Kershaw Knives XCOM

Military knives have a lot of history behind them and a lot of fans. Yet they tend to be inconvenient and bulky for everyday carrying and use. Kershaw and custom knifemaker Les George offer a solution by taking inspiration from a classic U.S. World War II trench knife design and turning it into a handy folder.

Like the fighting knives of the past, the XCOM features a symmetrical, spear-point blade thats great for piercing and cutting. A bayonet grind adds to the XCOMs old-school theme. But Kershaw also kept legal concerns in mind. The XCOMs quality 8Cr13MoV blade is only sharpened on one side, making it safer and easier to close—and making it legal in more areas (check your local laws to be sure). The big 3.6-inch blade opens manually with a built-in thumb disk.

The simple, comfortable handle fits a wide range of hand sizes, from larger to smaller. Made of sturdy, all-weather glass-filled nylon, the XCOMs grooved handle incorporates a handguard near the blade to help prevent slipping. Exposed liner on the spine has jimping for greater cutting control. An inset liner lock keeps the blade securely open during use and closes easily when youre done.

The XCOM features a reversible, deep-carry pocketclip so the knife carries unobtrusively low in your pocket. Or you can loop some paracord through the large lanyard hole to help your knife stand out. Depending on the situation, this folder can either be noticeable or stealthy. And when duty calls, the versatile XCOM is ready to go to work.