This article will provide a short overview of the Great Eastern Cutlery #97 Kifer Cutlery Classics Special Factory Order Northfield Allegheny. I received this knife from Gary Kifer of CutleryClassics.com at the 2019 Rendezvous to have, test, and review. I was happy to get a user #97, as I thought it would make a great larger slipjoint carry.
I had some experience with the #97 Allegheny pattern through the Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association 2019 club knife (you can find my article about that knife at this link). I really liked the knife from an aesthetic perspective, but because it is a club knife I reserved it as a collection piece. So I was excited, and looking forward to putting it through its paces, when Gary gave me this one.
The 2019 Allegheny Mountain Collectors Association club knife
To give you the run down on what the knife is; it’s a 4.75″ closed slipjoint with a saber ground clip point blade and coke bottle frame. You can learn more about the coke bottle pattern in my article on the #06 Pemberton at this link. The blade has a double pull, meaning it has both a long pull and a nail nick. The handles are Amber Jigged Bone. It has Cutlery Classics’ trademark shield. The bolster is engraved “23” out of a run of 99. All of these characteristics brought together make it a great reproduction of a vintage large coke bottle hunter.
GEC made several versions of the Allegheny pattern in this first run, with a bunch of handle materials and two different blade grinds, and I think this is one of the best of them.
Not everyone likes a saber grind or the double pull, but I really like its look and the fact that it hearkens back to vintage coke bottle hunters. Although the saber grind can sometimes slice less smoothly through dense materials than a full flat grind or high hollow grind, it has performed well on all kinds of tasks (from breaking down cardboard to gutting fish). I also like the practicality of having both the nail nick and long pull. The nail nick being at the end of the blade provides more leverage, while the long pull will remain above the frame (allowing the blade to be opened) long after the nail nick drops below the frame from sharpening and filing the kick. Of course, most people won’t sharpen the knife enough times for this to be relevant, but as these are heirloom quality knives it’s good to know it could be passed on and continued to be used for years to come.
I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I like the bone color and jigging pattern. The color is a nice malty wheat color, and I think it will continue to mellow and improve with age. I also really like the jigging, as it’s not as uniform as some of GEC’s jigging patterns and it actually provides some grippiness in the hand. Some people found the pull on these #97s to be lighter than they expected on such a big knife, and mine is light for a GEC at about a 4, but the action is very smooth and snappy with great walk and talk. On a user, I think there’s a balance between a pull being too strong to be convenient to open and too weak to keep the blade fully open in use. This knife falls nicely between.
Basically, it’s another well built and classic looking Great Eastern Cutlery that’s equally suited as a user or a collection piece.
I have used this knife a lot since getting it, and I’m enjoying it more and more. It’s certainly a big knife for a slipjoint, but I’ve found it easy to carry and it’s always nice to have that extra blade length. The #97 Northfield Kifer Cutlery Classics Special Factory Order is another top notch knife from Great Eastern Cutlery. If you’d like to get one for yourself, there are still some available on the Cutlery Classics site at this link. Thanks again to Gary for providing this one!
Here’s a video of the knives I got at the 2019 Rendezvous, starting where I talk about the #97
TL;DR? Here’s my video review. Sorry the sound is kind of muffled, not sure why. I was incorrect on one point; Mike has not done more than one run of #77 Barlows per year.
The #77 Northfield Yankee Barlow is one of GEC’s most perennially popular patterns, for good reason. The #77 Northfield Barlow is done exclusively, through a gentleman’s agreement, as a Special Factory Order for Mike Latham of CollectorKnives.net (although GEC does make other knives on the #77 frame). The first #77 Barlows were made in 2014 and simply called the “Northfield Barlow” but on this run the nomenclature has been updated to the “Yankee Barlow”. No matter the name, the #77 Barlow is a classic and highly sought after knife, and in this article I’ll tell you why!
