Travis Smola

Travis is an avid outdoor and knife enthusiast from southwest Michigan. His interest in knives was fostered at a young age with a knock-off Swiss Army knife. He’s tested hundreds of knives in the years since. In 2013, he graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in journalism. For the last decade, he has professionally covered knives, hunting, fishing, and camping, specializing in gear reviews and guides. His byline has appeared on Wide Open Spaces, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, and Gear Junkie.

5 Best Military Survival Knives: Utility When You Need It Most

Travis SmolaWe independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services put forward appear in no particular order. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Members of the military are some of the most likely people to get thrown into a life-or-death survival scenario. Subsequently, the men and women […]

5 Best Neck Knives: Out-of-sight Yet Easily Accessible

Travis SmolaWe independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services put forward appear in no particular order. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Carrying a concealed knife from a lanyard around the neck didn’t sound appealing the first time I heard about it. That was until I […]

Tekto’s A2 Badger: A Standout Micro OTF Automatic in a Compact Package

Travis SmolaWe independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services put forward appear in no particular order. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.They say that there aren’t many ways to reinvent the wheel. However, don’t tell the designers at Tekto Knives that. Like many of today’s modern […]

5 Best Automatic Stiletto Knives for Mainstream Use

Travis SmolaWe independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services put forward appear in no particular order. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Automatic stilettos have a legendary reputation, for better or for worse, depending on one’s perspective. They were first popularized by Italian knifemakers, and American […]

5 Best Stiletto Knives: Yesterday's News No More

Travis SmolaWe independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services put forward appear in no particular order. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. The stiletto is a classic defensive blade design that was first popularized in the Middle Ages and persists today. Although most people now associate […]

6 Best Tanto Knives: Top Look&Feel in These Updated Classics

Travis SmolaWe independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services put forward appear in no particular order. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Over 1,000 years ago, Japanese warriors first popularized the short sword, also known as the Tanto. At some point, the design of these swords […]

Quality, Not Profits: 40 Years of Survival and Hunting Knives with Fällkniven

Travis SmolaWe independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services put forward appear in no particular order. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. The northern part of Sweden is famous for its rich hunting tradition, and Fällkniven Knives first rose to popularity in this environment. Their original […]

6 Best Bowie Knives: Classic Utility in Hand

Travis SmolaWe independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services put forward appear in no particular order. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.It doesn’t get much more American than the iconic Bowie knife. This blade style was popularized by James Bowie in an 1827 knife fight in […]