About this catalog:
This catalog will give you information on models I offer, options and pricing.
The pricing in this catalog is good only through 2013. Since I am not taking orders
at this time the pricing is provided for your reference and to give you an idea of
what the ballpark price is at this time.
Lord willing, I will be done with my current backlog of orders sometime in
2015 or 2016. At that time I will again start fulfilling orders, although I can’t
give any real estimate of wait time.
I have started making a “contact list”. If you would like to be placed on
the contact list immediately just send me an email at [email protected]
Here’s how the contact list works: I’ll put your name down on the contact
list with the understanding that I have no idea when I will get to your knife.
It’s just a reminder to contact you when I get to your name too see if you’d
still like a knife or piece of gear. When I contact you I will ask what you’d
like, I’ll get you a price and current wait time and at that time you can say
yes or no thanks. No obligation to follow through at all. For more info send
me an email and I’ll get you all the particulars.
Each knife will be slightly different from all others since they
are handmade. I use no jigs while making them.
Also please note that I continue to update/change knife patterns
in small ways (sometimes major ways) depending on what my
testing indicates. Please inquire before ordering ,if you see a change
to a certain pattern in the website gallery.
About Turley Knives
I make each knife by hand here in my shop and I make each one with pride. I’ve tested each pattern
personally for the use they are intended for so you don’t have too. That research, development and testing
gives me the confidence to be able to encourage people to use them hard in the woods and should give you
confidence that you can too.
You can go to www.Turleyknives.com for more information including videos showing some of the
real world testing that I have done.
In addition to that, several of my knives have traveled to the combat zone with professional fighting
men and I’m glad to say that all have been pleased with how they performed.
I’ve supplied knives to Navy seals, Green Beret, F.B.I., Air Force sere Specialists, combat soldiers
and Marines in line units as well as soldiers from allied nations such as Canada and the United Kingdom.
I have gotten real world feedback from these professionals and have applied that to how
I make a knife. When I say Turley knives are Hardwoods tested and Combat proven I’m not just
whistling Dixie. That’s something I’m proud of it and I believe you can be proud that your Turley knife
has seen hard use and proven itself the world over.
I always try to use the best materials available when making the knives. Every aspect of the knife is
done by me, from cutting out the blade to grinding the bevels to heat treating it for it’s intended purpose
and all the way on to the finishing touches.
If you’re so inclined to buy a Turley knife I’d be much obliged and glad to make you one.
God bless,
Iz
Israel Turley
Romans 10:9
Warranty information
I guarantee that each Turley marked knife is made by hand by me and that
each one is free from making defects. If any defect is found while used as
Intended, simply return the knife to me for fixing or replacing as long as I am
making knives. No matter if you are the first owner or not, the knife is guaranteed
as long as I am making knives.
Each knife will come with a certificate of authenticity, this will include
important information that should stay with the knife if you decide to part
with it. At the bottom of the sheet it will state the intended use of that
particular knife. The uses are defined as follows:
Woodsman’s knife: includes hard use such as batoning and light prying.
Heavy combat knife: includes hard use such as batoning and prying.
Combat knife: includes hard use such as batoning and light prying.
Light use woodsman’s knife: usually termed “light use” due to a sharper
tipped profile. The uses warrantied include batoning but no prying with
the tip.
Hunting knife: This knife would be built to excel at cutting and
slicing therefore is not warrantied for batoning or prying.
“Batoning is assumed to be done with a wooden baton. It does not
Include rock, metal, hammer or your axe or hatchet.
“Making defects” include any blade , tip or edge breakage due to use as
intended. It does not include breakage of the handle from hitting a pommel
that does not have a pommel plate. It also does not include eventual epoxy
failure (if it should happen) after years of service. I will replace any epoxy
failures within the first year of ownership at my expense.
Making defects also does not include any shrinking, cracking or expanding
of natural materials, this is beyond my control.
A quick word about un-stabilized natural handle materials:
Wood, bone , antler, etc. are sensitive to environmental changes such as
dry or wet conditions. These conditions can cause natural materials to do some
unusual things, like shrink or crack. It's not the norm but it does happen.
If you receive your knife and the wood has cracks or shrinkage just return it
to me for repair at no charge. If I can't fix it, I'll replace it at no charge.
If , however, a month or two down the road the material shrinks or cracks it
will not be covered under warranty. I will fix it but for a fee and when I have time.
Natural material being what it is makes it impossible for me to afford to warranty it
for the life of the knife. To help insure no funky things happen to the handle I
suggest a coat or two of Johnson's paste wax every three months or so. More often
if you live in an extreme environment.
If the possibility of cracking and shrinking (however slight) bothers you then I
suggest stabilized woods or Micarta as an alternative. These man made/enhanced
materials are specifically designed not to move. They are designed never to shrink
or crack.
Handle materials available:
Pretty much anything you can think of I can put on a knife if you’d like. The
most popular are Micarta , g10 and stabilized wood. There are scores of
colors of micarta and g10 available and spacers paired with the handle scales
can give you nearly endless options of color combinations.
