Knives and Blades

Here you will find articles on knives, and other bladed tools and techniques for their use and well as state knife laws that all knife owners need to know.

CRKT Folding Knives – Kommer Free Range Folding Knife Review

September 14, 2018 Jesse Mathewson

free-range knife review

From the many manuals I have collected over the years, a truly solid hunting knife/ skinning knife is many things. Here are a few quotes from some of my favorites.

“Use a knife with a blade at least four inches long, a guard, and a large handle. A small knife can turn sideways in your hand when it hits bone. A butcher’s skinning knife is ideal.”

“A sharp knife will actually reduce bad cuts and will make the entire procedure easier. Take your time when dressing a buck, mistakes due to haste will often require you to make a trip to the hospital to get stitches.”

“A gut hook is a great way of opening the body cavity without cutting the intestines. If you do not have a gut hook, you can use one finger next to the knife to lift up skin giving you space between the knife blade and the intestines.”

Anyone who has dressed out a game mammal has learned valuable lessons in what works, and in my strict opinion, the following three rules apply.

Own a knife that will hold an edge, learn to sharpen your knives, carry a small set of stones or diamond hones and a strop, always. Learn what angles work best for which situations, shallow angles for flesh and light tasks, more intense angles for chopping and the like.

Know your knife, understand exactly how it will cut flesh before ever taking it into the woods, buy a steak or really BIG pork chop. And cut it, trim the fat, work it and use learn it.

Stop thinking the only knife that will work is the one Bear Grylls or some other big-time boob tube star owns will work. There are literally hundreds of knives, I own over a thousand different brands, types, and sizes. Knives are purpose-built, if I could get away with it, I would carry 4 or 5 knives all the time. A fighter, a hunter, a woodsman and two solid folders (and that’s in addition to a primary handgun, backup and carbine at a minimum.)…but, that would make me the crazy guy on the block…not that I don’t already have that title. For the time being, get a solid knife that will do the job needed. Grow from there.

This review is on the Kommer Folding series from CRKT, a series of knives designed specifically for hunters. Russ Kommer has been a hunting guide in Alaska and the great North. His designs are based entirely on his observations and needs inherent. An amazing lineup designed by an American hunter from an American company.

CRKT KNIFE REVIEW

My versions of these are the Kommer Free Range Gut Hook folder and the Kommer Free Range Hunter, both blades are 3.75” in length, though the suggested length is 4” these have been used on big game by Kommer himself and several varieties of medium game by myself. The handles are a mixture of grippy double injection molded materials, one hard and the other where the palm of the hand and the fingers rest are softer and very grippy. These are designed for hunting, NOT every day carry or use, they do not have belt clips, and come in nicely molded nylon over hard plastic cases.

A quick list of pro’s for these knives follows.

A quick list of pro’s for these knives follows.
The steel is 8Cr13Mov, with an average hardness between 58-60.
They hold an edge very well, I have not seen one chip yet, however, given that bone is often apart of the cleaning process, I expect someday to see it happen.
They are moderately priced for such an amazing package, at $40-$50 apiece on Amazon.
After abusing one using the cold steel wack the back of the blade while it is locked in place method, I was unable to dislodge the locking mechanism, they are solid, three years of active use I have had the knives pictured, and there is NO blade play and I have not had to tighten anything.
They are relatively lightweight, at 3.5 to 4 ounces per knife.

Now for the con’s, and there are always con’s in honest reviews. If you can find them.

They are made of 8Cr13Mov steel, while a superb steel and one I own in many knife formations, I would have chosen VG10 or something similar because overall edge retention is paramount in hunting knives.
The sheaths close and open with an audible SNAP, if you are good with leather or Kydex I am sure you can find a way around this small issue.
And last but not least, they are too expensive for me to own a dozen of each, like I do with my Opinels, Moraknivs, and a few other fun blades. So, for now, I only have the three, well two, my daughter has one!
As always, comments welcomed and responded to as possible. I have enjoyed writing reviews and being able to share with you all and hope to continue doing so for the discernible future. Be safe, prep wisely and remember, always, be willing to change your mental approach to what you know now.

