Every once in a while I find really cool gear that isn’t way overpriced. Stroup Knives isn’t going to be a secret forever, and I’d guess that as demand goes up, so will the prices. Right now they are a bargain and you’ll be helping out a great cause.
Chris Stroup is the owner and founder of Stroup knives. He started the company in 2017 and took it full-time in March of 2021. He runs the business with his wife and kids. They make all sorts of tactical, self-defense, survival, and hunting-style knives.
Chris spent 11 years in the U.S. Army as a Communication Specialist in a Special Missions Unit. He medically retired in 2020 but during his time in the Special Missions Unit, he deployed six times and is the recipient of two bronze stars.
Part of his mission and business plan is to find veterans that are lost and need a place to belong. He hires them, trains them, and gives them a purpose and a good-paying job. They become part of the family.
Chris also runs a Career Skill Program where service members can intern during their last six months in the military at Stroup Knives. They are still getting paid by the military but they get to learn how to run a business, do bookkeeping, social media, and learn other skills that will help them transition out of the military.
The knives that they make all serve a purpose, meaning they’re designed to be used. Chris told me that at this point his knives have served in all branches of the military all over the world.
Every knife is 100% American Made. In fact, everything except the water jetting on the knives is done in-house, including the heat treating and CNC work. Every single knife is hand finished.
All of the knives currently being made are made from 1095 High Carbon Steel. 1095 High Carbon steel holds an excellent edge, will take a beating, holds up, and most importantly can be sharpened by the end-user regardless of what part of the world they’re in.
Obviously, you don’t want to be using these knives as pry bars or screwdrivers as they’re not designed for either thing but should last multiple lifetimes if treated and used as knives.
The handles are made from G10 and feature excellent abrasion resistance, look amazing, and are easy to hold on to. There are lots of color options if you check out the site.
The finish on each knife is an acid etch and a rock tumble. If you get it wet, simply wipe it off. Maintenance is as simple as keeping it clean and wiping some oil on the blade from time to time. Gun oil will work great.
The two models I’ve been playing with are the Bravo 5 with a gray handle and the TU2 with an OD green handle.
Stroup Bravo 5
The Bravo 5 is available with a gray handle as shown or with a wooden handle.
The Bravo 5 features a 3.5-inch blade with a full tang and drop point blade.
The Bravo 5 is the perfect size for everyday use and isn’t too big or heavy to conceal, wear on a belt, or mount on a plate carrier. MSRP is $200 and 10% of the sales from the Bravo 5 are donated to the Special Operations Wounded Warriors.
Stroup TU2
The TU2 is a little bigger knife with a 4.5-inch blade and an overall length of 8.75 inches. This is a badass-looking knife. It’s big enough that you know you’ve got a blade with you but still a very manageable weight and size to use as an everyday workhorse for survival, hunting, or self-defense. MSRP is $220
The TU2 has lots of color options for the grip. The TU2 shown in the pictures is the OD green G10 handle.
Both knives come with a custom made kydex sheath that has excellent retention and ships with a Tek Lok mount that can be mounted right or left handed, vertically or horizontally.
In other interesting happenings at Stroup Knives, Justin Melnick, a canine police officer, now famous for his role in the NBC hit series Seal Team, is partnering up with Stroup Knives.
EJ Snyder is a celebrity veteran and survivalist who’s been on lots of survival tv shows and he designed the Stroup Mountain Predator Bowie knife (not pictured). He came over to Chris’s house last year on Christmas Eve and designed it.
If you’re interested in Tomahawks, they’re working on a limited run of 48 of them and they’ll cost $400 each. Watch here for a review of one down the road.
If you decide you’d like to own a Stroup Knife and the model or color you want isn’t in stock, don’t lose hope. Chris tells me that they usually can restock within a couple of weeks and that the black versions of all of the knives can be back-ordered. I’ll say that you shouldn’t wait too long though as the secret is getting out and these knives designed and manufactured by a former member of the military and SOF community won’t always be this easy to get.
Currently, all the knives being made at Stroup Knives cost between $145 and $400.
Good write up. Just bought one based on this review.