A fixed blade is much more effective than a folding one when it comes to cowboy knives. Because they are almost the size of a folding knife which can be easily carried for daily work. Fixed blade knives can also do a lot of laborious and heavy duty cutting work.
However, it is necessary to have a sheath that can be easily attached to either side of any size waist belt and the knife can be easily pulled out from the sheath in any adverse situation. Keeping these things in mind, here I am recommending some of the top rated cowboy knives that you can use for all kinds of daily tasks.
What Are the Best Cowboy Knives?
- SUSA KNIVES – Handmade Cowboy Knife
- KNIVES RANCH 2085-IRW – Damascus Cowboy Knife
- KNIVES RANCH 4402-B – Traditional Cowboy Knife
- LH LIMASSOL – Handmade Damascus Cowboy Knife
- TAC KNIVES – Cowboy Fixed Blade Knife
Best Cowboy Knife
1. SUSA KNIVES – Best Handmade Cowboy Knife
Blade Length: 4″
Overall Length: 8″
Blade Thickness: 0.157″
HRC: 58-60
Blade Finish: Satin
Knife Weight: 10.6 oz
Made In: USA
Support: Conditional warranty
Carbon Steel Blade: The blade of this knife is made from one of the best knife steel 1095. The 1095 steel is very common and popular among outdoor enthusiasts because it can be field sharpened very quickly with mountain or river rocks and holds an excellent edge after a fair amount of abuse. However, carbon steel is prone to rust so the blade must be kept clean, dry, or oiled to get the best performance from it.
I will say that this one, mine, from the factory, will split hairs! I have put it through the paces of light chopping, cutting up cords, leather, boxes, batoning, and preparing food. The blade still holds its edge after more than a month of heavy use. 10 minutes on a whetstone, it’s back to factory sharp and holds up pretty well.
Wood Handle: The Pakka wood handle feels solid and well-balanced in my hand. The 4-inch handle feels a bit small for my large hands, but a lot of fiction grooves provide a solid grip even with wet, sweaty, or bloody hands.
The palm swell at the back pushes the grip forward and the oversized guard prevents fingers from moving toward the blade. The design not only gives an ergonomic grip but also protects the fingers from the sharp edge. The finish and fit of the full tang handle are quite good, with no uneven corners or edges.
Leather Sheath: The handmade leather sheath is thick, durable, and made pretty well. Very heavy-duty leather sheath for everyday abuse. The sheath is a little big and the knife in it wiggles a bit but is less likely to fall out. The ambidacious sheath can be easily attached to either side of the waist and thick belt, and the knife can be easily pulled out in any situation.
2. KNIVES RANCH 2085-IRW – Best Damascus Cowboy Knife
Blade Length: 3″
Overall Length: 6″
Blade Thickness: 0.125″
HRC: 57-59
Blade Finish: Damascus
Knife Weight: 7.1 oz
Made In: Pakistan
Support: Conditional warranty
Damascus Blade: The clip point blade is made from 240 layers AISI 5160 high carbon spring Damascus steel. The eye-catching Damascus pattern is original, not any kind of lager engraving. Also, its unique craftsmanship proves that it is hammer-forged and handmade. The blade was sharp enough to shave with straight out of the package.
Although a bit small in size, the knife can be used for daily small tasks easily and is very handy. The full tang blade is quite thick and the edge retention is very good but takes some effort to re-sharpen. A carbon steel blade is therefore important to keep lubricated to prevent rust.
Rosewood Handle: The Indian Rosewood handle provides a smooth and natural warm filling. The size of the handle is only three inches so the handle is not suitable for large and medium hands; those with small hands will feel very ergonomic to hold it.
As a small knife, it felt weighty, hefty, and great in my hand. Curved design and deep finger choil provide a firm and non-slip grip on sweaty, bloody, or wet hands. There is also a lanyard hole in the rear section for hanging or carrying as a neck knife.
Leather Sheath: The sheath is made of heavy-duty leather and can be carried horizontally in cowboy style. The leather sheath is better than my expectations. It is buttery, sturdy, and durable. The knife fits properly in the sheath and the sheath holds it firmly. You’ll be more than happy to know that the sheath can be worn on both the left and right sides of the belt.
3. KNIVES RANCH 4402-B – Best Traditional Cowboy Knife
Blade Length: 3″
Overall Length: 6″
Blade Thickness: 0.125″
HRC: 57-59
Blade Finish: Damascus
Knife Weight: 7.8 oz
Made In: Pakistan
Support: Conditional warranty
Damascus Blade: The blade of this knife is made of 240 layers of Damascus steel (AISI high carbon 5160 spring steel ). At this price, you might get fake acid or laser-engraved junk Damascus knives. But it’s a true Damascus steel blade with wonderful craftsmanship that proves it’s handmade and hammer-forged. All the decorative layers are blended smoothly without any pitting or scratches, looking like a stylish piece of art.
