Dark Timber Puts out Four New Knives and Talks 2021 Plans

Peter Kohler of Dark Timber Knives is closing out 2020 with a big batch of new fixed blade designs. Four models are hitting dealers’ shelves later today, offering multiple size classes, price points, and steel options.

Bushy

The name says it all: the Bushy is an outdoors bushcraft companion. It’s the smallest knife in this lineup, with a 3.8-inch blade shaped into a gently curving drop point. A low, long harpoon-style swedge runs back along the spine before meeting a deep-cut stretch of jimping, for when controlled cuts are called for. That blade differs from other bushcraft knives in a very key way. “I feel that bushcraft knives have gotten a little bit too thick recently on the spine, and wanted to make one that was more slicey with sharper angles for wood carving,” Kohler tells us.

The Bushy’s blade is made from Nitro-V steel. We’ve seen this nitrogen-enriched stainless featured on other Dark Timber releases; it made the cut for Kohler because it balances enthusiast-approved performance with the ease of maintenance that less experienced users prefer.

Comanche

The Comanche moves up a size category from the Bushy, with a sweeping, 6.25-inch clip point blade. For inspiration, Kohler looked to hidden tang fixed blade designs that have been coming out of Europe recently: “It’s the same inspiration I got for the 1911 Elite,” he explains. “I think what’s really great about the Comanche is the strength of the hidden tang. So hopefully it’s not just an aesthetically pleasing blade but also is one that is the strongest hidden tang construction that has ever been seen on the production market.”

Cave Bear

The Cave Bear isn’t the biggest knife in this release lineup, but it’s a major step up from the Bushy and Comanche, with a 10.25-inch cutting edge. Its burly drop point, complete with the signature deep Dark Timber fuller, clearly wants to be let loose in the outdoors, powering through wilderness chores; but a forward choil even offers a bit of extra control not often seen on fixed blades in this size class. “As knives get bigger, you want to increase their usefulness across-the-board,” Kohler notes. “The addition of the forward choil makes this much more functional as a one tool option.”

Kohler is giving users the choice between two different steels: Nitro-V or 3V. The Nitro-V option will be easier to maintain, shrug off rust and corrosion better, and save the customer a little bit of money; but for those who want to go all in on pure muscle, the 3V option will provide them that added horsepower.

Devil’s Horn

While it mimics the Cave Bear in overall design, the Devil’s Horn scales that big knife up even further, coming out with a blade length of 11.7 inches. “For me, coming from the custom knife world, I believe that the standard large knife blade size is 11 inches, and it must be over 2 inches wide,” Kohler says. “The average knife buyer is going to have a hard time wrapping their brain around a knife that large, because the average knives on the market just never measure up. But for me 11 inches is the perfect size for what I consider a large duty knife.”

The steel on offer is 80CrV2, a carbon steel that operates somewhere between basic, reliable, durable 1095 and more advanced steels like 3V; it soaks up abuse and shock, and sharpens up easily. Kohler says the added length and width make the Devil’s Horn sing in the most demanding outdoors tasks: “The larger blades just hit harder when they chop and make heavy batonning on large logs so much easier.”

Dark Timber in 2021

Kohler also let us in on some of his plans for the new year: “The first will be to make sure that some of my designs – the Tavi, Honey Badger, 1911 Elite, and possibly one other – are always available in some form on shelves,” he begins. And he also has good news for those of you waiting for a Dark Timber folding knife. “I can also finally announce that I have a collaboration with Hogue Knives and possibly Sig Sauer up-and-coming. The Hogue Knife will definitely be a folder and I’m super excited about that.”

But despite these ramped up, production-side changes, Kohler is clear that his fundamental approach to knife making will not change in 2021. “As always, my focus is on becoming a better bladesmith and growing at the art I do in the confines of my shop.”

These will be the last Dark Timber releases of 2020, and as usual if you want one you’re going to have to act fast. The blades will be going up here and here today, Tuesday December 29th, at 4pm EST.

Knife in Featured Image: [From Top to Bottom:] Dark Timber Devil’s Horn, Cave Bear, Comanche, and Bushy