The Knife Junkie Podcast is the place for knife newbies and knife junkies to learn about knives and knife collecting. Twice per week Bob DeMarco talks knives. Email Bob at theknifejunkie@gmail.com; visit https://theknifejunkie.com.
©2025, Bob DeMarco
The Knife Junkie Podcast
https://theknifejunkie.com

Transcribe Your Podcasts and Videos: https://theknifejunkie.com/magic (affiliate link)

Bob DeMarco: Coming up, the 1918 Trench Dagger, two oldies but goodies in the state of the collection, and we're going to talk about folding knives with straight cutting edges. I'm Bob DeMarco. This is The Knife Junkie Podcast.

Announcer: Welcome to The Knife Junkie Podcast, your weekly dose of knife news and information about knives and knife collecting. Here's your host, Bob "The Knife Junkie" DeMarco.

Bob DeMarco: Welcome back to the show. One of my favorite comments from this past week was from @JacobGreen1260, frequent joiner, contributor at Thursday Night Knives. He said, "An excellent episode with a legendary smith. David Baker is practically Hephaestus incarnate." I love that. I love that comment. That's the kind of thing we say in this household because we're some Greek mythology nerds here. So yes, Hephaestus himself in his forge creating some of the most beautiful stuff ever. If you missed the interview with David Baker, definitely check it out. He's a great guy. I can't wait to see him at Blade Show this year and hang out with him some more.

Next was from @JamesHart, also a Thursday Night Knives contributor and our resident Khukuri collector. He said, "Ah yes, the Khukuri and how small the handle is. If that Khukuri really is WW2 era," and he's talking about one that David Baker was holding up, "Men from Nepal have small hands. It's not the maker messing things up." "It's the people who are using them, those are who the Khukuri are made for..." And he goes on to talk about his own collection of Khukuris and how he has his own Khukuris made larger in the handle because he's got big corn-fed hands. @JamesHart and @JacobGreen1260, two awesome dudes who join us on Thursday Night Knives. Come join us on Thursday Night Knives for a lot of great knife talk. We'll get into that in a little while, but first, it's time for a pocket check.

Announcer: What's in his pocket? Let's find out. Here's The Knife Junkie with his pocket check of knives.

Bob DeMarco: In my front right pocket today, you can barely see it because it's so stealthy and dark, is the P-SARK from Emerson Knives. P-SARK stands for Police Survival and Rescue Knife. Now, the original SARK knife, the Survival and Rescue Knife, had a dull tip and a line cutter on the back, one of those sort of scalloped blades on the back. Real funny looking tool, definitely optimized for EMT folks and those kind of workers. This, the Police Survival and Rescue Knife, adds that sharp tip on the end of that hawkbill blade. To me, it's like a mini karambit. It's like a little karambit sword. And since I know that Ernest Emerson did a lot of Filipino martial arts training, he's probably familiar with the karambit and I would imagine that was in his head too when he designed this. Really great ergonomics. Funny little thing about this knife which has a 2013 maker's date—I guess it was probably 2014, I was at a family barbecue at my wife's uncle's house. I don't know why I remember this, but I do. And I bought that because I happened to be looking at knives online whilst drinking a beer and saw that on sale and was so excited when I got that. Uninteresting story, but it's funny how memories are tied to knives.

All right, next up, in my back left pocket today was one I haven't carried in a while, but I've been into Spydercos recently, and so I had this one. Nice and light and beautiful, all-purpose, one of the greatest pocket knives ever made: the Spyderco Delica 4. And this one, this must be at least 12 years old as we record this. My older daughter wanted to buy me a purple knife. My wife got me this. My daughter named it Sleepy Bear, so forever this knife will be known as that. It's had a number of lanyards over the years. I love that purple color. I love Delicas and Enduras and Endelas. I guess I would like it if I found a purpose for them, but just a great format, great knives. That VG-10 is so sharp, and I just like carrying this knife on me. Fun to fidget with too.

