The Trailmate, designed by knife maker Steve Kelley, is another example of the fine detail and craftsmanship that's standard for the Lone Wolf workshop. The slightly dropped point of the 3.5-inch high carbon stainless steel blade includes a section of false upper edge for piercing work. A flat section near the handle includes notched jimping for better thumb pressure. Two finger grooves provide most of the grip, but there's enough handle beyond that to fit the palm comfortably. G-10 handle slabs aren't just riveted to the full tang -- the slabs sit on a base of epoxy for a permanent seamless bond to the metal. Each slab face is completely covered with milled cross-hatching for a non-slip hold even when wet. G-10 also resists extremes of temperature and holds up to chemicals.

Made of premium 154CM stainless steel, the 7-1/2-inch Kelly Trailmate weighs only 6.1 ounces, including the leather sheath. Flat ground and satin-finished, the Trailmate undergoes heat treating, tempering, and cryogenic hardening to toughen the steel and harden the cutting edge.

This knife's carrying system should surprise you, since the fine leather sheath is build to ride horizontally on the belt. If you tried that with most sheaths, your good knife would soon be lying on the ground. The close form-fitting of the Trailmate's sheath doesn't leave room for slips. The handle grip slides into a snug silhouette that only releases the Kelly Trailmate when you lift and pull.

See the Lone Wolf Paul Perfecto for another unusual design from this team of expert knife makers.

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What you'll notice first is the beautiful Lone Wolf design expressed in cocobolo wood handle slabs and a tapered dagger blade of 154CM high carbon stainless steel. Lone Wolf knives have a distinctive look based on frontier concepts as much as function. Even though the Paul Defender does resemble the Applegate-Fairbairn fighting knife in silhouette, this is a much sleeker version of the tactical dagger with perks WWII's commando experts never imagined.

Internally, the Paul Defender utilizes one of the strongest blade locks available -- the Paul Axiel lock -- for safe use and safe pocket storage. The single-edged and flat ground 3.9-inch blade locks in both open and closed positions automatically and opens with true one-handed simplicity. There's no double-action required -- no lock to unlock before you swing the blade out with your thumb. In fact, unless you see it done, you may not stumble onto the trick. There's no thumb stud and no thumbnail notch -- not even a thumb loop to spoil the appearance of the blade.

The lock button located on the pivot bearing frees the mechanism. Grip the pivot bearing of the knife blade with finger and thumb, and point the handle upward. Squeezing this axial button holds the blade steady while the handle swings free and falls back to the palm. Fully opened, the blade locks until the axial button is pressed again.

The Paul Defender may be rigged for either left or right hand use by removing clip and cocobolo handle slabs and reversing the grip layout. Precision screws make the operation simple, but you'll need a special screwdriver to fit. The Defender also comes in other versions with handle slabs of G-10 or black carbon fiber. Prices vary with material types.

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LONE WOLF KNIFENOT BENCHMADEPAUL DEFENDERBEAUTIFUL CHECKERED COCOBOLO SCALES US $325.00   Auction Ends: 2d 5h 20m

LONE WOLF LM24210 CUSTOM PAUL DEFENDER KNIFE BY MICHAEL PRATER US $469.99   Auction Ends: 4d 2h 47m

Lone Wolf adds the grip of the standard Army Colt .45, first used in 1911, to the sound engineering of this U.S. 45 Folder knife, and even manages to bring some traditional style to the idea with the checkered rosewood handle slabs and the "US" logo. The 45 is compact when closed (4.3") but unfolds to a very serviceable full length when the 3.3" stainless steel blade locks into place. As a weapon this knife is a little short and a little shiny, but the size is right for a dependable field knife and possibly even a backup military knife.

As an everyday pocket blade, camping, or hunting knife the 45 would be a fine choice for many modern users who prefer a smaller and less obvious folding clip knife to the bulkier sheath knives that were standard for generations. The 45 has all the modern perks that make sense, including ambidextrous one handed opening, solid blade locking, and toughened stainless steel construction beneath the practical artwork of the handle.

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HARLEY DAVIDSON POCKET KNIFE U S ARMY 45 MIB US $25.00   Auction Ends: 17d 23h 40m

Franklin Mint Harley Davidson USArmy 45 Knife US $24.95   0 Bid Auction Ends: 3d 14h 27m

The Perfecto, a Gentleman's folder with a fully open length of 5.52" and a 2.25" stainless steel blade, uses classic materials like real cocobolo wood handle slabs to embellish a highly engineered design. The patented Axial locking system fixes the blade in both open and closed positions, guaranteeing safe use as well as safe pocket carry.

The Wharncliffe style blade with its talon styling and straight edge is well designed for common tasks where precision is the key. The handle styling is functional as well as beautifully balanced. Materials and craftsmanship are guaranteed for life.

It would be a terrible thing if somebody tried to use this blade to tighten the head of a wood screw--that delicate point would certainly not hold up to it, but the goal here was the fit and the finish of a fine watch. Something that looks this good ought to be treated with care.

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LONE WOLF RED ABALAONE PAUL PERFECTO LIMITED KNIFE US $399.00   Auction Ends: 17d 11h 51m

Lone Wolf Knives Paul Perfecto Homestead by David Yellowhorse US $259.99   0 Bid Auction Ends: 5d 17h 31m

This is a high quality knife in spite of the light weight, with easy one-hand opening and a solidly built blade lock. The textured black fiberglass filled nylon handle has a core of the same durable stainless steel as the blade--made to last. The notched areas in both forward and back sections of blade and handle, plus the finger fitting grooves, make this knife easy to grip and hand friendly even for long chores.

The close tolerances of this knife result in few gaps in critical areas, making the T2 easier to clean and less vulnerable to problems than a cheaper knife with lots of places for grit to hide. That's always something to consider with a folding knife, and especially with one you may bring to tactical situations. With sand in the mechanism a folder may not work so perfectly as it did straight out of the box. Put it on your checklist.

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GERBER HARSEY AIR RANGER LINERLOCK GREY SERRATED KNIFE NEW US $35.99   Auction Ends: 12d 14h 32m

LONE WOLF KNIVES COCOBOLO T1 HARSEY RANGER KNIFE KNIVES USA MADE PRE BENCHMADE US $121.00   16 Bids Auction Ends: 2d 37m