RECOIL OFFGRID Preparation Blades for any Challenge
In This Article
Knives are among humanity’s oldest tools, serving as companions for cooking, hunting, utility, and combat. While the first knives made by humans were likely all-purpose tools — modern design and production techniques have allowed knifemakers to develop tools for very specific purposes.
The VIPs at Undisclosed got their hands on several exceptional knives. Each of these knives vary in size, blade shape, materials, and more, giving each a distinct specialization in survival and tactical scenarios. Let’s dive into the details of each of the knives from Undisclosed and discuss the best roles for each knife.
Outdoor Element is known for producing a wide array of outdoor survival gear, with a focus on multifunctional design features that allow each item to serve multiple functions — the Scout Feather is no exception. This compact survival knife packs an arsenal of essential survival features into a slim and easy to carry package.
Light as a Feather
Weighing in at a mere 2.3 ounces, the Scout Feather is a lightweight knife that packs a ton of functionality. The Scout Feather has a 2.75-inch VG-10 blade, which provides good edge retention, easy sharpening, and corrosion resistance when working in wet and humid environments. The spine includes jimping for positive grip retention along with a generous portion being ground to 90 degrees to easily strike a ferrocerium rod to help you get a fire started. The blade features a utilitarian saber grind that functions well in both outdoor and everyday cutting tasks.
The handle is thin and ergonomic, featuring durable G10 handle scales that will hold up well in the harshest conditions and stand the test of time. The end portion of the handle features a hex driver and comes equipped with a small reflective lanyard and 115-decibel whistle that can be utilized for signaling during an emergency.
Sheath or Portable Toolbox?
When it comes to knife sheaths, most people are looking for a high-quality sheath and easy draw. The Scout Feather accomplishes this with its Kydex sheath and adjustable pocket clip — but it also packs a whole lot more functionality. Included on the sheath is a replaceable ferro rod to help get fires started in adverse conditions and a knife sharpener to keep the Scout Feather razor sharp in the field.
RECOIL OFFGRID Upgrades
This special edition of the Scout Feather came with a few upgrades over the standard production model. For starters, we added glow-in-the-dark liners and a glow-in-the-dark whistle to enhance low light visibility. We also added a black coating to further enhance corrosion resistance in harsh environments.
Best Uses for the Scout Feather
The compact and ultra-light nature of the Scout Feather makes it a great option for everyday carry. When it comes to outdoor tasks, the Scout Feather packs a lot of functionality in a very light package, making it ideal for hiking and ultralight backpacking. It is easy enough to carry on your person or in your pack to serve as a very utilitarian second knife during any outdoor adventure.
URL: outdoorelement.com
MSRP: $60 (RECOIL OFFGRID variant for Undisclosed VIPs only)
We started with an ultra-compact knife, and now we move to the opposite end of the spectrum with the Reiff Vicon, a full-sized tactical field knife. Reiff Knives has made a name in the knife industry for producing high-end, American-made outdoor and survival knives. The Vicon is their first venture into the tactical market. While the Vicon may be Reiff’s first tactical knife, they went into it with the same level of expertise, testing, and refinement that they have become known for in their outdoor lineup.
Development for the Vicon began three years ago with the collaborative input of active-duty U.S. Navy SEALs. Throughout the development and prototyping phases, early versions of the Vicon were put to the test in some the harshest conditions all over the world. The result of this elaborate prototyping and testing process is the Vicon that is now available to the public.
Robust and Versatile
The Vicon is definitely what I would consider a full-sized field knife coming in at just over 10 inches overall with a 5.2-inch blade. The blade stock is a stout 3/16-inch thick, and the total weight comes in around 9.8 ounces. The blade sports a clip point and well-done swedge design to keep the clip point’s piercing tip while providing enough “meat” to prevent tip breakage. The Vicon’s blade is made from premium CPM-Magnacut steel, which is known for its corrosion resistance, durability, and edge retention. The spine of the blade has a large section of jimping for grip and control followed by a nice section of 90-degree spine that could easily strike a ferro rod.
The handle features textured handle scales and an ergonomic contoured grip with a striking surface that doubles as a lanyard hole at the tail end that can be used to break glass and perform other blunt-force tasks.
Variety is the Spice of Life
In typical Reiff fashion, the Vicon is available in a variety of handle materials and colors to suit the user’s preferences. The Vicon can be had in tough OD green or black G10. If you are looking to maximize your grip, you can opt for the same colorways in Micarta.
The Vicon’s blade is available in three finishes — uncoated stonewash, black DLC, and coyote PVD. Magnacut is incredibly corrosion resistant, but either of the coated blades offer increased resistance. The black DLC finish creates an entirely non-reflective surface, and the coyote finish will blend better in arid environments. Both PVD and DLC coatings are considered premium coatings that are designed to withstand hard use and the test of time.
Versatile Knife, Versatile Sheath
The Vicon comes with a custom-made Kydex sheath, which offers numerous mounting options. The Sheath has an attached belt plate that was specifically designed to accommodate wider gunner and battle belts with an underhook design to ensure positive retention while also giving the user the ability to remove it from the belt on the fly.
