David Higginbotham
Spartan Blade’s Modern Take on an American Classic Spartan Blades has a reputation for making fighting knives. The Spartan-Harsey Nessmuk draws on some of those traditions, but also pays homage to old Nessmuk himself, the 19th century outdoor icon who changed the way a generation of Americans who idolized the Bowie by introducing them to …
This Budget Folder Features a Big Comfortable Handle and a Blade That is All About Finger Placement. The harpoon is rapidly becoming a go-to shape for knife designers, and for good reason. The concavity ground into the spine is an often-graceful addition that adds versatility to the blade. And Artisan Cutlery specializes in functional knives …
The FC-PKO Survival Knife is Smaller, Lighter and One Helluva Fire Starter. White River Knife and Tool makes purpose built blades for hunting, fishing, and survival. They don’t make folders and they don’t make overtly tactical knives, but their outdoor blades have, for more than a decade now, been winning fans in the field. Their …
A Purpose Driven Pocket Knife That is Rugged Enough for the Woods and Refined Enough for the Board Room. Rarely have I found a folder that feels as good in the hand as the Labrador. Vosteed has a track record of building solid working knives with a refined aesthetic, and the Labrador holds true to …
A Razor-Inspired Fixed Blade Knife That Pays Homage to an Innovator There are not many fixed-blade razors. We’ll get into why that is in a bit. But the CRKT Razel comes really close. While this isn’t a knife I’d want to shave with, it is a razor-inspired fixed blade that holds really close to the …
Kershaw’s American Made OTF is Built with the Same Utilitarian Functionality That made this Brand a Staple in the Industry. My thumb is tired. Thankfully, I type mostly with my fingers, which will make this review of the Kershaw Livewire a bit easier. I’ve been walking around the house now, for days, snapping the blade …
This Demko Designed Gentleman’s Folder is as Much Fun to Play with as It is to Look at. Ocaso Knives is a new company. Ric Valdez began the company just last year after a long tenure with Cold Steel. And the difference between Cold Steel and Ocaso can’t be exaggerated. Ocaso is dedicated to a …
An Innovative Folding Machete That is Big on Fun, but It is Not a Giant Butterfly Knife. At SHOT Show in 2020, when I got my first look at what would be the Gerber Doubledown, I was a bit giddy. This was, I thought, a 15 inch butterfly knife. Someone had finally seen the potential …
Any discussion of the Ek Commando knives has to begin with a long line of stiletto inspired knives. Like the Fairbairn-Sykes, the Marine Raider knives, and the V42, the Ek Commando was double-edged and built for stabbing. These knives were designed for special operations units that, optimally, worked with the element of surprise and the …
A Well Designed Pocket Bowie That May Be Civivi’s Next Classic EDC. Some folder designs seem built around a rather desperate premise: the company needs something new. Others, like this build from Civivi, strike me as instant classics–designs that will likely define a long line of successors. There’s nothing half-baked or desperate about Civivi’s Sinisys. …
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. You can learn more about our editorial and affiliate policy here.