Black Scout Survival Knife and Razorback: Andrew Jordan Knives

We've tried to keep a tight lip about it, but most of you have seen it in a few recent articles. This is the Black Scout Knife and Razorback companion knife. A survival knife system designed and hand forged by Black Scout contributor Andrew Jordan. Andrew Jordan has introduced us to the world of bladesmithing in his on-going series of guest articles. If you haven't had a chance to read them- go catch up and come back to this article.

In his series, you can see Andrew's passion for developing extreme use survival knives. Andrew built the Black Scout Knife/Razorback to be used in a no-nonsense environment. A culmination of his bladesmithing skills and survival knowledge.

I'm not going to go into great detail in this article and I'll explain why later.

Not only are these knives beautiful they are also functional.

The Black Scout Knife (the primary blade) features 5 1/2" cutting edge with an overall length of 11 1/2". The blade is a hand forged Sandwich Damascus blade. The handle is constructed of tan and black Micarta. One thing I love about Andrew's knives is the hidden tang; it allows for a full handle for better grip. I can't describe how exceptional these ergonomics are. One would have to hold one of Andrew's knives to really appreciate it. I'm not only speaking of the handle construction, but the overall balance in the hand. It has "heft" in all the right places. On the spine of the blade is segmented jimping. There are three sections of jimping for different degrees when "choking-up" on the knife. Both knives feature a beautiful Titanium Aluminum Nitrade coating, that I'm sure not many of you are familiar with. This isn't a paint it's electrically bonded to the blade for the utmost durability. Basically everything on the knife is there for a purpose or function. Andrew just found a way for all the "function" to look amazing.

The Razorback features a 4 1/4" cutting edge with an overall length of 9". Made of D2 steel and designed to be used for finer work. It's also designed to be used when you need to go a step further with a knife without damaging your primary blade. The Razorback can be used as a spear with it's paracord handle wrap to be used as lashing. It's wider than many skeleton knives I've seen in the past. A feature I like because I have large hands and it fits them perfectly.

The Sheath system is based on a Drop-Leg Platform. I have not seen this type of system used on any knife before. It's an ingenious way of carrying a knife system. It keeps the knife out of the way of pack straps and within arms reach. This system holds both the Black Scout and Razorback. It also has a pouch that a flashlight, multi-tool, or other items can be stored. On the back of the Black Scout sheath is a ferro-rod holder. The sheath system is modular and the knives can be taken off with accompanying sheath. They then can be mounted on MOLLE webbing or a belt for traditional carry. I will go over great detail in the upcoming video. More information can be found in a past article HERE.

The K.I.T. Test
For awhile now I've seen ton's of knife reviews and noticed one common problem with all of them. They are never repeatable. So how can one truly tell a knife's pedigree from a test that's not a true comparison- from one knife to another? For example in a batoning test one could choose a soft wood over a dense wood or use a heavier/longer baton. This would allow for variables that cannot be repeated. One would need to eliminate all variables to provide a true test.


For the past few months I've been working out the details of a repeatable field test. This test will be known as the K.I.T. (Knife Independent Testing) Test. We will grant a certification based on the pass or fail of the test. If the knife passes the test it will then become a Red Certified Knife. There will also be a Certification where a knife maker can become a K.I.T. approved knife producer. I will go into that in future articles.

The K.I.T. test is basically a consumer based compliance report. An indicator for you guys that want to get what you paid for. I understand the importance of you guys spending your hard earned money on equipment that your life may depend on. This will not be a "destruction" test, but a true field test based on survival applications.

This is why I didn't go into great detail of this knife in this article. Andrew is serious about his knives. He didn't want them being talked up in an article, he wants them to be proven in the field. Something I can respect. Especially when he has no idea as to what the K.I.T. test entails. I have not shared anything regarding the K.I.T. Test with Andrew. He was still accepting, showing a great confidence in his work.

We will be posting the K.I.T. Test on our YouTube channel this upcoming February. Our hopes is that this form of standardized testing will help you guys with your future knife purchases.