If you choose stabilized wood , natural wood, antler or some other natural
material you can purchase whatever you like and send it to me to put on
your knife. If you decide to send in material for your handle you should
send it with the understanding that you send it at your own risk should
it have internal voids, external voids or become damaged during construction
making it unusable. I hope you understand that I can not afford to replace
expensive handle material that I did not choose to put on the knife myself.
If it were up to me every full tang knife would have micarta or g10 and every
hidden tang would have leather , micarta or g10. All of which I will replace
at my own cost if damaged during construction.
Grind information
All of the grinds described below are convex.
¼ height grind:
This grind is not good for much of anything in my opinion except for knives made from thin stock and
narrow blades or large chopping knives. Even then it's still not a great performer.
Advantages:
Huge amount of metal behind the edge makes this grind the strongest for any kind of hard use task.
This grind resists chipping or rolling better than any other, great for toughness. Makes for the strongest tip
of all the grinds when on comparable patterns.
Disadvantages:
It's strength is a trade off in the slicing ability department. This is the worst slicer of the bunch
by far and due to the large flat sides it's pretty terrible at batoning also. It's not even great for
chopping knives because it doesn't allow the knife to bite very deep. This grind can be more challenging
for a beginner to sharpen easily.
½ height grind:
Advantages:
Has more strength at the edge and point than a full height grind. The tip is plenty strong for drilling.
It's also a far, far better slicer than the 1/4 height grind. But still not great.
Disadvantages:
It's sort of in the middle of everything. Not great at any one task but not bad either. I would say that
I believe it's the toughest of the practical grinds and that's it's best asset. Practical meaning useful
as a knife unlike the 1/4 height grind.
Full height grind:
Advantages:
This grind is an amazing slicer. The best choice for a skinning/game knife bar none. It takes a scary
sharp edge so easily that it's a great grind to learn convex sharpening with. Combining it's geometry
and thinness at the edge the full height is the epitome of "wicked sharp". The Full height in most cases
is what I consider the best overall grind for a do it all belt knife.
(This is the grind that I almost always use on my personal knives.)
Disadvantages
Depending on the profile of the knife a full height grind can have a weak tip. That weakness gets greater
when you get thinner stock. But with a little common sense drilling with the tip is no problem at all.
And if you never pry with it it should do just fine also. Again, it all depends on what pattern you pick
and what thickness of steel you want, that will dictate how strong the tip will be.
After years of using a full height grind in the woods I can honestly say that's the only weakness I know of.
Varied grind:
Advantages:
The low grind height near the ricasso area is very much like the 1/4 to 1/2 height grind, meaning it's super
strong and it acts like a Scandi grind in that area. This is an advantage in a woods knife as much of the
notching/shaving (feather stick) work is done right in this spot. This is a great grind for those people who
come from the scandi grind background and experience. It gives them a similar feel to what they are used
to where the grind is low and gives them better cutting ability toward the tip than are accustomed to with
the scandi grind. The tip, with it's full height characteristics, excels at slicing when skimming off extra
wood or slicing potatoes and such.
Disadvantages:
Only one that I know of, the tip is not very strong when used with certain patterns. It has the same
characteristics at the tip as the full height grind. But with a little common sense drilling with the tip is no
problem at all. Again, it all depends on what pattern you pick and what thickness of steel you want, that
dictates how strong the tip will be.
Reverse varied grind +$40.00:
Advantages:
The idea of the grind is that for large chopping knives it gives you lots of strength toward the tip where
most of the chopping will be done. The part of the edge near the handle rarely gets used with large
choppers and this grind changes that. With a near full height grind in this spot it is possible to use it for
finer work like shaving feathers for a fire making or for using as a draw knife. This grind makes a chopper
twice as useful without sacrificing chopping ability.
Disadvantages:
You don't get the extreme cutting ability or "bite" at the tip that some like. As with most everything in knife
making it's a trade off. For the benefit of increased toughness you sacrifice some of the deep cutting ability
at the tip.
Model # 1 Gasconade River woodsman’s knife
Base Price: $220.00 - includes a micarta handle
Blade Length: @ 4 1/4"
Thickness: 1/8" to 1/4"
Handle Length: @ 4 1/4"
Grind: Convex of your choice
Tang: Full
The model 1 is the fruit of lessons learned projects in the woods. As my wife knows all too well, if I'm not
in the shop I'm probably in the woods so this design was inevitable for me.
It features a very severe drop point that falls to just below the center of the blade. This serves three
purposes, it allows for easier drilling with the tip, allows for an easier time gutting and allows you to
split wood with the tip edge.
In order to get this massive drop and still have a straight cutting edge I had to compensate by lowering the
rest of the knife. It's actually a very comfortable knife to use because of the drop.
This knife and the Green river are pretty much the culmination of my own woods experience and
reflect best how I use a knife.
The model above features a full height grind, heat treat scale left on the flats of the blade,
Black g10 handle scales, stainless steel sandwich spacers, black g10 tang spacers, stainless steel
Pins and an optional steel pommel plate.
Options available: Pretty much anything. A hidden tang version is also available.
Model # 2 Missouri River
Base price: $330.00 with micarta handle and any grind besides the reverse varied convex. It is an extra
option.