All right, next up, in my waistband at 3 o'clock was the beautiful SBD Dagger from Microtech Knives. I traded for this knife with Dave of OG Blade Reviews and, man, I made out like a bandit. He got a pretty cool knife out of it too. He got another Microtech, but oh, my first Microtech fixed blade, I'm very, very happy with this. I would love to get the large... what do they call that? The large Bowie knife that they make. It's so over the top and gorgeous. I'd love to get that knife to add to this collection, but this one really made me feel secure having this in my belt. It's perfect for a reverse draw grip with that jimping all around the pommel. It's such a comfortable place to put your thumb and you get a really good purchase there. And then that double-wide blade of M390 blade steel really gives you a lot of... What am I trying to say? These bevels are very broad, which makes it thin behind the edge, which makes it a great slasher, not just a great thrusting knife, which is what we think of daggers as being. A number of people I've shown this to have asked if it's a throwing knife, and actually it does kind of look a bit like a throwing knife. I'm sure it would operate very well in that capacity; I just haven't done that yet and probably never will.

Last up, my emotional support knife, the ever-beautiful Hogtooth Fighting Bowie. This one inspired by the Hell's Belles Bowie by Bill Bagwell, but with some very Matt Chase signature things, like the shape of this Bowie. I had an extra sharp edge put on that swedge, so this is a great knife for dueling, you know? You've got the devil horns guard there to catch your opponent's blade and leverage it out of his hands. You got Luke 8:17 keeping you honest there. There's the Hogtooth Knives logo. Beautiful ringed gidgee wood and silver studs on the handle for indexing and also for a little bit of grip. Beautiful hamon on that knife. I wish I could just put it in my belt and walk around all day with it. I guess technically, legally speaking, I could, but I'd be ostracized, especially in the pearl-clutching environs from which I come. So this is what I had on me today: the Hogtooth Fighting Bowie here. I had the Microtech SBD Dagger. Thing of beauty, also has a great contoured handle. I had the Delica, Sleepy Bear in my back, and that awesome P-SARK right here. Love the P-SARK.

Okay, next up, I'm going to ask you to use our 3 Dog Knife affiliate. Now, ordinarily I would show you a 3 Dog Knife. However, I have them out back for testing and I forgot to bring them in. But they are outstanding. You can see a number of videos on Thursday Night Knives where we talk about 3 Dog Knife. It's the in-house custom knife brand from Northern Knives up in Anchorage, Alaska. Mike makes an incredible knife, and interestingly, in at least two of the outdoor knives that I have that he's made, he uses the tanto shape for... perfect for outdoors, for hunting, for camping, all these outdoors things you never thought of a tanto for, and he does some really cool stuff. Anyway, go to [theknifejunkie.com/3dogknife](https://theknifejunkie.com/3dogknife), buy a knife that way from Mike and get one of their hardcore Alaskan-made knives at 25% off. Just use Knife Junkie at checkout. So go check that out. I can attest for three of his knives that are super awesome, especially the Mac, which I've used the most. Great, great knife.

Next up, Patreon. I want to plug Patreon and tell you to go join, but first, I want to show you one of the many added benefits you get from joining us on Patreon. This is one of Jim's labors of love: the Friday Funnies. And look at that very young-looking picture of me. I love that. But every Friday, we put out a whole comic book page—not comic book, you know, like the newspaper, you get the comic strips. Well, here theyre all knife-related, and you got to go check them out. They're pretty funny and most of them you can relate to because most of us here have lasted this long... you're a knife junkie. So this will tickle your funny bone. So check that out, check out Maker's Monday, check out the current history series we're doing on the 250th anniversary and how knives fit into that. You get interview extras and a whole lot more. Go to [theknifejunkie.com/patreon](https://theknifejunkie.com/patreon). See what else you can get when you help us. Save 12% when you join for a whole year. That's [theknifejunkie.com/patreon](https://theknifejunkie.com/patreon).

