American Survival Guide – October 2019

28 AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE [OCTOBER 2019]

feeling lost in the grip.

The Pro Scalpel II has a true 90-degree

spine and comes with a leather pouch-style

sheath that has a loop ready-made for a

ferrocerium rod.

HOW DID IT HANDLE?

I carried the Pro Scalpel II in my pocket for a

few weeks, using it in place of a folding knife

as I went about my daily life. It was comfort-

able in my pocket, though it did take me a

few days to get used to it as, with the sheath,

it is a bit larger than a standard folding knife.

It handled all of the normal chores just fi ne,

from opening and breaking down boxes to

cutting food for lunch and such.

A knife this size isn’t truly intended for

major fieldwork. While it would do in a pinch,

it is truly designed for routine, everyday sorts

of chores. You’re not going to baton firewood

but you could certainly carve a figure-four

deadfall trigger.

As I went through a few formal tests with

the knife, I was just as concerned about the

comfort of using the knife as I was with how

it would handle cutting and slicing. This is the

smallest fi xed-blade knife I’ve actually used

for anything, and I was very curious as to how

it would handle.

I started in the kitchen, for the simple reason

that I was already there after fi nishing up tests

OUT OF THE BOX

If I were to describe the Pro Scalpel II with one word, it would be “nimble.” With a blade well

under 3 inches, it is a great size for pocket carry just about anywhere. Weighing under 3 ounces, it

is lighter than several folding knives I own, too. Most of the weight is in the handle, which makes

sense when looking at the knife. But this also gives the knife a great sense of solidity, of robust-

ness, giving the user confidence that this small knife can do the job.

With my large hands, the handle of the Pro Scalpel II turned out to be about a three-and-a-half

finger grip. The finger choil lends comfort as well as control when wielding the knife. The handle

tapers outward toward the butt of the handle, which helps to prevent a small knife like this

› Below: Prying

wood splinters isn’t

a recommended use

for a knife, but the

Bark River Fox River

EXT1 handled it

with ease.

› Right: Bark River’s

Fox River EXT1

made short work

out of a couple

of cold chicken

breasts.