The #77 Yankee Barlow in African Blackwood next to my #15 TC Barlow in black dyed Smooth Ivory Bone
So, what is this knife anyway? It is a swell end shaped jack barlow, meaning it is wider and rounded at the butt end and squared at the blade end with straight sides. Being a barlow, it has an elongated bolster. Like many traditional barlows, the bolster is stamped with an identifying mark. On this knife it is a script “NF” for NorthField. It has a classic long straight spear point blade with cut swedges after a match strike long pull. As a GEC made knife, it is a slipjoint with pin construction. Mine has African Blackwood handles, but this run also had handles in Amber Sawcut Bone, Red Sawcut Bone (which Mike often includes on his SFOs), Natural Linen Micarta, and just a few in Snakewood. All the knives in this run were the same spear point blade shape as mine, and each handle material is reported to have been produced at about 125 knives (except the Snakewood with only ~15). So although it is not as rare as the early runs, it is still a low production run considering GEC’s current output. That, along with the consistent appeal of barlows, make it a highly sought after knife.
The Buck 119 and Yankee Barlow make a handsome and useful duo
So, how does one purchase a CollectorKnives GEC #77 Yankee Barlow? Well, unfortunately, if you haven’t already purchased one of this run directly from CollectorKnives, you’ll have to find one on the secondary market. Mike uses an early reserve system, which you can find at this link, rather than a “drop” system where the knives are posted for sale on his site all at once at a specified date and time. Over the last year or two Mike has put a lot of work into finding the right system to notify people of when knives go up for reserve. As of now, he has landed on using an app called Telegram, which you can find at this link. On that app you’ll need to follow CollectorKnives and allow notifications, so that you know when he posts knives for reserve. This run of Yankee Barlows actually went up for reserve in July of this year I believe, at a time when I wasn’t buying knives, so I missed the reserves. However, Mike had a few knives available and gave some interested people the option to request either African Blackwood, Linen Micarta, or Snakewood. He said that the Snakewood had little character, so although Snakewood was the rarest of the bunch I put African Blackwood as my top pick, and that’s what I got! I really appreciated the opportunity to get one, despite missing the reserves. However, if you missed the reserves that doesn’t mean you will necessarily have to buy one at the much inflated eBay pricing. I suggest checking out the BladeForums Exchange, where people tend to sell at more reasonable prices than on ebay (and are sometimes open to trades), linked here. Secondarily, you could check FaceBook groups like Great Eastern Cutlery, Great Eastern Cutlery Club, etc. You might still have to pay a bit of a premium, over the dealer price of ~$125, but if you keep your eyes peeled I’m sure you can find one at a good value… the Yankee Barlow is worth it!
Case Trapper, Yankee Barlow, Victorinox Alox Farmer
Ontario Rat 1, Yankee Barlow, Spyderco Native 5
So what makes the Yankee Barlow special? Well, naturally, it is built with the attention to detail and high quality that has skyrocketed GEC to popularity. It has great fit and finish (mine did have a very small patina spot on the pile side bolster), with flush transitions, no gaps, a perfectly centered blade, and great grinds. The action is extremely satisfying with about a 5.5 out of 10 pull, smooth and snappy with great walk and talk and a half stop, even with no blade play. The edge came more thinly ground than most I’ve gotten from GEC, although like many it was thicker at the belly, so I did re-apex it. One thing that seems to bother some is the “CK” CollectorKnives etch. This addition is not something that Mike wanted or requested; Great Eastern Cutlery recently instituted a policy that all SFOs must have an etch identifying the ordering dealer. It’s a perplexing policy that doesn’t seem to help anyone, but I don’t want to say too much one way or the other until I know the reasoning behind the policy. I did call GEC, but Joan Mae (their new sales manager) didn’t know the reason for the policy. I then emailed Bill directly, but I haven’t heard back from him as of this writing. Mike made the good call of having the etch put on the pile side, and used a very minimalist version of his logo. The only downside of it to me is that the knife that makes the “K” in the logo is a modern knife, but that is a tiny very petty nitpick, and the etch will eventually wear off with use and polishing.
The CollectorKnives “CK” etch as required by GEC’s new policy
However, any negatives with the etch are far outshined by the classic beauty and practicality of the knife. It just looks great. The stamped elongated bolsters and dark African Blackwood scales, with some streaks of brown and nice chatoyance underneath, give it the look of a classy refined barlow. The long straight spear point would fit in great next to the vintage knives it is based upon, especially with the matchstrike pull and cut swedges. Beyond its good looks, the Yankee Barlow will also make a great user. Because it’s a little larger than the GEC #15 frame, it’s easier to get a full four finger grip and bear down in use. You also get about 3″ of blade, which is a solid length for an easily carryable pocket knife. The spear point offers a generous amount of straight edge, but enough belly to be useful and a tip that should work for most piercing tasks. Although it’s not a cheap knife, it will make a great user, and it will sure look handsome while in use!
