Dan Jackson

Dan is the creator of BladeReviews.com. He founded the site in 2010, and for the first 5 years Dan wrote all of the reviews and recorded all of the video reviews. He grew up using pocket knives, and the decision to start the website stemmed from his fascination of all things sharp combined with a deep passion for writing. At this point he has personally reviewed almost 300 knives of all shapes, sizes, and price points. He is widely recognized as an authority on daily carry knives and has consulted with knife companies on product design and has been featured on national media outlets including the WireCutter. In 2016 Dan decided to branch out and experiment with the website by reviewing watches, flashlights, and multi-tools. Today BladeReviews.com features a number of expert authors reviewing a wide range of daily carry gear. He is proud to write detailed long format reviews with original photography. The website remains largely independent with the vast majority of the products reviewed being purchased by Dan personally. When he isn't writing knife reviews from his home in Southwest Florida, or talking about himself in third person, he enjoys practicing law, reading, fishing, cigars, and weight lifting.

At this point he has personally reviewed almost 300 knives of all shapes, sizes, and price points. He is widely recognized as an authority on daily carry knives. He has consulted with knife companies on product design and his opinions on pocket knives have been featured on national media outlets including the WireCutter. In 2016 Dan decided to branch out and experiment with the website by reviewing watches, flashlights, and multi-tools. Today BladeReviews.com features a number of expert authors reviewing a wide range of daily carry gear. He is proud to write detailed long format reviews with original photography. The website remains largely independent with the vast majority of the products reviewed being purchased by Dan personally.

When he isn't writing knife reviews from his home in Southwest Florida, or talking about himself in third person, he enjoys practicing law, reading, fishing, cigars, and weight lifting.

Schrade SCHF1SM Extreme Survival Knife

by Dan Jackson Leave a Comment

The Schrade SCHF1SM is the SCHF1’s little brother. If you are unfamiliar with the SCHF1 I would consider reading my Schrade SCHF1 review to get some background information to put this smaller version of the knife in context.

Buy the Schrade SCHF1 at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Background and Dimensions

So basically, the SCF1SM was made to counter one of the SCHF1’s biggest criticisms, it’s weight. The SCHF1 is a 12.7″ knife made of solid 1070 steel and while it’s a very durable knife, it weighs almost 18 ounces. The SCHF1SM took a bit of a diet and has been paired down to 10.3″ and 12.5 ounces. That said, Schrade managed to keep what made the SCHF1 so popular, the 1 piece all steel construction and very functional edge drop point edge.

Steel and Construction

The SCHF1SM is milled from one solid piece of SAE 1070 High Carbon Steel. 1070 HC is a very popular knife and tool steel because it is very tough and holds an edge well. Schrade doesn’t use a lot of 1070, but I think it was an excellent choice for this survival knife. It’s a steel that I would like to see Schrade use more of, and I get the feeling due the popularity of these knives that we might get to see more Schrade knives in 1070 in the future.

The workmanship is very nice. It feels solid, all of the edges are clean, and it has a light gray matte finish that has held up well. The milling on the screw cap is nice and it threads tightly.

Handle

The SCHF1SM is a hollow handled knife. Historically, hollow handled survival knives have earned a bad reputation. Traditional hollow handled (“Rambo”) survival knives are 2 pieces bolted together can break easily under any kind of heavy use. The SCHF1SM is different from these conventional hollow handled knives because of its one piece construction. I beat the hell out of this knife’s big brother and it showed no signs of failure – I think the smaller version will hold up just as well.

There is a steel cap threaded to the end of the hollow handle. Inside the handle is a screwdriver set. Whats nice about this screwdriver set is that you can easily remove it. Don’t get me wrong, screwdrivers are great, but for a survival knife I think the space is better used for a fire starter, matches or fishing kit. In fact, I would prefer to see Schrade leave the handle empty; it will cut down on cost and let the individual put exactly what they want in there. The cap has a rubber o-ring on it so if you decide to store matches in the handle, they won’t get wet.

