Knives By Nuge: Primitive Wicket XL Prototype First Look

By Nick Italiano

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Knives by Nuge is owned by Tom Nugent, an American custom knife maker hailing from New Jersey, he specializes in making purpose-driven designs for people who use their knives hard in everyday carry, outdoor, and field use scenarios. The Wicket has been one of his most popular models due to its compact size and unparalleled utility. The popularity of this model led to many of his customers asking for a larger version, and Tom answered that call with the Wicket XL. I had the opportunity to test one of the Wicket XL prototypes, specifically the rugged “primitive” version which features a Jute Wrapped handle and Scandi grind blade.

Let’s start by comparing the size of the original Wicket to the Wicket XL. The original Wicket is 5 inches overall with a 2.25-inch blade and about an inch at its tallest point. The Wicket XL is much more substantial at 6.5 inches overall and a 2.75-inch blade and 1.5 inches at its tallest point.

When it comes to variety the original Wicket is king, with numerous versions, steel varieties, and blade grinds including the primitive wrapped version, the cerakoted paracord wrapped version, versions with a variety of slabbed handle scales in G10 or micarta, and even premium versions in magnacut steel or “Ruthless Edition” with textured micarta handles. The current prototypes for the Wicket XL include this Primitive version with a scandi grind and some micarta-handled versions in a full flat grind. All the prototypes to date are in 80CRV2 high carbon steel, but we can expect to see other steel varieties making their way to the retail versions as well as some of the other popular versions of the original getting the XL treatment.

Now that we tackled the basics let’s get into the utility of these two knives. The original Wicket was designed as a neck knife that was also adapted for pocket carry with an optional Offensive Industries Sheath. It was designed to be compact and discreet, but highly functional, it has enough blade to handle your everyday tasks and handle some serious outdoor work. The handle allows for a three-finger grip, which is comfortable to use for quick tasks.

The XL extended both the handle and blade length allowing it to truly be a dedicated outdoor knife, but remains discreet when carrying it concealed when scout carrying on your belt with the included kydex sheath and loop. I was able to completely conceal the XL with just a standard-fitting t-shirt which makes it viable for everyday carry for those who live in areas that are less friendly to open-carry knives. The Primitive Wicket XL has a far more robust jute wrap than the Primitive Wickets, using epoxy to produce a solid permanent handle, that still provides superb grip and a rugged vibe.

If you like the Wicket, but wish you had a more robust version that is a solid all-day user then the WIcket XL will definitely punch the ticket. It retains the same purpose-driven design, but the added length gives you a solid full-hand grip and the additional blade allows you to tackle more difficult outdoor, bushcraft, and game processing tasks. Be sure to check out Knives by Nuge on Instagram or sign up for his newsletter on his website so you can keep up to date with the Wicket XL project!