Fixed Blade Knives

What a fixed blade gives you that a folder does not

There is no pivot to loosen, no lock to fail and no gap for blood, sand or fish scale to collect in. The steel runs from the tip all the way through the handle, so the whole knife takes the load instead of a pin taking it. That is why a fixed blade is still the knife people pick for field dressing, batoning kindling or anything that involves leaning on the edge. The trade is carry. A folder disappears in a pocket; a fixed blade needs a sheath on your belt, which is why every one on this shelf ships with one.

Start with the blade length, not the looks

Under three inches is a neck knife or a small utility blade, light enough to forget you are wearing it and fine for opening, trimming and small game. Three to four inches is the size most people should own: enough blade to dress a deer, short enough to control near a joint. Four to six inches covers general hunting and camp work. Past six inches you are into bowie country, better at chopping and splitting than at anything delicate. Pick the job first and the length will pick itself.

The steels on this shelf, and what each one is for

Roughly half of these knives are hand forged Damascus, folded from 1095 and 15N20 and brought to 58 to 60 HRC. The rest are single steels we reach for when a customer wants something specific, usually low maintenance or a harder working edge.

None of them is the best steel. Damascus and high carbon take a keen edge and will rust if you leave them wet. Stainless forgives neglect and gives up a little edge retention for it. D2 sits between the two and is the one to pick if you would rather sharpen less often.

Blade shapes you will see here

Drop point is the default hunter, strong tip, easy to control, good at almost everything. Clip point gives you a finer tip for detail work and is what most bowies use. Skinners run a deep belly for long sweeping cuts through hide. A gut hook is a notch on the spine for opening an animal without nicking the paunch, useful if you dress a lot of game and dead weight if you do not. Tantos and daggers are collector and tactical shapes. Karambits curve like a claw and index off a finger ring.

Sheath, care and what comes in the box

Every fixed blade here ships with a hand stitched leather sheath cut for that blade. Leather is the right carry and the wrong storage. It holds moisture against steel, so wipe the blade dry, put a light film of mineral oil on it and keep the knife out of the sheath if it is going in a drawer for the winter. Engraving is available on most of these, up to twenty characters, and engraved knives cannot be returned. Expedited shipping inside the US is free and the craftsmanship warranty runs for the life of the knife.

Common questions

Are all of these full tang? Most are, and the product page says so where it applies. A few stacked leather handle builds are through tang, which is a different construction, not a weaker one.

Which fixed blade should a first time buyer get? A four inch drop point in D2 or Damascus. It covers hunting, camp and general outdoor work and it is the size you are least likely to outgrow.

Do I need a gut hook? Only if you field dress regularly. Most hunters use one a handful of times and then carry a plain drop point instead.

Will a Damascus fixed blade rust? It can, because 1095 and 15N20 are carbon steels. Dry it, oil it and it will outlast you. If you want to skip that routine, buy 440C.

Are these made in the USA? Yes. They are forged, ground, heat treated and finished in our own shop in Memphis, Tennessee.

Can I have one made to my own spec? Yes, through our custom order page. Pick the steel, the handle and the length and we build it.

More reading. How fixed blade bevels work, full tang against partial tang, telling real Damascus from a printed pattern and how to care for a Damascus blade.

Browse by type

Every knife on this shelf also sits in a smaller collection: hunting knives, bowie knives, skinning knives, gut hook knives, tracker knives, karambit knives, daggers, push daggers, cowboy bull cutter knives and fishing knives. If you would rather carry a folder, start at the folding pocket knives instead.