White River Knife and Tool–SHOT Show 2015

I’m a sucker for a well made simple design. There is very little about White River Knives that isn’t built on utilitarian concepts.

I’m a knife snob. I’m a big knife snob. I’ve done a bit of blacksmithing, and am proficient at stock reduction. But making knives takes more time than I have. And the knives I tend to cotton to are often very expensive. Sometimes they’re inexplicably expensive. So I like to find knives that offer solid performance at a reasonable price. Working knives–not the investment pieces that cost so much you are afraid to use them.

And White River Knife and Tool offers just that. I stopped by their booth at the SHOT Show this week, and I liked their designs. These are really nice working knives in some traditional designs. They’re not hand forged. The blades are cut on CNC machines. The handles are made out of G10 or wood. They offer some limited custom options here, and can make handles out of your materials (like the antler from that buck you just shot) or from colors of G10 or woods that are not part of their typical catalog.

The attention to detail make these more attractive than some of the mass produced knives coming in from China. The prices make them attractive, too. They start around $90, and go up from there, depending on the options. The blade steels vary based on the purpose and design. If you geek out over those sorts of details, head over to their sight and check out the specs.

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The cork handles and thin blades allow for these to float. And the fillet knives are tempered at to lower Rockwell hardness to allow for flexibility.

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They look sharp, too.

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The colors aren’t natural, but the materials are.

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Chad Nichols Damascuss on this one.

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Fancy handle materials are available for those who want more to look at.

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Have you ever dropped your knife in the woods and not been able to find it?

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Some of the designs are available in pattern welded steels or stainless Damascus.

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The pack knives are thin and lightweight.

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For those who want a more tactical knife, White River has been working with other designers to bring in more options. This is a Justin Gingrich design.

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Knife maker Jerry Fisk has brought some of his designs to White River for them to produce.

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More of the Fisk collaborations.

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These are made with Alabama Damascus.

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