Ceramic Blades Have Finally Come Of Age

by Steve Sorensen (originally published in Ohio Valley Outdoors magazine, July/August 2011)

Timberline® Ceramic Blade Folding Knife
I’ve used a few ceramic blade knives, with less than perfect satisfaction, until now. Ceramic blades have come of age in the Timberline series of knives from GATCO (Great American Tool Company).

During spring gobbler season I field-tested a folder that has the look and the heft of a steel blade knife, but with sharpness that’s almost unbelievable. I breasted out a gobbler with the knife, and it made the job a breeze. The knife I tested is a Timberline Model 8010 folding blade ceramic knife. It has an aluminum handle and a 3 3/16" blade.

For a folding hunting knife, you always want a reliable locking mechanism. This knife has a liner lock that blocks the blade open. The hinge has a silky smooth action with no wobble. The black matte finish aluminum handle fits my hand perfectly, and the engraved groove and dot pattern assists my grip. A pocket clip lets you clip it to a belt or in your pocket, point down.

One hunter put this knife through a grueling field test on safari. He skinned out 10 animals with it, and the sharpness remained as new. That’s because the high polish ceramic edge exceeds the sharpness of any metal blade, and as long as you don’t go after bone with it, virtually nothing affects its sharpness.

If you want a knife that’s a cut above what your buddies are using, choose the Timberline Model 8010 ceramic folder. It comes in a hinged aluminum frame see-thru gift box. The knife is the Timberline website: Click here for Model 8010. Contact Timberline through their website: www.TimberlineKnives.com.