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Best Bowie Knives

November 7, 2023 / admin / 4 Comments

This post was first written in 2019 and was most recently updated in 2023.

When you think of American knives, there should only be one knife that jumps to mind: the Bowie Knife.

We’ve written a ton about the Bowie knife. In fact, the very first blog post back in August 2010 was about the legendary Jim Bowie.

If you don’t know about the legend of Jim Bowie and his knife, check out our definitive look at the legend of the Bowie knife.

There are a lot of bad quality Bowie knives on the market. Cheap, low-quality steel and bad workmanship are rife. We’re here to help you find only high quality Bowie knives.

What Makes a Good Bowie Knife?

As I’ve said many times, there is not a consensus on the dimensions of the original, but a Bowie knife is broadly defined as a large fixed blade with a clip-point profile.

These days, designers play with the elements of the Bowie to create knives that fit the general framework of the Bowie while pushing the boundaries. You get some original creations that could still be defined as a Bowie knife. We’re including some of those here too.

Cold Steel Wild West

Let’s start with the Wild West Bowie. This is the knife most people probably envision of when they think of a Bowie knife.

It has a long 10.75-inch clip-point blade made from 1090 carbon steel with a rosewood handle. A brass-colored hand guard also adds to the traditional look of the knife.

KA-BAR Bowie

The KA-BAR Bowie is a little small to be a Bowie knife, since it has a 6.9-inch blade (that’s still pretty long).

The original KA-BAR is essentially a Bowie knife too, although most probably wouldn’t instantly recognize it as one. This model has a clip point blade with a stacked leather handle and a small guard. It comes with a leather sheath.

Schrade Leroy Bowie

Here’s where we start to get a little more playful with the design choices. This isn’t the type of Bowie that old Jim would have carried as he defended the Alamo. But the Leroy Bowie still makes a good Bowie knife.

It has an all-black design with a 9.55-inch clip-point blade.

BnB Damascus Push Dagger – Knife of the Week

November 1, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

The push dagger is a unique design initially conceived as a self-defense tool. However, more people are beginning to use them for daily tasks.

The BnB Damascus Push Dagger is the perfect fixed blade for EDC.

This small yet capable knife is very attractive, thanks to its handsome 3.5-inch Damascus steel blade. Because the steel is made from 256 layers of 1095 and 15N20 steel folded over one another, each knife has a distinct look.

A polished bolster brings out that etched design of the steel that’s captivating and eye-catching

The handle boasts polished walnut scales that add to the charm of the knife.

Old Timer 5OTG Bruin – Knife of the Week

October 25, 2023 / Tim / 1 Comment

In 2004, production of Old Timer knives in the United States ceased and manufacturing moved overseas. While the foreign knives had great value, their quality and craftsmanship weren’t quite the same.

It took over 15 years, but select Old Timer models are once again made in the United States.

Old Timer brought some of its most popular models back to the United States under its Generational Series, including the latest Knife of the Week: the Bruin.

The Old Timer 5OTG Bruin is a lockback design with a traditional look and feel.

Top 10 Knife-Wielding Horror Movie Killers of All Time

October 24, 2023 / Tim / 19 Comments

This post was originally published in 2012 but was updated in 2022 to include more fear-inducing killers and their knives.

The slasher movie is the lifeblood of the horror genre: toss a mask on some silent psycho, arm him with an oversized, glistening blade, add a few unlucky cheerleaders, and boom—you’ve got yourself a box office hit.

Here at The Cutting Edge, we obviously don’t condone using your knives for anything criminal (let’s keep it legal, folks), but it is the spooky season. So, it feels only right to take a moment to tip our blood-stained hats to some of the most iconic, brutal, and downright terrifying slashers in movie history.

I originally threw this post together back in 2012 with just four murderous maniacs. But it felt like time to revisit the grave and resurrect it with a full list of 10 truly horrific movie killers. Let’s dive in—just don’t forget to look over your shoulder.