One difference between the SCHF1 and the SCHF1SM is that the handle is smaller. It’s a 4.7″ handle vs. the 5.2″ handle of the SCHF1. This may be an issue if you have big hands.

Sheath

The sheath is a simple nylon sheath with a plastic insert and an external pocket. What’s nice is that there are a few different ways to attach the sheath to you or your gear. It has a belt loop, a couple tabs and some eyelets for various points of attachment. It does a good job with blade retention, and I like how the blade doesn’t get caught up on the retention strap.

Schrade SCHF1 Review – Final Thoughts

This knife can be had for right around $50. I think at that price this is an amazing knife for the money. The 1070 high carbon steel, nice plain edge, durable finish, good sheath and near indestructibility all weigh heavily in favor of this knife. For those concerned with weight, the SCHF1SM is a lighter (although smaller) alternative to the SCHF1 and SCHF2. I think it comes down to what you will use the knife for, and your particular survival strategy.

Schrade SCHF1SM Small Extreme Survival One-Piece Drop Forged Spear Point Fixed Blade

Matte Finished SAE-1070 High Carbon Steel Drop Point
Water Proof Hollow Handle End Cap with Removable Magnetic 6-pcs Bit Set and Lanyard
Multiple Carry Position Ballistic Belt Sheath with Removable Storage Pouch
Blade Length: 5.6 inch (14.2 cm) Handle Length: 4.7 inch (11.9 cm)
Overall Length: 10.3 inch (26.1 cm) Weight: 0.81 pounds

If you would like to buy a Schrade SCHF1SM, I recommend purchasing it at Amazon.com or BladeHQ. Thanks for checking out the review.

Schrade SCHF1 Extreme Survival Knife

by Dan Jackson 2 Comments

Last Updated: August 5, 2019
The Schrade SCHF1 is a hollow-handled survival knife. The SCHF1 is almost exactly like the Schrade SCHF2 (I have a Schrade SCHF2 review here) however, the SCHF2 has a drop point blade shape, while the SCHF1 has a spear point shape. If you have already read the SCHF2 review this isn’t going to say much new because the knives are so similar. If you are interested in the best place to purchase the SCHF1 or to find more reviews, please follow this link to the bottom of the page.

Buy the Schrade SCHF1 at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Dimensions and Blade Shape

This is a medium sized knife with a 7.5″ long blade and a total length of 12.7″. The knife weighs 17.8 ounces which isn’t to bad from a knife made of 100% high carbon steel. Schrade does make a smaller, lighter version of the knife, the Schrade SCHF1SM. The blade on the SCHF1 is 7/32″ thick and has a hollow saber grind that chops and splits wood quite well. The SCHF1 is a spear point blade but Schrade also offers the Schrade SCHF2 which is the same size and style of knife but in a spear point configuration.

Steel and Construction

The SCHF1 is milled from one solid piece of SAE 1070 High Carbon Steel. 10 series High Carbon steel has always been popular choice for tools and cutlery and you may already be familiar with it.

10 series steel ranges from 1095-1050 (with 1095 having the most carbon and 1050 the least). Without going into too many details, 1070 is a good choice of steel because it strikes a nice balance between being tough, and holding an edge. (For reference quick reference: 1050 is the toughest steel in the range, but it doesn’t hold an edge well, 1095 holds an edge extremely well, but isn’t as tough.) 1070 is still very tough and holds an edge very well. I think 1070 was an excellent choice of steel for this survival knife. It’s a steel that I would like to see Schrade use more of, and I get the feeling due the popularity of these knives that we might get to see more Schrade knives in 1070 in the future.

The workmanship on the SCHF1 is very nice. It feels solid, all of the edges are clean, and it it’s been hit with a light gray matte finish that has held up well to chopping. The milling on the screw cap is nice and it threads tightly.

Handle

The SCHF1 is a hollow handled knife. Historically, hollow handled survival knives have a really bad reputation. Traditional hollow handled (“Rambo”) survival knives are 2 pieces bolted together. Because the 2 piece knives are simply bolted together they are very prone to snapping in half and are completely useless as a survival tool. The SCHF1 is different from these conventional hollow handled knives because of it’s one piece construction. I beat the hell out of this knife and it showed no signs of failure.