Morakniv Companion Review – It’s A Great Knife For A Great Price!

September 11, 2018 Jesse Mathewson

Choosing a knife for purposes of survival, bushcrafting or simple camping is a bit of a chore. The Morakniv Companion is an amazing choice regardless of your location on this ball of dirt and water which we live. It comes in stainless steel and carbon steel versions, this review and article are using the carbon steel version!

(Disclaimer, I do use the HD (heavy-duty) models as well, and the Craft-line models, this is simply one of a line of knives I find personally to be indispensable to my personal kits regardless your choice.)

Now one can easily say that the Morakniv Companion is too thin of a blade, or it is only a ¾ tang or how can you say it is a good survival knife? Honestly, I can say that if I had only one choice of a blade to carry with me for an extended length of time, it would be the Morakniv Companion. I can say this based on a wide variety of testing, and from several years of using it.

Others may have their $100 – $5000 survival blades specially designed by some Ex-Army Ranger who was UDT and a Navy Seal and also an Air Force Rescue while cross training with the CIA and NSA for operations deep in the Mossad and GSG9.

I prefer a blade design that has been around for over a thousand years, and folded steel that is rivaled only by Japanese folded steel in overall quality and strength. After all, this is not an article about specific uses, and blades designed for each of those uses. I have already written one or more articles dealing with this. Generally, blades, in my opinion, are very much designed with a specific reason in mind.

So for specific purposes, you will find better blades, after all, a 4” blade isn’t going to be a great weapon against a bear, but I can carve a dozen spears and fire harden them or use it to make punji pits to prevent the need for a close encounter with a bear.

Sure the ¾ tang isn’t a full tang, though in all honesty, most people, even modern blade designers (not blade smiths) but those guys with powdered super steel and solid programming skills and a lathe who churn out thousands of bulky, over-designed or in most cases poorly designed bu ever popular blades have no real idea what or even why certain tangs exist.

Do you? (If you would like to know comment and ask, I’ll gladly explain what the differences are and why the idea of a “full tang” being stronger is not exactly correct. Lastly, if slitting throats you wish to engage in, this will work, but not as nicely as that Ka-Bar or Khukri you may have. (I prefer the Khukri for many reasons)

This is a review of the Morakniv Companion in stainless or carbon steel with a lowly ¾ tang and an inexpensive yet very functional polymer sheath, a 4” blade with a scandi grind (shallow and long allowing for much easier cutting, food prepping and even bush work) lastly it has a handle that is made of TPE rubber, which allows gripping even when wet, sandy or cold! This is the single most inexpensive yet important addition you can make to your prepping regardless the reasons for doing so.

There are several benefits outside of the knife itself that give it that step up over other knives. For instance, it is marketed as a TOOL, not a weapon, it can be used quite easily for kitchen meal preps. I have a few different models that I enjoy using for this alone.

It is legal to carry in most places, though some may require you keep it in your pack, rarely will you find a country that does not allow the use of a small (4.1” blade) for making kindling, cleaning fish, game, and all around camping chores.

Across the United States, there are a plethora of ridiculous carry laws with regards to sizes and types of blades. However, this is a blade I have dropped in my checked baggage (usually two) and never seen it walk away, nor has it ever stopped my baggage from boarding the plane.

After flying through or into most major airports in the USA and a few outside, I have never had an issue with this blade itself. I use a bright orange or blue handled one for foreign nations and states, (like California and New York City) as these for some reason bear no threat while the far more realistic green model seems to evoke the idea that it is somehow dangerous and may leap up on its own.

So how does one go about creating a survival kit using JUST this knife and its sheath as the base? Its simple really, the Morakniv Companion MG alone is a great tool, however, if you add 20 feet of 550 cord or 50-100 feet of different strengths of bank-line* wrapped around it using any number of wrap types (I prefer a simple loop, and pull method as it allows easier use of the rope) This addition would be wonderful by itself, however, we are going to add two more items.

