Pete Winkler's recent win on the History Channel's "Forged in Fire" just proved what some of us already knew: Winkler, owner of Cross Knives, produces some excellent blades. by Leon Pantenburg

Knivesshipfree is a Survivalcommonsense sponsor. I didn't receive any free knives, and make no promises on any equipment reviews other than that I will be fair. Many of the knives I review are for sale at a reduced price.

I was a visionary (I claim) when it came to Cross Knives. Long before "Forged in Fire" show featured Pete Winkler, I thought his knives looked really good. I ordered a Little Gent because it was such a pretty knife, and specs showed it was made of top quality components. (Here's Pete's win.) [caption id="attachment_22876" align="alignright" width="300"] The Cross Knives All Around Hunter is a well designed hunting knife.[/caption] When I opened the box, the workmanship proved to be impeccable. But the handle proved to be too short for my large hands, so I returned it. (Knives Ship Free allows return of products within 30 days of purchase, no questions asked.) I then ordered a Lil Whitetail Hunter and ran it through its paces. (Check out the review.) After various whittling, carving, bushcrafting, etc, the finale came when I went deer hunting in October. I didn't kill anything but time, but a youngster I was hunting with got his first buck. [caption id="attachment_22601" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Cross Knives Lil Whitetail worked well for field dressing this mule deer buck.[/caption] I used the Whitetail on the mule deer very effectively, using it to gut the buck, split the ribcage and for some of the skinning. The knife performed flawlessly. Most people would have been happy to let it go at that. But the Whitetail would be a better hunting knife, IMHO, if it had a little longer blade than the four-inch version that comes with it. Nit-picky, ticky and probably obsessive-compulsive. I know. But that's how I am when it comes to hunting gear that might be needed for survival tasks. My favorite blade length for a hunting knife is about five inches, and anything less leads to a nagging concern that I might be happier with a different knife... So when the All Around Hunter came out, I ordered one immediately. [caption id="attachment_22877" align="alignright" width="300"] The Lil Whitetail, top, and All Around Hunter show a strong family resemblance.[/caption] It arrived, in stabilized mesquite. When I opened the box, it was love at first sight. Here are the specs:

• Model Name: All Around Hunter
• Handle Material:
• Overall Length: 9.26 (235mm)
• Blade Length: 4.53 (115mm)
• Blade Thickness: 0.15 (3.59mm)
• Weight: 7.9oz.
• Blade Steel: A2 Tool Steel
• Made in USA

The good stuff: Appearance: Don't buy a knife because it's pretty. Buy it because it will work well for you. The Hunter has the best of both worlds. The stabilized mesquite handle with the custom pins is drop-dead gorgeous. It's the kind of knife you'll be proud to carry. In fact, some people might decide it's too pretty to use hard, and decide to keep it at home in the safe. Not me. And don't you be one of those people. [caption id="attachment_22879" align="alignright" width="194"] The All Around handle works well for my large hands.[/caption] Handle: At 4.73 inches, the handle fits my large hand very well. It is well designed, and the stabilized wood proves to be almost tacky when it gets covered with blood or other slippery fluids. I could use the similar-sized Whitetail handle with complete safety, even though I had to reach inside the buck's abdominal cavity, through the blood, to cut the esophagus during field dressing. Steel: A2 and CPM 3V are my favorite knife steels, and frankly, I can't tell much difference in edge-holding ability. CPM 3V is less likely to stain, but that doesn't bother me one way or the other. A2 appears to be a little easier to re-sharpen in the field, but again, neither steel will probably need it. All things considered, I generally give the nod to A2, just because of the lower initial cost. Point: A drop point with a thin tip is a superior point configuration for a hunting knife. It allows the initial piercing of the carcass to get the field dressing started, and the lower point keeps it from hitting the entrails when making the cut that opens up the abdominal cavity. For skinning around the shoulders and neck, this configuration is hard to beat. Blade length: A four-to-five inch blade is about perfect for my hunting needs. Like anything, this is subject to individual preferences. (Does blade size matter?) This 4.53-inch blade will do just fine. Spine: I like a 90-degree spine. That allows you to scrape a ferrocerium rod to make firemaking sparks or to shred tinder. Save the sharp edge for other tasks. Sheath: The knife comes with a sturdy leather sheath that is also handmade. Like the knife, it is good-looking. Based on my experience with the Lil Whitetail, I have nothing but high expectations for the All Around Hunter. My big game season was a bust this fall. I didn't draw an elk tag, and because of various tasks associated with selling my house, I only got to hunt for deer on opening day. My usual hunting party had to get along without me this year. But Oregon has a spring bear hunt, and I have a tag. There is also the potential for turkey hunting. I'll be using the All Around Hunter. and I'll let you know how the knife ends up working out. Please click here to check out and subscribe to the SurvivalCommonSense.com YouTube channel, and here to subscribe to our weekly email update - thanks!