Overall, as you have probably inferred, I am very happy to have gotten this Great Eastern Cutlery made Northfield #77 CollectorKnives Yankee Barlow in African Blackwood. Not only is it a great knife, but I received it upon coming home from a Meniscectomy, so it was quite a good cheer me up! Don’t forget to subscribe here via email for updates when I post new articles, check out and subscribe to my YouTube channel, like my FaceBook page, and follow my instagram feed.
T(oo)L(ong);D(idn’t)R(ead)? Here’s the accompanying video review.
The WarHorse is a modern slipjoint made by LionSteel for CollectorKnives. It’s one that I’ve been looking forward to trying for a while, as CollectorKnives announced it on their Early Reserve page early this year. I had previously tried the CollectorKnives Shuffler, which is the single clip blade version, and liked it other than the handle material. The main reason I decided to get this knife is a bit convoluted; Mike at CollectorKnives had an SFO made by Great Eastern Cutlery in 2014 of a #77 NorthField barlow with clip point and wharncliffe full sized blades. I decided not to get one and wish I had. When I saw Mike was doing one of his modern barlows with the same blade combination I decided to check one out.
Two big full blades, clip and wharncliffe
The WarHorse is an interesting mix of modern and traditional. First and foremost, it is a slipjoint. It is non-locking, and uses a backspring to stay open and stay closed. It also has the hallmarks of a traditional barlow; an elongated bolster on a jack frame. Additionally, it’s a two hand opening knife that uses long pulls. Finally, on the traditional side, the clip point and wharncliffe blades are traditionally shaped. However, that’s where the traditionality ends. Rather than being pinned, the WarHorse is held together with torx screws. It also has a pin that the blade kicks fall upon when closed, eliminating the risk of blade rap. Finally, rather than the blades pivoting directly against the liners like on a traditionally built knife, the WarHorse has phosphor-bronze washers between the blades and liners.
The grip is comfortable enough with either blade open due to the width of the handle
The grip is slightly more ergonomic with the Wharncliffe open
LionSteel did a great job making this knife. It came with nice action; great walk and talk, healthy snap, and a nice 5.5ish pull (just a little stronger than a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife). The blades are nice and tight, with no play or wobble, and they’re both centered dead down the barrel. The fit is different than on a traditionally made knife. Since the knife is held together with screws, the transitions between handle cover and bolster and liners and springs can’t be polished flat. Instead, all of the edges are nicely rounded so that they come together smoothly. The washers help to provide extremely smooth action without any blade play right out of the box, but they also create small gaps between the blades/springs. The blades seem to be ground quite thin, for good slicing capabilities, and evenly. The long pulls (which, unlike on the vast majority of traditional slipjoints, are on both sides of the blade) are a little more rounded than I’d prefer. A traditional long pull has a square / angled inside upper edge which allows the fingernail to catch securely, whereas the WarHorse long pulls are radiused. This radius can sometimes lead to my fingernail slipping off the blade, especially on the pile side wharncliffe blade. Although the WarHorse is not traditionally built, it is certainly built well.
Back springs with no spacer
Stop pin that eliminates blade rap
Brass washers for smooth action
Perfect centering and full blades
Really nice carbon fiber goes well with the titanium bolster
Collector Knives etch
One of the WarHorse’s biggest drawing points is its high end materials. It comes in several different handle materials including olive wood, ram horn, ebony wood, and carbon fiber. I went with the carbon fiber, because I think it really fits with the traditional meets modern aesthetic. Knives have been handled in synthetic materials for around a hundred years, like micarta and celluloid, but carbon fiber is a new age material and I felt that it represented the mix of modern and traditional in the overall WarHorse. It is handsome carbon fiber, with no noticeable voids and a nice even weave. The blades are M390 steel. M390 is a recent super steel that is well liked for its high performance across all categories: edge holding, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpenability. Finally, the liners and bolsters are a nice tumbled titanium, for strength and lightness. The materials on the WarHorse are high end, but I do believe (if the WarHorse was made with pin construction) the materials do not exclude it from being a traditional knife. I really appreciate the high end materials that make up the WarHorse, especially considering super steels are so rare on production slipjoints.
