I’m not one who blindly follows a brand just to be loyal. I like things that work and use them regardless of the logo they carry or where they were made. That being said, I do prefer American made products and I’m partial to products that come from one-man or small operations. I like to support small businesses, especially those that give back.
As much as I’m brand blind, an exception is my infatuation with Southern Grind knives. After almost 20 years of outdoor and gun writing I have a drawer full of sharp things. There are some very good blades in that drawer but most of them have lived out their existence there. They’re nice, but just don’t fit my needs.
From the time a friend handed me my first Southern Grind knife, I knew I had something special. Since then I’ve procured all of their blades and they see serious and frequent use. No, they’re not inexpensive but good things never are.
Southern Grind’s GranDaddy is best described as a machete. Its blade is almost 12 inches long and is cut from a 30 inch saw blade and can be bent at a 90 degree angle without risk of complete fracture. The 8670M HCS steel is a great tool steel, especially if you like the characteristics of high carbon blades. Though not as resistant to corrosion as some performance steels, with a light coat of oil it survives just fine.
The sheath for my GranDaddy is attached to my UTV; wherever I go, it goes. My Grandfather taught me early on the value of a large blade for clearing brush, sharpening sticks, and even for cutting down small trees. The sheath is held in place with two drywall screws and a can of Ballsitol to keep the blade rust free stays in the buggy with it. (Ballistol is a good thing to keep with you at all times, considering the many things it can be used for. CLICK HERE To watch video.) With its differentially heat treated edge, its rock hard cutting edge is built to last with unmatched flexibility and durability.
My everyday carry knife is the Spider Monkey. It is sized perfectly for pocket carry in an everyday social environment. The blade is S35VN steel, which was created to provide high hardness, edge retention, ease of sharpening, and to be more corrosion resistant than your normal high carbon tool steels. This is an ideal steel when moving parts are involved and toughness is required. Though not my “hunting” blade, it has skinned a critter or two and works wonderfully for that purpose.
The Southern Grind Rat is an interesting sharp thing. It is a neck knife. Now, I’m not one to commonly wear a neck knife but there are times when it makes sense, particularly for a man who goes nowhere without a knife. When in shorts without pockets, like when on the river, the Rat hangs around your neck and is easy to access. It only weighs 1.5 ounces, is made from the same steel as the GranDaddy, and is easy to conceal.
Every outdoorsman needs a serious survival blade. One that he can used to cut open a 55 gallon drum or split the skull of a brown bear, after he busts some rocks with it and builds a lean to. Southern Grind’s Jackal has a solid 3D milled G10 handle, which provides a sure grip, wet or dry. The blade is 8670M high carbon steel, which provides extreme toughness with great edge retention. Though not really a bushcraft design, the Jackal is the one knife I’d have, if I could only have one knife. Right now mine is with Mike Barranti at Barranti Leather so he can make me a custom sheath.
As much as I am convinced I’d choose a Jackal as that one knife, the Bad Monkey would come a close second. I’ve used this knife for more different chores than any other knife I’ve owned. Its been used to kill wounded warthogs, to dispatch a blesbok, its been used as a hammer, a pry bar, a toothpick, a screwdriver, a shovel, to cut a steak and make dinner, and I’ve used it to dig thorns out of my body. The Bad Monkey has solid titanium liners, 416 stainless fasteners, and a 14C28N performance blade steel that allows for better corrosion resistance and edge retention, along with greater strength and durability. Though not in Hugh Glass fashion, I did kill a bear with my Bad Monkey by driving it into a tree and using it as a rifle rest.
Southern Grind knives can be purchased through Cabela’s, MidwayUSA, and direct from Southern Grind. Don’t be that Rob Lowe who has cable, get a real knife. Better yet, get several real knives. Few things are less manly than a guy with a cheap blade or no blade at all!