Announcer: Adventure delivered. Your monthly subscription for hand-picked outdoor, survival, EDC, and other cool gear from our expert team of outdoor professionals. [theknifejunkie.com/battlebox](https://theknifejunkie.com/battlebox).

Bob DeMarco: First up is from Buck. We've got two stories from Buck this day, and they are both cool. I'm particularly fond of the second one. But the first one, this is the 100th Buck of the Month release. Buck of the Month, a special make, a special build of one of their legendary models they release every month in special materials. This month, it's the Drop Point 112 Ranger. The 112 Ranger is the 3-inch version of the 110, which is a 3.75-inch bladed knife. So they're kind of partners, brother and little brother. This one has a 3-inch drop point blade of S35VN with the Paul Bos heat treat, a hollow grind, and a long pull, which you don't see in this picture, but a long pull on the other side, not a nail nick. This one has a single bolster right up at the ricasso, which is something that we don't see on 110s often. Single bolster with marbled carbon fiber. Beautiful, beautiful. That bolster, by the way, I believe it's nickel silver. 5.4 ounces, so not the lightest out there, but it's the Buck 112, so you're not going to get light. They make 500 of these, they're available now, $225. I like the clip too. It comes with a deep carry pocket clip, not reversible.

Next up from TOPS Knives. This is a cool one. I could see this in a James Bond movie for sure. This is the TOPS Sidekick Diver. It's a diving knife and an employee design challenge winner. This from Anna Espinosa, wife of Leo Espinosa, and she is also the designer of the Field Dog that came out a couple of years ago. I remember that knife, that was a cool sort of utility outdoors knife. This new Sidekick Diver is really striking looking. 5.75 inches of N690Co for its corrosion resistance, a steel we don't see often used with TOPS Knives. It's also coated, and I think that top edge, I believe, can be sharpened, which is making it almost a fighting knife. It is cool because it also has a spine-mounted line cutter—that scallop little blade on the top right behind the thumb ramp. The oversized handle is pretty cool. You can tell just from looking at it how comfortable it would be in a sort of saber grip and how easy it would be to put a lot of energy in a thrust with that thing. It does look like the bevels, the edge bevels, are going to give a lot of beef to that knife. If you're like underwater prying coral and stuff, I don't know. I'm not much of a diver at all, but I would imagine you might need something like that. G10 scales and a Kydex sheath, 16.8 ounces with the sheath. Available now, $325. Just another super cool tactical style adventure knife from TOPS.

Next up, another special release from Buck Knives. This is one of their Stealth Runs. Stealth runs and Buck of the Month are similarish, where it's a release of a Buck model in special materials, but the Stealth Run obviously they keep on the low, on the down low. So only those in the know, like Knife Junkie listeners or people who have their finger on the pulse of Buck or read Knife News, will find out about it. This is number 14 stealth release and it's of one of my favorite Buck knives ever, the Range Elite. That's a knife that I fell in love with over the last, over this past summer. And that one was aluminum and MagnaCut. This one, as you can see here, has a beautiful gold thread carbon fiber handle and blacked out hardware. Very, very handsome looking knife. And it actually has a glow-in-the-dark tritium insert on the thumb stud, made by Glow Rhino, a company that specializes in tritium accessories. 3.38 inches of MagnaCut steel. What a great blade. Like I said, I love the Range. It's just a great no-nonsense knife and carries really well, nice and thin, and has that Bos heat treat on that great MagnaCut steel. This here has armor black Cerakote on the blade, which is kind of a really dark charcoal gray. You can still see the black logo on the blade on top of the armor black Cerakote. So a really cool and handsome representation of this already excellent knife. So that's what Buck does with their Buck of the Month and their stealth runs. I think what they're doing is really creating a lot of collectors. I mean I know Buck has no shortage of collectors, but they're really leaning into it as they say in the corporate world, and I like to see it.