Removing the plate allows for mounting on packs, plate carriers, and other webbing platforms and can accommodate other attachment options like Tek-Lok clips. The sheath also includes a retention screw that allows the user to adjust the retention to find their perfect spot between knife retention and ease of draw.
Best Uses for the Vicon
Based on the design and the minds behind it, the Vicon is an exceptional tactical knife, but this versatile knife can fit many different kits. Reiff’s heritage of robust outdoor knives has not been lost on the Vicon, and it makes an excellent survival and hunting knife. The piercing point premium steel and ergonomic design make it an excellent do-all workhorse of a knife with the added benefit of having combat knife capabilities. The Vicon fits in at camp as part of your survival kit and on the battlefield.
URL: reiffknives.com
MSRP: $435
Auxiliary Manufacturing is owned by Michael Jarvis, a custom knifemaker hailing from Nevada known for making compact tactical and defensive knives with a distinct aesthetic. His coffin handle design was inspired by historical fighting bowies and made their debut with the Pocket Bowie. The coffin handle design has since been expanded to several different blade shapes. Jarvis recently launched the Deadhead line of production knives, starting with a folding version of the Pocket Bowie and the production version of his fixed blade Pocket Bowie.
Discreet and Functional
The production Pocket Bowie maintains the same size as the custom version coming in at 6.25 inches overall with a 3-inch blade. The blade steel is 14c28n, a well-rounded stainless steel that provides good edge retention and toughness while also being very easy to sharpen. The blade is black PVD coated, providing additional corrosion resistance and reducing reflection. The spine offers enough jimping for a single finger to ensure grip and control. The clip point is reminiscent of the classic bowie, but the addition of a well-designed swedge greatly increases tip strength without sacrificing piercing capabilities.
The coffin shape of the handle combined with Auxiliary Manufacturing’s unique texture pattern provides a surprising comfortable grip despite being only 3.25 inches long. The handle scales are made from durable black G10 with black hardware, giving the Deadhead Pocket Bowie a sleek blacked-out look.
Multiple Mounting Options
The Deadhead Pocket Bowie ships with a well-fit Kydex sheath with an attached Tek-Lok for mounting. While Tek-Lok makes a great mounting option, the sheath can accommodate several aftermarket clips and loops, allowing the user to customize their carry system.
Best Uses for the Pocket Bowie
The Pocket Bowie is an aggressive knife. The sweeping clip point is ideal for piercing tasks, and the compact size makes it easy to carry discreetly. Combined this makes the Pocket Bowie an ideal option for a personal self-defense knife.
URL: auxiliarymanufacturing.com
MSRP: $99
Krate Tactical is a Veteran owned and operated U.S.-based company. Krate produces a wide array of tactical gear, including nylon goods such as pack and plate carriers, medical and trauma kits, steel targets, and a full line of out the front (OTF) knives.
OTF knives are a type of automatic knife that deploys from the center of the front of the blade and are sometimes referred to as switch blades due to the use of a front- or side-mounted switch to engage and disengage the blade. While useful, these knives face legal scrutiny in many states and jurisdictions due to laws written in the 1950s stemming from the wide-scale panic from movies. In recent years, knife laws have begun to recognize these useful tools, and many bans have been overturned.
Light, Durable, and Functional
The Krate Ranger is one of the lightest OTF knives I have had the opportunity to handle, weighing in at about 3.5 ounces. OTF knives tend to be on the heavy side because of their internal mechanics and robust metal frames. Krate does an excellent job combing high-grade aluminum and G10 for the body to keep the weight down while maintaining durability.
The ranger includes a glass breaker on the tail end of the frame that can be used in an emergency to break windows or to increase the effectiveness of blunt force striking. The deep carry pocket clip allows for comfortable and discreet carry in EDC scenarios.
The 3.5-inch blade of the ranger is made from tough D2 tool steel for maximum durability in hard-use scenarios. The Tanto-style grind is ideal for piercing tasks while maintaining reasonable tip strength.
Everything You Need
One of the biggest drawbacks to OTF knives is the sensitivity of the internal mechanics; dust, dirt, and grime can impact the performance of the deployment action. Fortunately, Krate includes a compact disassembly tool in the box, allowing for quick maintenance to keep your OTF running at peak performance when you need it most.
What is the Ranger Good For?
The Ranger makes an excellent EDC knife due to its light weight and easy carry. In emergency and tactical situations, the Ranger’s easy one-handed opening and closing allows the user to deploy the blade quickly and efficiently without effort or occupying a second hand. This is particularly important in a situation where your other hand is otherwise occupied or unusable.
URL: kratetactical.com
MSRP: $160
Don’t miss essential survival insights—sign up for Recoil Offgrid's free newsletter today!
Check out our other publications on the web: Recoil | Gun Digest | Blade | RecoilTV | RECOILtv (YouTube)
Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version for the web.
STAY SAFE: Download a Free copy of the OFFGRID Outbreak Issue 
No Comments