Collaborations between knife manufacturers and custom knifemakers have been all the rage for the last five years or so and to the benefit all parties involved. Perhaps nobody, however, gets more out of the equation than we knife users. Cutting edge knife designs that were once available only to those with deep pockets are now within the grasp of virtually anybody's budget, and we owe it all to the relationship between the custom artisans and the insightful manufacturers who hire them.

If all this sounds good, imagine what you get when two highly accomplished custom knifemakers bang their heads together and throw their efforts into producing state-of-the-art factory tacticals. That is exactly what knifemaking experts Darrel Ralph and Ryan Wilson have done, and the storm they've created is a fast-rising star of a knife company known as Combat Elite.

When it comes to their custom work, these two knifemakers seem to be an unlikely pair. Darrel Ralph (Handgunner May/June 2001) is a seasoned wizard when it comes to design and he takes no prisoners when he converts his ideas into steel. Camillus Cutlery's neo-retro Mad Max folder--one of the coolest and most progressive knives on the market today--is just one of his many creations. Ralph's background is in metallurgical science and he's highly skilled in areas of CAD-CAM and CNC manufacturing. What Ralph doesn't know when it comes to designing and manufacturing a knife is inconsequential.

On the other hand, Ryan Wilson (Handgunner Nov/Dec 2002) is one of the pre-eminent young upstarts in the world of custom cutlery, making his name in quick fashion by producing honest-to-goodness solid knives that have more value per pound than you can shake a stick at. He started his own company, Wilson Tacticals, when was just 20 years of age. Today, the company offers a wide range of hard-use knives popular among both special ops and law enforcement personnel alike. Much of Wilson's knowledge comes from years of experience in the custom firearms industry where he cut his teeth milling steel and assembling handguns as a teenager. He's only in his mid-twenties now, but he's packed more metal crafting in his young years than many do in a lifetime.

As different as these two are individually, there are two things they have in common. First and foremost, Ralph and Wilson share a passion for making knives. Secondly, they both have the entrepreneurial spirit to succeed in business. Brought together by the former, they're working together on the latter with their combined efforts in Combat Elite.

Combined Strategies

If you study the Combat Elite line you'll see characteristics of both knife-makers indelibly etched on their edged offerings. For starters, they offer very affordable versions of their knives, a Wilson trait, and upscale them from there, a Ralph specialty. Ralph also brings a vast knowledge of manufacturing tricks to the table helping to streamline the process and, as a consequence, keep prices in line.

Combat Elite's base level knives come with blades (plain or partially serrated) of 440C stainless steel. This is time-proven steel commonly used by manufacturers because it offers a lot of bang for the buck. Affordable, yet well respected for its ability to hold an edge and resist corrosion, 440C is a perfectly fine steel for the average user. For those wanting a top-shelf cutting edge steel call upgrade to CPM S30V, a hot new stainless from Crucible Industries made especially for the cutlery market. CPM S30V is highly touted by many of the top custom knife-makers for its edge-holding ability and overall durability. It does add about $50 to $75 to the price of a Combat Elite, but to some that's money well spent. 154-CM, another widely praised blade steel is also offered on certain models.

Another way the company keeps their prices reasonable is by manufacturing some of their handles out of more affordable materials such as aluminum or synthetic thermoplastics. By using aircraft grade aluminum instead of Titanium, which can double or triple the cost of a knife, a knife can be sold at a much more palatable price. Once again, the average consumer doesn't necessarily need Titanium frames, and many won't even know what they're missing. Likewise, molded synthetic handles drastically lower the price of a knife and, in fact, are more common on the manufacturing industry than any other type of handle material.

For those who quest for Titanium, Combat Elite can quench their thirst. The company offers a special line of Titanium-frame folders that can be had in a wide degree of upgrades to suit both taste and budget. From a design standpoint one can see strong influences of each knife maker depending on the model. This makes for diversity in the line, which is a good thing.

