The Cutting Edge

KA-BAR Ek Model 4 – Knife of the Week

March 1, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

With a rich history that dates back to World War II, the KA-BAR Ek Model 4 is a truly iconic fighting knife.

The origins of the fixed blade begin in 1941. That’s when John Ek created the Ek Commando Knife Company and produced fighting knives for the war effort. The knife was never officially issued by the military. However, it was the knife of choice among those who bought their own knives for combat.

The company changed owners throughout the years until KA-BAR acquired the designs and brought them back to their former glory.

The Ek Commando Model 4 is the first Commando knife that KA-BAR helped revive. Even after all these years, it remains a remarkable fixed blade.

Kershaw Iridium – Knife of the Week

February 21, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

At the start of this year, Kershaw surprised the knife community with its interpretation of the crossbar lock called the DuraLock. All four new DuraLock knives offer something different, but the one that’s been turning heads the most is the Kershaw Iridium.

The Kershaw Iridium is a modern everyday carry work folder with a clean design that blends functionality and elegance.

Its blade is 3.4 inches long with a spear-point profile that excels at piercing and slicing. Kershaw has been upgrading its steel on most of its lineup to D2, and the Iridium is no different. D2 is tough with high wear resistance, making it ideal for work situations.

The real highlight of the Iridium is the DuraLock mechanism. This new crossbar lock is strong, easy to use, and keeps your fingers out of the blade’s path when closing.

Reasons to Get Engraved Knives For Groomsmen

February 17, 2023 / Tim / 4 Comments

engraved knives for groomsmen

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re getting married.

Congratulations on taking the plunge. That also means you’ve probably been planning your wedding for ages. The venue is chosen, the flavor of your cake is set in marble, your music is finalized, and you’re still working on your vows.

But there’s the little matter of thinking about your groomsmen.

Your brother or buddy was likely put up to the task of best man or groomsman. It’s safe to say he’d much rather be out hunting or watching a basketball game. Instead he’s getting fit for a tux or going to rehearsals.

That’s why it’s always nice to thank them with a gift.

And there’s no better groomsmen gift than an engraved knife.

Considering this is a knife blog, I know we are very biased, but I honestly believe personalized knives make the best gifts for groomsmen.

Here’s why.

Knives are actually useful!

If you do a quick Google search on the best groomsmen gifts, thousands of articles with suggestions will come up. Most of them are filled with absolute junk that people don’t really want, like cufflinks (who wears these?), leather bags (come on!), pocket watches (what year is this?), and even personalized underwear.

Except for alcohol, every single one of those gifts is getting thrown in a drawer.

Knives, on the other hand, are extremely useful.

Hogue Deka – Knife of the Week

February 15, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

The knife community often speaks hyperbolically about the next great knife. But it’s hard to argue with the fact that the Hogue Deka in MagnaCut may be the ultimate EDC for the price.

The Deka design originally started out with 20CV steel and G-10 scales. However, once Hogue adopted the new super steel and switched to lightweight polymer scales, the Deka entered a new stratosphere. (There’s a reason we named it one of the best new knives of 2022!)

This version of the Deka has a 3.25-inch blade with dual thumb studs. It comes in either a modified Wharncliffe blade or a clip-point blade, but the one we’re highlighting here is the clip-point Deka.

Ontario Air Force Survival Knife – Knife of the Week

February 8, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

We’ve all heard fantastic tales of stranded Air Force pilots making the best of bad situations, with only a few emergency rations and a single Air Force survival knife on hand as they fought for their lives in enemy territory.

What’s most impressive is that even decades later, several branches of the U.S. Armed Forces continue to use the same rugged fixed blade as an indispensable tool.

The Ontario Air Force Survival Knife is no joke.

Built in accordance with the specifications of the U.S. Government, the Ontario Survival Knife offers a tried-and-true design at a value few others can offer. It is one of the best Ontario knives you can buy.

10 Best Gerber Knives

February 7, 2023 / Tim / 21 Comments

This post was originally published in May 2018 but was updated in October 2021 to include newer models.

Gerber has a long history dating back to 1939. The brand has evolved over the years — undergoing some ups and downs as some of the best designers and knifemakers around left the company to start their own ventures.