Ready to put in lots of work
Overall, I think the WarHorse is a knife that the slipjoint market needs. It brings to the market a knife with high end materials and newer build technology while retaining a respect for and homage to the traditional knives from which it draws inspiration. I don’t think it has the same spirit and soul as a traditionally made barlow, if I’m being honest, but it offers more muscle and utility to even things out. The WarHorse builds a bridge between the modern and traditional knife segments, and hopefully will continue the trend of production knife companies making knives with traditional designs.
Compared to some recent GEC patterns, the #29 and #97
Thickness compared to the single blade #97 and 3 blade/spring #29
Compared to the Spyderco Domino and Spyderco Native
The WarHorse is a CollectorKnives exclusive. You can get one for yourself from CollectorKnives.net (they are in stock as of 8/20/19). You can find all of the different versions for between $162 and $172 at this link. Tell Mike you heard about the WarHorse on Knife Thoughts!
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The Spyderco Native Chief is a knife I’ve been waiting to get my hands on for a long time. I first dipped my toes into the world of knife enthusiasm in earnest when I found BladeForums looking for a longer version of the old FRN Spyderco Native. I had been given one and, although I do like the normal sized Native (especially the updated Native 5), I thought that a longer version would be a superior knife. In my head first dive into the rabbit hole that is online knife forums, I eventually found a picture of the Spyderco Native Chief prototype from 1999. There were whispers across the knife community that it was coming, but no one knew when. Then, without warning, this year Spyderco announced that the Native Chief would finally be released; the knife that was promised had come after 20 years!
The Native Chief with a couple other long slender knives, the Camillus made Remington Guide and Great Eastern Cutlery made Northfield Ben Hogan (top to bottom)
This article will give you my thoughts on the Spyderco Native Chief. My experience with this knife is facilitated by Rivers Edge Cutlery. Rivers Edge Cutlery recently started a knife pass-around program, wherein they select a group of knife enthusiasts to try out a knife for about a week then send it along to the next person on the list. I was very excited to see that the Native Chief was the first knife in the program, and jumped on the opportunity to get try out this knife. I really appreciate Rivers Edge Cutlery giving me the chance. I took full advantage of my time with the knife, and will provide a thorough and honest Knife Thoughts review of the Spyderco Native Chief.
The fabled Spyderco Native Chief prototype from 1999. Notice the swedged blade with a hollow grind, more like the older FRN Native. The production Native Chief that came to fruition in 2019 has a full flat grind and handle shape more like the Native 5. This image is not mine, I claim to ownership of it. It was found at this Spyderco forum thread.
Materials
The Native Chief has pretty standard materials for a U.S. made Spyderco. The handle is made of linerless black g10. The g10 has a fairly grippy texture, which lands pretty close to the center of Spyderco’s g10 when it comes to texture aggressiveness. The handle feels solid with no flex, despite the lack of liners. In my experience using knives, liners are more of an aesthetic thing than a structural necessity. I’ve used several linerless g10 and FRN handled Spydercos in what most would consider “hard use” with no issues. The blade is CPM S30V. CPM S30V is still a really good steel, and one that Spyderco certainly knows how to correctly heat treat to bring out its highest qualities. Some people might claim that a knife in this price range should have an even more modern steel, as there is a contingent of knife enthusiasts who see CPM S30V as less than current and not a super steel. I personally have used Spyderco’s CPM S30V a lot and am very happy with its mix of edge holding, sharpenability, stain resistance, and toughness (probably, roughly, in that order). It will hold an edge longer than VG10 or 154CM, is more stainless than AUS8 and 8CR13MOV, and won’t chip as easily and is less difficult to sharpen than things like CPM S110V and the like. On this knife in my use, slicing up vegetables for salads and cutting (a whole lot of) cardboard, the steel performed extremely well and more than what I consider a value for this knife’s price. However, I do find it strange that Spyderco went with CPM S30V, like on the older model Natives, rather than CPM S35VN, like on the Native 5. They made the Native Chief’s design more like that of the Native 5, so I don’t know why they wouldn’t go with the Native 5’s steel. I guess that’s a question for Sal!
