Knife News

White River Introduces Premium Outdoor Cleaver

It’s less than three weeks ahead of the start of SHOT Show 2018 and White River Knife & Tool just announced its latest creation – the Camp Clever. The fixed blade capitalizes on the growing cleaver blade trend, assuming the role of all-purpose bushcraft utility tool.

The Camp Clever’s 5.5-inch S35VN blade features a dramatic, curving belly. It may look exotic, but the all-belly blade shape and reasonable size telegraph the Camp Clever’s position as a hard-working bushcraft knife. According to the company, the new 9.2 oz. knife will come in a heavy-duty leather sheath.

Its bushcrafting bent helps the Camp Clever stand out in the growing cleaver-style knife genre. Last year the cleaver format took off after some major brands developed the category. Eye-catching blades like the ESEE CL1 or TOPS’ El Chete may have paved the way. But according to White River’s Jim Shults, the Clever’s smaller size and premium features distinguish it from predecessors. “A sheath knife like this is not very common,” he explains. “The blade design and sweep angle, and especially steel and handle shape is newer.”

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StatGear Targets Knife Enthusiasts with the Ausus

StatGear is making a move into the wider knife community with its new Ausus folder. Originally intended to be a small batch Kickstarter project, sales were so strong that the knife will join the regular StatGear lineup.

“It has a very linear, retro-tactical look, without any extra grooves or flourishes,” StatGear Founder Avi Goldstein tells us. “I wanted it to look like a piece of modern art.”

StatGear’s latest product signals the company’s attempt to woo more sophisticated knife buyers. StatGear passed over G-10 handles for Micarta and, instead of AUS-8 or 440C, they outfitted the Ausus with D2 tool steel for improved edge retention. Users can carry the liner lock Ausus in an optional carbon fiber sheath or with a reversible deep carry pocket clip.

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TOPS Partners with Al Mar Knives

TOPS has partnered with Al Mar Knives for their latest release, a USA-made version of the Mini SERE Operator. The surprise announcement gives a classic Mar design new life and could lead to more TOPS models based on the legend’s designs.

The SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, & Escape) Operator family endures as some of the finest tactical knife options in the world. The simple, spare design belies their usefulness and TOPS wasn’t one to mess with what isn’t broken. For their iteration of the Mini SERE Operator, they retained the straight 4-inch drop point blade with swedge and ergonomic, slightly angled handle. Even smaller details like the hollow handle pins and lanyard hole location mirror the original.

“In terms of translating this model to our lineup, it was a simple process,” says the company’s Craig Powell. “Because we aren’t making any changes to the design, it was just a matter of making it with our own manufacturing process.” The Japan-produced Al Mar Knives iteration utilizes VG-10 steel, but TOPS chose 154CM for their take. Additionally, they opted for G-10 instead of Micarta for the scales. “The two designs for all intents and purposes are the same just with slightly different materials,” Powell says.

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Buck Unveils New for 2018 Knives

Buck has just unveiled most of their new for 2018 offerings. Products joining the catalog will include new 110 Folding Hunter line extensions, a vast array of Open Season series hunting knives, and new EDC options.

While this sizable reveal offers plenty for Buck fans to chew on ahead of SHOT Show next month, the company tells us there may still be more surprises to come.

110 Folding Hunter Line Extensions
Buck gave their most famous model plenty of attention in 2017 with the 101 fixed blade variant and the Dealers’ Choice Award-winning 110 Auto. But when it comes to offering more 110 Folding Hunter choices, it looks like they were just getting warmed up. Three new variations will join the Folding Hunter fleet in 2018.

The new 110 Folding Hunter LT should impress anybody who found the original 110’s 7.2 oz. too much to carry. Carrying the same classic lines and Bos heat treat 420HC steel but in a lightweight injection-molded chassis, the LT tips the scales at a stunning 2.1 oz.- a weight reduction of over 300%. It also keeps the price down with an MSRP under $40.

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BREAKING: Spyderco Releases 2018 Product Guide

Spyderco has just released its 2018 Product Guide. The Golden, CO manufacturer delivered a 184 page catalog that contains 11 never before seen knives poised to arrive in 2018.

The new lineup shows more restraint than last year’s major overhaul, but changes and additions are on point. A dozen new Sprint Run models will showcase a rare Japanese steel and revive favorite designs from the Spyderco history books. The company also added to its stable of innovative locking mechanisms, pairing the new Stop Lock with another unconventional Paul Alexander design.

Parata
Designer Paul Alexander sees his third Spyderco collaboration in as many years. 2016 and ’17 witnessed the debut of his Ouroboros and Sliverax designs, and in 2018 the quirky Parata is en route. It also marks the debut of Spyderco’s patented Stop Lock in a production knife. Long-rumored in the forums, the Stop Lock rides on the spine of the knife like a Compression Lock, but works by pushing a spring-loaded toggle forward or back. The ambidextrous Stop Lock mechanism doubles as the stop pin, reducing the stress-bearing parts count of the knife.

Lil’ Native Back Lock
Last month the Compression Lock Lil’ Native became the latest addition to Spyderco’s USA-made lineup. Now we know it will be joined by a traditional back lock variant. In addition to the mechanism switch-up, the Back Lock Lil’ Native swaps the deep carry wire clip for a four-way positionable spoon clip.

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Jesse Jarosz Deploys New Flare Flipper Knife

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Jesse Jarosz is bringing out the Flare, his first flipper design in years. The new knife departs from Jarosz’s previous work in many ways and is poised to become a permanent addition to his catalog.

Sporting a streamlined profile and a narrow 3.375-inch AEB-L blade, the Flare is a far cry from the hard-use tools that are Jarosz’s stock and trade. “It’s not the super heavy-duty stuff I normally do. I wanted to make something lighter for EDC,” he tells us.

With a reliance on kinetics and fidget factor, flippers suffer more from the dirt and grime of hard cutting. The EDC chores the Flare aims to handle made it a perfect platform for a flipper. Moving away from big cutting jobs also opened the door to the thin, pocket-friendly style Jarosz first played with on the Apple Jack slipjoint. However, he still made sure the Flare’s frame lock mechanism was sturdy and reliable. He also opted for washers over a high-maintenance ball-bearing pivot. “I’m trying to keep things as simple as possible without losing that cool factor of a flipper,” Jarosz explains.