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10 Best KA-BAR Knives

June 19, 2023 / Tim / 18 Comments

KA-BAR is a legendary brand that’s been making knives under different names for a century. While the KA-BAR knife is the most well-known model from the company, the Olean-based company makes a diverse group of knife designs.

Teaming up with some of the best knife-making minds out there, such as Ethan Becker, Rick Hinderer, and Bob Dozier, shows this brand is committed to quality designs.

There have been a number of great new models over the years, but none have been quite strong enough to topple these classics.

Here are the 10 best KA-BAR knives right now.

KA-BAR USMC Fighting Knife

Let’s start with the icon — the original KA-BAR. I won’t go too deep into the history of KA-BAR (because I’ve already done that) but a few companies actually made the KA-BAR knife. However, the knives that were made by what is now KA-BAR were always considered the best. Even all these years later, the fighting knife remains a favorite among civilians and military personnel alike.

I could have easily made this list nothing but KA-BAR utility knives, but I thought the classic USMC could also stand in for the dozens of other iterations, such as the Kraton models, tanto models, and smaller versions.

You can pretty much find the perfect KA-BAR for you, including a Kraton version, commemorative versions, a short version, and more.

KA-BAR BK2 Becker Campanion

Just as I could have made list of only the fighting knives, I could also make this list nothing but models from the KA-BAR Becker line. Ethan Becker is a knife-designing savant and his line of Beckers at KA-BAR proves it. Few are as great and versatile as the BK2 Becker Campanion.

‘Overall Knife of the Year’ Winners at Blade Show Since 1984

June 17, 2023 / Tim / 35 Comments

With thousands of knives flooding the markets, it might seem like there’s so much overlap out there that all knives start to bleed together. If you actually believe that new knives no longer have much to offer, you have a lot of studying to do.

Every year manufacturers and designers work hard to bring something new and exciting to the table. To better illustrate how new knives are still proving their worth, we thought it’d be interesting to take a look at all the winners of Blade Magazine‘s “Overall Knife of the Year” award since the start.

The winners of this award are voted by attendees of the BLADE Show and a panel of special judges. These knives are typically prototypes at the time, but show real craftsmanship, expert designs, beautiful construction, and much more.

The first BLADE Show took place in 1982. From what I could find, the first Overall Knife of the Year award was given to a Fight’n Rooster knife, though I couldn’t pinpoint the model, so I didn’t add it here.

Also, the show did not have an Overall Knife of the Year winner in 1983. If I am wrong, please let me know. So with that, let’s start with the knife that won the award in 1984 and work our way to the present.

1984: Timberline Survival Hunter

(The image is of a skinner version of the knife made by Timberline’s Vaughn Neely. These old knives are hard to find.)

The Survival Hunter is a design by Vaughn Neely, who founded Timberline, and was a beloved knife. You still see these vintage Survival Hunters for sale but they tend to go very quickly. Like I said, these earlier knives are difficult to find information on, but it also won the American Made Design of the Year in 1985.

1985: Gerber Clip-Lock

The Clip-Lock from Gerber was a Black Collins design that’s now long discontinued. It had an unusual sheath design in that a clip locked it into place. Here is a quick video overview:

1986: Fight’n Rooster 7-blade Congress

I’m honestly not too familiar with Fight’n Rooster Knives, but I was able to find out that the company was started in the ’70s by Frank Buster. Most of them were traditional slip joint designs typically made in Solingen, Germany. This 7-bladed Congress was all I could find of the knife, but if it’s not the correct model, please let me know.

1987: Buck Titanium

The Buck Titanium was an interesting design with a titanium handle and an overall design reminiscent of the Buck 110 Folding Hunter. It had a monstrous pocket clip, which you can kind of see in the image above. It had a back lock and was just a solid knife.

Benchmade Mediator – Knife of the Week

June 16, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

What do you get when you combine the best parts of Benchmade’s best knives to create one super auto?

