One of the first booths I happened upon at BLADE Show 2015 was being shared by Fox Knives with a fledgling company, Schenk Knives. Zane Schenk, CEO, designer, maker, and all around nice guy showed me their Made in Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA products. He said he likes to think they manufacture custom knives, affordable to the general public.
Schenk uses three main steels in their full-tang fixed blade creations: 51200 bearing steel, Bohler-Uddenholm ELMAX, and lightning strike damascus, which is a blend of 1095 and 15N20. Schenk knife models can be had in any of the three, partnered with a stonewashed, Cerakote, or combination Cerakote-satin finish, as in the knife above. The lightning strike damascus has a clear Cerakote to protect it.
The handles of the knives are generally G10, though they have some skeletonized, wood, and paracord-wrapped models available. Zane said the scales are held fast with pins and a very strong glue used in, of all things, military tanks. He said it is one of the strongest adhesive he could use.
The designs of the Schenk knives are very practical, with clean grinds, properly shaped handles, and good looks. These knives would be as useful for the tactical operator as they would an outdoorsman. In fact, if you click on the link to their Facebook page, you will see the Schenk knives employed in bushcraft or skinning duties.
When Zane said the knives were made for the “general public,” he was not boasting. The prices for these USA-made sharps run from $150 and up for 51200, $170 and up for ELMAX, and $250 and up for damascus. I think these are fantastic prices, given the quality of the blades.
Schenk Knives’ website, at www.schenkknives.com, is under construction, but should be viable in the near future. In the interim, their Facebook page has information, or they can be reached directly at 208-523-2026.
Randall
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