ANVIL BLADESMITHS - BULLSHARK G-10 8CR13 Knife w/Glass Breaker and Seatbelt Paracord Cutter - Choice of Straight or Serrated Blade - Assisted Open or Manual Open

I tested 3 knives of the same configuration. A Smith & Wesson Black Ops SWBLOP3S at $30, This Anvil Bullshark at about $40 and the Benchmade Barrage at about $130. All had serrated blades with lengths and shapes that were nearly identical. The use of this knife is for emergency rope cutting on a boat so it is similar to self defense - it needs to be fast and safe to open and needs to get the job done quickly.The S&W was the fastest and safest to open in that the one hand actuator is on top of the knife keeping your fingers from harms way. The Benchmade is effective but the actuator is on the blade making me wonder how I have opened it so many times w/o cutting myself. The Anvil required by far the most force and finesse to open with one hand. All three open fine with a conventional two hand approach but again, the S&W was the best. Only the S&W has a safety which is very nice but with the safety off, it did not seem any less safe than the other two.The S&W as also the lightest of the three followed by the Benchmade with the Anvil significantly heavier. I view this as a benefit in that the S&W still felt beefy and firm in the hand. Interestingly the Benchmade blade is the thinnest followed by the S&W followed by the Anvil. The S&W weight advantage (if you like light) appears to be from using a thinner metal in the handle piece. The handles appeared to be equally comfortable for longer term work with the S&W having a more textured feel.They all came sharp but the Benchmade was noticeably the sharpest followed by the Anvil followed by S&W. I don't tend to rate this as that important unless you are attacked as you open the box in that you can tune any of these up. For cutting rope, the Anvil has the most aggressive serration followed by S&W which was followed by Benchmade.They all had blade locks with the Benchmade trademark top of blade lock the best. The S&W and Anvil had conventional bottom of blade locks, however, the Anvil blade lock would not hold the blade open against pressure while the other two wouldn't budge. I view this as a No Go defect. Even assuming that the Anvil defect was a one off, to me the quick and safe opening of the S&W coupled with its much lower weight w/o apparent compromise made this my choice even if it wasn't also the least expensive.

I can't recommend this knife highly enough. I've carried it every day for the past month now and love it. There's a good bit of heft to it which lends a very sturdy feel to the knife, yet it doesn't feel fat or overweight when it's in your pocket. The assisted opening, which can be activated with either the flipper or studs on both sides of the blade, is quick, smooth and solid. The blade itself is very, very sharp and locks securely in place when it's opened. The G-10 scales feel great in the hand; very soft and grippy. The pocket clip is extremely durable and strong, plus it's seated high up on the handle so there's very little profile showing when it's carried. The glass breaker and seatbelt / paracord cutter are great additional features which transform the Bullshark from just a pocket knife into a potential life-saving tool. My experience with Anvil Bladesmiths' customer support was also outstanding. They're quick to reply and very helpful. I really can't speak highly enough about the company or their product. If you're in the market for a reliable every day carry pocket knife that can do more than just cut things, I highly recommend this blade.

Just received my knife. Out of the box, it appears to be a very descent knife. The blade is razor sharp, absolutely no wobble while the blade is extended, everything is nice and tight and the blade opens smooth and very fast and the belt clip is very sturdy and secures well in my pocket. It has all the features I was looking for in a tactical knife. Appears to be a a lot of knife for $40. It does have some weight to it, but doesn't bother me as it denotes quality. Already considering purchasing another just to have as a backup. Took me about a week to settle on this knife as I researched other related knives and read through so many reviews because I wanted the most bang for my buck, and this one had the best reviews even compared to the S.O.G. I was considering at twice the price. Way better than I expected and completely satisfied with my purchase. Now, I'll have to see if it stands up to the test of time....

Nice knife for the price. The grip is not slippery and holds very well. The blade is razor sharp. Have not tested the belt cutter but looks pretty sharp too. Maybe not for edc for everyone, since it is a bit big, though some may like it. It is assisted opening which is better with the flipper than with the thumb stud. Good option to carry in the car or as a backup

There are a lot of knives out there, from $5.00 to $300.00. I looked for weeks. I wanted the quick release, window breaker, serrated edge, seat belt cutter and a blade that would not come loose from handle. I found it in this knife. The price was right, my only complaint is the blade needed sharpening. (I'm picky and that is a very easy fix)

I have carried plenty of knives on me daily through the years, and typically you can tell very quickly if not immediately where the weaknesses of a knife will be. This however is the most balanced of all that I’ve put on me. It’s sleek, but has the weight you want in your hand when you think of sturdy. Frame is tight. Blade opens and closes smoothly. Frame surface is ergonomically corse. Cord cutter, glass breaker, and saw tooth are sharp. Steel Blade like a thick razor. Most importantly, the belt/pocket clip is dense, and as rigid a knife clip as I’ve pocketed. You can get a nice knife on Amazon for $15-$25 that does the job for a while, which I have done several times. Or you can spend a little more, and get the real quality you’re happy to pay for.