Gerber has been relatively quiet the past few years, releasing an assortment of higher-end knives mixed with brand-new budget designs. None have really stood out from the bunch, and plenty of the older models that were great have been discontinued.

It’s been a rocky two decades, but Gerber seems to be on firm footing by doubling down on their best knives. Here is a look at Gerber’s 10 best knives currently in production.

Note: As always, these best-of lists are highly subjective. However, I do my due diligence through personal experience as well as consensus from around the internet. These lists will always skew toward the tried-and-true models, but new models will always make the jump.

1. Gerber LMF II Infantry

Gerber has remade itself over the past few years thanks to three very reliable (and pretty similar) fixed blades. The Gerber LMF II has an undisputed spot on this list for good reason. Gerber says the knife was originally designed to free an aircrew from a downed aircraft, and it remains an adaptable fixed blade that can be used in all types of situations.

The blade is 4.84 inches made from 420HC stainless steel. It has partial serrations and glass-filled nylon with TPV overmold handles.

You can see all the Gerber LMF II Infantry variations here.

2. Gerber Gator

This list is heavily populated with perennial favorites, and the Gerber Gator is no exception. It was first introduced in the early ’90s when it was named “Most Innovative Knife of the Year” at the 1991 Blade Show. Despite being so old, the knife remains one of the best Gerber has to offer.

Cold Steel Chaos Push Knife – Knife of the Week

January 31, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

The push dagger works surprisingly well as an everyday carry fixed blade or as a last-ditch self-defense knife in a pinch.

But only one push knife rises above the others in terms of ferocity and curiosity: the Cold Steel Chaos Push Knife.

This knife sees Cold Steel (which makes some truly great knives) continue with its Chaos series, which pays homage to the trench knives from World War I but with modernized designs and updated materials.

The Chaos Push Knife features a long 5-inch dual-edged spear-point blade. The blade uses SK-5 high-carbon steel with a black fine-powder coating.

Benchmade 9400 Osborne Auto – Knife of the Week

January 25, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

Way back in 2014 when the Knife of the Week series first started, the Benchmade 940 Osborne was one of the first recipients of this prestigious honor.

In those ensuing years, the world lost the great Warren Osborne but gained his iconic EDC in a new form: the Benchmade 9400 Osborne Auto.

Knifemaker Warren Osborne unfortunately passed away in 2016 after a lengthy battle with an illness. Steve Shackleford of Blade Magazine had a great writeup on his life shortly after Osborne died.

The 9400 Osborne Auto retains all the elements that made the original such a quintessential everyday carry design. It has a 3.4-inch satin-finished blade made from high-quality S30V steel.

The modified reverse tanto blade remains a versatile and unique blade profile.

Top 10 New 2023 CRKT Knives

January 24, 2023 / Tim / 4 Comments

new 2023 CRKT knives

It’s a new year and that means new knives.

Nearly all of the major brands announced their new lineups for the year, and now it’s time to play catch-up on some knives we’re most excited for this year.

While I haven’t spent an extended time with all of these knives, I was able to get my hands on all of the knives at Shot Show 2023 in Las Vegas this year.

You can see the full list of all new CRKT 2023 knives this year at their website, but these are the 10 that caught our attention the most out of the more than 20 announced.

CRKT Squid Compact

The Squid has been one of the mainstays of the CRKT lineup. For years, it existed as one of the best little big knives available. However, CRKT and Lucas Burnley have slowly built out variations that range from an assisted-opening version to the larger CRKT Squid XM.

This year, CRKT went all in with compact versions of its knives, including the Squid Compact.

CRKT M16-03DB – Knife of the Week

January 16, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

The late Kit Carson’s M16 folding knife design is one of the most beloved, tried-and-true tactical folders. For over two decades, the M16 has been the knife of choice for countless users in countless situations.

So, when CRKT decided to reconceive the classic (which is already one of CRKT’s best knives), they brought it up to date and then some.

The result is the M16-03DB.

This new iteration of the M16 is outfitted with all the latest technology and mechanisms a knife user could want. Its 3.58-inch black stonewashed D2 steel blade is durable and flips open using assisted-opening technology with an IKBS ball-bearing pivot that ensures smooth deployment.