Ring knives
For many, a ring knife is just a fun tool, but for others it is a necessity. The main attribute of a ring knife is that permits the user to hold and grab objects while the knife is in the hand.
The main drive behind the design is to give an option for those who carry a firearm. Everyone who carries a weapon on or off duty has to face the possibility that someone may try to take possession or control his/her firearm.
The ring knife gives the unique option to create space with the edged weapon and seamlessly transfer to the primary weapon without re-sheathing or dropping the blade. A more traditional ringless blade in the same situation has to be dropped in order to enable the user to use their primary weapon safely.
Who else may see the benefit of a ring knife? Everyone who may don't want to re-sheath or put down the knife between 2 uses. Mountaineering, outdoor, or around the farm can create the need for a fast, light and failsafe grip in a ring knife.
Choose a ring knife once, and you will be dedicated for life. No knife can give you better everyday practicality, whether it's an urban environment, the great outdoors or a combat zone. I carry one every day of the year...
Our steel selection
Lost with steel namings? Check our interactive steel guide and selector to find the best steel for your needs.
What the ratings mean
Toughness
How well the edge and blade resist chipping and breaking under impact, twisting and batoning.
Edge retention
How long the edge keeps cutting before it needs sharpening.
Corrosion resistance
How well the blade resists rust from sweat, blood, humidity and salt water.
Ease of sharpening
How quickly you can bring the edge back on ordinary stones in the field.
Toughness, edge retention and corrosion resistance figures are sourced from metallurgist Larrin Thomas's independently tested ratings at Knife Steel Nerds — "Knife Steels Rated by a Metallurgist" (unnotched Charpy toughness, CATRA edge retention, salt-spray corrosion testing). Ease of sharpening is GZ Custom Blades' own field estimate and isn't part of that dataset.
All steels side by side
Toughness, edge retention and corrosion resistance run 0–10 and are Larrin Thomas's published, independently tested ratings (see source above), not GZ Custom Blades' own numbers. Ease of sharpening is GZ Custom Blades' own field estimate. * CPM MagnaMax, A8 Mod and Titanium Gr5 are not covered in Larrin's published ratings — their toughness/edge/corrosion figures are GZ Custom Blades' own estimates instead. Every steel is a trade-off: gaining in one column costs in another. Edge geometry, heat treatment and how you use the knife matter as much as the steel itself.