Duct Tape (my favorite brand is Gorilla brand, some things are worth the money spent) and a 5/16^th by 3” fire-steel or ferrocium rod for starting fires are two more additions that are essential in my opinion.

So all I do is wrap the duct tape (around a yard of 2” wide tape) around the middle of the sheath, capturing the ferrocium rod inside of the tape, and then wrap over that with bank line (my preferred go to for survival line for numerous reasons) or with 550 cord, whichever you choose using the knot and or wrapping type you prefer.

Again in my opinion simple is best, as this is meant to be used, not set on a shelf to show the world how amazing you are. Now, these four items alone offer many valuable uses and are by themselves necessary in any bug out bag or the like, however, when put together with this knife, it becomes the ultimate basic prepper kit.

I am including a video showing some test results with this blade, please understand I own several dozen of these blades, they make great gifts and honestly I see them as an investment. I have tested in the extreme this particular model from standing on it while stuck in a tree to splitting cordwood with it, and yes it is mesquite that is in the video. I have yet to break a single one of these knives. I have bent them, but only after attempting to break it in half using a vice.

I had pulled it well past 90 degrees and when it returned it was only about 15-20 degrees off its center line. I have put nicks in the edge of it, it’s a blade, I have yet to see single blade get hammered through a solid piece of wood or rocks and concrete (as I did with this one) and NOT sustain some minor damage to the edge, however, within 5 minutes with my DMT diamond plates I had it back up to shaving sharp.

The Morakniv Companion certainly proved itself, now folks, the video was filmed by my wonderful 8-year-old daughter so apologies for some disruptions but you get the idea, this knife specifically the Morakniv Companion is insane in its abilities! And this was just the torture testing!

It is lightweight, as in honestly it feels toy-like, so chopping a tree down isn’t going to work well, unless you use a baton while doing so, and then it’s just a matter of time.

The lightweight nature is a plus for myself, being old and broken down weight is everything, I would rather carry two or three of these blades than one Becker (popular prepper blade for some) of any size, after all, you generally won’t find a Becker blade that weighs anywhere close to this one and honestly, I would be willing to put one of these up against a Becker.

Again, I feel it is necessary to have you understand that I tend to carry more than one blade at all times regardless. As I feel blades are purpose-built. However, this is an article that allows for the individual who may not have that overall benefit or ability. Not to mention, one of the blades I always carry when in the woods is a Morakniv Companion in green or any number of other colors.

Others will state their love of any number of knives, however, what can be agreed upon by many if not all bush crafters, hikers, campers and survivalist types is that this specific blade style the mora styled blade is among the most popular and best all-around blade type available regardless the manufacturer.

Personally, I have several variant blades all made of the amazing Scandinavian or Swedish folded steel, Karasuando Kniven only available from the linked site and extremely expensive it is my absolute favorite blade of all times. However, the kniven (knife) I have from Karasuando is identical in almost every way (shape, form and edge type) to the Morakniv Companion.

Now, if you are someone who prefers or wants a thicker blade, get the Morakniv Companion HD (Heavy Duty) or get the Craftline Heavy Duty by Morakniv or the Morakniv Light My Fire all of these blades are thicker, and feel much better if you need that reassurance. Cost is still at or under $20 regardless.

So what are the pros for carrying the Morakniv Companion?

It is lightweight at just 4.5 ounces or 125 grams for what it provides, its hard to find lighter and if weight is an issue, eg., age or physical ability than this is a benefit.
It is strong, as in under normal circumstances, you will never see it break or fail, and as you can see in the video, under abnormal and quite abusive circumstances you will rarely if ever have an issue.
It is sharp and holds an edge well, the carbon steel holds a much better edge longer than the stainless steel. However, the carbon steel requires more cleaning and lubrication than the stainless steel blade version does. However, the stainless version does not work as a fire striker like the carbon version does.
It is easy to clean and easier to sharpen properly, there is no exact science approach if you have a decent sharpening set the bevel of a Mora styled knife allows for a VERY easy experience in sharpening and maintaining that sharpness.
These knives cost less than a fast-food burger in many places, currently, on Amazon, you can have a brand new one shipped to your door for less than $13 – find any other single knife that will do what this one can and do it for this price.

