full tang Knives, Swords, Blades

SOG's Woodline knives put the company's tactical quality to work for the hunter and fisherman. Built for practical camp work and survival needs, the Woodline knives skip the military features civilians don't require.

There's no tactical black coating, and you won't find a dagger point built for stabbing. The ...

Knife designers Chris Reeves and William W. Harsey Jr. collaborated on the technical details of the Gerber LHR Urban Combat Knife, but Matt Larsen -- an expert in close quarters combat -- also contributed some unusual ideas. Larsen studied hundreds of actual combat encounters before finalizing the LHR concept. ...

The Chicago Cutlery Signature series uses full tang construction with blades ground from the same blank of stamped high carbon stainless steel. The handle shape and grip is completely formed from the slabs of American black walnut hardwood fixed to the tang with three solid brass rivets. Blades ...

One of three Adventure series knives released by Kabar in 2010, the Kabar Adventure Baconmaker satisfies anybody who likes a knife with great style but treats their tools a little rough. This pigsticker can take it.

Adventure series knives developed from a partnership with knife designer Steve Johnson, the field editor of ...

Based on the Albrecht Hand and a Half Sword produced in the early 15th century, the CAS Hanwei Practical Hand and a Half Sword restructures the original concept for today's re-enactment and stage needs. The Practical version rivals the Albrecht in many ways but was built to ...

If you've ever been disappointed by a replica sword which didn't hold up to a practice swing, you'll be pleased with the Practical Viking Sword from CAS Hanwei. Built with re-enactment and stage applications in mind, it's made for hitting and toned down just a little for safety reasons.

Swords ...

Becker Knife & Tool once produced a wide variety of survival knives built to the specifications of founder Ethan Becker, who had a longstanding interest in big knives. Now produced under the guidance of Ka-Bar, the Becker BK-9 Combat Bowie is one of the best Beckers for the ...

Hanwei Forge produced four different functional versions of the Zatoichi stick sword under the guidance of master smith Paul Chen. This traditional katana of folded steel and rosewood is the best of the four.

Hanwei Forge doesn't directly compare the quality of its swords to antique combat weapons. In many ...

The Henckels Twin Pro S 3-Inch Paring Knife with serrated cutting edge should be teamed up with a good plain-edged paring knife, but there definitely are kitchen tasks where the serrated blade excels. Just don't expect peeling cuts to be smooth and flawless when clawed by this little beast.

Where you ...

Wusthof makes this Classic 5-Inch Soft Cheese Knife with most of the same strong features as the knives the company builds for tougher jobs. That means more control and more forgiveness from the blade, if you tackle just a little more than you thought you did.

Because soft cheese knives are ...

Boning knives like the Wusthof Classic 4-Inch Boning knife aren't always included in block knife sets and aren't usually the first knife recommended for the beginning chef. The design is much like the filet knife used on fish, but created especially for separating tougher meat from bone. Wusthof's ...

Wusthof builds the Classic Steak Knife with the same care devoted to its larger prep knives. High quality Solingen steel blades and classically styled handles match many contemporary dining patterns and work efficiently as good steak knives should.

Many of the features of the four knives in the Classic ...

The Musashi Koga Ninja Katana Sword comes with plenty of interesting extra features. Some lend the weapon a little of the technical mystique that gave the ninjas their unusual reputation. The full tang sword is strongly built but lacks some of the refinements of combat quality weapons.

The simpler blade construction ...

The Becker BK3 Tac Tool, now made by Ka-Bar, resulted from a collaboration between Ethan Becker of Becker Knife and Tool and John Benner of Tactical Defense Institute. The original purpose of the Tac Tool was to provide emergency entry into locked or barricaded rooms. Even though the ...

The Ka-Bar Becker BK2 Campanion brings back an older survival knife that became a collector's piece after the original manufacturer -- Becker Knife & Tool -- shut down in 2007. Ka-Bar holds true to the original concepts of the Campanion, and the new version still comes close to the ...

This 8-inch forged bread knife from Victorinox is a perfect size for small loaves, bagels, and rolls, but not quite enough blade for large homemade breads. If you do a lot of sandwich prep, it's a handy tool and more than enough knife.

The serrated edge of this blade isn't ...

The Victorinox Curved Bread Knife with 8-inch forged blade and POM handle is a better size for rolls and bagels than large loaves. This is a slightly new approach to serrated edges and doesn't work the same way new owners may expect.

Instead of sawteeth, the Victorinox curved bread knife incorporates a ...

