The Martialist: The Magazine For Those Who Fight Unfairly

“Stay ‘unreasonable.’  If you
don’t like the solutions [available to you], come up with your
own.” 
Dan Webre

The Martialist does not
constitute legal advice.  It is for ENTERTAINMENT
PURPOSES ONLY.

Copyright © 2003-2004 Phil Elmore, all rights
reserved.

Ranger Knives Shank and Shiv

A Product Review by Phil Elmore

Justin Gingrich, the man behind
Ranger Knives, spent
10 years on active duty, splitting his time among the 3rd Ranger Battalion,
the 20th SF Group, and the Ranger Training Brigade.  After a stint in
business with the
American Tomahawk Company, he struck out on his own.  The result is
Ranger Knives, a custom and production shop offering multiple models designed
by Justin.

The Ranger Knives Shank (top) and Shiv.

The first two samples submitted to The Martialist
were the company’s popular Shank and Shiv models.  These are simple
stabbing implements with cutting edges – purpose-built, expedient self-defense
weapons with no frills.  Both ship with lined Nylon sheaths.  Both
are manufactured from 5/32″ inch 1095 steel and have handles of paracord wrap.

The larger Shank is 10-3/8 inches overall with a 6-1/2 inch
blade.  The Shiv has a 4-1/4 inch blade and measures 8-3/8 inches
overall.  Both are slim spear-point daggers only one inch across. 
The Shank balances 4-5/8″ from the butt (right at the logo on the blade),
while the point of balance for the Shiv is 3-3/4″ from the butt.

The Shank and Shiv in their complimentary sheaths.

Both knives handle well and feel reasonably light.  The
Shank, being longer, feels more blade heavy and thus makes a more natural
slasher (though the blades do have some “belly,” I’d say they are more suited
to thrusts if we must choose).

The slim, spear-point tips of the Shank and Shiv.

Workmanship is decent.  My knives have textured black
coating (other colors are available) and were shipped with good working edges
that I refined with a pen-sized diamond rod.  The cord handle wraps are
generally tight with a little give in spots.  You can, of course, rewrap
the handle as often as you like with the cord color your choice, which is one
of the advantages of cord grips.  (Another is that they don’t heat up
like solid handles in hot climates.  They also provide pretty good
traction.)

Handle wrap on the knives is tight with a little give
in spots.

Wraps can be redone by the user, in any paracord
color.

There are no guards, which keeps the knives slim. 
There was a time when I would rarely  buy guardless knives, but for years
now I have been able to appreciate them.  The increased risk of slipping
onto the blade is mitigated by a good handle design – in this case, subtle
finger grooves over which the cord wrap sits.  These grooves (and a notch
on the spine) provide good index points for the Shank and Shiv.  The
rounded butt of each knife braces against my palm to further protect my hand.

The rounded butts of the knives brace against my
palms.

The lined Nylon sheaths shipped with the Shank and Shiv are
rudimentary and intended to keep costs down.  The Shank sheath has a belt
loop, while the Shiv sheath includes a loosely fitted and removable spring
clip.  Snap closures retain each knife.  For those who want a
heavier duty sheath for daily carry, Justin plans to offer Kydex in the
future.  In the meantime, he directs customers to several sheathmakers. 
These include two whose work has appeared in The Martialist: 
Survival Sheath
Systems and
On/Scene Tactical.

The Nylon sheaths are lined to prevent penetration
from within.

The Shiv sheath has a removable, loosely fitted
spring clip.

In testing, the knives cut and penetrated well in a variety
of media, from stacked cardboard to heavy plastic.  The 1095 steel held
up well but did dull, resharpening easily with my diamond hone.  I found
the longer Shank more to my liking in practicing pattern drills, thanks to its
additional heft, but that’s a personal preference only.  Both knives met
or exceeded my requirements and rode with me for two weeks of daily carry.

Wielding the Shank and Shiv was a real pleasure.

My tastes lean towards the simple rather than the complex,
so these all-business, no-BS stickers immediately got my attention. 
Given Justin’s experience and his current line of Ranger Knives (which he’s
expanding even as I write this), I expect more great things from him in the
months and years to come.

So should you.