Very nice.. its not as big as I thought it would be but perfect size. The sheath is awesome definitely upgraded since last time I purchased from Dawson. I’m half tempted to attach it to a straight piece of wood and have a nice spear. Will contiune to shop at Dawson. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Christ is King!
Best quality knives made in the USA.
I purchased recently a Helmsman sword (satin finish, 20.5 inches, gray G10 grip - I'm guessing about 24 oz)... It's much better than I anticipated, having owned only a few swords in my life, with varying experiences (usually they're heavy on the blade side)... I really didn't know what to expect.
for such a substantial piece of magnacut, the higher grind and top bevel combined with a heavy pommel make this sword amazingly and deceptively well-balanced, surprisingly agile, and easy to handle.
I had to practice some before I wasn't cutting myself on the edge next to the choil (and I finally ground the edge out a little with a 100 yr old file - sorry Dawson but I had to do a little improvisation and modification in the field).
I use the front quillon a lot for balance too, as a fulcrum against which to get leverage, and something to choke up against for more delicate work... with index finger in the notch of the choil before the quillon and the sword held forward (instead of the customary backward grip with a combat knife) and swung back-hand, the Helmsman cuts a two-inch seasoned bamboo stem like it's butter...
I'm probably getting another as soon as I have the resources. that's the magnacut version and I don't know what the 3V version will be like. I suspect they're similar.
the Helmsman is the best sword I've ever used. It doesn’t have the aesthetics of a Japanese katana but it has its own qualities for sure. It’s an efficient tool and extension of anyone who knows how to use it properly. don't expect it to perform like any of the long swords.
because of the exceptional balance and distribution of weight, the Helmsman sword works well as a large-format combat knife too. I haven’t used it as a camp knife, but I suspect it should have some value in that capacity (but maybe a little too much for flipping pancakes).
What a great knife to get my hands on! I'd been wanting one of these for a while, and all of a sudden I was on my laptop one evening and an e-mail came through that there were a few War Dogs available so I jumped on the opportunity immediately! I received my knife in between 10 and 14 days. First impressions, just looking over it in the sunlight on my back porch here, the finish is great. I really like the scorched earth version. It came out great, especially in the sunlight with the irregular spots and the subdued brown background. I do wish the spots (of the scorched earth blotches) were a little more distributed on both sides of the blade but they are all unique. The stacked leather on the handle is smooth and the fit and finish was professionally done. There is a slight protrusion on one side where the pommel is pinned at the bottom of the knife but it's barely noticeable. It also comes with a premium leather sheath with a strip of leather acting as a safety latch over the hilt/guard and it fits snug. The guard is on the top and bottom of the blade with two pre-drilled holes for lashing and there is a finger choil for a different grip. Overall, I'm excited to get knife #271 in magnacut. If you've seen the Dawson video on 3V and Magnacut is 2 times stronger then this knife can't be destroyed. Look up the CPM-3V FLEX TORTURE TEST just to get an idea of the toughness of CPM steel!
It came well sharpened which Dawson is known for. I'm a fan of premium fighter or Ka-bar variant knives so I'm glad to add the Dawson War Dog to my arsenal. My collection of higher quality Ka-bar variants is almost complete...
Awesome blade, it feels great in the hand. Can’t wait to put it to use.
This is by far the best quality knife I have ever laid eyes on. Dawson knives is the best knife company out there!!!!