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My dad brought home a Hitler Youth knife from World War II and it became a hunting tool

Some knife designs are classic because they work so well. My father discovered this in 1944 as a World War II infantryman. He acquired a Hitler Youth knife, which became his go-to hunting/utility knife.
by Leon Pantenburg
] My dad was an infantry captain with Patton's Third Army on its push toward Berlin.[/caption]
When I was growing up on an Iowa farm in the 1960s, the Hitler Youth Knife, a Nazi SS dagger, bayonets and Japanese Samurai swords hung in the garage, in no particular place of honor. Dad used the German knife whenever he needed a sharp blade for something on the farm.
And it was sharp. It was the first knife I ever saw that could shave hair. It was Dad's utility knife, and I remember him using it to cut pieces out of a tire to repair the elevator on the corn picker. It was also his hunting knife. Dad used the German knife on his first Iowa deer hunts after the war in the late 1940s. The year I was born, 1952, Dad used the blade to gut a nice doe he killed.
Today, the blade shows wear, and that came from Dad and probably the former owner.
I never learned much about Dad's service first hand because he didn't tell war stories. An Infantry captain in Patton's Third Army, Dad's dress uniform had three rows of ribbons and a Combat Infantryman badge, and he served in the European and Pacific theaters of the war. Dad's service records show he was detached from the 97th Infantry Division and got to Europe shortly after D Day.
Upon my pestering about the German knife, Dad mentioned that many of the guys in his outfit carried Hitler Youth knives as utility tools.
In one of his letters home, Dad mentioned to his sister, Edna, that he captured eight Germans "all by myself." At the time the Germans were desperate to be captured by the Americans, rather than the Russians heading east. It was common for large groups to surrender to the first Americans they came across.
"We'd get a bunch of prisoners rounded up and tell them to drop all their weapons. There were so many, we destroyed most of them," he mentioned once. "Everybody who wanted one had a German knife or dagger. We just used them for whatever we needed. Didn't think much about it."
Nazis congregate in Nuremburg, Germany, on Sept. 10, 1938. (AP Photo)
The Hitler Youth, according to various sources, came about as an extension of Adolf Hitler's belief that Germany's future was its children. The organization was seen as being as important to a child as school was. Hitler made no bones about his expectations for the children:
"The weak must be chiseled away," Hitler said. " I want young men and women who can suffer pain. A young German must be as swift as a greyhound, as tough as leather, and as hard as Krupp's steel."
The Hitler Youth organization was created in the 1920s. By 1936, the organization had more than 4 million members, according to the History Learning Site. In 1936, it became all but compulsory to join.
The Hitler Youth wore knives as part of their uniform. Up until early 1937, the motto Blut und Ehre! (Blood and Honor!) was etched on blades, but later knives were produced with plain blades. A variety of companies produced Hitler Youth Knives, but almost all of the them appear to have been made in the city of Solingen, Germany.
Here are the specs for a Hitler Youth knife:

• Handle: 4-1/2 inches, Nichol plated
• Blade: 6 inches, made of 440 stainless steel (Thickness is slightly less than that of a Cold Steel Master Hunter.)
• Weight: I don't have a scale to weigh it on, but the knife appears to be about the same weight as a CS Master Hunter.
• Length: 10-1/2 inches overall

Today, there is thriving market for Hitler Youth Knives, both originals and reproductions.
As a survival/utility knife, I'd rank a Hitler Youth knife as an excellent design. But I don't know what kind of blade steel in some of these replicas, and can't recommend any brand. I wouldn't buy an original to use as bushcraft or hunting knife, since there are many other modern, excellent choices available.
Today, all Dad's WWII items reside in my gun safe. They will go to my descendants, after my term as curator is over.
I take all these items out regularly, to maintain them and make sure no rust develops. Sometimes, while handling these symbols of tyranny and evil, I recall a phrase from a book.
It goes something like: "They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks..."
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Get a useful, historic survival knife|The mountain man's Russell Green River

Looking for some inexpensive, quality meat processing knives? A standard of the western fur trade was a do-all utility knife manufactured by J. Russell & Co. and sometimes referred to as a "Green River". Here's a look at the Russell knife patterns, and how they shape up today.
by Leon Pantenburg
Three of us were on a backpacking trip to the Tetons when we came across a Mountain Man gathering south of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A rendezvous in the tradition of the 1830s trading fairs was being held. There were a lot of venders there, offering authentic goods, and I bought a replica Russell Green River knife.
[caption id="attachment_17775" align="alignright" width="300"] These modern Russell knives are of the same design as the mountain men used in the 1830s. The high carbon steel blades and wooden handles are very similar to the originals.[/caption]
A Green River doesn't appear impressive. In fact, the knives look like they'd be more at home in the discount section of WalMart than in the Rockies. The high carbon steel blades have beechwood handles and a remarkable ability to hold their edge. They remind me of the Old Hickory line of knives, another excellent, inexpensive cutlery line.
At the time, I was working on completing my mountain man getup. I already had a .50 Lyman Great Plains rifle, which is a look-alike to the famed Hawkin, and had made a powder horn and shot bag. My pants and shirt from my Civil War reenactment uniform crossed over nicely, as did my slouch hat. The Russell finished off the ensemble.
This outfit worked very well for hunting in Mississippi, and for several years the Great Plains was my number one deer rifle. The Russell was used several times for field dressing deer, and the subsequent meat cutting chores.
When I moved to Virginia, the Russell shifted scenes and became part of my eastern longhunter outfit. It complimented my .40 caliber flintlock rifle and mid-1700s clothing nicely and dressed out a lot of squirrels.
[caption id="attachment_17777" align="alignleft" width="210"] I bought this Russell Green River replica at a mountain man rendezvous near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It has been used extensively for a variety of camp and hunting tasks, and the old design works very well.[/caption]
The mountain men used the name "Green River" as a standard of quality for anything traded. Anything done "Up to Green River" signified first rate merchandise.
Green River knives were made in Greenfield, Massachusetts by J. Russell & Co. The factory was started in 1832-34 to make butcher and kitchen knives. Close to 60,000 Russell Green River knives per year were shipped to the West for several years. Among the most popular is the Green River Scalper, Skinner and variations used by the American mountain man then.
However, the J.Russell & Co. did not start stamping their products with "Green River Works" until some time in 1837. It is unlikely any were even available to be shipped to rendezvous until 1838 or later. The Green River Knife was a favorite of the emigrant, gold seeker, buffalo hunter, miner, Indian, and settler.
These models are available today, but are now manufactured in Solingen, Germany, the traditional styles of the Russell Green River Works knives continue to deliver the highest quality knives at reasonable prices.
I bought several Russells for meat processing when I moved to Idaho in 1990. With no thought to nostalgia, and certainly no idea of ever reviewing them, I looked for inexpensive tools with proven designs. I wanted to buy several of each pattern to avoid re-sharpening cutlery while meat cutting. And, a variety knives meant a newcomer could get some hands-on experience.
[caption id="attachment_17779" align="alignright" width="300"] I bought a dozen six-inch beef skinners at a butcher knife sale. They were distributed to my hunting buddies, and used extensively.[/caption]
My best score happened when I stopped into a butcher supply store, and found all the wooden handled knives on sale. Russell six-inch butcher knives were going for $2 each so I bought a dozen. I also bought a couple of Sheep skinner patterns with five-inch blades. I re-ground the tips to make drop points. The Russells were used heavily during hunting seasons.
The Sheep Skinner ended up becoming a favorite of mine, and one rode in my pack when backcountry big game hunting.
The standard procedure at the end of a successful hunt was to meet at my garage, skin and quarter the carcasses, then cut and wrap the meat. We could do all the work with the Russells.
Russell knives are remarkable in their usefulness, and you can still get them today for under $20 each. If you're looking for some useful meat processing knives with a historical background, a Russell is a good deal.
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Check out this Mora on steroids - we review the Bark River Liten Bror