All right, still to come on the Knife Junkie Podcast, we're going to take a look at the 1918 Trench Dagger. And then in the state of the collection, we're going to look at some oldies but goodies. So I'm really excited about that. But first, let's get to the First Tool.

Announcer: You're listening to the Knife Junkie Podcast. Here's some cool knife history with the Knife Junkie's The First Tool.

Bob DeMarco: There are knives built for hunting, knives built for work, and then there are knives born for the brutal necessities of war. Few tell that story more vividly than the 1918 Trench Dagger. Picture the muddy trenches of World War I, if you will. Rifles were long and awkward in tight quarters. Bayonets could snag on sandbags in those claustrophobic tunnels of earthen chaos. Soldiers needed something compact, fast, and devastating. That need gave rise to one of the most recognizable fighting knives ever made. Officially known as the US Mark I Trench Knife, it appeared at the very end of the First World War and it looked unlike anything before it. Its double-edged dagger blade was designed purely for thrusting and pressure cutting, but what made it unforgettable was the hilt. A cast bronze grip shaped to fit the hand, topped with spiked knuckle guards. Essentially combining a dagger and brass knuckles into a single weapon. The guard was stamped with the words collectors still admire today: "U.S. 1918". And this one in particular was made by L.F.&C. manufacturers. Timing made it almost a legend before it had the chance to prove itself fully, and that only seemed to deepen and widen its mystique. The knife returned in spirit during World War II, but due to its single-use case as a weapon, very obviously, and its material-heavy build with all that bronze and steel, the knife was mothballed for the M3 trench knife, a much more practical combat utility knife. Collectors prize originals today not just for its rarity, but because the Mark I feels like a time capsule from a specific kind of warfare the world hoped never to repeat. And there's another fascinating layer. Its design reflected an era when hand-to-hand combat was still expected. It was among the last major military knives created under the grim assumption that battles could collapse into close-quarters grappling, thrusting, and cutting. That makes the 1918 Trench Dagger more than a weapon; it's a symbol of a more close-up and personal style of combat. And maybe that's why this design still captivates us. The 1918 Trench Dagger wasn't just carried into war; it was forged by war itself.

Now there are a lot of knives to get poetic about, but the 1918 Trench Dagger has to be chief among them. This is a knife that my brother gave me. My brother... one of the best men I know, and one of the most generous and best gift-givers I know, and this is one of the coolest things he's ever given me. Always wanted one. We both always wanted one since we were little kids and drooled over them in a weapons book we had. Anyway, you like this kind of talk? You like this kind of loose knife talk? You want to get deep, you want to go deep down the rabbit hole into knife talk? Join us for Thursday Night Knives. Every Thursday at 10 PM Eastern Standard Time. Come join us live. We have such a great time. And we have a lot of really fascinating knife talk. I've learned a lot of stuff from you guys. Come join, it's a lot of fun. We really have a good time.

All right, now let's get to the State of the Collection.

Announcer: Want to sell your custom knives online with Launch Cart? You can easily create your own e-commerce store. No coding required. Launch Cart is designed for knife makers like you with built-in tools to showcase your craftsmanship, manage orders, and grow your brand. It's fast, flexible, and even includes low cost payment processing to help you keep more of your profits. Start your online knife store today at [theknifejunkie.com/launch](https://theknifejunkie.com/launch) and turn your passion into a business.

