One knife that caught my attention was the Canadian Belt Knife manufactured by Grohmann Knives out of Nova Scotia. As soon as I saw it, I knew a lot of thought went into its design with the aim of serving function.
What makes this tool special is the leaf-shaped blade and narrowed handle.
Most of our natural arm and hand movements are curved, particularly when filleting fish or skinning game. The edge geometry of the Original #1 is designed to work with our naturally curved movements and improve their effectiveness when cutting and slicing.
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The handle narrows at the centre of the knife, promoting a comfortable pinch grip for the index finger and thumb to naturally position themselves. The narrowness of the handle at this location is comfortable for most hand sizes.
Some jimping, or notches, along the blade spine provide a good friction point for your thumb to rest on, giving you better control. The blade extends through the handle making it a very strong tool.
The point of the blade is spaced perfectly in the gap created by the grip positions of the index finger and thumb. The point becomes a natural extension of your hand.
Upon first viewing and holding the knife, I knew its design was special. Even the polished wood handle felt warm.
The Canadian Belt Knife is for someone who is not afraid to step beyond the norm to have a spectacularly functional outdoors knife. Its design has made game and firewood processing very efficient. It has never disappointed in any task appropriate for its size.
Grohmann Knives offers the knife in a variety of wood and steel material combinations. They use good German steels for both their carbon and stainless products. For handle materials, they offer rosewood, resin wood, linen micarta, buffalo horn, and stag horn.
My $105 test knife was made from stainless steel blade with a rosewood handle.
The knife came with a leather sheath. The leather and stitching are of good quality. The sheath holds the knife well and has a drainage hole.
Grohmann offers different sheath designs including one with a retaining flap and another with an extra pocket with a field sharpening stone.
Its uncommon design may put some off but I can tell you from first-hand experience this is an excellent knife for almost any outdoor adventure.
You can find more information about Grohmann Knives and even order a Canadian Belt Knife directly from them at www.gknives.com.
Kim Quintin is a Saskatoon outdoor enthusiast and knife maker. He can be reached at outdoorpursuits@producer.com.