There is a steel cap threaded to the end of the hollow handle. Inside the handle is a screwdriver set. Whats nice about this screwdriver set is that you can easily remove it. Don’t get me wrong, screwdrivers are great, but for a survival knife I think the space is better used for a fire starter, matches or fishing kit. The cap has a rubber o-ring on it so if you decide to store matches in the handle, they won’t get wet.

Sheath

The sheath is a basic nylon sheath with a plastic insert and an external pocket. There are a few different ways to attach the sheath to you or your gear. It has a belt loop a couple tabs and some eyelets for various modes of attachments. It does an pretty good job with blade retention, with some modification you could make it a hair tighter and it would work better. I’m not sure how this sheath will hold up, I’ll have to give an update after using the knife for a few months.

Schrade SCHF1 Review – Final Thoughts

For right around $50 this is a great knife for the money. The 1070 high carbon steel, nice finishing, good sheath and near indestructibility all weigh heavily in favor of this knife. It is a little on the heavy side, but it is a very tough blade and offers some great versatility from 1 tool. It’s no wonder why the SCF1, the SCHF2 and the SCHF1SM are some of the most popular Schrade survival knives.

Schrade SCHF1 Large Extreme Survival One-Piece Drop Forged Spear Point Fixed Blade

DIMENSIONS: 12.7 inch overall length with a blade length of 7.5 inches and a weight of 1.12 ounces
DURABLE: Blade is made of reliable SAE-1070 High Carbon Steel with a partially Serrated Drop Point
DEPENDABLE: Quick and easy access with a multiple carry position ballistic belt sheath and removable storage pouch and lanyard
FEATURES: Water Proof Hollow Handle End Cap with Removable Magnetic 10 pcs Bit Set and Lanyar
BE PREPARED: 10-pcs Bit Set Infludes: 1 Bit Holder, 1 T bar, 3 Star Drive Screw Bit (ST10, ST15, ST20), 1 Hex Key Bit (5/64"), 3 Slotted Screw Bits (1/8", 5/32", 3/32") and 3 Phillips Screw Bit (PH0, PH1, PH2)

I recommend purchasing the SCHF-9 at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for checking out the review.

Schrade Old Timer 152OT Sharpfinger Review

by Dan Jackson 24 Comments

The Schrade 152OT, more commonly referred to as the Schrade Sharpfinger is one of Schrade’s most iconic designs. The Sharpfinger was originally produced in 1974 and has been in production now for over 35 years. It’s distinctive blade shape has been copied by a number of knife makers, a testament to the knife’s enduring design.

Sharpfinger Background and History

The Sharpfinger is a small, full tang, fixed blade knife characterized by its upswept blade. The shape of the blade is ideal for caping and skinning, but is just as capable as a EDC knife. In fact, the Sharpfinger was famously carried by Sonny Barger, founder of the Hells Angels Motorcycle club. He liked carrying the Sharpfinger on his belt because he found it more accessible than a folding knife. You may appreciate that functionality too, although perhaps for different applications.

The upswept blade of the Sharpfinger is popular because it provides the cutting surface of a much larger knife, without the added bulk. With a 3.5″ blade, this really is an unassuming little knife, but what it lacks in stature it more than makes up with its razor sharp edge and classic design.

The Schrade Sharpfinger Today

Today a new Sharpfinger can be had quite inexpensively. Granted, these days it’s manufactured overseas, and I know some enthusiasts who won’t touch a non-USA made Schrade, but I still find it to be a very serviceable knife. I’m going to offer a brief review and give you my thoughts on this new generation of Schrade Sharpfingers.

The overall shape and dimensions of the knife are nearly identical to the old version. The steel used here is 440C, where the USA made Sharpfinger often used a proprietary steel that Schrade didn’t disclose (those were the days before the internet, and we couldn’t agonize over the different steels being used in our knives).