Patrick Bateman | American Pyscho

Patrick Bateman, brought to life by Christian Bale in American Psycho (2000), is your classic yuppie sociopath: a sleek Wall Street banker obsessed with business cards, skincare routines, and, oh yeah—grisly murder.

Whether he’s casually knifing a homeless man or going full maniac with an axe on a coworker, Bateman keeps a whole arsenal of deadly tools on hand. He’s also known for delivering deeply “insightful” critiques of ‘80s pop hits just before the killing starts. Mood-setting at its finest.

Knife of Choice: Ax

Cold Steel Trail Boss

Interestingly, even though he’s shown on the cover art clutching a kitchen knife, I don’t recall him actually using one. He mixes it up with everything from a pocket knife to his own teeth. Versatile killer, that Bateman.

However, he seems to have the most “fun” with the ax. The one in the movie is most similar to the Cold Steel Trail Boss.

Jason Voorhees | Friday the 13th

When it comes to knife-wielding villains on the big screen, few can compete with the sheer body count of Jason Voorhees from The Friday the 13th Series.

10 Seriously Small Knives

October 23, 2023 / Tim / 10 Comments

This post was first published in 2016 but updated in 2023 to include different models.

In this world of big-box stores and 128-ounce sodas, some say the bigger, the better. In the world of knives, however, that’s not always the case. Sure, you could get a truly massive folder like the Cold Steel Counter Point XL (which has a 6-inch blade) for hard-core tasks, but what about when you need to carry something light that can cut some twine or open a package.

That’s when smaller is better.

For those who want a lightweight knife that will slip unnoticed in any pocket or attach easily to a keychain, we searched our store for the smallest knives around. There are a lot of tiny knives out there, but these come with blade lengths around 1.75 inches and under.

CRKT Squid Compact

Blade length: 1.75 inches
Overall length: 4.65 inches

The Squid was already a small yet bulky folder that was consistently called one of the best little big knives ever made.

So when CRKT decided to shrink some of its popular folders even more, the Squid was a natural choice. The Squid Compact has a small but capable 1.75-inch blade and an overall length of 4.65 inches.

Despite its small size, it’s still a very capable knife.

Spyderco Bug

Blade length: 1.27 inches
Overall length: 2.9 inches

Spyderco makes some minuscule knives like the Ladybug and HoneyBee, but the Spyderco Bug is the tiniest of all. This cute little guy fits in the palm of your hand with a 1.27-inch blade. When engaged, the knife comes in at less than 3 inches long.

CIVIVI Elementum II – Knife of the Week

October 18, 2023 / Tim / 2 Comments

Since it first came out, the CIVIVI Elementum has been widely praised as possibly the best EDC knife ever made.

When you factor in the streamlined design, lack of excessive branding, and unbeatable price, it is clear the Elementum was a masterpiece.

The success of the original led CIVIVI to release tons of variations, including a button lock version that almost hit the mark.

Now, the CIVIVI Button Lock Elementum II may be the pinnacle of the design. It’s definitely one of the best CIVIVI knives.

BnB Tactical Cobra – Knife of the Week

October 11, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

If you need an outdoor companion for heavy-duty tasks or defensive applications, reach for the BnB Tactical Cobra.

This fixed blade is as wily and vicious as the serpent it’s named after. It starts with the long 6-inch blade made from D2 tool steel. This is an increasingly popular alloy for fixed blades due to its toughness and strength.

The drop-point blade features a partially serrated edge that offers additional versatility, while a thumb ramp with jimping on the spine provides greater control for finer tasks.

It also has a black coating to dampen the steel’s reflective properties and add extra protection.

Top 25 Worst Knife Names Ever

October 10, 2023 / Tim / 22 Comments

This post was first published in 2017 and updated in October 2023.

They say a rose by any other name would smell as sweet… but if they were called stenchblossoms or crapweeds, I imagine they would be a bit less appealing.

The same thing goes for a knife. The almost universally acclaimed Ontario RAT Model 1 would still perform just as well if it were called the Ontario Elephant Earwax 7, but it might not be quite as popular.