Bob DeMarco: Well, it's been a slow knife week. I have a couple coming in, and none of them came in by the time I'm recording this. So I have been carrying this week some oldies but goodies. I've been kind of changing my knife carry habits recently. And it's been following a pattern where I carry knives a little bit longer. Instead of changing every day, I'll grab something and just kind of dig in and carry it for a few days. It's half laziness, because I'm particularly overwhelmed right now with the schedule. But also, it's a great way to dig into the collection and find things that you maybe forgot you had. So I have this Real Steel H6 Blue Sheep. This is the first knife that I ever saw from Real Steel, and I think it was the first one that they hit the American knife market with. And it is the H6 Blue Sheep. A very strange name for a pretty kind of normal-looking knife. But something about this captivated me from the beginning. I think it's the profile of the blade, which reminds me a bit of a Brend model 2, Walter Brend style knife. This one has 14C28N, a really robust blade. I got this from Dave of OG Blade Reviews, who sent over a box a couple of years ago at this point to give away to all of you. He said, "Adopt any you want." And I wasn't really planning on keeping this one for myself, but I just couldn't get rid of it. So at some point, I just admitted that I wanted it and I kept it. And I've been carrying it this past week, and absolutely love it. It's also on bronze washers, and I love the action of bronze washers, that hydraulic feel that people used to talk about with Chris Reeve knives. People have been seduced away from it by the drop-free motion and drop-free action of ball bearings, but I still love some phosphor bronze washers. So this knife has gotten a lot of carry over the past week. I love it. It's an oldie but goodie.

And here's another one. And it hasn't gotten a lot of carry, but it got one day's worth of carry and I was like, "Oh yeah, this is a great knife." This was also a gift. This was a deliberate gift from my brother-in-law, James, an awesome dude. This is the Sencut Waxahachie. One of their very first fixed blade knives. Got that beautiful clip point blade that is shaped a lot like, I think it's the Brazen clip point. A very nice looking clip point blade with a low tip, which makes it a very utilitarian tip. And a gradual belly. So you get a nice sweep and a nice curve, but it's not too extreme and it doesn't put that point up high. So it's not an upswept clip. I like this. It actually reminds me of a Confederate Bowie in some ways, just that shape with the low tip. But very cool. I like the speed holes on this. It makes for easy manipulation, easy grip changes. And this one has the 9Cr18MoV steel, which, honestly, I've never used this for anything hard. If I've used it at all for anything, I actually don't even know if I have. So the steel is adequate for my purposes, obviously. And look at that. Great knife. I highly recommend it. If you're looking for an inexpensive fixed blade knife that has great looks and is a clip point, fits in a great sheath. That's the Sencut Waxahachie. And then this one, I think might be discontinued. I'm not sure if you can still get the H6 Blue Sheep. But an awesome knife and I'm sure you'd find it on the secondary market. But look at that. What a great utility knife this is. Get up to down. Why bother?

All right. So that does it for the state of the collection. I like when I don't get anything new. I like to dig into my collection, see what I've been neglecting, and give it some attention. Before we get to folding knives with straight cutting edges, a topic that really needs some discussion, I want to talk about merch. We got something really cool. This is a really handsome design by Jim. I love it. Who doesn't like worn-in leather, patinated leather with a nice beautiful folding pocket knife with a wood handle? This is Sharp Minds Collect Sharp Things. And you can get this really cool logo on, you can see it right here... sweatpants, tote bag, t-shirt, hat. You can get it on a mouse pad, you can get it on a water jug, you can get it on all sorts of stuff. Coffee mug, hoodies. Go to [theknifejunkie.com/shop](https://theknifejunkie.com/shop). Check out these really cool bits of knife art that Jim comes up with and we put on t-shirts. Meet like-minded individuals out there in the wild, meet other knife junkies. Go check us out at [theknifejunkie.com/shop](https://theknifejunkie.com/shop).

All right. So knives, folding knives with straight cutting edges. Very particular thing to be talking about, but I have found definitely through speaking with Michael Janich over the years, as we've all seen his videos, he's been on this show a number of times... that it is an excellent tactical advantage to have a straight edge blade. Especially if that straight edge is downward angled or aligned with your knuckles. You get incredible force at the tip as you slash. You get incredible almost stabbing force with the tip as opposed to something like this where as you swipe through the medium, the edge is glancing away. The edge is curving away from the tip. So that tip really digs in. So a very, very useful, because we all know how utilitarian a straight edge is, you know, we know that that's a utility setup. But it's also a tactical setup. And therefore, it's in my wheelhouse, as they say. Because it's my main area of interest.