You get the Benchmade Mediator.

The Benchmade Mediator is a knife we affectionately refer to as a Frankenstein folder (or Frankenstein’s monster folder for you sticklers).

The Mediator features a 3.3-inch black-coated blade made from premium S90V stainless steel. It uses a reverse tanto blade shape that takes cues from the iconic 940 Osborne. The shape is versatile and unique.

Benchmade also wanted to capture the speed and force of the Infidel’s opening mechanism in the knife, so they made this a side-firing automatic that’s lightning fast.

Father & Son Knifemakers

June 6, 2023 / Tim / 6 Comments

This post was originally published in 2015 and has since been updated.

My son is only two years old, but I’m already looking forward to all things I’ll teach him about my trade. Unfortunately, the things I work with aren’t necessarily cool. Sure, blogging and the occasional graphic design is fun, but it’s not nearly as badass as making knives.

A select few fathers and sons have traded thoughts and ideas surrounding knives, and some have even collaborated on designs.

Since it’s the time of year when fathers and sons get together, we decided to take a look at the father and son duos in the knife world. Let us know in the comments if we made any glaring omissions.

Michael and Baltazar E. Martinez

Michael, along with his father Baltazar, invented a number of items over the years, but what they were best known for was the CRKT Ultima Fixed Blade. Michael Martinez is a sculptor, inventor, and martial artist who helped reinvent the fixed blade with the Ultima.

Here’s what Michael said at the CRKT site: “In my edged weapons training, I kept noticing how many knives didn’t feel right, didn’t have a grip that gave both control and comfort in the four fundamental tactical grips.”

His father, who was a mechanical engineer working on classified nuclear system design for the defense department for more than 30 years, contributed to the project by injecting his own design into the knife.

The result was a knife that achieved 22 out of 23 ideal contact points with its comfortable handle. Even though this father and son duo is mainly known for designing this one knife, they definitely deserve some recognition.

Sal & Eric Glesser

Image from balisongcollector.com

Few knife makers have brought such innovation and legitimacy to the knife world like the legendary Sal Glesser. Sal—the founder of Spyderco—not only pioneered features like the pocket clip, serrations, and ambidextrous opening hole but he’s also a very down to earth guy. You can find him frequenting knife forums and answering people’s questions with honesty and modesty. He designed the Delica, Endura, Military, Persistence, and many others.

20 Best Rescue Knives You Can Buy in 2023

June 5, 2023 / Tim / 2 Comments

This post was originally published in 2018 and has since been updated yearly to reflect newer and better models.

Disaster can strike anytime anywhere.

Your car might suddenly careen off the road before landing upside down in a creek or your clothing could get trapped in an escalator unexpectedly.

In either situation, only a knife can save you from certain doom. While any knife can save someone in a pinch, manufacturers have seized the opportunity to create models specifically designed to aid in a rescue.

So we compiled a list of 20 of the best rescue knives. These come in all designs and styles, from small folders to massive fixed blades.

Take a look and let us know your favorites.

1. Kershaw Funxion

The Kershaw Funxion EMT is an updated version of the knife with a feature-rich design. The knife comes with a 3-inch partially serrated blade that deploys with the SpeedSafe assisted-opening mechanism.

Hidden within the K-texture GFN handle is a carabiner clip, hex wrench, cord cutter, glass breaker tip, and screwdriver tip. This is a nice multitool to carry that would come in handy in the event of an emergency. This knife is particularly useful for an EMT or medic.

BUY

2. Spyderco Assist

Spyderco makes some bizarre knives, but there’s no denying they’re great at their job. The Assist is no exception.

Kershaw Strata Cleaver – Knife of the Week

May 31, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

Big utility knives don’t always need to be bulky and unwieldy. The Kershaw Strata Cleaver is the perfect example.

This ultra-modern folding cleaver boasts a design that evolved from Kershaw’s attempt at a Spanish-style Navaja. The designers at Kershaw decided to take it another step further and make something completely different.