Choose Your Weapon

The neo-retro TAS Auto series ($159.95 suggested retail) was the first series of knives out the doors of Combat Elite. One look at the stiletto-shaped folder and you know Darrel Ralph was heavily involved. A variation on his popular Mad Max theme, the TAS Auto and its many variations is neo in technology and retro in design. These are all spring operated fully automatics, so check your local laws and ordinances before buying one. What won't be automatic, however, is choosing one. The TAS Auto is offered in a wide array of finishes ranging from plain black and green and camo to an atomic burnout red or blue. The latter is an anodizing technique that gives the handle a post-nuclear finish that's bound to raise a few eyebrows around the water cooler or campfire.

TAS Auto blades can be had in black or stonewash surfaces--the latter akin to a light satin finish. The standard blade steel is 440C and you can upgrade to 154-CM for $40 more. At 8" overall, 3.75" of that in blade, this is a lot of knife for the money.

For those who require a good dose of Titanium in their folders Combat Elite offers the Tactical Elite series. Five inches of this knife is in the handle and that's a lot of Titanium! This is a frame-lock design, similar to a liner lock but with the locking leaf machined right into the frame. Because the frame is much thicker than the average liner, this is one of the strongest locking mechanisms around.

The no-nonsense spear point blade, just under 4" in length, is very Ryan Wilson-like in design. This is a working blade you wouldn't want to get in front of during a fight either. Once again, Combat Elite offers 440C as standard blade fare, but with a black Armor-Tuff finish standard. The Level 1 model has a plain frame with a bead-blasted finish. The Level 2-CQB adds a green Armor-Tuff coating to the frame. The Level 3 models adds black checkered G-10 handle inserts to the handle in a bead-blasted finish, and level 3G adds the green Armor-Tiff finish to the handle.

The top dog in the Tactical Elite series is the Level 4. This knife upgrades the handle inserts to carbon fiber and adds a rainbow-anodized finish to the handle. Prices on Tactical Elites range from $275 (suggested retail) for the Level I up to $400 for the Level 4. A CPM S30V blade steel upgrade adds $50 to the price of the knife. For those who want an even more upscale Tactical Elite, the company has a custom shop offering a wide variety of choices on any of their knives. Want Damascus steel? Or perhaps fancy buried wood handle inserts? Can do.

The newest addition to the Combat Elite folder line is the Rapid Response Folder (RRF). Eight inches in overall length, this is a synthetic-handled knife geared for comfort. This is a frame-lock design also but the handles are highly sculpted on all sides. Machined GI0 inlays (dubbed MAXX-GRIP) are added for enhanced grip and a green Armor-Tuff coating adds durability. The knife's deeply ground 3.75" spear point blade (premium CPM S30V steel is standard) features a flipper design that allows the knife to be opened with a flick of the finger from the backside as well as with a conventional thumb stud. For those in a hurry this knife is also offered with double-action spring assist opening, an especially nice feature when used in flipper mode. The base model RRF retails for $199, the spring-assist version for $279. Both bring a lot of knife to the table for an extremely reasonable price.

Fixed blade knives haven't been overlooked by Combat Elite. One in particular bound to raise a few eyebrows is the CFS Stealth carbon fiber dagger. No steel here to weigh you down, this knife is made of hi-tech carbon from stem to stern with a nylon cord wrapped handle to fatten the grip. The CFS has an unusual blade grind, best described as a "double-chisel." Both blade edges are ground on one side but the blade is flat on the other in true chisel grind fashion. The blade itself is 5" in length and is slim in profile, a factor that usually equates to excellent penetration.

Get The Goods

As you would expect from a couple of accomplished custom knifemakers, the fit and finish on their Combat Elite knives is excellent. Throw in the affordable pricing on their base level knives and what's not to like? These are knives built for long term field use, but don't be surprised if your collector buddies snap up several of the high end knives because they look as good as they cut.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Publishers' Development Corporation
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

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