Category: Knife of the Week (page 15 of 35)

Although some people call the karambit nothing but a gimmick, it just means they’ve never used one the right way.

Because when it comes to self-defense, it’s hard to beat the Fox 479 Folding Karambit.

This unparalleled self-defense tool has undergone rigorous testing in extreme climates and high-pressure situations and utilizes all the advancements you could ever need.

Here’s an excellent video review from ForPete’sSake:

Highlighting the knife is the curved 3.14-inch liner locking blade that’s been coated in black teflon to dampen the reflective properties of the N690Co stainless steel.

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Take a poll of outdoorsmen on what their favorite lightweight fixed blade for general outdoor use and most will put the understated Buck 102 Woodsman on the list. The kicker is that the Woodsman would be on that list any time in the past 40 years.

So, how could such an old knife remain in the hearts and minds of knife fans everywhere for so long? The answer is in the tried-and-true design perfected by Buck.

The design stems from the hugely popular and successful Buck 119 Special, complete with its clip point blade, black handles, and polished hand guard.

The Woodsman is a smaller version of the knife with a 4-inch clip point blade made from 420HC stainless steel. In less capable hands, the steel would only be adequate but excels under the tutelage of Paul Bos, an industry leader in heat treating.

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There are hundreds of models of Swiss Army Knives, each with its own set of tools and appearance. It’s hard to pick just one above all the others, but if you only have one choice for EDC, consider the Victorinox Pioneer.

With the Pioneer being the civilian version of the Soldier — “the true Swiss Army Knife” — it has everything you need to get by, nothing more and nothing less.

The Pioneer has eight functions. It has a large blade, reamer, can opener with small screwdrvier, bottle opener with large screwdriver and wire stripper, and key ring.

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Horace Kephart was an American legend. Born in 1862, Kephart would go on to be one of the fathers of American woodcraft and a pioneer of bushcrafting. As an outdoorsman through and through, Kephart carried a range of gear, including knives.

And like any outdoorsman with a sense of craft, he designed his own style of knives now known as Kephart knives.

Condor Tool & Knife took the design of the classic Kephart knife and made it into a beautiful and elegant knife that excels in the outdoors.

Designer Joe Flowers adapted the Kephart into something just as simple and effective. There’s a 4.5-inch blade made from 1075 high carbon steel — a tough alloy that’s easy to sharpen in a pinch. Its spear point provides a nice cutting belly along with a piercing point.

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People love fixed blades because there are fewer moving parts and they are less prone to failure. But sometimes a folding knife is just so much more convenient.

For those times you need a folder as strong and reliable as a fixed blade, there’s the DPx Gear HEST/F 2.0.

The original idea of the HEST/F was to create a folding version of the durable HEST (Hostile Environment Survival Tool) fixed blade knife. The HEST Folder now goes far beyond its original intent and is now an all-around tool you can bet your life on in any situation.

Here’s a nice video overview from jdavis882:

It starts with the 3.25-inch blade made from German D2 tool steel coated with black milspec to damper the steel’s reflective properties. A cutout in the spine of the blade offers a rapid deployment system.

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Knife names are often too twee or nondescriptive, but sometimes a name hits the knife on the head. That’s the case with the latest Badass Knife of the Week.

The Benchmade 810 Contego takes its name from the Latin word for “protect.” As a tactical folding knife made with only the strongest materials, the Contego is the ultimate protector to whoever carries the knife.

Here is a test from Benchmade:

Designed by the late great Warren Osborne, the knife features a 3.98-inch blade made from CPM-M4, a tough super steel that gets scary sharp. Its reverse tanto blade design has a large belly for slicing and a strong point. This particular version comes with a partially serrated black-coated blade for extra utility.

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According to famed writer Malcolm Gladwell, it takes 10,000 hours of practice and perseverance to become an expert at something. With more than four decades of experience designing tactical knives, Gerber puts that theory into practice with the finely tuned Decree.

The Gerber Decree combines all the elements that make a superior everyday carry into a compact and reliable flipper.

It all starts with the blade. The blade design is a cross between a tanto blade and a drop point, excelling at both piercing and slicing. A partially serrated edge gives the knife even more functionality.

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Tigers hold a special place in the pantheon of mythology. They are known for their mysticism, understated power, solitary lifestyle, and courage.

Knife designer Andrew Demko adapts the claw of the mighty beast into a Cold Steel design known simply as the Tiger Claw.

The Tiger Claw is a folding karambit with a 3-inch blade that mimics the versatility, strength, and retractability of a real tiger claw.

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The word Aegis, which rhymes with prestigious, is ripe with history and meaning.

In its most basic definition, the word means protection. But the origins date back to Ancient Greece when the word was described as a form of protection — possibly a shield or the skin of a giant — carried by gods Athena and Zeus.

But the SOG Aegis was inspired by the code name for the air and sea component of the United States’ Ballistic Missile Defense System, and it’s not hard to see how. The Aegis boasts a covert size, lightweight construction, and significant power.

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The Izula from ESEE Knives is one of the most popular and beloved fixed-blade knives ever made. It’s what knife experts and beginners alike turn to when they want a lightweight survival tool that’s versatile enough to be used for everyday carry.

So what do you do with a beloved model? You make another version.

The ESEE Izula-II is nearly identical in appearance to the original Izula with a few important changes you’ll feel in the hand.

Like the original, the Izula-II features a 1095 carbon steel blade with black-powder coating to increase its resistance to rust and the elements. On the blade is the famous bullet ant, sometimes known as Isula by the people to Peru, with which the knife gets its name and inspiration.

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