It's a beefed up, Scandinavian style knife. If you like Mora-style knives, you'll probably love the Bark River Liten Bror. by Leon Pantenburg
 Disclaimer: KnivesShipFree.com is a SurvivalCommonSense.com sponsor. I was not paid to do this review. 
  In the past decade or so, my bushcraft and utility knife needs have pretty much been taken care of by a standard trio. I carry a Swiss Army Classic everywhere, usually include a Mora to handle utility duties, and then include a specialty knife for hunting and/or fishing.  

The Bark River Liten Bror, top, is a Scandinavian-design bushcraft knife. It is similar to my long-used, sometimes abused Mora 860.

Mora is a brand. With a Mora, you can get a quality fixed blade, comfortable handle and reasonable price, all in the same package. Generally speaking, I define a Mora-style as a knife with a rigid, three-to-four-inch blade, a Scandinavian grind and overall length of about eight inches. The handle typically doesn’t have a guard, and the knife is intended to be an all-purpose, general-use cutting tool. The Mora I carry most often, a model 860, cost $15 about 10 years ago. My C.T. Fischer custom four-inch bushcraft knife goes for about $250. In both cases, I consider the money well-spent.

 So I was very interested when I saw the Bark River Liten Bror in the catalog. The name in Swedish means “Little” or “Small Brother,” and is a smaller version of Bark River’s Aurora Bushcraft Knife. (I recently field tested and reviewed the Aurora. Check it out!)

I own several Mora-style knives, and don't need another. But I was too weak to resist a high end, quality piece of cutlery in one of my favorite styles and designs. I got a Liten Bror with a blaze orange handle for high visibility. This knife, if it worked out, would have an active and much-used career.
 The Liten Bror specs:  
Overall Length: 8.125 Inches  
Blade Length: 3.775 Inches  
Blade Thickness: .156 Inch
Blade Steel: CPM3V @ 58rc Weight:  