Blade Length: @ 8 1/2"
Thickness: 3/16" to 1/4"
Handle Length: @ 4 3/4"
Grind: Convex of your choice
Tang: Full
The Missouri is for all you big knife fans out there. It's what I would classify as a large knife or small
chopper.
The design elements for the big muddy come from The Gasconade Bushcraft knife in that it has a huge
sweep downward toward the tip.
Combined with the downward sweep of the handle the Missouri is a chopping beast. The edge as you'll
notice has been dropped down with the point to keep it straight for ease of sharpening instead of making it
a re-curve.
The balance point is forward of the front of the scales for more chopping power and less fatigue for the
user. The Missouri is good for batoning larger sections of wood and busting up firewood for a cold night.
The above knife is shown with a reverse varied convex grind, heat treat scale left on the flats,
Earth/coyote brown g10 handle scales, brass pins and brass lanyard.
Options available: Pretty much anything. A hidden tang version is also available. If you
choose to send in handle material for this model please ask for measurements first. This knife
has a larger handle and not all handle materials will fit it.
Model # 3 Mississippi River
Base price: $270.00 with micarta handle
Blade length: @ 6 1/2"
Handle length: @ 4 3/4"
Thickness available: 3/16” to ¼”
The Model 3 started out life in an unusual way, at least it was unusual for me. A generous friend of
mine asked if I'd like a piece of 5160 that he had laying around, I said "sure, I'll use it". He told me that it
was already in the shape of a knife blank and to do with it what I liked. When it got here it had a big
finger guard, a very straight blade and a funky lanyard hole at the pommel.
So I drew my template on the pattern and made it my own. I dropped the point considerably, did away
with the "guard" and the squared pommel. What came out was the Mississippi.
When I completed it I originally thought I'd only make it the one time but I had enough interest in the
knife that I made it part of the regular line.
As for purpose: The Model 3 fits in between the Green river and the Missouri in size. It works well for
people who like bigger knives for their main woods knife.
**note this knife will be going through a slight design change in 2013, please see the website
in the next few months for the updated version**
The knife above is shown with a varied convex grind, heat treat scale left on the flats, black g10 handle
Scales, stainless steel pins and lanyard.
Options available: Pretty much anything. A hidden tang version is also available.
Model # 4 Green River woodsman’s knife
Base price with pommel plate and micarta handle: $330.00 Base price without pommel plate and micarta
handle: $220.00
Blade length: @ 4 3/4"
Handle length: @ 4 1/8"
Thickness available: 5/32” through 3/16”
The Green River is a special knife to me, it's the culmination of my woods time up to this point in
my life. It is born out of the Gasconade, a knife that is very close to my idea of what a woodsman's knife
should be. After using the Gasconade heavily for a while there were a few small adjustments that I thought
could be made to make the knife that much better. That's where the Green River comes in.
Through hard woods use of the Gasconade I came to the conclusion that some might like a slightly longer
blade for busting through bigger sections of wood. The biggest upgrade though comes in the form of a
standard pommel plate. I'm too hard on my knives and often times I beat the pommel area with a large stick
in order to drive the tip into wood to split it down to small sections. I've already cracked the micarta scales
on another knife doing this and my Gasconade's handle is separating due to the abuse. The pommel plate
on the Green River takes care of that problem entirely.
This knife, being that it is my idea of what a hard woods knife should be, will have limited options
available. There are certain things that it will always come with and certain things that it will never come
with. I've poured a lot of dirt time and sweat into this design and I'm pleased with it and the Gasconade
more than just about any other knives I've done. I'm extremely happy with it and I think you will be , too.
For more specifics on why the general shape is the way it is you can check out the write up on
the Model 1 Gasconade.
Just about everything on these two knives is there for a reason which comes from actually using what I
make and using it often. The above knife is shown with a varied convex grind, earth/coyote g10 scales,
1/8" maroon micarta spacers, stainless pins, steel pommel plate.
Options available include pretty much anything except a ¼ height grind is not available on the Model 4.
The Green river comes standard with a pommel plate but can be ordered without one. Hidden tang
Version also available.
Model # 5 Z-sere S.E.R.E. Specialist knife
Base price with micarta handle and without the reverse varied grind: $475.00
Blade length @ 11 1/4" including finger cutout
Handle length @ 5 1/4"
Thickness and material available: ¼” 5160 spring steel
The Generation one Z-sere was for a time the official U.S. Air Force Sere specialist graduation knife.
The z-sere has been a couple years in the making and it is inspired by a man named Paul Zinsmeister.
Mr. Zinsmeister was an Air Force survival instructor and custom knife maker before his untimely death.
I first heard of Paul through my friend Terry Barney who was an instructor at the same time Paul was.
Terry had one of Paul’s big bolo knives that he specialized in and I became enamored with that knife.
It is one of the finest crafted large knives I've ever seen, Paul Zinsmeister was a master knife maker,
his knives are extremely difficult to come by and command a healthy price (rightfully so) when they do
pop up for sale. So the next best thing for me to do was to make one since I couldn't find one to buy.
That's where the z-sere was born.
The generation one z-sere looked pretty close in design to Paul's pattern.
Making the generation one knife was a lesson to me in just how skilled a knife maker Paul was.