The Native Chief sitting victoriously on a pile of cardboard it vanquished at work
Specifications
The Native Chief is not a small knife. It boasts a 4.08″ blade and a 5.08″ handle. Despite the 50/50 choil, this long blade makes for a solid cutting edge of 3.58″. In comparison to something like the PM2, this makes for a slightly better edge length to handle length ratio, meaning the Native Chief fits more usable blade into the handle. The blade is .125″ thick, with a full flat grind and distal taper. This means that the blade grind thins both from the spine down to the edge and from the handle toward the tip, making for a thin edge and pointy tip. Despite its ample length, the Native Chief weighs in under 4oz. The main thing to glean from the Native Chief’s specifications is that it packs a respectable blade and edge length considering its handle size and weight.
The Native Chief, Native 5, and GEC Tidioute #15 TC Barlow for size comparison
Design
By design, the Native Chief is an elongated Spyderco native 5. If you place the Native 5 on top of the Native Chief they line up perfectly for most of the design, the blade is just more gently curved toward on the edge and spine and the handle is continued on the same line. With an inch longer blade, the Native Chief has a long and slender blade somewhere between a spear point (like the older versions of the Native) and a leaf shape. It has some straight edge near the handle then a long gentle curve, pretty close to equal between the spine and edge, toward a very acute point. This blade shape has lent itself noticeably well to kitchen tasks. Some people scoff at using a folding knife for food prep, but it any pocket knife is cut out for it it’s the Native Chief. With a nice thinly ground blade, it slices as easily through peppers, tomatoes, and other food stuffs as it does through cardboard. Now, some people have commented on the thinness of the tip on the Native Chief. Admittedly, it does have a quite fine tip due to the distal taper. I do think that for the majority of knife users the tip is fine enough that you’ll be more likely to break the tip than on the average modern knife in this price range. However, this thin tip also allows for more precise cutting and piercing. So, although it might take some more mindful use, I do think when used correctly the tip should not be an issue.
A spectrum of peppers sliced with the Native Chief
Like the other knives in the Native family, it has a 50/50 finger choil. This means that a scallop is formed for the index finger half with the handle and half with the blade. On the Native 5 the main grip area, without the finger choil, is just short of providing a full 4 finger grip for me. On the other hand, the Native Chief’s main grip area is more than ample for a solid 4 finger grip with room to spare. I like the finger choil especially on a longer knife like this because it allows you to choke up on the blade and have more precise control for finer cutting tasks. I find the handle to be extremely ergonomic overall, and comfortable in all kinds of grips (pinch, hammer, reverse, etc.). I do find the sculpting on both sides of the handle help to orient my index finger in a normal pinch or hammer grip.
When the Native 5 is placed on top of the Native Chief it’s easy to see that the Native Chief is an elongated Native 5
The blade is opened, of course, by a Spyder hole. The opening hole on the Native Chief is the same size as that on the Native 5. It certainly works fine, and I don’t think it could be much bigger considering that the blade is not taller on the Native Chief than on the Native 5. The opening is smooth and consistent using the normal thumb opening, and it can easily be middle finger flicked and Spyder dropped. However, I have trouble getting enough purchase to flick the blade open, without using my wrist, using my thumb. I think this is in part due to my thick thumb, and also due to the fact that without a thumb ramp the Native Chief’s Spyder hole sits partially obscured by the handle.
A thumb ramp makes for a slimmer knife…
but can also mean the opening hole is partially obscured
The Native Chief’s blade is locked open and self closed by the classic Spyderco mid-lock. This lock is just an upgraded back lock and its simplicity, reliability, and ease of use make it one of my most favorite lock types. The mid-lock holds the blade open with absolutely no play in any direction and also pulls the blade closed once unlocked. This means you don’t have to worry about the knife closing in use, or opening accidentally when not in use.
A Spyder in the vines
Finally, the Native Chief has a 4 way reversible pocket clip. The clip itself is pretty standard for a U.S. made Spyderco. I tried both tip down and tip up right hand carry, and I have to say that I’m not sure which I prefer. Sometimes on knives as large as the Native Chief I prefer tip down, especially on flippers. Being such a long knife, whichever way you carry it you will have to do some adjusting in your hand when you pull it out of your pocket in order to open it. The good thing is you have both, or rather all 4, options available to you so that you can carry the Native Chief however you like.