The Aurora, top, is Bark River's premier bushcraft knife. For people wanting a smaller, but similar knife, the Liten Bror is a good choice.[/caption]
 Every Bark River I've evaluated comes out of the box shaving sharp. The Bror was no exception. Workmanship and finish were superb. I like: Made in the USA: Every Bark River knife is made in Escanaba, Michigan and the craftspeople's pride in their work is evident. Call the plant and you'll talk to a pleasant person with a Midwestern accent. Every Bark River knife comes with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. They mean it. The steel: The blade is made of Crucible's CPM3V Powdered Metal Steel. I evaluated this steel on a couple other Bark Rivers, and I like it very much. I've had to deliberately dull the blades to make them lose their sharpness and it was not hard to restore the edge. With the Liten Bror and the Aurora, I whittled a bunch of pitchwood into firemaking chips. Pitchwood is very hard and tacky, and it takes a knife edge off quickly. Another test I do is to whittle corrugated cardboard. The material is very abrasive, and cutting cardboard quickly dulls any knife. The CPM3V holds out very well. The grind: I like a Scandi grind, because it is easy for beginners - and experts - to sharpen. The Liten Bror has a "Convex Scandi" grind. A “Convex Scandi Grind” is a grind that is half way up the blade, according to Bark River, but the grind itself is convex. The convex grind allows the edge to be supported by nearly 400% more metal. This convex grind and the tough steel, Bark River claims, means the user can have a Scandi grind with a stout edge spine for serious edge retention. My findings are that this combination works very well. I don't baton wood to test a blade, but this blade would hold out very well is you needed to pound it through a chunk of firewood. [caption id="attachment_17969" align="alignright" width="300"] The Liten Bror fits my hand very well. This provides a very secure - and safe - grip for the user.[/caption] Handle: A handle that doesn't fit your hand is dangerous. It could twist when you're putting pressure on it, slip and cut you. Also, a too-small handle would force you to grip hard, and could contribute to fatigue in your hand and fingers. Finally, a poorly-designed handle will cause your hand to develop hot spots over prolonged use, which will lead to blisters. None of these things are acceptable is a knife that will be used a lot. The Liten Bror fits my glove-size large hand like it was made for it. The handle is just right - not too long or too short. I was able to use it for extended whittling sessions with no problems. Another consideration is how easy the knife handles when you're wearing gloves. In sub-zero temperatures, it's not a good idea to be removing gloves every time the knife is used. I wet the handle with vegetable oil to test how it would work when covered with blood, slimes, scales and other body fluids. While the handle was not as sure a grip as when dry, the good design prevents it from being really dangerous. Any slippery knife handle is dangerous to the user, so be aware. [caption id="attachment_17970" align="alignleft" width="210"] The Liten Bror, top, has a much thicker blade than the Mora 860.[/caption] Blade thickness opn the Bror is a good compromise for a potential do-it-all knife. My other Moras have thinner blades, which makes them better for slicing or cleaning fish. But that thickness makes the Liten Bror a better choice for an overall or hunting knife. The Liten Bror works fine for kitchen work and most camp duties. If you want a quality knife that will be used mostly for cooking and kitchen duties, take a look at the Bird and Trout knife. The top of the blade has two 90-degree angles on it, which means it would work well as a striker for a ferrocerium rod. I wouldn't use the blade for that unless it was an emergency, but it's nice to know that's an option. [caption id="attachment_17967" align="alignright" width="210"] The Liten Bror comes with a Sharpshooter leather sheath, which secures the knife very effectively.[/caption] Sheath: Any rigid blade knife must have a sturdy, safe sheath. The Liten Bror comes with a leather Sharpshooter Bushcraft B Sheath - Brown. I have a couple of those sheaths, and they work really, really well for safe and handy carry. I add a D-ring for easy carry. Other considerations: Cost: The Liten Bror goes for about $200.00. Initially, that might seem like a lot. You can find cheaper knives that might serve you just as well. But consider this: What is a no-questions, 100 percent guarantee worth to you? It means if you ever break or the knife fails, it will be replaced. I also call that credibility. Obviously, Bark River couldn't afford to make that offer if they have to replace very many knives. And consider this: The investment now in a quality product could bring dividends later. Decades from now my grandchildren could use and hopefully appreciate my quality knives. I like the Liten Bror very much. So much, in fact, it may replace my well-used Mora model 860. When something works really, really well, there is no point in replacing it. Unless, of course, you can upgrade it with something just like it, only better. The Liten Bror and I will be working together a lot in the next few months, and I'm guessing I will be very happy with it. Please click here to check out and subscribe to the SurvivalCommonSense.com YouTube channel, and here to subscribe to our weekly email update - thanks!