So first knife in this list is a beloved possession, if I may call it that. This is the Hinderer Knives XM-24 Wharncliffe. And I think that the Wharncliffe design that Hinderer puts out is one of the most beautiful and effective. It has a real, real acute point. It is the same angle at the tip as the Yojimbo. So a great slashing and thrusting tip. This one is M390 blade steel, 4 inches in blade length. It's got that, those thumb studs that are blade stops, which I really like. You see on a couple of hardcore style folders like Striders and Hinderers. I love that. Look at those thick slabs of titanium. Well, you have one thick slab on this side, a thin slab here, but a nice thick piece of G10. I have with my Hinderers over the years changed out handles and everything. This one I have always kept like this. I just love this setup completely. I love that dark earth handle scale and just the way this thing feels. But also the way it cuts is incredible. That tip is perfect for super precise cutting. And this one I got to be honest, the super precise cutting I've done with this is two things: construction paper, cardboard, and leather. This is really great for cutting leather. Back a while ago I was making little leather pouches for my slip joints and I found this to be a great knife for cutting out leather. So great utility and great as a self-defense knife. Heaven forbid you ever need it for that, because you've got a lot of reach, and you've got a very effective blade shape. The Hinderer XM-24 Wharncliffe. I love the Hinderer Wharncliffe, especially in the 24, over that 4-inch span it really expresses the lines beautifully.

Next up, this one is a very popular model and one of Dirk Pinkerton's most famous designs. This is the Kansept Main Street. Now this one is one of the funny, yeah, this one was from the very first run where they mismarked the blade and called it a Little Main Street. So if I wanted to sell this on the open market, I could get thousands for it. No, I'm just kidding. But I think it's kind of cool because it just shows a little misprint on the blade from Kansept. Who is one of the best. They are one of the greatest makers out there. I love their knives. I'm actually carrying one in my pocket right now as we speak. This is the Main Street. It's an awesome sort of straight edge modified Wharncliffe, straight-edged blade, the Dead Eye. But this one is a highly utilitarian knife. Has a little bit less of a pointy tip. Though that tip is no slouch, you'll still be able to jam it into something. Really it's like a reverse tanto if you look at it, with all the sharpness on the back. But this one also, being a Pinkerton design, that is thought of. Dirk Pinkerton, great guy, great knife maker and great knife designer, is always thinking tactically, even with his most utilitarian designs. And this one is definitely a great double play here. This to me seems like it would be a great knife to have if you work in retail. You know, especially in a back room, opening boxes. I used to work at a Sherwin Williams and I used to, when I was in college, and I used to open up endless amounts of boxes. And back then I think I carried a Fury. I don't remember what I was carrying, something inexpensive and old school. But this would have been awesome with that blade, with that very utilitarian blade.

Now here's something fun to do with this style of Wharncliffe, this kind of sharp Yojimbo-esque or Main Street-esque style knife, is a comma cut. Practice your comma cuts in cardboard, in a cardboard box. So what is a comma cut? It is a swooping thrust. So you're going to do this. You're going to shoot your hand in, you're fighting someone, okay? So this is actually just theoretical. But put a piece of cardboard here and you're thrusting forward, it's kind of a half thrust, half slash, and at the end of it you do a scoop. It's called a comma cut, or a scoop cut, or a C-cut. And these kind of blades excel at that. And I think maybe Michael Janich has a video on that. I think he likes to use scoop cuts to the leg, to, you know, sort of not going all the way... you're kind of disabling your opponent and maybe taking off. But anyway, the scoop cut, the comma cut, the C-cut with this style knife is really effective. And I've done that with this knife in particular, that's what jogged the memory. Oh, another cool thing about this knife, on the thumb ramp you have those very Pinkerton-esque jimping, so little half scoops there taken out of the blade. I really like those. All right, that's the Kansept Main Street designed by Dirk Pinkerton.