Build
The Native Chief is built very similarly to other U.S. made Spyderco knives. It has screw construction and is fully disassemblable. As a pass-around knife mind came to me not brand new and somewhat broken in, but this example has very smooth action. Like I mentioned, it’s not the most easily flickable knife but that’s due to the nature of the mid-lock (it always applies pressure to the tang of the blade during opening/closing) more than the quality of the build. It is easy to open and close one handed with the Spyder hole and has consistent pressure throughout. It locks with no blade play whatsoever, and feels extremely secure in its open state. This knife seems to want to stay a little off center toward the pile, or clip (for right hand carry), side but it’s not rubbing the liners and hasn’t seemed to worsen in the time I’ve had it (see the companion YouTube video to see the exact centering). The blade seems to be ground quite well, both even and consistent. The edge came to me quite sharp even after someone else having and using it for a week, and it just took a few passes on my strop to bring it back to extreme sharpness. The edge also seems pretty even, and the angle seems set thin for aggressive slicing. Overall it’s a very well built knife, as is expected from a top line Spyderco.
Conclusion
The Native Chief is a knife I, and many other knife enthusiasts, have been waiting to see come to fruition for years; it doesn’t disappoint. It is exactly what I hoped it would be, simply an elongated version of Spyderco’s classic Native pattern. It provides more handle for a better grip and more blade for a wider range of suitable cutting tasks. Although the point is probably fragile in comparison to modern knives of more “tactical” or “hard use” designs and the opening hole could be more easily accessed if bigger, these minor gripes are far outshadowed by the good things the Native Chief brings to the table. In my time with this knife I have used it for food prep, opening and breaking down boxes, work usage (cutting paper, opening letters, cutting tape, etc.), and general EDC / every day carry type uses and it has taken everything in stride without breaking a sweat. Considering this is a large made in the U.S.A. knife with high quality materials and build, I think a price tag of ~$160 makes it a good value in today’s modern knife market. I hope to put the Native Chief into my permanent collection at some point, and if you’d like to also you can find it at Rivers Edge Cutlery by following this link. Tell them I sent you!
Rivers Edge Cutlery was generous enough to include me in this pass-around and share some stickers!
P.s. When Spyderco announced the Native Chief they also announced the Emphasis (linked here). I see the Emphasis as a budget version of the Native Chief. Due to their similarities, I hoped to write an article comparing the two. However, I might have to do a separate article on the Emphasis alone. Either way, if you like the general design of this knife but don’t care as much about the lock type or high end materials, and would prefer a more budget friendly price point, keep your eyes peeled for a review of the Emphasis (hopefully) in the future.
This article will tell you why the L.T. Wright GNS Tactical is a great knife that brings together some traditional and some tactical elements. The knife was donated by L. T. Wright Knives as a prize for the winner of the main event match at the Stout Fights Pro Grappling show this past weekend. Therefore, this will also be somewhat of a crossover article for me, as I refereed at the show. Being a prize knife I didn’t get to use or carry it, so unlike my other articles my thoughts here will be based mostly on first impressions. However, I do have experience with L.T. Wright knives so I think I can give a fair, honest, and full review (as always!).
Mike Wilkins, the winner of the main event at Stout Fights Pro Grappling SuperFights 2019, with his prize knife after the event.
Materials and Specifications
The GNS Tactical package actually includes two pieces, a “live” knife and a “trainer”, both with different materials. The live knife has a full tang blade of O1 tool steel, OD Green micarta handle scales, brass and steel handle rivets, and a leather sheath. O1 tool steel is a well liked and widely used steel for outdoors fixed blades. It is not stainless and not a super steel when it come to edge holding / wear resistance, but it is easy to sharpen and pretty tough. OD green micarta is a pretty classic choice for an outdoors or tactical knife, as it is low key but provides good grippiness even when wet. The trainer knife seems to have an aluminum blade, orange g10 handles, and aluminum pins. Many trainer knives are made with aluminum, although in this case there are some burrs that I would definitely file off before using the knife for training, as they could easily leave small cuts. The orange g10 is quite strikingly visible, which is a good thing both to differentiate if from the live knife and to help to see the knife in training. Both knives have a ~4.45″ blade and ~5.1″ handle. The live knife weighs about 8.5 ounces. With those specs, it would be considered a medium sized fixed blade by most. It’s big enough to get most tasks done, without being unweildy to carry or use. This knife, like all L.T. Wright knives, is built by hand in Ohio. Overall the GNS Tactical’s materials and specs are pretty standard for either a tactical or traditional knife.