This style knife isn't easy to grind, at least for me it isn't. So combined with the difficulty of making
them and the difficulty for the customer to sharpen this blade shape I modified it to the pattern you see
in the picture above. That is the z-sere generation 2 pattern.
It's just a good a chopper as the generation 1 but it's easier to sharpen and easier for me to make without
pulling my hair out.
If you're a big knife fan you won't be disappointed with this one. This is a knife with lots of history behind
it and it is my way of trying to carry on a man's work who was taken from us before he could really shine in
the knife world.
Options available: Pretty much anything. If you choose to send in handle material for this model please ask
for measurements first. This knife
has a larger handle and not all handle materials will fit it.
Model # 6 Brush Creek bushcraft knife
Base price: $220.00 with a micarta handle
Blade length: @ 4 1/8"
Handle length: 4"
Grind: Convex of your choice
Thickness available: 1/8” through ¼”
The Brush creek is similar to the Dogwood in that I wanted a sort of utility knife, one that was good not
only at wood work but also good as a hunting knife.
It incorporates the severe drop point and all it's benefits combined with a wider blade with some belly up
front for gutting and skinning. If the Dogwood creek is 60% hunting knife and 40% woods knife (which it
is) then the Brush creek is a more balanced 50% hunting knife and 50% woods knife.
With the gutting task in mind (reaching into the body cavity full of blood) I made the handle more secure
by giving the Brush creek a wider blade that forms a sort of guard. That keeps your hand from slipping up
as easily when the knife is bloody. This is a great all around, do it all sort of pattern.
The knife above is shown with a varied convex grind, heat treat scale left on the flats, black canvas
Micarta scales and stainless steel pins.
Options available: Pretty much anything. A hidden tang version is available.
Model # 7 Moniteau Creek Bushcraft knife
Base price: $330.00 depending on handle options
Blade length @ 5"
Handle length @ 4 1/4"
Hidden tang
Grind: Convex of your choice
Thickness available: 1/8” through ¼” depending on handle options
The model 7 is in my opinion a good all around utility knife. It's got the characteristic drop point of most
of my knives which is good for gutting and drilling a hearth board. It also has a nice wide blade that gives
it some belly that it wouldn't normally have due to the severe drop in the blade. In 3/16” stock with
a full height grind this thing would be a scary sharp laser beam of a knife and tough too boot.
If you're looking for a heavy duty hidden tang in the right combination of options, this knife is it.
Knife above shown with a varied convex grind, natural micarta reduced guard, dark brown micarta
center piece and a natural micarta pommel.
Options available: Pretty much whatever you can think up to stack on a handle. Not available
in a full tang version.
Model # 8 Burris Fork woods knife
Base price: $220.00 with a micarta handle
Blade length @ 4 1/4"
Handle length @ 4 1/4"
Full tang
Thickness available: 1/8” through ¼”
The Burris fork is kind of an answer to a lighter more nimble knife that has a more traditional look of some
of the old hunting knife patterns. I combined the profile of the old hunters with my sort of signature severe
drop point design. It's a neat little knife to use and is a wicked cutter when it has a full height grind.
The handle is a little bit narrower than most of the other models so this one is more suited to those of us
who have smaller hands.
The knife above is shown with a ¾ height convex grind, heat treat scale left on the flats, black
g10 scales, yellow sandwich spacers, black g10 tang spacers, stainless steel pins and an optional
yellow g10 pommel plate.
Options available: Pretty much anything. A hidden tang version is also available.
Model # 9 Arghandab River last ditch knife
Base price: $200.00 with a micarta handle
Blade length @ 3 1/8"
Overall length @ 6 5/8"
Full tang
Thickness available: 1/8” through 3/16”
The Model 9 Arghandab River is what came of a request for a last ditch knife by a friend of mine.
He's a Green Beret with third group whose had multiple tours in the combat zone. He wanted a small
version of the Gasconade River to have on him at all times in case he had to ditch the rest of his
gear while evading the enemy.
In honor of him and what he does for our country I let him name the knife. He chose the name Arghandab
river due to the fact that he operated in and around the river during one of his tours in Afghanistan.
I'm proud to offer this knife due to the history behind it and the personal connection it has.
Plus it's pretty dang useful and good looking if I do say so myself.
P.S. This is a neck knife sized knife.
The above knife is shown with a varied convex grind, heat treat scale left on the flats, caramel linen
micarta scales, 1/8" natural canvas micarta spacers and 1/8" brown g10 pins
Model # 10 Haw Creek chisel knife
Base price: $330.00 with a micarta handle
Blade length: @ 4 1/2"
Handle length: @ 4 1/4"
Full tang
Thickness available: 5/32” through ¼”
I'm sure it's obvious that the Haw Creek takes it's influence from Japanese blades. I watched a video of a
Japanese gentleman who was carving a sculpture using what looked like a meat cleaver that had a
sharpened chisel like point. He was a master with it and it struck a cord in me watching him use it so well.