What are the cons?

It’s small and lightweight – it is NOT a fighting knife or a pig sticker or even really meant for clearing brush though you can do so if needed.
It’s not a specialty name and your friends who own the newest blade from Benchmade (I love Benchmade knives) or a custom Skelton knife (again I really like these blades) will look at you differently for carrying it. (this is actually not true, especially if they understand and know knives, but I thought it would be fun to throw in there.)
The controversial Pathfinder school supports this brand and regularly does commercials and more for Morakniv Companion, so there is that as well. (If it matters to you, that and they are made in Sweden, NOT in the United States, and we all know if it isn’t made here it can’t be any good.)

Please comment below and share the article with others. Let’s remember information is knowledge is power and one can never have too much good knowledge. Also please feel free to comment and let me know how I am doing, what you would like to see more reviews of and remember, I generally buy these products myself and write based on my experiences so that you can benefit from them.

“In bush crafting and camping, then, let your great object be victory and living well, not lengthy and sometimes fruitless attempts.” Sun Tzu for the Bushcrafter

Free the mind and the body will follow…

Best Folding Knives For Self-Defense

September 5, 2018 Jesse Mathewson

Using a knife for self-defense is difficult at best and deadly to the wielder in the worse case.

Training is essential, and not your friendly TKO/Americanized karate instructor either. I firmly recommend if you decide to carry a knife for self-defense get training from someone who has experience using one.

Personally, the recommendation for bladed defense will always be the same until something truly better is invented.

Escrima, Arnis or Kali are hands down the best knife fighting practices available at this time. Each of these approaches has variations that exist. The basic approaches embraced within these arts are taught to most major armed forces and embraced by tens of thousands of advanced martial artists around the world.

When discussing self-defense it is essential to understand that there is only offense and counter offense, I am not sure where I heard that once but it is true! For legal purposes, there is self-defense against initiated aggression by others. This is, however, a legal term the reality is we are offensively countering an offense against us.

Over the years I have sustained many cuts and even punctures in practice and in actual incidents. Obviously, I suggest avoidance is the primary goal, however, because there will be a time when avoidance is not possible there is a need to train and understand your blades.

A dull or poorly manufactured blade is far more dangerous to the holder than it is to the attacker. A properly sharpened blade regardless of length makes a great slashing implement, however, the real damage is done by puncturing a target in places that bleed allot.

Remember, just like with firearms it is rapid and substantial blood loss or exsanguination that stops a threat fastest. Your other option is breaking support structures of the body, and knives simply are not designed to break bones.

Next, you need to understand the 21-foot rule, this is a simple concept taught to every single modern police officer in the United States and most first world nations around the world. Without solid training using a firearm, knife, taser or pepper spray could put you in more danger than simply fleeing if you have the ability to do so.

As a fully disabled individual who cannot run and can barely walk on the best days, I train regularly to be able to quickly counter any threats presented.

One of the things I train with and understand completely is the 21-foot rule. This means that the average assailant regardless of physical condition can cross 21 feet within 1.5 seconds. I have tested this personally with dozens of people in classes. 1.5 seconds is not enough time for most individuals to understand an attack is occurring and prevent it by drawing and engaging with handgun, knife, taser or pepper spray.

Situational awareness is absolutely essential in every location regardless of your belief that you may or may not be safe. Know your surroundings, at the very least be ready to get off the X by moving one step minimum to the side or even forward if in a wheelchair.

Folding knives regardless design will never be as strong as a well-made sheath or belt knife. This said there are a few folding knives I can recommend highly for defensive purposes. What follows are my recommendations based on use, testing, and overall effectiveness. Cost is not taken into account, neither is the brand name.

Whether you disagree or agree, what is recommended has been tested to the breaking point by myself and those I surround myself with. I will be listing them based on the overall effectiveness in no particular order, it is important to understand that each is mass-produced which means it is possible to get one that is not up to par.

Used properly all of the recommended knives work well by themselves or with others depending on training. As I cannot give you the best folding knife for defensive purposes I am going to list a few of my favorites and daily carry blades.