The Kershaw Strata Cleaver features a long 4-inch cleaver-style blade that looks like it belongs in a kitchen. But the unique blade shape allows the knife to be used in various applications, from preparing food to opening boxes.

Made from D2 steel, the stonewash-finished blade opens smoothly with a flipper tab and KVT ball bearings.

It locks open with a frame lock.

Cold Steel Kiridashi – Knife of the Week

May 24, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

The kiridashi is a centuries-old fixed blade with an angular design from Japan. Almost resembling an Xacto knife, the kiridashi was essentially the EDC of the Japanese people, being used for everything from carving to opening boxes.

Cold Steel took the concept of the fixed-blade utility knife and turned it into something more modern and carryable.

The result is the Cold Steel Kiridashi.

Smith & Wesson M-9 Bayonet – Knife of the Week

May 17, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

For nearly 40 years, the M-9 bayonet has been the faithful companion of countless military personnel around the world through conflicts like the Gulf War and the Iraq War.

Now everyone can experience the refined design with this commercial version of the bayonet from Smith & Wesson.

The Smith & Wesson Special Ops M-9 Bayonet is an essential tool with a ton of history behind it. It’s also one of the best Smith & Wesson knives you can buy.

The original design was made by Charles Albert Mickey Finn, who went from carving sandwiches at a delicatessen to making a knife that could carve wood, cut wire, withstand electrical shocks, open bottles, and more.

10 Best Ontario Knives

May 11, 2023 / Tim / 10 Comments

This post was originally published in 2019 but was updated in 2022 with newer models.

Over the past year or so, I’ve been going over the best knives from each brand. Some have been really easy to narrow down such as Spyderco and Kershaw.

However, few brands have been harder to pin down than Ontario Knife Company. Ontario, sometimes known more simply as OKC, has a surprisingly robust and diverse selection of knives that all serve a purpose and do it well. There are some obvious choices — ahem, the RAT folders — but there are so many other serviceable knives that could have been on this list.

These lists always carry some level of bias and subjectivity, but I feel like this list may contain more whimsy and randomness than others.

If I’m alive and kicking and still have this job, I’ll redo this next year and may swap out some others, but this is the list for 2019. Let me know which ones I missed in the comments.

Ontario RAT Folder

Let’s start with the easiest addition to this list: the RAT Folders. I’m cheating a bit because this includes the RAT 1 and RAT 2 folders. They are essentially the same knife but in different sizes.

The RAT folders are a perennial favorite among knife people because they are relatively cheap, reliable, and solid knives. The fact that they are now available in D2 at a low cost means they may be the best budget knife on the market.

Along with D2, you can get an assisted version, an AUS 8 version, and some with different blade finishes and handle colors.

Ontario Black Bird SK-5

The next no-brainer is the Ontario Black Bird. The series is designed by Paul Scheiter. The survival knife was named the best of the best by Field and Stream Magazine in 2011, and it’s evolved over the years. It’s a pretty simple bushcrafting knife with a 5-inch 420HC stainless steel blade and multicolor Micarta handle scales.

Spyderco Canis – Knife of the Week

May 9, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

Need a no-nonsense folder for personal protection? Look no further than the Spyderco Canis.

The Canis is designed by Kelly McCann, who is one of the world’s leading experts in counterterrorism, close combat, personal security, and antiterrorism.

McCann’s extensive knowledge of security is perfectly reflected in the thoughtfully designed Canis.

The most notable part of the Canis is its blade. It uses S30V stainless steel and a uniquely designed blade shape with a method to its madness.

The Wharncliffe-style edge is perfect for self-defense (you can thank Spyderco’s Michael Janich for helping popularize the Wharnie as a self-defense blade with his Yojimbo). The Canis also has narrow bevels and a reinforced tip for extra strength when slashing and piercing.

The Cutting Edge

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