The handle is made of rectangular 2 slabs of saw cut delrin, compression rivited to the exposed tang. The edges of the handles are rounded and the knife has a nice feel to it. The arched spine and delrin handle provide nice ergonomics that keep the blade from slipping when you are working with the knife. I don’t have a US Sharpfinger to compare to, but I imagine the fit and finish of these knives is similar, with the upper hand going to the original USA made knives.

The sheath is pretty nice too, especially considering that the knife is selling for less than $15 on Amazon. It’s a simple leather sheath with a button clasp and a belt loop.

Where Can I Buy a Schrade Sharpfinger?

You can buy a Schrade Sharpfinger on Amazon. The Sharpfinger is currently eligible for free shipping on Amazon. Click here to buy a Schrade Sharpfinger on Amazon.

Where Can I read More Schrade Sharpfinger Reviews?

If you are interested in reading more Sharpfinger reviews by people who actually own the knife, I would suggest going to Amazon. Currently, they have 14 reviews to consider. Click here to read more Sharpfinger reviews.

Schrade Deerslayer

If you are interested in the Sharpfinger, you may also want to check out it’s bigger cousin, the Schrade Deerslayer. In the article I provide an in-depth review and a comparison between it and the Sharpfinger.

Schrade Extreme SCHF3 Survival Knife

by Dan Jackson 6 Comments

Last Updated: August 12, 2019
The SCHF3 is a survival knife from Schrade. It weighs 13.8 oz, has 6.4″ hollow ground drop point blade, and a 5.6″ Micarta handle.

Buy the Schrade SCHF3 at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

The Schrade SCHF3N is the non-serrated version of the knife. I generally prefer a non-serrated or fully serrated blade to a partially serrated so it’s nice to see Schrade offering these knives in a few different configurations.

Purpose and Durability

This is one of Schrade’s more popular Extreme Survival Series Knives. It’s intended use is as a survival blade, but it can also work as a full on tactical blade. From a reviewer’s perspective I will mainly be judging this knife on its survival qualities.

First of all, this is a full tang knife which is very important for a survival knife because most likely it will be used for heavy chopping tasks. Also, this knife is made of 440C high carbon stainless steel. This is a good steel for survival knives because it is very hard and holds an edge well. When you are out in the field, you need a knife that will retain an edge and be very strong.

The weight and shape of the blade is something else to note here. The SCHF3 has a drop point and gives it a classic combat knife look. The thick blade contributes to it’s 13.8 ounce weight. I think 13.8 ounces is right at the sweet spot for survival knives. Any lighter and the knife may not be good for chopping, any heavier and the knife becomes too bulky for it’s own good.

The weight combined with the large sweep of the blade makes the SCHF3 very good at chopping. The drop point makes the knife good for carving, detail tasks, and for piercing movements. This knife could be used for defensive purposes, or lashed to a stick as a spear. All in all this is a very versatile blade shape that is heavily constructed for maximum durability with combat and survival in mind.

Handle and Ergonomics

The handle scales are made of Micarta, a high pressure woven resin laminate. Micarta is a classic knife handle material because of it’s high mechanical strength and solid performance in all temperature and weather conditions. The slabs of Micarta are attached to the knife at 3 points with large allen bolts. The handle shape is very ergonomic with large finger choils and a nice light texture. This knife feels very good in the hand, it will be difficult to slip out when using, especially if you use the included lanyard.

The Sheath

This knife includes a heavy nylon sheath with a plastic insert, reinforced with steel grommets. The sheath is set up to be carried left or right handed and has a wrist lanyard. The sheath has a small external pocket you can use to hold a sharpener or small flint for fire starting. This isn’t a bad sheath for a $40 knife. The velcro retention clasp is good because it doesn’t get in the way when you are trying to draw the blade, and there are multiple ways to attach this knife to yourself or your gear.