Trademark Global's 3-Piece Sushi Knife set has everything the high-end Asian knives offer except the best steel. If you're an expert at sharpening knives, you may find this budget-priced assortment good enough.

The shapes offered are traditional and intended only for sushi. Although they may look like European ...

This basic Victorinox 7-Piece Knife Block Set includes four useful knives from the stamped steel and Fibrox line of Victorinox cutlery. Lightweight but high quality, these practical knives are one of the best cutlery bargains available.

Aside from the standard block set tools of kitchen shears and honing steel, ...

The Masahiro Empire Wheel Samurai katana goes well past display quality, giving collectors and recreational users a beautiful weapon capable of tamashigiri, or functional cutting practice. The details of this starter level sword from Fully Handmade will impress blade lovers.

Fully Handmade does produce traditional hand-forged blades using the old and ...

The 15-piece Knife Block Set from Anolon gives good value but a strange mix of old-fashioned features and modernistic all-stainless design. The knife assortment includes six of the most used prep knives and a matching set of six all-stainless-steel steak knives, enough for the average kitchen and ...

One of Ryumon Sword's simplest swords, this natural shirasaya hand-forged katana could also be one of the company's best bargains. Though the unfinished katana demands some time and effort from the owner, it has potential as a good first sword.

Made at Longquan Forge in Longquan Village, China, this basic ...

Without being too critical of what is clearly a well-made knife, I wonder what exactly the Alaskan Survival Knife by Gil Hibben was intended to do. I also wonder why it was endorsed by the Alaskan Professional Hunters Association, because to me it looks like a fantasy blade from United ...

This forged boning knife from Victorinox has some definite advantages over lighter, stamped steel versions. The boning knife is a tricky thing to get right -- the blade needs flexibility and a narrow style like a fillet knife, but also needs enough strength for twisting turning in tough ...

The Kershaw Whiplash is certainly an intriguing idea and does have some good things going for it, but it's an unusual concept not everyone will love.

The Kershaw Whiplash is a full tang fixed blade, but your first thought when you see it might be that it folds. In order ...

The Victorinox Cimeter brings back an older butcher knife design more familiar to hunters than to most chefs. This 14-inch knife has the blade length necessary for quickly dividing large carcasses and large cuts of meat, along with an upswept point well-designed for piercing.

The more familiar butcher knife pattern uses ...

If not for the half-serrated cutting edge, the Bear & Son 444SR Guthook knife would be a serviceable and economical knife for deer and smaller game. Because the serrations will be tough to keep sharp without professional help, it's a much better choice for the boat than ...

The CIA's Masters Collection Hyde Park 7-Piece Block set was designed by the master chefs on the faculty of the Culinary Institute of America. This non-profit culinary training college has sixty years of experience and gains some financial support by field-testing professional cutlery on-site in training kitchens and the ...

The stamped blades of Victorinox knives match the performance of more expensive forged designs but come up short on looks -- unless you like black synthetic handles. If you'd prefer something nicer but with the same light, high-performance blades, consider this 3-Piece Chef's Set featuring handle slabs of genuine ...

Much of the work that produced this 8-piece Knife Block Forged set from Victorinox actually happened in Solingen, the cutlery capitol of Germany. Forged from German high carbon stainless steel, the knives undergo final shaping and polishing in Switzerland.

The fundamentals of these knives match the quality of ...

Wusthof's Classic Ikon 8-Piece Block Set combines five fundamental kitchen prep knives with a sharpening steel, a stout pair of kitchen shears, and a hardwood storage block containing several extra slots. Though it's certainly not budget-priced, you do get beautiful and reliable knives with features much improved ...

In the Classic Ikon 2-Piece Asian Cook's Set, Wusthof pairs two knives which have a good chance of being nearly everyone's favorite blades. The paring knife -- often the first knife a chef picks up in the kitchen -- and the matching santoku bring Asian improvements to an already good ...

This real-world version of the Urahara Shikai Katana -- from the Japanese anime series Bleach -- serves as a physical reminder of a powerful magical weapon. Bleach tells a complex tale of supernatural war between enigmatic soul reapers like Urahara and evil "hollows" avoiding the fate of souls after death. ...

Hanzo Steel refers to this good cutting blade as the Ninja Survival Master Katana. Not as refined as more expensive versions, the fully functional Hanzo Steel Ninja Katana includes some interesting survival perks more costly swords do not.

Forged and tempered to survive cutting practice, this sword really is good enough ...