I'm no carver that's for sure but I have used a chisel quite a bit in my life for various wood working and
carpentry projects I've done. I saw immediately how handy something with a sharp flat "tip"
would be in the woods. I could imagine how nice it would be to use to make square joints for shelters and
camp furniture , for notching for traps and friction fire boards etc. So I made one and the Haw Creek is
what it looks like.
It differs from a true chisel in that the front edge is double sided where as a chisel is single sided. I didn't
see any need to limit the knife to a one sided grind as I don't need that much control and accuracy with my
cuts in the woods. This knife isn't what you'd call a game or camp knife since it' has no tip. It would be
pretty horrible at gutting and skinning. But paired with a smaller neck sized knife that would be used for
gutting and skinning the Haw creek could be one invaluable tool in the woods.
I really enjoyed using this knife and want to make another one for myself soon.
The Haw creek comes standard with a pommel plate and is unavailable without one. A hidden tang
version is available.
The above knife is shown with Caramel linen micarta scales, dark brown canvas micarta pommel plate,
stainless steel pins
Due to the nature of the knife this is the only grind it is available with. Handle options are pretty
much unlimited however.
Model # 11 Moon Creek
Base price: $220.00 with a micarta handle
Blade length: @ 4"
Handle length: @ 4"
Full tang
Thickness available: 1/8” through ¼”
The Moon Creek was an experiment to see just how far I could push the drop of a knife pattern.
I kept the blade similar to the drop of most of the other models but gave the handle a lot more drop than
anything I've ever done before. After using it some I figured out a few things. It is really comfortable to
use, probably the most comfortable handle I've ever used.
The blade works well but not any better or worse than knives in the Gasconade family. A pommel plate on
this knife is a bad idea, I found that out after I made the prototype with one on it. The handle has too much
drop in the pommel area to make the pommel plate an effective striking surface. You're striking on an
angle instead of a flat spot. The last thing I learned is that if the knife were dropped anymore than this it
would probably lose most of it's usefulness, there's no reason to go any farther. This is the stopping point in
my mind.
My conclusion: Extremely comfortable knife to use for those of us with smaller hands. Does every woods
task you need it to for a knife without a pommel plate.
The knife above is shown with a varied convex grind, heat treat scale left on the flats, dark brown
Canvas micarta scales, 1/8” natural canvas micarta spacers and brass pins.
Options available: Pretty much anything as far as handles and grind are concerned. The only options
not available are a pommel plate and the Moon creek is not available in a hidden tang version.
Model # 12 Kunar River light knife
Base price: $220.00 with a micarta handle
Blade length: @ 3 7/8"
Handle length: @ 4 1/2"
Available in 1/8" thick stock only
Full tang
The Kunar river came about once again from my buddy with 3rd group. He was in the higher elevations
on his last deployment and needed a light (higher elevation equals less oxygen) yet tough knife and
so I came up with the model 12. The Kunar comes standard in 1/8" stock with a full height grind , lanyard
tubes for pins and no pommel plate to keep it as light as possible. The blade has the severe drop
characteristics of my designs and you can check out the reasons for that if you read the information on the
Model 1 Gasconade river.
It also has the bull nose tip for strength which is still enough tip to use for drilling divots and gutting game.
The true light combat version has thin carbon fiber scales but you can get it with standard thickness scales
and in whatever handle material you like. It's still a light knife even with heavier scale material on it.
This knife is as good at woodcraft tasks as it is at combat duty.
The Kunar River runs through the area where my friend was for most of his last deployment in
Afghanistan. With no pommel plate you have to get used to working around the problems that presents if
you're used to using one. You can check out the on the Turley Knives youtube channel to see a few
techniques and to see just how tough 1/8" o-1 can be even in a full height grind.
The knife above is shown with a full height convex grind, heat treat scale left on the flats, carbon
fiber scales and stainless steel lanyard tubes for pins.
Options available: Pretty much only handle material is an option on this one. It’s made specifically to
be light so the thickness and grind are not changeable. Carbon fiber scales are not an option at this time.
Model # 13 TimberJack
Base price: $330.00 with a micarta handle
Blade length: @ 4 1/8"
Handle length: 4 ½“"
Grind: Convex of your choice
Thickness available: 1/8” through ¼”
The Timberjack is a model #6 blade with a handle shape inspired by the Randall commando
style and the Leuku Sami knife. I thought the handle style looked comfortable and seemed like it
would give the user and good grip on the knife. It does both pretty good. This knife is not available
without a pommel plate.
The knife above is shown with a 3/4 height convex grind, Wenge scales, 1/8" Padauk spacers,
brass pommel plate, brass lanyard tubes with copper pin inserts. This pin setup is not available for
order.
Options available: Pretty much any handle material as long as I can make it with the pommel
plate.
Model # 14 Thunderbolt Jet pilot survival knife
Base price with nickel silver guard, saw teeth spine and stacked leather handle $330.00
(standard with saw back spine, available without teeth upon request. No price reduction)
Blade length @ 4 5/8”
Handle length @ 4 ½”
Grind: Convex of your choice
Thickness available: only 3/16” at this time
This knife is based off of the Jet pilot survival knife that Marble’s designed for the Bureau of
Aeronautics, Department of the Navy beginning in 1953. At least that’s when talks and the designing
of the knife began. Unfortunately after designing the knife and agreeing to reveal their manufacturing
process to others for use Marble’s was exempt from bidding on the making of the knife for the
Navy. The government had decided to only allow smaller companies too bid and Camillus won
the contract.
