Steel Will Chieftain 1620 Fixed-Blade Knife

Sometimes, timing is everything. Last month we posted about a new knife available from Steel Will Knives. I was also preparing to head down to Mississippi to participate in a nighttime hog hunt with Crimson Trace and FLIR Systems, so I jumped at the chance to take the Chieftain out for a spin.

Even with minimal time, the folks at Steel Will Knives were quite accommodating and managed to get me a sample in time for the hunt. While I was not particularly keen on hand-to-hoof combat, I figured that I stood a better chance with this massive blade on my person than with harsh language alone, and upon receiving the Chieftain, my fears were allayed.

This is a truly impressive knife, with a 7.48-inch blade and an overall length of 13.11 inches, but the most impressive part is the .24-inch blade thickness. As someone that's done a fair amount of camping and hiking, a stout, thick blade has myriad uses, up to and including splitting firewood.

Fortunately, the need to go nose-to-snout never arose, and the Chieftain came home unbloodied, but it was ready for the task.

MSRP: $169.99.