Though it's better known for its many styles of fantasy and replica weapons, United Cutlery also designs knives in a tactical style. Imported from China, the practical offerings from United Cutlery include the M48 Kommando Fighter Knife. With the makers and most of the technical specifications somewhere on the other ...

Enough knives to outfit the average modern kitchen combine with a quality oak storage block in this 18-piece assortment from Wusthof's moderately priced Gourmet series. Lighter in build than Wusthof's Classic forged knives, the Gourmet line offers modern computer-controlled construction. Laser-cut steel lowers the cost without dropping ...

This set of three useful knives offers a good look at the quality and workmanship of Messermeister, an established German cutlery company which only began marketing in the U.S. in 1984. If you're familiar with Henckels and Wusthof, you'll recognize the style of Solingen, Germany, but there are ...

Available with either a 9-inch or 8-inch serrated blade, this high carbon stainless steel bread knife from Wusthof cuts bread, bagels, rolls, and fine pastries accurately and cleanly. The serrated cutting edge should last for years without sharpening, but works best if you save this knife for baked goods and ...

The Wusthof Classic 3 Piece Starter Cutlery Set equips the beginning chef with three essential prep knives which will literally last a lifetime. This selection also makes a great upgrade for those who started out with less.

All three knives from Wusthof's Classic series feature forged solid steel bolsters and ...

The Wusthof Ikon Blackwood Paring Knife shows definite improvements compared to Wusthof's older styles, but one thing that hasn't changed is the steel.

This full tang knife with forged bolsters at the blade base and the butt of the handle makes an already strong design even stronger. Perfectly fitted handle slabs ...

Designed by Alan Folts of Greenville, N.C., the Folts Minimalist neck knife produced by Columbia River Knife and Tool friction-fits in an inverted sheath worn around the neck. Grasp the deep finger chorls of the handle or the braided nylon fob hanging from it and pull the knife free ...

Browning, the famous American rifle manufacturer, produced only 2,000 of these collector's knives as part of its Hunting Traditions series. Beginning in 2008, Browning produced these limited edition knives in two themes -- Whitetail and Mallard.

Produced as a collector's knife and presentation piece, the Browning Whitetail Model 321290 fits a hollowed ...

From Handmade Sword's mid-level series, the #132 Japanese Tanto meets practical standards and in most ways follows the classical pattern of this old samurai backup blade.

This model of Handmade's hand-forged full tang tantos features a double-edged blade of 1060 carbon steel with better edge-holding ability and a sleeker appearance than ...

Cutting through a block of hard Parmesan cheese might be one of the more dangerous jobs in the kitchen, if you have the wrong knife. This one is right -- the Wusthof Classic 2-3/4-inch Parmesan Cheese knife, designed for dividing hard cheeses into smaller pieces safely.

This unique blade was built ...

One of the finest salmon slicing knives Wusthof makes, the Classic Hollow-Ground Salmon Slicer with 12-inch-long blade was made specifically for slicing thin sheets of smoked salmon, also known as lox. The paper-thin cuts provide all the flavor of this expensive fish with less waste.

When slicing salmon by hand, the ...

The nakiri bocho, a common knife in Japanese kitchens, usually has a rectangular cleaver style blade with a rounded cutting edge on the forward corner of the blade. Wusthof's Classic Nakiri Vegetable Knife follows the same general pattern but with the strong forged bolster style of Wusthof's Classic knives. Claims ...

A chef's knife with a 12-inch cutting edge is a little beyond the range of most people, since a classical knife that large is too heavy for most to use comfortably, and a good forged knife of that size costs a pretty penny. The 12-inch Chef's Knife from R.H. Forschner/Victorinox ...

This flexible boning knife with six-inch-long blade follows contours well and slips into tight places, allowing clean cuts with very little waste. Chefs prefer stiffer blades for the tougher meats like beef, but the Wusthof Gourmet performs well for fish and poultry, and Wusthof recommends it for ham.

I've enjoyed some ...

At the end of the fishing day when you're tired, it's time to clean the fish. If you'd rather not struggle with poor tools, a good fillet knife like the Wusthof 4622 Classic 7-inch fillet knife makes the last chore of the day go quickly.

Forged from high carbon stainless ...

Messermeister's Park Plaza series offers fine prep knives in stamped equivalents of the company's forged Meridian Elite brand. Slightly lighter than the forged steel version, the Park Plaza 9-Inch Chef's knife still has full tang strength and a fine edge taper grind.

Stamped from a blank of no-stain X50CrMoV15 high carbon stainless ...