The Loadout Room
Professional Gear Reviews
TOPS’ latest release brings Grandpa’s Ax to life. The full-tang belt ax is named after its designer, TOPS President Leo Espinoza’s father. Tool making is often passed down from father to son, not usually the other way around. But, in this case, TOPS President Leo Espinoza’s father caught the design bug from his son. The 11-inch Grandpa’s […]
Courtesy of Breach Bang Clear Monday Night Knife Fights: Ruben’s Blades Tom Marshall This week we’re looking at a one-off “tactical stiletto” hand built by Chad Ruben of Ruben’s Blades. The blade you see here was custom built for the author as a proof of concept for a knife that could retain some of the […]
The Mora knife is a kind of sheath knife that has a small size and a fixed blade. It is often attached to the belt for easy access. Because the Mora knives are often made of very tough components, it’s powerful regardless of the size. The knife can fulfill most tasks, from preparing food or […]
The CRKT Pilar, designed by Danish knifemaker Jesper Voxnaes, offers high-end design and quality at an astonishingly low price. Perfectly sized for everyday carry virtually anywhere, the compact Pilar has been a huge hit for CRKT who have been working hard to keep up with the demand. The 2.4-inch blade is comfortable to use thanks to a generous forward […]
By Chad McBroom People are constantly asking me for recommendations concerning defensive blades for every day carry. This is always a difficult question for me because it’s more complex than just recommending a particular knife. It’s actually more akin to answering the question, “What car should I buy?” Well, that depends. Are you a construction worker in need […]
Olamic Tactical’s motto is “never the same,” and that perfectly encapsulates their custom approach to production knife making. The overall design of every Wayfarer 247 knife that leaves their California shop is the same. But each has seen hand-finishing, and many arrive with their own touches like sculpted backspacers, finishes, and artful handle sculpting. “All the handwork allows […]
The Lil’ Nilakka is based on Spyderco’s now discontinued Nilakka folder. Both the original and the Lil’ Nilakka are Pekka Tuominen’s interpretation of a traditional Puukko knife. They also share the same ambitious blade geometry. The blades are full-flat ground straight from the spine to the edge without a secondary edge bevel. Also known as ‘zero-ground,’ this keen and […]
Buck continues to grow its high-value made in the USA models with the introduction of the Rival series. According to the Post Falls, Idaho company, they are able to offer the knives at a low price by investing in a modern manufacturing process capable of producing a high volume of knives each day. The Rival series, […]
When TOPS Knives President Leo Espinoza was tasked with designing the ultimate chopping knife, El Chete sprung from his mind practically fully formed. “Leo knew as soon as he drew this thing up that people were going to love it,” TOPS Knives’ Craig Powell tells us. “As soon as they look at it, people just know that it’s going […]
Often straddling the line between collectible and user, each Chaparral model has roughly the same overall design: a 2.8 inch, sliver-thin leaf shaped blade made from high-performance CTS-XHP steel, a 50/50 finger choil, a deep carry wire clip, a crisply-machined backlock, and a slender profile. Spyderco uses this gentlemanly EDC folder as a blank canvas to test […]
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