Up next one is also designed by Dirk Pinkerton. I actually didn't intend to put these next to each other, but I did by accident. I was going to spread it out over this list because there's a couple of them. This one is from Pinkerton designs, so this is a Dirk Pinkerton knife, in other words. It's under his own shingle, his own brand, so you have to go to his website to buy this. It's not a Kansept. I can't remember who makes this knife now, it might be Kansept, but it is the Standoff. And to me it is the most beautiful Wharncliffe blade, a true Wharncliffe, meaning unlike the Hinderer Wharncliffe, which is more like a modified sheep's foot with this peak here. A true Wharncliffe is a continual slope down to the tip from the thumb to the tip. And he nailed it here. This is a perfect folding knife. This knife I carried with me, I went to a black tie affair, the first one in many, many years, not too long ago with my wife, it was so much fun. And this was my desk knife for well over a year. Right now it's I got other things on the desk permanently, so to speak. But this one has done a lot of service. I really love it. Again, phosphor bronze washers, super smooth. You know, you don't have to have washers to make a blade drop-shut. And I do think that the washers are a bit more robust, just in my experience, especially bringing them to the beach. All right, that's the Pinkerton Knives Standoff.

Next up, with a very similar style blade, this is a custom... well, this is a very small production, we'll call it. This is an American Blade Works Model 2. I love this knife. It's so beautiful. It's, to me, it's like an art deco masterpiece. It looks like a locomotive from the 20s or something. I don't know, something about the design of this is very early 20th century to me. Especially closed. It's a beautiful, beautiful knife closed. And you don't say that too... I don't say that often. It's just beautiful. Really nicely machined titanium with the fluting. It really grips the hand nicely and looks nice. You have excellent action on this. Flipper here with the flipper tab, and a really nicely milled out Magnacut blade. This was my first Magnacut blade. And you know, this knife is so sharp. And that's due to the fact that it was made so perfectly. This could have been in 14C28N, it could have been in pot metal for all I know. And I would have said, wow, this thing is so... but it was my first Magnacut, so I assumed that it was sharper because it was Magnacut. I got over that and realized, no, it's really the fine work that went into sharpening this blade. The Magnacut is just the gravy, so to speak. I've never had to strop or even sharpen, obviously, this knife. I have not carried this in a little while, but when I first got it two years ago, I carried it quite a bit. Just an outstanding utility knife, all around, and positively beautiful. There's the American Blade Works logo.

Next up, this is the only tanto on the list. I guess I have a number of tantos with straight cutting edges, but this is the one I've been carrying a lot recently that comes to mind. This is the Dwayne Dwyer designed North Mountain Blade BBMN. Based on the Dwayne Dwyer custom model. Dwayne Dwyer, one half of Strider Knives. So you can see the family resemblance. I mean, to me this is an absolutely stunning knife. Something besides just the beauty of it that I love is the blade. I love that low slung point on this very Americanized tanto profile. I do like drop point tantos a lot, because you get the best of both worlds. You get a center line point, but you also get that sort of chisel tip. Now here the tip is not chiseled so much, the whole thing is a flat grind, but it doesn't make that transition to the Yokote. You do see where that SLC Magic blade steel transitions from the VG-10 core, I believe it is, to the 420 jacketing. So two different steels there. A hard cutting edge steel and then a softer steel on the outside. But there you have two very straight cutting edges, so an excellent, excellent utility knife. Also would make an outstanding self-defense knife if you could bring it to bear. I mean that is a major if, you know. If you ever have to use a folder for self defense, there is the problem of getting it in your hand and open, which the wave takes care of pretty well, but even that is not foolproof. But if all conditions are right and you have this in your hand and you need to defend yourself with it, those straight edges and that center line point... holy moly. This would make for a devastating tool. Also, I like how that edge comes up, the fuller comes up. Now can you use the fuller to open it up? Yeah, you can. You just sort of nudge it right down here, right down low, and give it a little bit of inertia and it'll flip out. I mean, this thing would make a great work knife, would make a great intimidator. For me, it's a great collector knife. I haven't really used it for anything, but I cherish it. This is also a gift from my brother-in-law.

