Reiff Knives hit the scene with a objective and simply raised the bar with two new additions to their ever-popular F4 collection that includes a Scandi grind and MagnaCut metal. It seems to be like good simply received a complete lot higher. It is protected to say that Reiff Knives has as soon as once more outdone themselves.
Reiff Brothers
Born from a household inclined to the nice outside and a respect for blade cultures, these knives aren’t simply instruments—they’re a slice of Americana. Crafted with the standard that will make your grandpappy nod in approval, every knife is a testomony to American ingenuity and elbow grease. With metal that laughs within the face of wear and tear and tear and handles that match like a glove.
Ben and Stu Shank have taken a major threat by beginning Reiff Knives. They’re pushed by their love for knives and are acquainted with American manufacturing startup ventures. They had been raised within the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia.
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They realized important abilities reminiscent of capturing, looking, fishing, and processing sport, in addition to driving four-wheelers and respecting the land. From a younger age, they had been taught to make use of and worth knives, serving to with duties reminiscent of dressing and butchering sport, constructing forts, beginning fires, carving wooden, and anything that required a pointy edge. These sturdy, rugged knives are simply recognizable by the wolf emblem.
“Knives are a part of our household’s heritage and are one among humankind’s oldest, most important instruments.”-Reiff Knives
The toughness of CPM 3V grew to become evident to the creator when he pounded the OG saber floor into an ammo canister and pounded it deep with a chunk of hardwood. Zero harm was executed!
Unique F4 Saber
Two Steels? That’s proper, Reiff now affords MagnaCut. Reiff Knives are recognized for his or her high-quality supplies and wonderful craftsmanship. They use CPM 3V metal, recognized for its edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance. The deal with scales are product of G10, a wonderful choice.
Reiff Knives normally include a saber grind and convex edge, which affords the perfect of each worlds. The F4 is a full-sized, strong survival/bushcraft wilderness knife with a blade size of 4 inches and a stonewash end on its 5/32-inch thick backbone. It’s constructed from 5/32 inch thick CPM 3V and now MagnaCut stainless tremendous metal.
It’s exceptionally sturdy and has best-in-class corrosion resistance. The blade has a gorgeous polished stonewash end, and the backbone is sharp sufficient to rain sparks from a ferro rod or scrape tinder.
The ergonomic 5-inch deal with offers a seamless interface between your hand and the software. It options textured pure canvas micarta scales that give a mushy, pure really feel in hand and a certain grip in moist circumstances. The F4 is the right companion for any bushcraft or survival state of affairs.
Above: The F4 scandi grind successfully break up completely lower rounds for a small wooden range with only a gentle baton. The stout scandi grind’s excessive thickness enhance effortlessly splits wooden.
The New Scandi In City
A scandi bushcraft knife is a extremely sought-after software amongst bushcraft fans worldwide. This design options the traditional F4 Bushcraft Survival Knife form with 5/32 inches-thick CPM 3V blade metal.
The knife has a novel 12.5° per aspect (25° inclusive) correct scandi grind, originating in Scandinavia, and is famend for its potential to effortlessly glide by animal hides, meals, and wooden. This grind has a steep, angled major bevel that extends to the sting, permitting for higher management whereas whittling or carving.
The F4 Scandi Bushcraft Knife has canvas micarta deal with scales in 4 totally different coloration choices: black, pure, inexperienced, and black layered. The black canvas micarta scales present a ruggedly pure grip and a agency maintain in moist circumstances. The blade flats are acid-stonewashed, strikingly contrasting the uncooked satin scandi bevel.
First Impressions
The match and end are stellar out of the field. As for the field, few knife firms have nailed the packaging fairly like Reiff. The handles are all comfy, and no person will complain concerning the dimension being dainty. Each edge was hair shaving sharp and evenly floor to perfection. Whether or not Kydex or leather-based, the sheaths had been completely matched to every knife.
Above: Throughout a snowstorm, two Reiff F4s had been left in a lifeless tree to resist the climate. The MagnaCut (prime) model was in comparison with CPM 3V metal.
Actual-World
Proper concerning the time of this evaluation, the Northeast was bracing for 8 inches of snow—an ideal time for the ol neglect check. I caught the OG 3V and the MagnaCut F4s in a lifeless maple tree and waited for snow—and snow we received!