Here are five reasons to use a lanyard on your survival knife

Ever wonder what to do with that hole in the knife handle, or the split ring on your pocket knife? Combine these with a piece of cord to make your knife safer.
by Leon Pantenburg


Use paracord and the hole in the handle to make a knife safer and easy to keep track of.
I traveled much of the rapids in a life jacket. Our canoe and gear was rolling and sliding through Clarno Rapids on the John Day River and headed for the Columbia River.
My wife and I had managed to dump the canoe at the head of the rapids. We were both OK, and it was not a survival situation. But I re-learned a lesson: You keep whatever equipment is secured to you. You lose what isn't.
Among the survival tools that went into the drink was my Mora knife. It had been riding in the standard plastic sheath on my belt, which works fine until I was tumbled through whitewater.
Later, I got another Mora 860, drilled a hole at the end of the handle, and secured the knife to the sheath with a piece of paracord. Problem solved.
Today, many knives are coming with a hole in the handle. But I don't see a lot of people taking advantage of them. All you have to do is make a lanyard out of a piece of fluorescent, reflective paracord, and you immediately make your knife safer.
Here's five reasons why you should:
Secure against loss: The thought of a razor-sharp knife churning around loose in the whitewater near me encouraged thoughts of a solution. Since most Moras have a partial tang which ends midway through the handle, drilling a hole was simple. Then, tying the knife to the sheath was easy.
Safety when processing a large animal: While field dressing a large game animal, there comes a time when you'll reach inside the cavity to cut the esophagus so the intestines can be pulled out. This is a messy, bloody situation, which makes a knife handle slippery. You really don't want your hand to slip down the handle onto the blade.
 
This Bark River Aurora bushcraft knife will be easier to see with the fluorescent, reflective paracord attached to the handle.

Or suppose a lengthy fish-cleaning session is going on. As your knife dulls, the handle will probably get slippery from the slimes, scales, blood and guts. All it takes is an inattentive instant to hurt yourself.
A lanyard around your wrist or hand can prevent this.
Hand-to-hand combat: The rarest of all combat scenarios is where people square off with pointy, edged weapons to try and kill each other. (Another definition of "hand-to-hand" is "out of ammo.") Unless you believe the "Walking Dead" scenario is possible, this potential is not even on most people's radar.
But sabers and other sharp weapons have traditionally had some way to secure the weapon, so it doesn't get wrested away in battle. If a fighting knife is in your future, consider how you will hang on to it during a struggle.
Safety while using: If you're using the knife in deep snow, or where there is the potential for dropping it in water or mud, tie a longer cord to the lanyard. Then tie the cord to your belt or run it through a button hole. That could save losing your best survival tool.


The bright flagging attached to the handle lanyard can help you keep track of the machete in deep snow or jungle.

Greater visibility: Put your knife down while doing some task, and you may lose it. Or forget where you put it. The easy solution is to get a knife with a high visibility handle.
I usually tie a piece of fluorescent flagging to the handle of my machete when making igloos or snow shelters. The flagging will flutter with the wind and mark the machete location.
Using the hole in the handle certainly isn't rocket science. And running paracord through that hole to secure the knife is not a new idea. But if this prevents loss of your only survival tool, you'll be pleased you did it.
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10 things to think about before buying an expensive knife off the internet

Before you invest in an expensive knife from a company on the internet, check these things out.
by Leon Pantenburg
I didn't expect anything from the knife company, but was checking out the customer service, return policy, and just how hard it would be to return something. (You're welcome, oh loyal readers!)

I'm very pleased with my Bark River Aurora, a high end bushcraft knife.