Next up, we have the Shieldon Knives REV. The Shieldon Rev. Let's step back a second and look at the Shieldon Knives REV. This is another one with a very pronounced straight edge. It's got a sleek, almost futuristic look to it, and the action is incredibly snappy. It's a great modern take on the straight edge format.

All right. Next up is the Off-Grid Knives Black Stallion. This is a hefty, robust folder. If you need a straight edge that can handle some serious hard work and abuse, this is the one. It feels like an absolute tank in the hand.

Next up we have the Sencut Awassi. Sencut has been doing amazing things with their budget-friendly line, and the Awassi is no exception. It gives you that aggressive straight edge profile but in a very pocketable, everyday carry format that won't break the bank.

Next up is an absurdly awesome folding knife with a straight cutting edge. This is the Artisan Cutlery Proponent, a Dirk Pinkerton design. This thing is massive. It's hilariously overbuilt, but in the best way possible. You can literally lock the blade in place with an included steel pin, turning it into a virtual fixed blade. The thick straight edge on this beast is just begging to chop through some heavy material.

The Jack Wolf Knives Diamondback Jack. Now, this is a bit of a departure because it's a modern traditional slip joint, but it features a beautiful straight edge blade. It just goes to show that this blade shape works across all styles, from hardcore tactical folders to classic gentlemen's everyday carries.

The QSP Penguin. And you certainly can't talk about straight-edged utility without mentioning the QSP Penguin. This is arguably one of the best budget knives of the last few years. That sheep's foot blade with its perfectly straight edge makes it an absolute beast for opening boxes, cutting materials, and handling general EDC tasks.

And last up is the Spyderco Yojumbo. What an amazing self-defense knife design that really doubles as an incredible utility blade. Michael Janich really knocked it out of the park with this one. It’s the scaled-up version of the Yojimbo 2, giving you a massive 4-inch Wharncliffe blade that is just devastating. The ergonomics lock your hand perfectly in place, and that straight cutting edge ensures that every bit of force you put into a cut is transferred directly to the material. It's a big, bold statement piece that absolutely backs it up with performance.

So, there you have it. Whether you're looking at them for their tactical advantages, like the ability to transfer maximum power to the tip during a thrust, or their unbeatable utility for everyday draw cuts, folding knives with straight cutting edges are a must-have in any serious knife collection.

That is going to do it for episode number 688 of The Knife Junkie Podcast. Thanks again to @JacobGreen1260 and @JamesHart for their awesome comments this past week. Be sure to check us out on Patreon, grab some merch at the shop, and join us for Thursday Night Knives. For Jim working his magic behind the switcher, I'm Bob DeMarco, saying until next time, don't take dull for an answer.

Announcer: Thanks for listening to The Knife Junkie Podcast. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review at reviewthepodcast.com. For show notes for today's episode, additional resources, and to listen to past episodes, visit our website, theknifejunkie.com. You can also watch our latest videos on YouTube at [theknifejunkie.com/youtube](https://theknifejunkie.com/youtube). Check out some great knife photos on The Knife Junkie's Instagram page at [theknifejunkie.com/instagram](https://theknifejunkie.com/instagram). And join our Facebook group at [theknifejunkie.com/facebook](https://theknifejunkie.com/facebook). And if you have a question or comment, email them to bob@theknifejunkie.com or call our 24/7 listener line at 724-466-4487. And you may hear your comment or question answered on an upcoming episode of The Knife Junkie Podcast.