As with some of my other knives this one takes it’s inspiration from the past. I try to put my own spin
on projects like this so that it is a homage instead of a direct copy. I also try to incorporate what I think
is useful in the design and drop what I feel isn’t. With that in mind the handle of the Model 14 is
A pretty close copy of the original but the blade is totally different. It is a Model 4 Green river blade
That is mated to the handle. I figure I like this blade style better than the traditional straight back
clip point design so that’s what I put on it.
Pilot rescue and survival is something that means a lot too me and I wanted to honor those who put
their lives on the line to make that happen.
Model # 15 Air Assault Survival knife
Base price with saw teeth spine and stainless steel, knurled hollow handle $350.00
(standard with saw back spine, available without teeth upon request. No price reduction)
Blade length @ 5” *available with any other model blade six inches and under*
Handle length @ 5”
Grind: Convex of your choice
Thickness available: only 3/16” at this time
The Air Assault takes it’s inspiration from the Randall knives model 18 attack. The Randall
knife was a joint design between Captain George Ingraham, Bo Randall and Gary Randall. Captain
Ingraham was a Ch-21c helicopter pilot serving in the Vietnam war at the time of his request for
the knife. Every thing about the knife was, at least in Captain Ingraham’s assessment, was geared
for helicopter pilots and crew members needs. I’ve tried to stay faithful to those designs while
still incorporating my own design.
I highly respect our rotary wing pilots and crew members who risk their lives to supply, insert
and evacuate our combat troops, so this knife is dedicated to them. It features a stainless steel
knurled hollow handle for items of your choosing, be it medication, water purification tabs etc.
It comes with a gold paracord lanyard because that’s the way the Randall’s did it for a while and who
who am I to change what Bo and Gary did?
Don’t let people tell you that all hollow handle survival knives are weak like the ones they remember
that were sold in chain stores in the 1980’s. This is not that kind of knife, I gaurauntee it to be
absolutely tough enough for anything you can throw at it in the woods. *added guard is an option*
The knife is named in honor of all helicopter borne assault troops as well as the pilots and
Crew members. God bless them and keep them safe.
Model # 16 Recondo Bolo
Base price : $350.00
Blade length @ 11 1/2”
Handle length @ 5 ¼“”
Grind: Convex (this knife has no grind choice option)
Thickness available: only 3/16” at this time
Spacer note: The model 16 always comes with thin red, yellow and black spacers. This cannot be
changed.
I use a machete/bolo pretty often, all spring, summer and into the fall a bit. I find it one of the
handiest designs there is for how I camp. In all that use however I noticed that I very rarely used the tip of
a big knife for anything. I decided to make a machete that I could use to dig with if I had
forgotten my shovel, if I was in a hurry or for small quick work. I remembered seeing a U.S.M.C.
round tip bolo that was used during ww2 and thought I’d make a version of that with my design
influence thrown in. What I drew out looked almost exactly like the knife pictured above.
A few days later I stumbled onto an eBay auction for what looked almost exactly like the knife
I had drawn out just a few days before. I’d never seen one before that point and I liked what I saw a lot.
The knife in the auction was a C.I.S.O. ( counterinsurgency support office) supplied S.O.G.
(studies and observation group) bolo that was used by American Special Forces soldiers while
running recon missions in Laos and Cambodia. Then and there I knew this was the knife I wanted to make
so that I could do my small part to honor those veterans who did such a difficult, dangerous and vital job
during the Vietnam war.
In honor of 5th Special Forces group I have named this knife the Recondo bolo. 5th group
hosted the Recondo (Recon and Commando) school and trained members from all services in the
skill of reconnaissance and commando tactics in Nha Trang Vietnam from 1966 to 1970.
This bolo also comes with only one style of spacers which are the flash colors of 5th group during
the Vietnam war.
The tip and back of the knife are left nearly dead soft for toughness while the edge is full
hardness. The knife is meant to be used to do light digging with and inevitably it will hit rocks. With
that in mind I left the tip soft so that it would bend rather than chip. I’d rather have the edge bend so
I can beat it back straight instead of chip and have to grind it out.
This is the knife I will use around camp and tromping through the woods. I hope you like it as much
as I do.
Options available: Only handle material and pin type.
Model #17 All American Victory Knife
Base price $400.00
Blade length: @ 6 1/8"
Handle length: @ 4 1/2"
Thickness available: 3/16"
*Will always have red, white and blue spacers. No exceptions.*
This is the All American Victory knife, so named to honor all those Americans who gave their time,
energy and lives to liberate the oppressed during World War two.
The All American is a blend of three knife designs. The first is the Randall model 1 all purpose fighter. That
knife was pretty much born during ww2 and with it the Randall legend was as well. As I'm sure you know,
Randall knives has held my respect for many years and is a great influence on the knives I make at times.
Therefore it was a natural thing for me to want to honor the model 1 all purpose fighter that so many
American combat men carried during the war. This is why the knife has the characteristic Randall finger
cut out (choil) at the spine and edge.