Schrade SCHF3 Review – Final Thoughts

The Schrade SCHF3 is a well planned and nicely executed survival knife. When you consider that this knife can be had for around $40, it represents a tremendous value. Users of the knife on Amazon have rated the SCHF3 5 out of 5 stars.

Schrade SCHF3N 12in Full Tang High Carbon S.S. Fixed Blade Knife with 6.4in Clip Point Blade and Micarta Handle for Outdoor Survival, Camping and Bushcraft

DIMENSIONS: 12 inch (30.4 cm) overall length with a blade length of 6.4 inches (16.2 cm) and a weight of 1 lb 6 ounces
DURABLE: Blade is made of reliable 8Cr13MoV High Carbon Stainless Steel with a grey, micarta handle
DEPENDABLE: Quick and easy access with the convenient ballistic sheath making it ideal for EDC
SECURE: Have confidence that the blade will not slip with the security of the finger choil, finger grooves and jimping
BE PREPARED: Knife features a full tang design and a lanyard hole

If you would like to buy a Schrade SCF3, I recommend purchasing it at Amazon.com or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading!

Schrade SCHF2 Extreme Survival Knife

by Dan Jackson 5 Comments

Last Updated: August 10, 2019
The Schrade SCHF2 is a popular survival knife from Schrade. What intrigued me about this particular knife is it’s close resemblance to a blade made by a high profile custom knife maker selling for over $300. Considering that the SCHF2 retails for only $50, I felt it would be interesting to see what exactly the SCHF2 is all about. Below is my in-depth assessment of the knife.

Dimensions and Blade Shape

This is a medium sized knife with a 7.5″ long blade and a total length of 12.7″. The knife weighs 17.8 ounces which isn’t to bad from a knife made of 100% high carbon steel. Schrade does make a smaller, lighter version, the Schrade SCHF1SM. The blade on the SCHF2 is 7/32″ thick and has a hollow saber grind that I found performs the task of splitting wood quite well. The SCHF2 is a drop point style blade but Schrade also offers theSCHF1 which is the same size and style of knife but in a spear point configuration.

Steel and Construction

The SCHF2 is forged from one solid piece of SAE 1070 High Carbon Steel. 10 series High Carbon steel is a popular choice for cutlery. 10 series steel ranges from 1095-1050 (with 1095 having the most carbon and 1050 the least). Without going into too many details, 1070 is a good choice of steel because it strikes a nice balance between being tough, and holding an edge. (For reference quick reference: 1050 is the toughest steel in the range, but it doesn’t hold an edge well, 1095 holds an edge extremely well, but isn’t very tough.) 1070 is still very tough and holds an edge very well.

The SCHF2 is a hollow handled knife. There is a steel cap threaded to the end of the hollow handle. Inside the handle is a small tool kit (that can be replaced with whatever you like). Conventional hollow handled (“Rambo”) knives are 2 pieces bolted together. Because the 2 piece knives are simply bolted together they are very prone to snapping in half and are completely useless as a survival tool. The SCHF2 is different from these conventional hollow handled knives because of it’s one piece construction. I beat the hell out of this knife and it showed no signs of failure.

The overall fit and finish of this knife is very good. The blade feels cool and heavy in your hand. The milling has been finished nicely and the screw cap threads well and locks tightly. The entire knife has received a matte black finish that has worn well.

Hollow Handle

As I mentioned before, the handle is hollow. The end has a screw cap with an o-ring, and it houses a 10 piece screw driver multi-tool that threads into the butt end of the handle. This is a nice little feature although the multi-tool isn’t the first thing I would bring along with me into the woods. The best part about this hollow handle is that it’s waterproof. I took the tool kit out of the knife and stored some matches in the handle instead.

Sheath

The sheath is a basic nylon sheath with a plastic insert and an external pocket. There are a few different ways to attach the sheath to you or your gear. It has a belt loop a couple tabs and some eyelets for various modes of attachments. It does an OK job with blade retention, with some modification you could make it a hair tighter and it would serve well. Ultimately I have plans for getting a custom kydex sheath made for the knife.