While I acknowledge naming something is extremely difficult (I considered naming my son Humphrey), it can really kill the whole vibe of a knife. So I scoured the Internet and my memory bank to come up with a list of the worst knife names around. Many of these knives are well-made and perfectly usable but simply have a name that is off-putting.

This is my personal preference, so take that as you will. If you have any to add, let me know in the comments.

Note: I excluded custom knifemakers because they have a little more creative leeway. I also tried to exclude knives with people’s names. For example, I dislike all the Brian Tighe-related pun names (Tighe Rade, My Tighe, Tighe Coon, etc), but it’s the guy’s name so I let them be.

Finally, the LA Police Gear “The Best F***ing Knife” S35VN Every Day Carry Folding Knife (yes, that’s the full name) was considered for this list but I couldn’t figure out whether the overly descriptive and braggadocios name was so over the top it was the best name ever or the worst. I decided to leave it off for now.

25. Kershaw Wild Wild Turkey

Let’s start with one that’s a bit innocuous: the Kershaw Wild Wild Turkey. This now discontinued knife was actually a well-made and sleek gentleman’s folder. The steel was ATS 34 with titanium handles (if I’m correct). The name Wild Turkey is already a bit silly but the addition of another Wild takes things to another level.

I think Kershaw learned its lesson because future iterations of the knife were simply named Wild Turkey. Still, despite the name, this knife is still sought after by aficionados.

24. TOPS Felony Stop

Next we have the first of many TOPS Knives with the Felony Stop. Knives already get a bad rap because of their misuse by a few individuals and you don’t want to call attention to that fact. The name Felony Stop is a bit confusing anyway. Is it supposed to be an instruction to stop a felony or is the knife itself a felony stop? Either way, the knife wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t say FELONY in big bold letters right on the knife.

The knife, designed by the great Laci Szabo, is said to be only intended for law enforcement personnel and specialists, so take that as you will.

23. CRKT Hootenanny

Hootenanny is an Appalachian colloquialism that originally started off as a Scottish word meaning party or celebration. It has since evolved to mean thingamajig or whatchamacallit or doohickey. So when you say pass me that “Hootenanny,” it just sounds funny.

7 Striking Orange Knives

October 10, 2023 / Tim / 4 Comments

This article on orange knives was originally published in 2015 but has been updated to include newer models.

If you look at all the colors that knives and their handles come in, you’ll notice a trend. Yup, they’re pretty much all black. Black is a popular color for knives because of its lowkey appearance and versatility.

While the majority of people opt for those sexy black knives, it’s the other colors that don’t get enough love. So we decided to do a series of posts dedicated to those knives in different colors.

So today we’re looking at orange knives.

1. CIVIVI Elementum

The Elementum is one of the best EDC knives ever made due to its simple yet effective design and highly competitive price. This knife is available in tons of variations, but for this post, the Elementum with orange G-10 scales and a black blade is perfect.

It really gets into the spirit of the fall and Halloween, but it can be a great knife to carry year-round.

2. Colonial M-724 Paratrooper Auto

The Colonial Knife Company Paratrooper Auto is by far the oldest knife on this list. The M-724 is currently issued in all military aircraft ejection seat survival kits. It has everything you need for survival.

The blade is 2.78 inches long and opens with the press of a button. There’s also a manual-opening shroud cutter that can be used by parachutists and those in need of a seat-belt cutter.

Benchmade Claymore – Knife of the Week

October 4, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

Since it was first released in 2021, the Benchmade Claymore has rocketed up the charts as one of the best hard-use automatic knives for workers and daily users alike. It even won a spot on our list of best knives of 2022.

The Benchmade Claymore doesn’t revolutionize the automatic, but it masterfully puts together a truly formidable folder that’s built to withstand the toughest of tasks.

It starts with the straightforward drop-point blade made of D2 steel, an alloy that’s tough with high wear resistance. The 3.6-inch blade is the perfect size for all types of tasks.

The highly textured handle is made from durable Grivory material that conforms nicely to the hand.

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