Knife Reviews

These reviews are not intended to simply judge or grade knives. A lot of the work performed is to explore aspects of performance which may not be relevant to the specific knife but which is used because it is on hand or has a particular steel or geometrical aspect. See the FAQ, for more details. For information on a particular steel then check the Blade blade materials webpage which compiles all the comparative work with various materials statistics to reach general conclusions.

Reviews in progress

One or more sections of the review not completed/verified.

Calypso Jr. : ZDP-189
skinner : M2 Alvin Johnston
Applegate fighting knife : Boker
utility : a custom from Pinoy Knives
Tramontina : small fixed blade

Axes, tomahawks, etc.

Gransfors Bruks :

Splitting Maul
Forest Axe : limbing axe
Wildlife Hatchet

Other :

VTAC : ATC
Rogers Ranger 'Hawk : ATC
Norse 'Hawk Cold Steel
hardware store axe
Craftsman
14" hatchet : Fiskars
5-star Arvika single bit axe : Hults Bruks
Felling axe : Iltis
Hiking axe : Kellam
Uluchet : P. J. Turner Knife Mfg. Inc.
Brush Axe : frame head, replaceable blade
Hatchet : Wetterling

Khukuris

Gurkha House : Service #1 : standard military model Bhojpure : larger / more robust	Himalayan Imports : 20 Inch Ang Khola Khukuri : insanely large 18" Ang Khola : solid heavy brush blade 15" and 12" Sirupati : lighter bush blades Village khukuri : small and rugged
Khukuri House : Service #1 : two standard military model

Very large fixed blades, machetes, parangs, etc. .

Martindale : multiple patterns Jungle knife : very wide tip	Newt Livesay : RTAK : long knife/short machete RCM : Recon Combat Machete
Tramontina : Bolo : heavy duty model 14" blade : standard pattern	Other customs : Brush blade : forged by Glen Parrell Bolo / khukuri : a forged custom bush knife
Other production : Patrol Machete : Camillus Barteaux : 12" and 18" heavy duty patterns Military and Camp/Trail : 12" and 18" from Ontario Golok : Valiant Billhook : Kellam

Large fixed blades, 10" and under

Customs :

Extreme Judgement : Fehrman
seven inch drop point : Luke Freeouf
Model 17 camp bowie : Heafner knives
TAC-11 : Tom Johanning
52100 JS bowie : Ray Kirk
camp knife : Murray Carter
TUSK : Kevin McClung (replacement)
CPM-3V camp knife : Ed Schott

Becker Knife and Tool collection from Camillus :

BK7 : combat utility knife
BK9 : combat bowie
Machax : machete/khukuri hybrid

Busse Combat :

Busse Battle Mistress : flagship model
"Ergo" Battle Mistress : evolution
#7 Basic : M-INFI seven inch drop point

Chris Reeve Knives:

Project I : from the one-piece line
Green Beret : the "Yarborough"

Mission Knives:

MPK : A2 multi-Purpose Knife
MPK : another sample
MPK-Ti : Beta-ti multi-Purpose Knife

SOG:

SEAL 2000 : a "Navy Seal" knife
Recondo : TiN coated fixed blade

Strider : ATS-34 :

PAB : a 10" bolo
WB : amercian tanto

Swamp Rat Knifeworks : SR101 :

Camp Tramp : seven inch drop point
Ratweiler : micarta grip

Ontario:

Other production blades :

Buck 119 : classic
Trailmaster and Recon Scout : Cold Steel
Mod. A1 : Fällkniven survival knife
Silver Trident : Gerber
Highlander Bowie : Gil Hibben
Randall #1, #5 : all purpose fighting / small camp and trail
Steel Eagle : TOPS

Small fixed blades

Allen Blade :

MEUK : Multi-Enviroment Utility Knife in 52100 with Ed Caffrey heat treat
MEUK : in Talonite

Bob Dozier :: K2 : general purpose; Agent : small tactical

Lynn Griffith :: S.U.B. Sniper : a neck knife; MNK-1 : a mini neck knife

Phil Wilson: Utility Hunter : CPM-10V; South Fork : S30V

Personal prototypes:: Tension bar : a lower bound for performance; Second tension bar : a few geometry changes

Other custom makers:: Hawkbill : Neil Blackwood; Drop point hunters : David Boye; Boye, Carson, Gerber, Schwarzer : various Cobalt blades; Model 10 : R.W. Clark (LM1); Traditional Tanto : Running Dog Knives; Pronghorn : Ed Fowler; four test blades : Ray Kirk; Mirage-X Operator : Kevin McClung; 4" Drop Point Hunter : Mel Sorg

Busse Combat :: Badger Attack 3 : a small fixed blade

Fällkniven :: S1, F1, WM : VG-10 stainless; H1 : hunting knife

Spyderco :: Featherweight : Bill Moran design; Temperance; Vagabond : with integral sheath

Swamp Rat knifeworks :

Howling Rat : a tough workhorse of a small fixed blade
Safari Skinner : collaboration with Mike Thourot

Other production blades :: Blackjack Small : 52100, convex; M60 : CRKT; Deerhunters : from A.G. Russell, several steels used; Solution : from Buck

Scandinavian grinds

Frost's and Kellam : a couple of inexpensive blades

Mora :

narrow blade : 1095
long blade : 12C27mod stainless
Mora 2000 : 12C27 mod stainless, swedish survival knife

Roselli :

hunter

Folding knives

Byrd :: Finch; Cara Cara : partially serrated; Meadowlark : small utility blade; Pelican : wharncliff

Spyderco :

Alantic Salt : H1/lockback
Calypso Jr. : SE
Catcherman : fillet knife
Chinook II : backlock in S30V
D'Allara : ball lock
Jess Horn : ZDP-189
Delica FRN lockback :
Dodo : ball lock/modified hawksbill
Endura : PE, FRN, lockback
Manix : large lockback
Military : liner lock in S30V
Calypso Jr. : AUS-8A
Pacific_Salt : H1/lockback
Paramilitary : paramilitary
Persian : lockback dress knife
Poliwog : unique
UK Pen : slipjoint

Benchmade :

M2 Mini-Afck : M2
RSK : S30V/Ritter Survival Knife

Columbia River Knife and Tool

Cold Steel :

Twistmaster : modern opinel
Voyager :
- medium, clip point, SE edge
- large, clip point, PE

Other production :: Boat knives plain/serrated : from David Boye; Buck/Strider folder : liner lock; Cuda Maxx : from Camillus; Fulcrum IID : from Extrema Ratio; U2 : from Fallkniven; Vapor : integral lock from Kershaw; large Opinel : traditional ring lock; Small Sebenza : Chris Reeve Knives; Al Mar Sere 2000 : designed for the US Army SERE school; Rucksack : a swiss army knife; Vision : Arc-Lock folder from SOG

Kitchen knives

Chef's knife :

Martha Stewart everyday line
Phil Wilson custom : 420HC

Utility knife :: OK-45 : ceramic from Kyocera; KX06 : plain edge from Spyderco; KX06 : with SpyderEdge; Japanese : laminated high carbon steel from Lee Valley; custom O1 : Alvin Johntson