Schrade SCHF2 Review – Final Thoughts

This is a high value survival knife. I like the fact that it is nearly indestructible. 1070HC is a good choice of steel, the sheath isn’t bad and the knife sharpens quite easily. For around $50, you really can’t ask for much more. Generally consumers have good things to say about this survival knife. The knife is currently rated 5 stars on Amazon.

Schrade SCHF2 12.7in One-Piece Drop Forged Fixed Blade Knife and Tool with 7.5in Steel Serrated Bowie Blade and Handle for Survival, Tactical and EDC

DIMENSIONS: 12.7 inch (32.3 cm) overall length with a blade length of 7.5 inches (19 cm) and a weight of 1 lb 1.8 ounces
DURABLE: Blade is made of reliable SAE-1070 Carbon Steel with a grey, steel handle
DEPENDABLE: Quick and easy access with the convenient ballistic sheath making it ideal for everyday carry
SECURE: Have confidence that the blade will not slip with the security of the quillon
BE PREPARED: Knife features a waterproof, hollow handle with an interchangeable magnetic tipped bit set (Bit Holder, T-Bar, ST10, ST15, ST20, 5/64" Hex Key, 1/4", 3/16", 3/23" Slotted Screw, PH0, PH1, PH2) and a lanyard hole for added security when in use

I recommend purchasing the Schrade SCHF2 at Amazon.com. Thanks or checking out the review.

Schrade SCALY California Issue Pocket Knife

by Dan Jackson 3 Comments

The Schrade SCALY is small knife that has received a large amount of attention. There is a lot of interest in a discrete, legal, automatic knife and the Schrade SCALY claims to be just that. Below is my review of the knife.

Blade and Construction

The Schrade Scaly is a small knife that can be converted into a California Legal automatic knife (which Schrade hints at by referring to the SCALY as a “California Issue Pocket Knife”). In order to meet the CA legal automatic knife requirement the blade must be less than 2″ long. The blade on this knife is 1.7″ and made of 440C stainless steel. This is a sharp little leaf shaped blade with a fat flat grind. Really I don’t think you could do a ton of damage with this knife but it could be handy as an EDC item or a backup knife tucked into your boot or something.

Buy on Amazon

The handle of this knife is 3.1″ long and is made of lightweight T6061 aircraft aluminum with yellow delrin scales. At 2.1 ounces this is a very lightweight knife that you could easily forget you are carrying. I would have liked to see a lanyard hole on this knife as I think this could make for a decent keychain.

Automatic Capable

I get a lot of emails about the automatic nature of the knife as retailers can be somewhat misleading. The Schrade SCALY is often advertised as an California Legal “automatic” or “spring assisted” knife, and indeed with it’s less than 2″ long blade, this knife is capable of becoming a “California Legal Automatic Knife” with the addition of a spring. However, out of the box this knife is not an automatic knife because it doesn’t have a spring. I’ve heard that you can find springs for this little knife on ebay, open it up and the spring drops right in. Please note that I haven’t tried this personally.

Locking Mechanism and Legal Issues

The SCALY is a popular automatic conversion because it has a lock on the top of the knife. This prevents the knife from accidentally opening. This is a great feature that is becoming harder and harder to find because apparently BenchMade is claiming that they own rights to all automatic knives with safety locks. Benchmade is currently in the middle of a lawsuit over the locks claiming the lock is covered in their patent (Benchmade v. RoadSideImports if you want to do some reading).

Perhaps the lawsuit is why the SCALY does not have a spring – Schrade may have pulled them to get around the lawsuit. At any rate, if Benchmade does win the lawsuit, you may not have access to this feature on Schrade assisted open (or assisted capable) knives so if you want a SCALY or any similar Schrade knife, my advice would be to buy it now.

Schrade SCALBY California Issue Pocket Knife, Yellow Scales, Black handle and Blade

1.7" blade, 3.1" handle
400 Series Stainless steel
T6061 with scaled insert
2.1 ounces
Get your hands on this useful little knife. The scaled handle helps keep the knife from slipping in your hand.