First, we have my personal favorite folding knives for personal carry. Spyderco ParaMilitary 2 (click here to check the current prices at Amazon.com) is in my estimation one of the finest folding blades on the market today. This blade offers an easy to use locking system that has stood up to some of the toughest tests I have thrown at it. The blade is made of CPM S30V steel, a relatively newer crucible steel.

There are other steels that can be better or worse, this is for defensive purposes a solid steel and holds its edge well while being relatively corrosion resistant. The Spyderco PM 2 has a 3.4-inch blade with a nice sharp point that is very resilient and has worked great over the years. I have owned 3 to date and never lost a tip, of course, I do not pry with my defensive tools.

Next is the Spyderco Endura 4 (click here to check current prices at Amazon.com) is hands down my wife’s favorite folding blade to carry. It is lightweight and extremely durable with a solid lockup. The blade is made of the fantastic VG10 steel which holds a brilliant edge and resists corrosion well.

Unlike the CPM S30V steel, it is easier to put a mirror edge on this blade, both can be made very sharp, the Endura is able to cut paper by dropping the paper across the edge versus slicing. With both of these Spyderco blades are amazing, however, they both cost quite a bit so if you are on a budget and still want Spyderco goodness, go with the Spyderco Byrd Cara Cara.

This blade is made from 8Cr13MoV steel, similar to 440c steel in its tolerances and ability to hold an edge decently this blade is extremely strong the knife as a whole is very strong and would work very well as a defensive tool. The Endura 4 has a 3.75-inch blade with a very solid point that again with normal use has never failed.

My wife owns one and I own one as well. The Cara Cara has an almost identical blade pattern and shape. Additionally, the Cara Cara runs around $23 shipped from numerous locations which is a significant savings though the steel is not as good as the others.

Karambits are favorites of mine for fighting, defensive purposes. Fox 478 and Fox 479 are amazing blades with the Emerson wave featured for quick drawing and application. I firmly recommend training with a solid instructor in the use of a karambit.

The blades are curved to promote greater slashing effectiveness, made with N690 Stainless Steel they are 3” in length and more difficult to sharpen than a straight blade. You can easily stab and slash with these blades which is why I carry one as much as possible in my support hand side.

I will say that the tips are NOT extremely strong, the steel lends itself to being very corrosion resistant, but not as strong as the Spyderco blades above. I own two and one of them is missing the last millimeter or two of the tip due to a training incident. These blades cost around $130 shipped.

Benchmade is my next favorite blade maker for defensive tools. The Black Class by Benchmade houses some of my all time favorites. I own and carry the Benchmade CqC7 and the Benchmade Griptilian and the Mini Grip all of these are extremely well made, strong and come in a couple different steels.

The best steel from Benchmade is the 154CM version, this is a very tough, edge retaining steel that works well regardless of situation and conditions. I have had some rusting over time, however, to be fair my oldest blade is from 1993 and still rides in a pocket much of the time so some degradation is fully expected.

The blades are between 3 and 4 inches in length and come with sheepsfoot, tanto and drop point profiles. I prefer a tanto or drop point profile on these blades. Benchmade knives commonly run between $120 and $250 for their better ones in 154Cm steel.

Lastly, a personal favorite of mine is the Kershaw Grid (click here to check current price and availability at Amazon.com) which is a lower cost very solidly built blade. I recently had this on me for a trip and some whitewater fun. It weathered the rapids run well and even stayed in my pocket during an interesting capsizing event. The blade is 3.7” long and has an assisted opening system which lends itself to faster deployment as needed.

It is built using 8Cr13MoV steel and aluminum handle for durability. While the steel is not as good as the super steels mentioned above, it is very sharp and when used for dinner through cutting twine it functioned well.

I will say that this steel is more prone to chipping and rolling, that said, all lower end steels are a trade-off for what you get versus what you want. I can and do trust my life to this blade and firmly recommend it. The cost is around $25 shipped from numerous locations.

