Knives Illustrated – August 2019

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BECK KNIVES

(610) 670-5319

DRBeckKnives.com

The sheath system

can be ordered with an

optional shoulder strap,

made from climbing-

grade webbing. Even

inverted, the Trail Dog

knife remains firmly in

the sheath.

to melt into your hand regardless of

how you grip it.

Handle slabs are held on with Loveless

bolts and as expected there is no

noticeable ridge where Micarta meets

the tang, or where it surrounds the

fasteners. Those familiar with the

military Ontario machete will instantly

recognize a similar contour to the butt

of the handle.

Beyond Testing

A knife designed for SERE use requires

testing inspired by the grueling nature

of the survival training it shares its

name with.

We took the Trail Dog knife to task

on multiple outings in the fall/winter

of 2018 and addressed the common

and most dire survival needs including

firemaking, sheltercraft, tool making,

and resource procurement.

We batoned plenty of wood with

this knife but we wanted this review

to reflect the reality of using this

knife in the field to address common

fieldcraft needs. Our coldest day of

testing registered only single-digit

temperatures, and the frozen wood

we split with standard batoning and

tip-first splitting proved no issue for

the Trail Dog.

Working with Ed, a U.S. Air Force veteran

and SERE graduate, we used the Trail

Dog to process an old parachute to

construct a quick shelter. This meant

slicing the parachute canopy and

chopping structural poles, as well as

cutting webbing and paracord.

The shelter we built was uninsulated,

making a fire necessary. We used the

Trail Dog to locate fatwood in the

stumps of evergreen trees, during

one particularly wet outing in eastern

Pennsylvania. We chopped at the

stump roots of fallen trees and used

the Trail Dog to process the wood we

needed to get a fire in extremely wet

conditions.

To paraphrase something Ed told us

that an old SERE instructor friend

The Sheath System

System is the correct word to use when describing how the Trail Dog

knife is carried.

Other than protecting the user from the knife and the knife from exposure to

the elements, the sheath houses the sharpening stone that maintains the edge

in the field, as well as his ferro rod scraper/screwdriver tool.

It also holds the ferro rod used for fire starting, and if the user is crafty,

additional flat survival items can be tucked in place underneath the accessory

pouch flap, such as fish hooks, spare cash, fishing line, or a signaling mirror.

Dave Beck can customize your sheath for carry with climbing-grade webbing

baldric style or even horizontally on your belt for better comfort while seated. If

a knife like this is to be used for extended survival in the field, it must be carried

there securely.

The deep pouch of the sheath will retain the blade even when inverted, while

the knife handle is mostly protected by the 10-11 ounce leather. Beck told us, “I

want a rigid sheath that'll be very durable but not overly bulky, so I'll be looking

to cut the pieces from the hide sections that are closer to 10 ounces.”

The sheath we were sent for testing included numerous extras, including a fixed

0.375 inch ferro rod loop, mounting platform with hard Arkansas sharpening

stone and pouch, shoulder strap and mounting hardware.

We carried the knife around using the shoulder strap and found it extremely

secure even when we moved the knife out of the way and onto the back.

Additional retention could be provided by paracord or shock cord through the

lanyard tube and carry strap clips.

28 KNIVES ILLUSTRATED • JULY/AUGUST 2019 knivesillustrated.com