Just a few days later, I eliminated the blades, put them into their sheaths, and hid them in a hollowed tree to allow them to stew within the moisture. After a couple of days, the story of the tape didn’t lie and confirmed that the 3V had floor rust on each side, whereas the MagnaCut remained unaffected. Happily, this didn’t have an effect on their edge or slicing effectivity, which was good, as there was nonetheless a lot work to be executed.
Wooden must be break up in a winter camp. I had a number of rounds completely lower with a bowsaw to suit an Uberleben Stoker range, they usually had been all underneath a number of inches of snow. As a light-weight hiker, I carried the F4 scandi as my major software.
I used a baton to separate the oak and maple rounds in half, and a few had been quartered for smaller kindling. I used the scandi to make a number of feather sticks and crammed the range with them and dead-standing twigs hung up in bushes. I observed the scandi edge would pop the wooden aside simply, and there was no must beat the blade into the oak stump.
I examined the MagnaCut F4 splitting wooden throughout one other outing, similar to I did with the Scandi. The saber grind was in a position to baton by comparable hardwood rounds with ease. Nonetheless, not like the Scandi’s thicker grind, which widens after the sting and has an explosive popping-apart impact, the saber grind didn’t have the identical impact.
Above: The creator made a rapid, quick strive follow two totally different grinds and steels. The scandi model dealt with woodwork higher however required extra management.
Wooden Crafting
I practiced making a couple of strive stick variations utilizing the F4s. The primary process for the 3V saber was to create a strive stick utilizing a inexperienced broomstick-thick stick so long as my elbow to my fingertips. I practiced making as many precious notches as potential utilizing correct knife abilities.
Though strive sticks might be made at numerous ranges and get super-advanced, I aimed for 10 to 12 notches. The F4 knife was excellent for this process as a result of it had a snug deal with, sharp blade, and tip, making it simple to craft the strive stick.
I alternated between the newbies utilizing the scandi and MagnaCut saber on the following mini-try stick made with hardwood. I made a flathead screwdriver, dovetail, saddle, pot hook, 7-notches, a spherical discount, and a degree. These are what I exploit most, and the stick was quick.
The MagnaCut saber grind wanted extra muscle to get by the semi-dry wooden. This was when a full fist grip was used for energy cuts and a chest-lever grip, which showcased the 5-inch deal with and the way comfy it was. In the meantime, the Scandi aggressively eliminated materials. Due to this fact, management should be used.
Above: The creator wielded the scandi F4 CPM 3V variant comfortably and effectively. The zero scandi grind made notching for camp craft swift and easy in a fist grip.
Stake It, Dig It
I’ve a semi-permanent camp with a trusty previous digging stick constructed from stout maple that began as three toes lengthy and shrunk through the years. After hearth prodding and digging, the chisel (shovel-end) should be sharpened each few months.
I enlisted the newer F4s for this straightforward but important process. On seasoned hardwood, the MagnaCut saber sliced away the chisel finish in levels, intentionally altering angles.
On the flip aspect, the scandi made fast work of the chisel finish utilizing a fist grip in fewer strokes. Once more, the big deal with aided in energy cuts, even when utilizing winter work gloves. Rounding the highest portion of the digging stick that nestles within the palm, the saber grind was extra detailed and purposeful in efficiency.
Making stakes for shelters was one other joint effort between the dynamic duo. Whereas they weren’t vampire stakes, I don’t doubt their potential to grow to be so. I favor to make stakes from lifeless hardwood. Naturally, inexperienced wooden is simpler to work with. I principally use deadwood and carve a chisel finish as a substitute of a degree since they’re going in laborious, rocky floor.
I add a easy 7-notch, barely beveling the highest placing portion. Typically, a baton helps make a wonderful cross-grain cease lower when making the 7-notch with any knife in deadwood. Each F4 blades pulled it off like champs, as their 58-62 HRC didn’t chip or roll—interval.
Above: The 2 new F4 variants are wonderful for making feather sticks. Nonetheless, this was as a result of their grinds moderately than metal.
Finesse
Feather sticks are a vital a part of wilderness survival abilities. They need to be effective sufficient to simply catch a spark from a Ferro rod, an open flame like a match or lighter, or quick-flash tinders like cattail fluff and pampas grass.