I bought a Bark River Fox River model, and handled one for the first time upon opening the UPS box. Initially, I was wowed by the workmanship, steel quality and blade design. I carried the Fox River for a few months, intending to field dress a deer in the fall. But I didn't kill one, and never got a chance to use the knife for hunting. However, I whittled sticks, cut meat, did kitchen chores, and was 97 percent pleased with my purchase.
The dis-satisfaction was strictly personal. My wife could use the Fox River with complete comfort, but I have large hands, and the handle was a smidgen too short. And I didn't like the extended tang.
The warranty said "complete satisfaction" so I called the Bark River factory in Escanaba, Michigan. Desiree, a nice lady with a Midwestern accent, answered the phone. I explained the situation, said I wasn't completely satisfied and wondered if I could exchange or get a discount on another knife. Desiree transferred me to another line. I let it ring about eight times then hung up. Within minutes, Desiree called back and transferred me directly to Mike Stuart, company president.
I explained how I had used the knife hard, but didn't like how the handle fit. Mike asked about my knife needs, then offered to exchange straight across for an Aurora, Bark River's most popular Bushcraft knife with a longer handle.
Long story short, the Aurora arrived in the mail shortly after. I really like it.
Buying anything off the internet can become a nightmare. When you're purchasing something as personal and important as a bushcraft or survival knife, you can't afford to compromise. Before you invest, here are some suggestions:
Start with a ruler, a knife you know and a reputable cutlery company. Then think about this.

• What do you want? What possible tasks might the knife be used be for? A thin, flexible-bladed fish filleting knife is very different than a sturdy drop point hunter for gutting deer. Have a general idea of what will be required of the knife.

• Check the handle and blade in the catalog, then compare those measurements with a knife you can physically handle. Go to a sporting goods store and and look at a knife with similar measurements to the one you're considering. If a handle feels to0 short or long on one knife, it will probably feel the same on another. Likewise, this will be a chance to see if you like a particular blade length.

• Blade thickness: Again, check thickness measurements with a knife you know. My Cold Steel SRK is a superb survival knife, but its thick, sturdy blade makes it a not-so-good slicing knife. Forget about filleting fish with it. Conversely, I wouldn't want to depend on my fillet knife for bushcrafting.

• Check the design: I can appreciate the historical significance of a Bowie knife, but can't imagine any use I'd ever have for one. Unless you're adventurous with your knives and money, stick with something you're familiar with.

• Learn about steel: A beautiful Damascus steel blade may not hold an edge and could be worthless for butchering big game animals. Check out the different kinds of knife steel, and understand which will be best for your blade.
   
•  
• This Mora cleaned this limit of trout and was shaving sharp at the end of the job. The soft, non-slip handle was safe to use, even when covered with slime, scales and fish guts.

• Handle materials: Decide where you will be using the knife, and choose accordingly. If you're doing slippery, slimy fish cleaning or big game butchering, a soft, non-slip smooshy handle is a good idea. Whatever material you get, make sure the handle fits your hand.

• Color: I have many different colored knife handles. I prefer the gaudy, hunter orange color on hunting and bushcraft knives. You don't want to drop a black knife in the mud in the dark, a light handled knife in a snow drift or a camo-colored knife in the leaves. On the other hand, a rich dark walnut or curly maple handle looks just right with a traditional knife design. If visibility is a real concern, put some florescent duct tape on the handle.

• Sheath: If the knife is a rigid blade, it should have a sturdy well-designed sheath. Big folders are best carried in belt sheaths, so check that out, also.

• What is the best deal? You'll see abnormally low prices on items sometimes, and in the fine print, you'll see that the packaging, insurance, shipping, and handling cost are exorbitant. How much will you really end up spending? What is the real bottom line?

• What are the return policies? Again check the fine print. It could be the money-back guarantee is complicated and hard to take advantage of.

• What about a warranty? If you invest in a high-priced knife, you expect it to last. What is the company's definition of "life time warranty"? See "fine print" above.

The best way to buy a knife is to go to a store, handle it, talk with someone who knows about the product and make your decision based on previous research. But if that isn't possible, your next best bet is to find a reputable company or craftsman and work with them. A little time invested upfront can save all sorts of hassle later on.
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