10 New Outdoor Knives and Tools to Keep an Eye on in 2015
Daniel Xu 04.16.15
It’s already mid-April, and that means that the products showcased at this year’s SHOT Show have already long left Las Vegas and started appearing on store shelves. Included among them are this year’s batch of new knives and outdoor tools, and there are quite a few new designs that may make you sit up and take notice. Sure, you may still wear your father’s battered old bowie into the woods or that Buck folder that’s been in your car for the last 20 years, but there’s no harm in looking, right?
Here is my list of the 10 new knives and tools for 2015 that you might want to keep an eye on. If that tax return is still burning a hole in your wallet, then you might want to consider checking out one of these.
1. Gerber StrongArm
The StrongArm is Gerber’s latest tactical-minded survival knife, designed specifically around military survival training. Gerber seems to have designed this knife with inspiration from its Infantry series, and added a diamond-texture handle for additional grip, along with a neat modular sheath system for multiple carry options. You can find it here.
- Type: Fixed blade survival
- Blade length: 4.8 inches
- Overall length: 9.8 inches
- Weight: 7.2 ounces
- Blade material: 420HC
- Handle material: glass-filled nylon with rubber overmold
- Retail price: $86
2. Outdoor Edge Brush Demon
A beast of a knife from Outdoor Edge, this large camp knife was designed by big blade expert Jerry Hossom. Notice the shape of the knife, which resembles a historic Kopis. Expect to see a review from OutdoorHub soon. You can find this knife here.
- Type: Large blade/ Camp knife
- Blade length: 15.5 inches
- Overall length: 20 inches
- Weight: 22.4 ounces
- Blade material: 65Mn Carbon Steel
- Handle material: Non-slip rubberized TPR
- Retail price: $69.95
3. CRKT BT-70
Designed by one of the founding fathers of tactical knife design, this folder from CRKT is both sleek and designed for heavy duty use. New Mexico knifemaker Bob Terzuola’s newest creation is a knife that is meant to be tested in the field, yet small enough to carry. You can find it here.
- Type: Folding knife
- Blade length: 4.03 inches
- Overall length: 9.1 inches
- Weight: 7.6 ounces
- Blade material: AUS 8
- Handle material: G10
- Retail price: $150
4. SOG Huntspoint Boning
The latest in SOG’s Huntspoint series, this flat-ground knife is light but robust—just the thing to tackle big game with. You can find it here.
- Type: Hunting knife
- Blade length: 3.6 inches
- Overall length: 8.2 inches
- Weight: 3.7 ounces
- Blade material: S30V
- Handle material: Glass reinforced nylon and TPR overmold
- Retail price: $127
5. Buck 245 MWG Navy Seal Knife
Touting the motto of “Designed by a SEAL for SEALs,” the 245 Matt Would Go knife pays tribute to Special Warfare Operator First Class (SEAL) Matthew J. Leathers, whose knifeworking skills inspired this knife. Leathers was lost at sea in 2013. His father, Tim Leathers, now produces these expertly crafted blades. You can find them here.
- Type: Survival knife
- Blade length: 4 inches
- Overall length: 9 inches
- Weight: 6.3 ounces
- Blade material: 5160 steel
- Handle material: Camo Micarta
- Retail price: $245
6. Benchmade Jungle Bolo
A bit of a departure for Benchmade, the jungle bolo is an ambitious experiment by the company to venture into new—or in this case, old—designs. Just like its historical ancestors, the Benchmade jungle bolo excels at one things: clearing brush. You can find it here.
- Type: Machete/Camp knife
- Blade length: 9.69 inches
- Overall length: 14.29 inches
- Weight: 11.82 ounces
- Blade material: 1095 Spring Steel
- Handle material: Not specified
- Retail price: $125
7. Outdoor Edge Wood Devil
Got wood? This lightweight and compact axe is ready to handle all your chopping needs. You can find it here.
- Type: Camp axe
- Blade length: 4 inches
- Overall length: 9.9 inches
- Weight: 18 ounces
- Blade material: 3Cr13 stainless steel
- Handle material: Non-slip rubberized TPR with a red ABS core
- Retail price: $49.95
8. SOG Survival Hawk
Lighter and boasting more features than the other products in SOG’s excellent tomahawk selection, the survival hawk is built to be a true multipurpose tool. Included with the Survival Hawk is a ferrocerium firestarter, paracord, nail puller, hammering head, and multipurpose blade. You can find it here.
- Type: Tomahawk
- Blade length: 3 inches
- Overall length: 12.1 inches
- Weight: 19.50 ounces
- Blade material: 2CR
- Handle material: Glass-reinforced nylon
- Retail price: $64
9. Benchmade 162-1 Bushcrafter
For all those unplanned adventures in life, this bushcraft knife from Benchmade is designed to tackle them. Looks like yet another excellent survival knife to take along with you during your next expedition. You can find it here.
- Type: Survival knife
- Blade length: 4.43 inches
- Overall length: 9.2 inches
- Weight: 7.7 ounces
- Blade material: S30V
- Handle material: Not specified
- Retail price: $215
10. CRKT Hunt’N Fisch
CRKT sure seems to love their puns. This knife is named after bowhunter and knife designer Larry Fischer, and it also happens to be his first design. Unfortunately, Fischer passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer before the knife made it to market. CRKT has earmarked 100 percent of all profits from this knife to go to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in Fischer’s memory. You can find it here.
- Type: Hunting and fishing utility knife
- Blade length: 2.99 inches
- Overall length: 7.25 inches
- Weight: 3.6 ounces
- Blade material: 8Cr13MoV
- Handle material: G10
- Retail price: $99