There are my top picks for defensively orientated folding blades. If you have any questions or additions please comment below! Remember, a sharp knife is a safe knife. Learn to sharpen your blade or cheat and get a mechanical sharpener, but be careful these are not always better than hands-on sharpening with a good set of water stones.

Free the mind and the body will follow…

Kephart by Condor Knife and Tool Review

May 21, 2018 Jesse Mathewson

Legally I have to write a disclosure here, I purchased the Condor Kephart and did not receive anything in exchange for the following review.

It should be common knowledge by now, I have a serious steel addiction. My dad has built knives for most of my life, I also built a few and own several dozen at any given moment. When it comes to useful tools I am a firm believer in having a good knife around always! The Kephart by Condor Knife & Tool is one of my personal favorites when it comes to daily use. Originally it was designed by Horace Kephart author of Camping and Woodcraft one of the amazing books I own in print (and will be reviewing for you all soon).

It was during his time spent in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina that he wrote Camping and Woodcraft and designed the Kephart blade. Around 3 years ago I read an article on this particular blade type and being an avid collector and user of good steel, decided to do some searching for one. Now it should be noted that I firmly believe in the value of a good blade, specifically the Morakniv line of knives. However, I am always looking for other blades that may fit different or similar roles and the Kephart is a blade that can do that!

Horace Kephart wrote. “A camper has use for a common-sense sheath-knife, sometimes for dressing big game, but oftener for such homely work as cutting sticks, slicing bacon, and frying “spuds.” On this I agree, it is rare that we will do more than the basic tasks with a knife and in fact, we are far more likely to engage in basic camp tasks for which this blade type is exquisitely designed. Horace goes on to say, “For such purposes, a rather thin, broad pointed blade is required, and it need not be over four or five inches long. Nothing is gained by a longer blade, and it would be in one’s way every time he sat down.”¹ I agree firmly with this as well, for general daily tasks a knife is better when it is thinner and not more than 5” in length. As with all blades, this is a purpose built knife. It is not built to be a military blade or fighting knife. The Condor Knife & Tool did an amazing job with their version!

Here are the specifications for the Condor Kephart blade,

1075 flat ground spear point carbon steel blade
a total length of 9 inches with a blade sitting at 4.5 inches this allows for a large handle
full tang and 1/8th inch wide it is 1 inch deep allowing for solid skinning ability
mine came with a hardwood grip and the typical well made leather sheath that Condor Knife & Tool supplies with their camp knives!
As with most Condor knives, it has a blued blade which helps prevent rust (though you should clean and oil it after use)

As with all Condor Knife & Tool blades I own it needs a little sharpening but is sharp (just not my preferred shaving sharp) from the factory. It has a good temper and retains an edge with general use. I enjoy the leather sheaths because I can use them to strop the blade lengthening the time between sharpening.

Testing included basic kitchen tasks and camp tasks as well as some more advanced approaches such as batoning for those who believe a knife should fill the role of camp ax. While I prefer to have a true camp ax or hatchet available, I appreciate the desire to consolidate tools and can easily do this with logs up through 3” in diameter. It easily split cured Mesquite which as the 4^th or 5^th hardest wood in the United States and will quickly show the weakness of a blade or tool. It excelled at slicing and dicing as well as skinning tasks while maintaining a working edge through much of the work. I will say that for some tasks I definitely prefer my Morakniv and the mora grind, it is finer and easier to use for in close fillet work and kitchen tasks. This being said, I was still able to use the Condor Kephart quite well for all of the above. I would put its strength and durability as on par with the Morakniv Craftline HD or Companion HD or Morakniv Kansbol or the Morakniv Bushcraft knives (all of which I own and LOVE).

This knife is a definite addition as a style and from Condor Knife and Tool as well! Highly recommended two thumbs up and definitely 4 stars! As I said in my Amazon review the only reason I gave it 4 stars over 5 is that it needed a better edge from the factory. This is a simple easily fixed item and per laws, in many countries and states, they cannot ship sharp blades anyhow! What we get in Arizona may be completely different than what you can get in New York or New Jersey. If you are looking for a solid camping blade this one does the trick!

Free the mind and the body will follow