
Blade pattern: Drop point
Pivot action: Ikoma Korth Bearing System (IKBS)
Handle material: Carbon fiber/G-10 composite
Lock: Linerlock
Pocket clip: Deep carry
Hardware & liner: Stainless steel w/black electro-deposit powder coating
Weight: 5.3 ozs.
Closed length: 4.25”
Country of origin: USA
MSRP: $190
Company: Spartan Blades, spartanbladesusa.com

Cold Steel The Republic

Knife type: Bushcraft fixed blade
Blade length: 5”
Blade steel: CPM S35VN stainless
Rockwell hardness: 58-60 HRC
Blade @ thickest: .1535”
Blade finish: Corrosion resistant/no-glare Ionbond
Blade pattern: Drop point
Handle material: Micarta® w/single integral guard and lanyard hole
Knife to know: Handle is removable for customization based on situation/undertaking; spine gimping for extra control
Weight: 8.4 ozs.
Overall length: 10”
Sheath: Leather pouch
MSRP: $269.99
Country of origin: USA
Company: Cold Steel, coldsteel.com

WE Knife Zonda

Pattern: Flipper folder
Blade length: 4.04”
Blade steel: CPM 20CV stainless
Blade finish: Stonewashed
Blade @ thickest: .13”
Handle material: Black titanium w/flamed titanium inlay
Pocket clip: Right-hand, blade-tip-up carry
Lock: Framelock
Closed length: 4.85”
Country of origin: China
MSRP: $480
Company: WE Knife, weknife.com

Halfbreed Blades MILF-03PS

Blade length: 3.54”
Blade steel: CPM S30V stainless
Rockwell hardness: 59-60 HRC
Blade grind: Hollow
Blade @ thickest: .19”
Blade finish: PVD coat
Blade pattern: Tanto
Handle material: G-10
Washers: Phosphor bronze
Weight: 7.34 ozs.
Closed length: 5.51”
Handle @ thickest: .59”
Country of origin: Australian and Taiwanese make
MSRP: $280
Company: Halfbreed Blades, halfbreedblades.com.au

Schubert Knives Large Damascus Slicer

Blade length: 19.3”
Blade material: 90-layer raindrop-pattern damascus of 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels
Blade grind: Flat
Blade @ widest: 1.77”
Bolster/guard material: Copper and buffalo horn w/soldered joint
Handle material: Stabilized blackheart sassafras
Handle pins: Turned whale tooth and bamboo
Overall length: 26.4”
Scabbard (not shown): Glass lacquered wood inlaid w/black heart sassafras, buffalo horn, copper and whale tooth
Maker: Bruce Schubert (Rod Hoare image)

Mark Josef Knives Sujihiki

Pattern: Slicer
Blade length: 11.8”
Blade material: San-mai construction of 410 stainless steel, nickel and 52100 carbon steel forged by Brook Turner
Rockwell hardness: 62 HRC
Blade grind: Flat/convex
Blade thickness @ ricasso: .118”
Blade @ widest: 1.496”
Handle material: Coolabah burl
Bolster/guard: African blackwood
Overall length: 18.5”
Maker: Marc Stewart, Mark Josef Knives, marcjosefknives.com.au (Rod Hoare image)

TOPS Knives El Pionero

Designer: Ed Calderon
Blade length: 3.38”
Blade material: 1095 carbon steel
Blade @ thickest: .09”
Blade finish: Tumble
Handle material: Tan canvas Micarta® w/finger divot that aids in blade orientation, etc.
Weight: 2.9 ozs.
Overall length: 7.63”
Sheath: Black Kydex
Weight w/sheath: 4.1 ozs.
Knife to know: The El Pionero is a “paring knife-esque design”; Ed Calderon (edsmanifesto.com) worked as a counter-narcotics officer in Mexico and more recently as a trainer and “guru in the tactical space”
Country of origin: USA
MSRP: $220
Company: TOPS Knives, topsknives.com

Dr. Jim Lucie: A Bladesmith’s Life & Legacy

What it’s about: ABS journeyman smith Dr. Jim Lucie had a unique background: he served as the personal physician for, and learned about knifemaking from, the man recognized as the grandfather of custom knives—BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member William Scagel. The author, Stephanie Lucie, is Lucie’s youngest of four daughters. She paints a picture of her father like no other, from childhood to adulthood, his bladesmithing mentors and friends, the many stories written about him and much more.
Format: 9.25 x 12.5-inch hardback, limited to 1,500 copies in the first edition, over 300 color photos, including more than 200 knives Lucie made, and over 100 pictures of his life and accomplishments.
MSRP: $120
Contact: jimluciebook.com

Check Out More Knife Drops:

• Production And Custom Kitchen Kinves
• Production And Custom Damascus And Stainless Steel Knives
• Production And Custom Large Blade Knives