Knives Illustrated September/October 2023

For me, hunting and knives are inseparable. Over the years, I’m sure I’ve spent more time in the woods during the fall hunting seasons than any other time of the year. The temperatures are pleasantly cooler, and there are fewer insects to bug me. The woods are more open with the leaves off the trees, and the majority of tourists have gone back to their jobs in the cities. I have an added purpose for being there, too, because ostensibly I’m on a mission to find deer. While I need a knife in my day-to-day existence for such things as opening packages, food prep, and other miscellaneous chores, I find having knives seems to be of more critical importance during my time spent in the woods. No, I’m not like…

1. Outdoor Element Contour Feather Knife When I hit the woods, whether for a day hike or a longer trip, my minimum safety gear consists of a signaling device, a way to make fire, and a cutting tool. Generally this means a whistle, a ferro rod, and a knife. Multifunction gear can combine these three features, but sometimes with mixed results as to durability or functionality. Luckily the folks at Outdoor Element know what they’re doing and got it right with their Feather Knife. The Feather Knife is a neck-knife-sized package with a 2-inch VG-10 blade, a 115dB whistle integrated into the handle, and a hex-shaped ferro rod on the secure-lock sheath. There’s also a ceramic knife sharpener on the sheath to keep your edge tuned. < SPECS: Outdoor Element…

“DAN DOES CUSTOM AND SEMI-CUSTOM KNIVES AS WELL AS OCCASIONALLY WORKING WITH OTHER COMPANIES TO PRODUCE WHAT IS CALLED A MID-TECH RUN.” There’s something about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that attracts knifemakers. Honestly, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find many other areas of the country that have as many well-established knifemakers per capita. It is here where you’ll find shops like Bark River Knives, Vehement Knives, and Ghostown Custom Knives. Dan Tope is another one of those U.P. makers. His shop, D. Tope Knives, is in Rapid River, Michigan, a small unincorporated community at the northern end of Little Bay de Noc. Over the last six or seven years, he’s been making quite a name for himself as a standout in the knife world. HOW HE GOT HERE “I was…

When you think of the Czech Republic (or its shorter name, Czechia, as of 2016), you may think of beer, or maybe bohemian glass—if you know much about the small European country at all. It may not be as well-known to us across the pond as its larger neighbors, Germany and Poland, but fans of some of the guns coming out of there from CZ or ˇCeská Zbrojovka may be familiar with high-quality Czech craftsmanship and design. If you already trust Czech craftsmanship, you will be happy to know that a newer knife company on the block, ANV Knives, is putting out some svelte, tactically inspired knives made with high-end materials. When I learned of the company, I just had to “Czech” it out—and got my hands on the A100…

When is a knife a better defensive weapon than a gun? Generally speaking, NEVER. However, outside of a gunfight, a knife is no slouch. As long as human flesh can be cut, knives will remain viable weapons. (NOBODY wants to get stabbed.) Because knives are easy to carry and conceal, you can have one on you and available for emergencies in circumstances where you might not have a gun. Family owned and operated Templar Knife in Waxahachie, Texas, has created what I believe to be the ideal, high-concealment, quick-deploying, defensive knife as part of its new Excalibur line. OTF AUTO Templar’s Excalibur knives are all automatic opening, featuring an out-the-front (OTF) blade deployment mechanism and the company’s patented screwless construction that is the first of its kind. This is not…

Sometimes we tend to think of hunting knives as specialized tools designed to do one thing well: field-dress game animals. While they should perform that task well, they must be able to handle other jobs too, especially when you’re traveling light in the backcountry and you’re limited to carrying just one knife. In this special section, we’ve highlighted a select few fixed-blade models that we think fill that role very well.…