Wooden is damp and beginning to rot throughout late winter and early fall. I favor to separate wooden with a sturdy knife like a Reiff to look at the within of the wooden. Nonetheless, larger-diameter wooden is best left as gasoline. Usually,
I break up something as much as wrist-thick wooden with a knife and break it down into finger, pencil, and matchstick-thick items if every part is damp. I used thumb-to-broomstick-thick items to make feather sticks utilizing the scandi and saber MagnaCut.
Each labored effectively. The MagnaCut saber grind on slim sticks makes effective curls when rotating the stick barely with each stroke. When the wooden is just too broad, it was tougher to chunk into. The scandi at all times bit deeply, but it surely requires extra management to keep away from making the feathers lengthy and broad slivers. Nonetheless, this has extra to do with grind and method than with 3V and MagnaCut variants.
Above: Leather-based pants for the Reiff F4 Scandi Knife from JRE Industries and a tricky black Kydex sheath for the MagnaCut sibling. Each sheaths have a Ferro rod loop included.
Sheaths
The F4 Scandi knife is presently shipped with a brown leather-based sheath from JRE Industries. This sheath includes a dangler and Firesteel loop, and the blade suits completely snugly within the sturdy leather-based, making it a sturdy choice for any knife. However, each saber-ground F4 knives include a black Kydex sheath with a swivel belt attachment.
This attachment permits the sheath to be simply connected with out fussing with the belt. The Kydex sheaths did not crack or deform when left outside within the blustery winter circumstances. Whereas testing the F4 Saber grounds, I blended up the sheaths and realized that it did not matter as every model match effective. Nonetheless, avoiding attempting to suit the Scandi model into the Kydex sheath is suggested.
Above: Hone as a substitute of sharpen. Use a leather-based strop, ceramic, or a Wazoo Gear Viking Whetstone.
Staying Eager
Hone—don’t sharpen. If you happen to stick with this rule, you’ll by no means really feel the hindrance of sharpening 3V or MagnaCut with stones or some other materials—by no means allow them to get boring.
A leather-based strop, ceramic, or Arkansas novaculite present in a Wazoo Gear Viking Whetstone can be your pal and hold you from the grind related to harsh stones and much-needed elbow grease. Nonetheless, for those who nick your Reiff, you might must make a journey again to the Stone Age—however that is uncertain with a Reiff!
Closing
These heirloom-quality knives are designed to be your lifetime companions in any journey, from dense backwoods to difficult entrance traces. Whether or not you could carve feather sticks, construct a hearth, craft camp implements, or field-dress your sport—the F4s are as much as the duty.
Relaxation assured that these instruments include a lifetime guarantee, so you may get pleasure from utilizing a top-quality, American-made software with none worries. Get your arms on a Reiff Knife and expertise the unparalleled pleasure of a reliable software!
A Pocketable Different: Reiff Knives F3XC
F3XC
The Reiff Knives F3XC stands out from the F4’s distinctive design and compact dimension. It’s excellent for on a regular basis carry and can also be a dependable software for outside actions. It has a complete size of 6.875 inches, with 3.875 inches within the deal with, and a blade size of two.9 inches with a 2.65-inch leading edge. The blade includes a black Cerakote end with a backbone thickness of about .125 inches. The specifically sharpened pommel permits for simple use with a Ferro rod.
The F3XC is Reiff Knives’ first knife within the 3-inch vary and is designed to resist excessive circumstances. Its total weight is 5 ounces, with 3.9 ounces for the knife. The F3XC comes with a black Kydex sheath designed for neck carry, making it simple to take with you wherever you go.
The F3XC is sensible for on a regular basis use and ideal for outside actions. It’s a versatile software that may deal with numerous duties, making it a vital software for any adventurer. MSRP is $245.00
Sources
In regards to the Writer
Adventurer, author, photographer, and survival teacher for Randall’s Journey & Coaching, Reuben has spent most of his life mountain climbing and backpacking by the wildernesses of the world. He has traveled overseas in excessive environments and seeks out primitive survival methods, building, and makes use of of knives and edged instruments. Reuben has printed many articles on survival, knife and power use, and woodcraft. He stays a lifetime pupil of survival!
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