The drop point blade came very sharp out of the box. The small blade is quite thick, durable, and weighty. It can easily handle my everyday cutting tasks like opening boxes, and outer packaging, cutting twine, rope, thick plastic/cardboard boxes, and prying staples and brads. The hollow grind blade holds the edge well enough but takes a bit extra work for honing.
Bone Handle: The full tang handle is made of cattle shin bone scales. 2 mm thick brown micarta fiber is used under the hard scales to ensure a tight fitting between the tang and the bone. Every edge of the handle scale, tang, and rivet is skillfully polished, with no sharp or uneven edges anywhere. The handle is not only beautiful but also carries an art of antiquity.
The smooth handle feels quite solid and weighty. The spine of the blade has thumb jimping for delicate cutting. However, the handle becomes slippery when held with wet, sweaty or bloody hands. There is a lanyard hole on the back for hanging.
Leather Sheath: The leather sheath is thick, good quality, and well-stitched. It has an ambidacious loop for horizontal belt carry. The sheath can be worn on either side for left or right-handed orientation. The sheath retains the blade well and if you fall or somehow the knife gets turned upside down the knife won’t fall out.
4. LH LIMASSOL – Handmade Damascus Cowboy Knife
Blade Length: 4″
Overall Length: 8″
Blade Thickness: 0.157″
HRC: 58-60
Blade Finish: Damascus
Knife Weight: 0.7 oz
Made In: USA
Support: Conditional warranty
Damascus Blade: The blade is crafted from 176 layers of 1095/15N20 Damascus steel. The Damascus pattern is real, gorgeous, and hand-forged. Mine comes hair popping sharp right out of the box. The blade has a perfect length and extremely useful for cowboy cutting tasks and small detail work as well.
The blade is quite thick and sturdy, I have used it for batoning 1-2 inch thick logs and branches. It holds the edge extremely well but the thickness and hardness of the blade make it difficult to sharpen, just taking a bit longer.
Wood Handle: The handle scales are Pakka wood and colored, which is quite beautiful. The handle is good-sized (4″) and four fingers can be easily placed. The warmth of the wood gives a comfortable and natural feel to the coolness of the full tang blade.
Also, it provides a good grip in many different situations. The handle finish is not quite good and properly textured but not slippery in wet or sweaty hands. It also has a convenient lanyard hole.
Leather Sheath: The knife features a hand-made genuine leather sheath. The sheath is thick, ambidacious, well-stitched, and heavy-duty. The knife fits in the sheath perfectly. It holds the knife tightly with no wiggle. The belt loop accommodates a wide belt easily. Also, it allows me to carry the knife conveniently and safely on my belt for a smooth draw.
5. TAC KNIVES – Best Cowboy Fixed Blade Knife
Blade Length: 3″
Overall Length: 7″
Blade Thickness: 0.157″
HRC: 58-60
Blade Finish: Black
Knife Weight: 11.5 oz
Made In: USA
Support: Conditional warranty
Carbon Steel Blade: The blade is made of famous 1095 high carbon steel. This 1095 steel has a reputation for good edge retention even after heavy use and in many cases can be sharpened very quickly even with river stones. It didn’t come hair-popping sharp out of the box and required only a bit of sharpening to be able to be sharp enough to shave with.
The short blade is thick, robust, and well-balanced, slightly forward heavy. The wide belly of the blade makes heavy chopping or slicing of any thick object very easy. To maintain its appearance and performance, just keep the edge clean and lightly oiled as it is high carbon steel.
Wood Handle: The full tang handle has Pakka wood scales that are well-colored. The handle is thick, solid, and feels great in my hand. The handle size is fairly good (4″) and even those with larger hands will have no problem getting a four-finger grip.
The handle has plenty of high-friction grooves to ensure a non-slip grip in any wet condition. There is also a finger hole in the rear section that can be used to hold it in a reverse grip like a karambit knife or self-defense knife.
Leather Sheath: The knife comes with a pancake leather sheath. The leather is original, thick, and well-crafted. Since the blade is wide the sheath is a bit large but moderately comfortable for everyday carry. The wide blade fits nicely into the sheath and the holding is tight enough that it is unlikely to fall off during any movement.
The sheath can be easily attached to the right or left side of any wide belt and the knife is easily drawn with one hand. The leather seems to me to be of high quality and robust as it has no change in shape and retention even after a few rogue uses.