New American Truth

The blade is long enough and heavy enough to chop with comfortably. The 20 degree edge angle holds pretty well and is easy enough to clean up when the time comes. The War Sword had no problem cutting through any of the materials and chopped through the 1×3 with very little effort. The blade held up well as I chopped and hacked at the plastic construction bucket, biting off chunks as the blade worked.

I grew up in the era of the first couple Rambo movies and was firmly embedded with the thought that a good survival knife had to be big, have saw teeth, a hollow handle, a lanyard and in general look mean enough to take down a Cape Buffalo.

Gerber’s Bullrush is a recent release that is basic, comfortable and relatively compact. It has what you need and not a bunch of stuff that you probably don’t.

The Paraframe II Tanto is part of Gerber’s Tactical line, which tells me that it was built to withstand the abuse that law enforcement and military will give it.

I know there are still a lot of people in the law enforcement industry – and other warrior services as well – who feel that boot knives, hide-away knives, and other such tools don’t have a place in the profession. I think that the circumstances weigh greatly on that decision and would rather have it and not need it, rather than need it but not have it.

All in all this knife is a good specimen of what I’ve come to expect from Blackhawk products. It looks good, carries well and performs as required.

The Manix 2 has a three-inch plain cutting edge on a blade that is 3.37” overall and does not have any option for a partially- or all-serrated edge. Closed the knife measures 4.66” and locked open it’s just over 8”.

From the team of RAT Cutlery and DPx Gear comes the H.E.S.T. knife. HEST is the acronym for “Hostile Environment Survival Tool”. RAT stands for “Randall’s Adventure & Training”. DPx alludes to the knife serving best in the world’s most “Dangerous Places.” I’m not quite sure why the X was added, but I THINK it means “extreme.”

The KA-BAR Becker TacTool (BK3) wasn’t designed JUST as a knife. In fact, although it will function as a knife I’m not sure it was designed with that express purpose in mind. Research shows that the knife was designed in consultation with John Benner, a 20-year field commander of the Hamilton County Ohio Police Association SWAT Team.