By Nick Italiano
As you probably know, we are big fans of the Woods Monkey here at Black Flag Survival! The Woods Monkey is a division of LT Wright Knives known for the Banana Peel, a modular friction folder designed for some serious outdoor work. Recently, they have begun to expand the Woods Monkey lineup to include fixed blades, namely the Kerf, which is, a small carving knife. When Brian, who runs the Woods Monkey, reached out to me asking if I would be interested in doing some testing on the newest iteration of the Kerf, I quickly jumped on the opportunity to put it through the paces!
Specs
Let’s start with the specs. The overall length of the Kerf is 6 inches, sporting a 2-inch scandi grind blade made of AEB-L stainless steel that is ⅛ inch thick. If you are unfamiliar with AEB-L, it is an excellent choice for harder-use knives because it maintains the toughness and ease of sharpening that many high-carbon steels possess, while also being resistant to rust and corrosion. The handle is coffin-shaped and is ⅜ inches thick, providing the end user with a lot of meat to hold onto. The currently available versions have micarta handle scales, however, the version I am testing features Terotuf handle scales which is a very strong, lightweight, and grippy material. The Kerf ships standard with an included JRE leather sheath that can be worn as a neck knife or a belt sheath depending on user preference.
In Use
I’m going to be very upfront about the intended uses of the Kerf, it is a carving knife through and through. While it maintains the 90-degree spine that you’d expect with any knife coming from LT Wright the blade size and handle configuration does not make this ideal as an all-purpose outdoor knife. That being said it is not an issue, because this is a tool designed for carving and it does so very well. The small scandi grind blade makes short work of any wood that it meets from soft woods like pine or hardwoods like oak. It easily chewed through, dense and sticky fatwood. The 2-inch blade makes the Kerf incredibly nimble and allows for precision cuts and fine detail work, a feature you want in a dedicated carving knife. Let’s talk about the handle, at first glance I was a bit skeptical about the comfort over extended use, but I am pleased to report that the handle is very comfortable in hand over extended use. I sat down and just processed and whittled away at wood for a solid hour with no hot spots, cramping, or discomfort. The Terotuf is a major win in my opinion, it is super grippy without being unpleasant and it is lightweight despite the thickness of the scales.
Who is it for?
Simply stated the Kerf is a knife that is well suited for anyone who is looking for an excellent dedicated carving knife or a compact wood processing tool. Furthermore, like everything in the Woods Monkey/LT Wright Knives line up it is handmade in America from top-quality materials. The Kerf has an aesthetic that is truly unique to the Woods Monkey, making it very different from many of the more generic options out there; so if you want a functional tool, that looks cool this is definitely for you!
Final Thoughts
Overall, I truly enjoyed my time with the Woods Monkey Kerf, it is a very well-thought-out and executed carving knife with a unique flair that makes it fun as it is functional. While wood carving is not something I find myself doing frequently it did so very well in those tasks and served very well as a small wood processing companion. The Terotuf handles are an excellent addition, in my opinion, both increasing grip-ability and reducing weight is a good move in a knife that is designed to be used over extended periods. While the Terotuf version is still in the testing phase at the time of writing, the micarta-handled versions are currently available on the Woods Monkey Website. Stop by and check them out!
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