The second knife is the E.G.W. knife that was popular among combat servicemen during the war. Made
by E.G. Waterman of New York this knife featured hidden tang handles that were held on by a ring at the
pommel. An American classic if you ask me.
The third design element comes from my characteristic drop on the knives I make. I try to make each
knife that is influenced from other sources a unique design and by incorporating what I feel is useful in a
knife I think I achieve that. I don't like directly copying someone's work even if it is near perfect in my
eyes.
I sincerely feel this is a good all around knife for woods work and to be used as a combat utility knife. It
isn't ideal for all things or any one thing but overall I think it will do a fine job.
God bless our veterans, troops, those who answered the call and those who gave all. You're the best of us
and I thank you for the freedom you gave me and my family.
Model # 18 Raider Machete
Base price : $350.00
Blade length @ 9 1/2”
Handle length @ 5 1/8”
Grind: ½ height convex with false top edge (this knife has no grind choice option)
Thickness available: only 3/16” at this time
Anybody who is into knives and knife collecting knows what the Marine Raider (or Gung ho) knife
is, the model 17 is my version. It is pretty close to the original in basic design except I made it a drop point
instead of a clip point and I did away with the guard. Other wise (except for changing the handle shape) the
Model 17 is essentially the same pattern as the old Collins knives.
You probably noticed that this knife is called the Raider machete and not the Raider bowie. That, of
course is intentional. I wanted to honor both the Marine Raiders who so successfully used this knife and
honor the U.S. Army Air Force pilots who used this knife before the raiders themselves. Hence the machete
part of the name because that is what Collins made it to be. The original intent was not as a fighting knife
but a bail out survival knife issued to pilots in the early part of the war. And by most accounts this is also
what the Raiders used their bowies for. Same knife, different name but used in the same way.
The only difference was that the Raiders depended on their knives almost daily while behind enemy lines
where as a pilot may never (thankfully) have the chance to use his when it counted most.
In my opinion, those who say that a big knife is for a novice, someone who doesn’t know what they
are doing in the woods, should study the Marine Raider knife and it’s actual use by those men who made it
famous. From all accounts I have read it was used mostly as a survival tool, not a fighting knife and they
used it well. Everything from cutting poles for stretchers to clearing fire lanes and from building shelters to
building split wood fires.
From John Wukovits’ book American Commando comes an interesting quote. Former Marine Raider Jesse
Vanlandingham states “I had to find a dead tree that I could cut through the outer part, that was wet, and get
some dry wood out of the center of the tree. I had a pretty good fire going right next to a tall tree shelter.”
Granted, he doesn’t say he used his Raider knife but I’m guessing that’s likely what he had with him and
what he used. I’ve read more than one report of how useful and handy the Raiders thought these knives
were. That’s good enough for me.
Options available: Only handle material and pin type.
Model # 19 Paramarine knife
Base price : $330.00
Blade length @ 3 ¾“”
Handle length @ 4 1/8”
Choice of brass or nickel silver guard
Grind: Varied, half height or full height convex
Thickness available: 1/8” (half height grind or full height only) 5/32” and 3/16”
The paramarines were a little known outfit who were active during the early part of WW2. Although
they never made a combat jump they were well trained and elite. You may know the name of one famous
paramarine, Ira Hayes. Hayes was one of the Marines who posed for the second photo of the flag raising on
Iwo Jima.
The Model 18 is my version of the Paramarine (or parachutist) knife made by Western for the
paramarines. The model W31 as it was known, was made specifically for the Marine paratroopers. It had
about a 4 ¼” blade and was made of thin 3/32” stock and if you’re lucky enough to find one today you’ll
likely pay a pretty penny for it.
My version has the signature drop of the overall blade that I usually like and it is a full tang where as
the original was Western’s famous split full tang. I also shortened the blade since I wanted a more compact
version. There’s also an influence from the Randall fireman’s special knife here. I really like that knife,
especially the guard on the full tang which makes it fun and very safe to use while not getting in the way.
This is a fun and handy little knife, pretty great for any woodsman tasks that you’d use a belt knife for.
Options available: Choice of nickel silver or brass guard. And pretty much any other option except no
pommel plate and only a half or full height grind on 1/8” stock. In any other stock thickness the varied
grind is available.
Options available
Some handle material examples:
Micarta: A manmade handle material made of resins and fabric or paper. Extremely tough. This
or G1 are in my opinion the best choice for a hard use knife.
Colors available: I keep on hand standard colors in Micarta. These are usually always available
for any size knife.
O.d. Green canvas micarta
Natural canvas (varies in color)
O.d green linen (smoother appearance than the o.d. canvas)
Caramel linen (limited availability)
I can get other colors as well such as Maroon, red linen, forest green etc but I don’t stock them normally.
So If you’d like something else please let me know or send it to me to put on the knife.
G10 handle material +$10.00: G10 is similar to micarta but instead of fabric laminated it is
fiberglass that is laminated with resins. Extremely tough and slightly heavier than micarta.
Available in a wider variety of colors than micarta generally speaking.
Black
Jade ghost green
I also stock o.d. green g10 which is a truer color to o.d. than the micartas are.
