According to Beck, “Each [of my
knives] is dierentially hardened/
tempered by hand and eye. The
technique was developed through
experience and not done in an oven,
as most do. Also, being dierentially
hardened, the [Rockwell] rating will
vary on the blade depending upon
where it would be tested. Judging from
past experience, I'd say most of the
bevel portion and edges are probably
around 58/59RC, with the remainder
of the blade body/back and tang being
soft. The SERE knives will be made
tough so they can take a real beating
and retain their edge well.”All of Beck’s knives are made by the
maker, from start to finish, including
the exhausting hand-sanding of his
blades, giving them an unmistakable
satin appearance. His shop in Sinking
Spring, PA is perfectly sized for a man
who works alone and takes his time
putting his full attention and eort
into each knife created. When you
handle one of his knives, you can tell
a craftsman worked each stage of
production, from start to finish. The
Trail Dog is just one of the half-dozen
or so knives in Beck’s new lineup
featuring thinner stock blades.While Micarta is a ubiquitous handle
material, there are few makers that
know how to finish it the same way
Dave Beck does. Smooth without any
texture and rounded with an absence
of any hotspots, Beck’s handles seemWe used the Trail Dog
knife with United States
Air Force SERE graduate
“Ed” to construct a basic
shelter out of an old
parachute.SERE Insight
We had a chance to document
some Q&A with our SERE-
trained tester “Ed.” What
follows are his unedited
responses.KI: Aside from a knife, what are
the top three resources a soldier
can apply in a SERE situation?
Ed: Shelter, fire, cordage.
Parachute solves two of those
with the silk and shroud line. If
on the ground, 550 in a cargo
pocket smashed flat, SOL space
blanket, and always a ferro with
attached tinder holder.KI: Why is a mid-sized knife a
good choice for survival over
smaller belt knives and larger
chopping blades?
Ed: Blade size, perfect blend,
ease of carry, chopper, carver,
and skinner. The most used yet
hardly mentioned knife in most
survival training is the Cold
Steel SRK 6-inch blade.KI: Run us through what you
can tell us about SERE training
and how knives are used in it.
Ed: From fire prep to shelter
to food procurement, the knife
is so important. Everything is
about improving your situation.
To achieve the goal of turning a
survival situation into nothing
more than a camping trip.The knife is about making other
tools to save your blade from
as much use as you can. Of
course, this comes after putting
distance between you and the
enemy. The ultimate goal is
rescue and to make it as easy
as you can for your search crew
to reach you. I like the fact Dave
uses 01. Edge maintenance can
still be done on a river rock or
the simple Arkansas stone he
includes, along with the FACS
tool and Ferro Rod in the loop
— complete package.“SERE — SHORT FOR
SURVIVAL, EVASION,
RESISTANCE AND
ESCAPE — IS HIGHLY
SPECIALIZED TRAINING
TAUGHT BY A
SKILLED INSTRUCTOR
CADRE WITH REAL-
WORLD EXPERIENCE
IN EXTREME
ENVIRONMENTS.”
The Trail Dog has a
slightly tapered tang
for better balance and
weight reduction.knivesillustrated.com JULY/AUGUST 2019 • KNIVES ILLUSTRATED 27