Topic: New Knives from the 2023 SHOT Show (Read 36 times)
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Ok, let’s be clear, I don’t have a need for this knife. Let’s also be clear that I really want one. The Counterstrike is an out-the-front automatic knife that looks fantastic and functions superbly. It’s like a fidget spinner, but for grown-ups.
This knife has all the premium features: A MagnaCut stainless steel blade, machined aluminum handles with a carbon fiber cover, reversible tip-down pocket clip, ambidextrous blade deployment, carbide glass breaker with lanyard hole, titanium hardware, and an anodized brilliant blue that looks amazing.
Often machined aluminum handles can be flat, almost two dimensional because it’s easy to manufacture. The handles on the Counterstrike have enough contour to make them co*fortable to handle yet remain sleek enough to be unobtrusive in your pocket. The blade springs out the front with authority and solidly locks in place until retracted by pulling the “trigger” rearward. The bottom line is this is an excellent embodiment of this type of knife. If you can legally own one, you’ll no doubt enjoy it. It’s not for the faint of pocketbook however, with an MSRP of $399.95, you’re going to really want this knife to shell out that kind of coin. Did I mention I really want one?
Gerber is a no-show at the SHOT show this year, but it doesn’t mean they’re not introducing anything new at the same time. One of their noteworthy new knives is the Confidant. It blends modern materials and aesthetics, having G10 handles with wood inlays. It’s a nice look.
It has a folding Nessmuk-esque style blade, which you just don’t see every day. The blade has a sort of wide spear tip shape and will be available in 440A or D2 and is 3.27 inches long. It opens via a thumb stud or flipper tab. The Confidant has a deep carry pocket clip that does not appear to be reversible but should still be serviceable for lefties. The Confidant’s overall size and the blade shape, co*bined with weighing in at only 3 ounces, would be an effective EDC and hunting pocket knife.
Kershaw/Zero Tolerance is another knife co*pany forgoing the SHOT show but still bringing us new knives to drool over. One in particular is the Iridium. It caught my eye because the blade had a Grohman-esque shape and size, but in a pocket clip folder that would make it a great EDC/hunting crossover knife. The blade is a co*fortable size for EDC at 3.4 inches, made from D2 tool steel. While not the latest in cutting edge technology, D2 offers great performance and value for the dollar. The Iridium features a crossbolt style lock, called the DuraLock. This style of lock is great because it’s ambidextrous. Southpaws are persecuted enough by virtue of limited firearms selection, so it’s nice to see knives that work with either hand.
In keeping with the basic but solid material choice, the handles are gray anodized 6061-T6 aluminum with steel liners, and an aluminum backspacer and lanyard hole that’s anodized an attractive orange. It’s a nice touch. The blade opens smoothly, solidly locks open, and if you’re familiar with the crossbolt style of lock, closes easily with one hand, with your fingers safely out of the way at all times.
If I had one change I’d like to see, it would be to have some sort of grooves or texture machined into the aluminum scales, and some jimping on the liner/handle on top and in the finger groove area. That said, the Iridium is a very affordable knife with a great size and shape and reliable materials. I’ll be getting one of these to carry around to see if it lives up to my initial impressions.
Small, well-designed fixed blades are gaining in popularity for EDC. The Stock Drop Point is one such knife with a pleasant-sized blade just under 3 inches co*bined with a well-thought-out sheath making it convenient to carry. The blade looks a bit like a cross between a Wharncliffe and a drop point, giving it a utilitarian shape that looks as at home working around the shop as it does in the field.
Made from 8Cr13MoV stainless steel, the full-tang blade is .10 inch thick. OD green textured G10 scales provide a secure, co*fortable grip. The sheath can make or break a fixed blade knife, fortunately the molded Boltaron sheath for the Stok definitely helps make it. It features their G-Clip mount that provides angle-adjustable, edge-forward or edge-back carry. It works on belts up to 1.5 inches and can also be clipped inside the waistband. If you’ve been thinking about trying a fixed blade for EDC or are looking for a co*pact hunting/utility knife, you probably want to give the Stok a look.
Read Next: Best EDC Knives
It’s a pleasure to see a fixed blade with useful features that aren’t gimmicky. The New White River Firecraft PKO is such a knife. At first it seems to be just a basic fixed blade with the scales screwed to the sides, plain and simple. But as the name suggests, this knife is for use in fire craft, and there are some subtle features to assist with that. There’s a notch in the top of the blade for use with a ferro rod. It’s small, unobtrusive, but will assist with the process of making sparks.
A ferro rod is include with each knife and is efficiently attached to the well thought out sheath. The handle has a small, attractive steel “divot” for use with a fire bow. Regardless of the pyro-oriented features, the Firecraft is a great take on a puukko style knife, featuring a stout, scandi-grind blade made from S35VN stainless steel, micarta scales with blaze orange G10 “liners”, and a really nice sheath that allows for multiple carry options.
That ring at the back of the knife makes it easy to withdraw the knife from sheath or attach a lanyard. The Firecraft PKO is just under 5 ounces. co*bined with its overall design and durable materials, it would make a great hunting/survival knife co*bo.
Read Next: Best Fire Starters Rod
Designed to be the little knife that could, in particular for areas that have size restrictions on blade length, the Immunity is a fairly small folder, but it’s built like a tank. It has a stout, Wharncliffe style blade just under 2-inches long with a slight curve along the edge to offer some efficiency when slicing. The black Cerakoted CPM-M4 steel blade contrasts nicely with the machined, textured , anodized aluminum handles.
Available in blue, green, and flat dark earth, the handles are supported by stainless steel liners. Benchmade’s Axis lock securely keeps the blade open and co*bined with a reversible pocket clip and dual thumb studs, make the Immunity fully ambidextrous. The Immunity co*es with a fob style lanyard, helping to pull the knife from the pocket. co*ing in at under 3 ounces, the Immunity definitely hits above its weight class.
Well known for making traditional pocket-knives like the Stockman and Trapper, Case has been introducing more modern EDC pocket clip folders recently. The Westline is their latest offering for this kind of knife. Made in the USA, the Westline delivers the most desired features for an EDC knife. It has an S35VN assisted opening blade, steel liners, machined anodized aluminum handles that are contoured instead of flat which is a nice touch, and a reversible pocket clip.
The dual thumb studs and reversible clip make this very left-hand friendly. The blade opens with authority and solidly locks in place. The contoured handles are quite co*fortable, noticeably more so than flat-profiled handles, although it would be nice to have some grooves or texture machined into the handle for a better grip. That said, the Westline doesn’t offer any pioneering technology, but it’s well built and delivers very practical features, design, and materials for the price.
For 2023 Outdoor Edge has updated their RazorPro line with the RazorPro S, which features a bone saw. Now hunters can have a replaceable blade hunting knife and small bone saw in one co*pact unit. A blaze orange TPR covered handle makes the RazorPro S co*fortable to grip and easy to find when set on the ground. The RazorPro S co*es with six drop point replacement blades and a Kryptek camo sheath.
The RazorPro’s blade changing system is one of the easiest to use. Simply push a button on the side, remove the blade, insert a new one, and it will “click” when locked into place. The drop point blade is a lockback design while the saw blade is held open with a liner lock. For those that love the replaceable blade feature and also want to carry a small bone saw, this might be a great choice. It will be available in the Summer of 2023.
Read Next: Best Hunting Knives
The SHOT Show is always an exciting event to check out new knives, and the 2023 show was no exception. There are many more great knives worth checking out and hopefully we will get a chance to do so soon.
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