Just about any color under the son is made in g10. If you’d like something different than the above
just let me know. I can order it or you can order it and have it sent to me.
Pin material
At this time I have several pin materials and colors available to choose from.
In addition to standard stainless steel and brass pins in 1/8” and 3/16” I have the following pins:
Pictured left to right: ¼” yellow delrin, ¼” white g10, ¼” red delrin, ¼ black micarta, ¼” blue delrin,
¼” jade g10, ¼” brown g10, 1/8” jade g10, 1/8” black carbon fiber and 1/8” brown g10
All colored pins are a +$20.00 option
Spacer options:
Thin spacers +$15.00 several colors available. (black shown)
1/8” spacers + $20.00 Several colors available (orange shown)
Sandwich spacers + $25.00 Several colors available (white shown) Note the spacer nearest
the tang (tang spacer) is green. Any color combination is available, just let me know what color tang
spacer you want when you tell me what color sandwich spacer you would like.
Hidden tang handle options
There are many materials available for hidden tang handles. From leather to bark to wood
to micarta and g10 etc. I can do most any of these but please note that spacers might be needed for
construction reasons. We can go over all of that when you decide to order.
Guards are available in brass, nickel silver, micarta and g10.
As for spacers, pretty much any of the spacer and handle material above will work as spacers for a hidden
tang. The knife shown below has red white and blue spacers with a stacked leather handle.
Other options
Pommel plates on full tangs +$150.00: Standard on Model 4 Green River, Model 10 Haw creek and
the model 13 Timberjack (included in base price) but available on many other patterns. Can be made from
Steel, brass, micarta or g10. Micarta and g10 both hold up well to continued hard use. Pommel plates are
made to be struck with a wooden baton or stick not with metal or rock.
Saw teeth +$50.00 on knives under six inches, +$70.00 on knives six inches and over. Available
on most models. Please inquire. A word about saw teeth. There are many misconceptions and prejudices
out there concerning saw teeth. The misconceptions seem to be that they are worthless for cutting wood
and/or that they are made for sawing through aircraft skin. I can attest that no knife I’ve seen with saw
Teeth, including mine, will saw through a stick of wood like a true saw will. Saws have set teeth and create
a gap (curf) for the rest of the blade to pass through without binding. It’s hard to do that on a knife spine.
But I can tell you that the saw teeth in my experience are not useless like many have claimed. They can be
used to score wood like you would do with a saw to split wood, score bone to break it evenly, scrape bark,
cut notches on a bow drill hearth etc. They are not necessary for any of these tasks for sure but they
are not a hindrance either. Why put them on then if they aren’t essential? Because I love the look (you may
too) and I can always find a use for them. At the very least they can be viewed a lot like file work (a truly
“useless” decoration) on the spine of a knife. But if you like file work then you should by all means
get it on your knife, the same goes for saw teeth. I leave enough room near the handle material that
doesn’t have saw teeth so you can still strike a metal match in that area.
As for being good for cutting out of aircraft I can’t say, I’ve never tested it personally since I
don’t have any old aircraft laying around.
Reverse varied grind +$40.00: This is the only grind that is an upgrade in cost because it’s hard
to do and it’s always on a big blade that takes a lot more grinding.
Concerning knife selection for your needs:
A few general “rules” to consider, everything in knife making is a trade off.
When strength increases cutting ability decreases, when edge holding increases edge toughness decreases
Etc.
Generally speaking the wider the knife and the taller the grind the weaker the tip will be. It depends
on the pattern of course, blunter tips obviously won’t be as likely to break. But if you choose a wide (tall)
knife in profile, a sharp point profile, thin steel and a high grind it will be an amazing slicer/cutter but will
have an extremely weak tip.
If you choose a blunter nosed pattern with a low grind and thicker steel it will be tougher than
nails but be a pretty bad cutter/slicer.
Somewhere between these two extremes is probably where most people want to be.
Thickness of steel has very little to do with edge strength as many people think. My 1/8” o-1 knives
with full height grinds are just as tough at the edge as a ¼ height grind with 3/16” steel. Where the
difference matters is in prying ability. Not so much that one will break before the other (they both have
the same heat treat so that won’t be a concern) but because of loss of prying ability. Thinner steel will flex
and you will loose some leverage because of it. So thicker steel in my opinion is just for rigidity when
lightly prying. (Think of trying to lift a hundred pound bar bell with a broom stick and a wedge. Compare
that to lifting that same weight with a wedge and a 4x4 piece of lumber.)
As always, if you have any questions whatsoever please don’t hesitate to ask. I’d love to
answer them to the best of my ability so I can get you just the right knife or at least very close to it.
Odds and ends
I generally use o-1 and 5160 steel. The type of steel I use will be determined by the knife
you choose and the tasks you want it to perform.
Sheaths made by me are not available at this time, the wait list is just too long to justify taking
the time to make them right now. This may change as I get the list completed. Please see my
website for a list of recommended sheath makers if you do not have one in mine already.
Thank you kindly for your interest in Turley Knives. I hope to work with you on some
Future project, Lord willing.
God bless,
Iz
Israel Turley
Romans 10:9