The GNS with a Blind Horse Knives Woodsman Pro, both in O1 tool steel
Box label
Design
The GNS Tactical is very similar to many outdoor fixed blades. It has a blade shaped somewhere between a drop point and a spear point, similar to a Kephart style knife. It has a simple and comfortable handle with a slight palm swell, small guard, and small upturn at the butt. However, there are some small tweaks that push it more toward the tactical end of the spectrum. First, there is an added swedge near the tip. This swedge makes the tip pointier and better at piercing. Second, the handle has aggressive scallop texturing that make for a much grippier purchase than on the typical traditional fixed blade handle (even in the same material). Beyond those two modifications, it’s very similar to the normal L.T. Wright GNS, which is a pretty standard outdoor fixed blade design. The sheath is the same sheath that comes with several L.T. Wright knives. It is a classic vertical belt carry sheath. It can either be carried low, using the d-ring dangler loop, or higher with the built in loop. I think that, for a tactical knife, the built in higher carry belt loop would be the better choice because it would be kept in place better and would be easier to conceal. The sheath also has a firesteel loop, which is basically a holdover from the more outdoors focused knives in the L.T. Wright lineup. I was thinking that one might be able to put a flashlight in the firesteel loop, but it’d have to be a thinner flashlight than any I’ve seen. Still, even if the firesteel loop is redundant in the tactical usage of the knife, it doesn’t really seem like it’d get in the way. Overall, the GNS Tactical is a really classically designed knife with a few added tactical features.
You can carry it with the extended (and removable) loop…
or higher and more concealed with the built in loop
Both trainer and live knife feel great in both forward grip…
and reverse grip (as well as pinch grip, and really any grip)
Build
L.T. Wright built this knife simply, but very well. The blade is saber ground, meaning it isn’t ground all the way to the spine. Sometimes this kind of grind can be left too thick for my liking. For example, my Blind Horse Knives Woodsman Pro has a saber grind and didn’t cut as well as I’d like, so I had it reground by Razor Edge Knives. However, although I didn’t get to use this knife, this GNS Tactical looked to be ground quite well for good cutting performance. The swedge is also evenly ground. To be honest, the blade grind on this knife looks significantly better than the one that my older Woodsman Pro came with (more on why it’s a relevant comparison later). The handles are held on by steel pins peened into brass tubes and also glued, so they have both mechanical and chemical attachment. This double attachment makes for a sturdy handle. The handles on this knife have been sculpted in a way that I really enjoy. It’s what I’d call a scalloped finish across the entire handle, over top of an already sculpted handle. These finishes together make for a handle that feels great, with no hotspots, but also feels like it would be easy to hold onto even if it were wet or cold. The sheath is extremely well put together. In my experience, it’s clear as soon as you first look it over whether a leather sheath is high or low quality. This one seems built to last, with solid rivets/snaps and thick stitching on good strong feeling leather. As a whole, this knife exudes quality and a readiness to be put to use.
A thinner grind on the L.T. Wright than on my older Blind Horse Knives
The live blade with OD green micarta handles and the trainer with orange g10
The sheath is made of high quality feeling leather
Conclusion
This L.T. Wright GNS Tactical is a nice knife. It has a classic design that has been slightly modified for more tactical secondary features, and it is built extremely well. I do wish that it came with a sheath made more specifically for tactical type carry. Also, the trainer knife was far too pointy for use in the type of training I’m familiar with, as it could easily puncture and cause serious injury when grappling (beyond that, it was well made, and it could easily be ground down to be more safe). However, don’t let two small gripes make you think I don’t like this knife set. In fact, I think the GNS Tactical is a great knife whether you want an outdoors (hunting, fishing, bushcraft, etc.) or tactical (self defense, combat, etc.) fixed blade. I can tell you how it feels great in the hand, has a practical design, and classic materials but the best testimonial comes from the new owner of the knife. Mike Wilkins, who won the knife at the Stout Fights Pro Grappling Superfights, is not a knife enthusiast. In fact, I don’t think he’s ever owned more than a Victorinox Classic. However, after having the L.T. Wright GNS Tactical for a few days Mike said he really likes it, can tell it’s really well made, and he’s looking forward to using it! If you’re looking for a very practical medium sized fixed blade with a flare for the tactical, this might be a good option. You can find a list of authorized dealers at this link.
