The Evolution of Reiff Knives: From Prototype to Best-Sellers

It’s been nearly five years since I began my journey as a professional writer. Black Flag Survival was originally an Instagram page that I created to share my love of the great outdoors, gear, and survival topics – and after 4 years of building my social media presence I decided it was time to kick it up a notch and start this website.

At the time a new knife company called Reiff Knives reached out to me to inquire if I would be interested in testing a prototype knife they have been developing. I was stoked being this was the first time a company had considered me for a project like this!

This was a major turning point in the direction of my life that ultimately led to me leaving my previous career as a financial professional and embracing a new path as a full-time writer. Since I wrote that very first knife review much has changed for me – Black Flag Survival grew, I launched a podcast, I spent time writing and managing the KPL blog, did copywriting work for several companies, and eventually landed my current job as Associate Editor for RECOIL OFFGRID Magazine.

During that time Reiff Knives also grew. Their line has grown from their original F4 and F6 models to include a variety of hard use outdoor knives, EDC friendly fixed blades, and even a tactical field knife. Through some of the most challenging economic times for a new business Reiff Knives has grown significantly while maintaining their core values of producing some of the best high-end American made fixed blades out there.

About Reiff Knives

Reiff Knives was founded by the Shank brothers who grew up experiencing majesty Allegheny Mountains in West Virgina. From a young age their grandfather fostered their passion for the great outdoors, hunting, and fishing. Beyond embracing the skills of outdoor sportsman, the Shank Brothers experienced self-reliant living through their grandparent’s homestead learning essential skills.

As avid outdoorsman the Shank brothers know the value of a reliable tool, and few tools have as much value as a versatile knife. Many knives on the market serve very niche purposes and while many are designed to serve multiple purposes the Shank Brothers also felt like there was something missing and set out to design one of their own. Years of meticulous developments, numerous design tweaks, and testing ultimately resulted in the Reiff F4 and F6 models.

Reiff Knives f4 Gen 2

The Original Reiff F4 and F6

The F4 featured a 4-inch blade making it an ideal belt carry knife while the larger F6 had a 6-inch blade that made an excellent pack knife for tackling serious wilderness tasks. Both the F4 and F6 used premium CPM-3V Steel, known for its durability and edge retention. The saber grind blade design truly gave the F4 and F6 versatility to handle a variety of wilderness and survival tasks including bushcraft, game processing, camp cooking, and general survival related tasks.

What really drew my attention to Reiff’s debut F4 and F6 models was the handle design. As a lifelong knife user and enthusiast, I can confidently say the handle is the most important part of the knife for me and many otherwise great knives have ended up in a pile that rarely seen woods time because the handles were simply not comfortable during extended use. Apparently, this was also a sore point for the Shank brothers – as they modified the handle design of both the F4 and F6 a mind-numbing number of times before finally releasing them. This attention to detail truly paid off, because the F4 and F6 were among the most comfortable hard-use knives I have ever had the pleasure of using!

The combination of a versatile blade design, excellent steel, and incredibly ergonomic handles made the Reiff Knives F4 and F6 winners in my book – and many avid outdoors enthusiasts and professionals felt the same!

Reiff Knives F3

Expanding Reiff Knives F Series

The success of the F4 and F6 led to Reiff Knives introducing some new models starting with the EDC friendly F3 that sported a 3-inch blade but managed to maintain the outdoor prowess and ergonomics of its larger counter parts.  The F5 was also introduced to offer a happy medium between the F4 and F6 models with a 5-inch blade.

The F Series also experienced some variation in blade grinds with the introduction of scandi grind versions, a grind that is a favorite of the bushcraft crowd – and the introduction of CPM Magnacut steel variants which offers unparalleled corrosion resistance and edge retention.

Reiff Knives Circadian

The Reiff Knives Circadian

Continuing the move into the EDC space, Reiff Knives launched the Circadian Series. The Circadian was designed to be a “working persons” EDC knife coming in with a roughly 3.25-inch blade and a thinner blade stock compared to the F Series. The Circadian is available in either a Wharncliffe or clip point blade – while both are incredible slicers the clip point offers excellent piercing capability while the Wharncliffe has excels at detailed work and flat cutting. Despite having a thinner blade stock compared to the F series, the Circadian has more than enough chops to make a great hiking, camping, or compact hunting knife. The ergonomic handle design combined with either blade profile allows for excellent control when doing detailed tasks and the CPM Magnacut blade will ensure great edge retention and exceptional corrosion resistance in both day to day and field tasks!

Reiff Knives RangeWolf

The Reiff Knives RangeWolf

The RangeWolf is a collaboration between Rieff Knives and Ranger Point Precision. This Compact fixed blade was designed to be large enough to tactical everyday utility and hunting tasks while being small enough to mount on a rifle. The result was a just over 7-inch overall length with a 3-inch drop point blade. The full flat grind blade combined with a thin blade stock make the RangeWolf a slicing champion that makes breaking down those amazon boxes, prepping a camp meal, or processing game a breeze! The CPM Magnacut blade ensures long edge life and corrosion won’t be a problem if you can’t wash it right away out in the field.

Reiff Knives Vicon

The Reiff Knives Vicon

The Vicon was Reiff’s first foray into the Tactical Field Knife space. The Vicon was designed in collaboration with active-duty US Navy Seals and torture tested in some of the harshest environments on the planet.  The Vicon comes in at 10.2 inches overall with a robust 5.19-inch Magnacut blade. The blade has a flat saber grind paired with a reinforced clip point making the Vicon a truly do all style knife that boasts excellent slicing a piercing capability, corrosion resistance, and a rock-solid build that can take on rigorous tasks.  I personally put the Vicon through the gamut during RECOIL OFFGRID’s undisclosed event and found it to be a reliable one knife option for both wilderness survival and tactical applications.

The Vicon’s innovations don’t end with the blade itself – the Vicon sheath was as thoughtfully designed as the knife itself! The sheath system is made from durable kydex and offers adjustable retention and a removeable off set plate to ensure ideal carry height for any user. The sheath is also designed to allow for both standard and scout style carry and can utilize numerous aftermarket mounting options for specific needs.

 Reiff Knives F6 Gen 2

Dedication to Excellence

Having an inside look at Reiff Knives I can tell you that their dedication to producing exceptional knives is truly remarkable. Every design is meticulously thought out, the sheer number of modifications and testing that occur both pre- and post-prototyping phases is enough to make any knife maker wince. While the process is time consuming the resulting knife is one that any avid user will be happy to have. Reiff’s dedication to excellence doesn’t stop there – many models have received design upgrades and minor tweaks based on user feed back to make an already exceptional tool even better!

Onwards and Upwards

Reiff Knives continues to build an impressive brand though a dedication to thoughtful and innovative designs combined with a rock-solid American made build quality. In a few short years Reiff Knives has managed to become a respected name among knife enthusiasts, professional outdoors people, and military personnel. While many brands would be content with these accomplishments, Reiff’s early success has just inspired more innovation, bolder designs, and unparalleled drive to produce some of the best American Made fixed blades on the market!

It has been an absolute pleasure watching Reiff Knives develop and achieve their piece of the American Dream – and as a knife tester and reviewer it has truly been an honor to play some small roll in that process. More so, it is a remarkable thing to see a company that truly lives and breathes the values behind their product. Reiff Knives managed to impress this fickle knife user with their first offering, and they have continued to impress me with each additional offering since then!  

Check out Reiff Knives at www.reiffknives.com

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RECOIL OFFGRID Reiff Knives F4 Gen 2 First Look