I have been Facebook friends with knifemaker Christopher “Chris” Linton of Osprey Knife & Tool for a while. However, I had not met him in person until we ran into each other at the 2024 Atlanta Blade Show. We chatted here and there briefly for a couple of days, and I mentioned that my wife was a foodie and loved cooking. Chris was kind enough to gift her one of his chef knife designs from RMJ Tactical via mail. It quickly became my wife’s favorite knife in her kitchen. However, Osprey Tool & Knife offers a wide selection of hard-use knives, such as the Ferox Combat Bowie. Let’s take a closer look.
The Osprey Tool & Knife Ferox Combat Bowie
Upon learning about the online return of Tactical Knives Magazine, I reached out to Chris and inquired about any models he had available. We chatted a bit online, then he sent me a couple of pictures of his Osprey Knife & Tools Ferox. I instantly knew that I had to take a closer look at this wild thing of a knife. I only hoped that my wife wouldn’t steal it.
The Ferox was designed to be a close-quarters combat knife, inspired by the modern combat Bowie. It features an aggressive blade shape capable of delivering devastating cuts and punctures. Yet, it’s small enough to be effective in close hand-to-hand combat. It has an overall length of 11 1/8 inches with a 6 3/8-inch blade.
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As a US Army veteran, Chris Linton’s thoughts behind the blade were for it to be a fighter-oriented combat knife that an Infantry soldier would and could carry.
It had to be small enough to fight if needed on the ground in hand-to-hand combat. However, it had to be large and robust enough to penetrate heavy clothing, modern combat gear such as MOLLE webbing, and Kevlar soft armor. Likewise, it still had to hit vital organs and major arteries.
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As with a combat knife, it fills other roles outside of strictly fighting. Therefore, Chris chose the Bowie for inspiration. It has been the choice of frontiersmen and warriors—who needed a multi-role knife that they could use to effectively defend themselves—for centuries.
The Ferox in Hand
The flats on the side of the handles allow for proper indexing. Additionally, if the user needed to torque the blade, they could do so without it rolling in their hand. The handle profile is designed to comfortably lock your hand into the handle in multiple grips. However, it still allows you to break the grip and freely manipulate the blade from one grip to another.
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The Butt of the knife can also allow for pommel strikes on various mediums. The Ferox comes complete with a well-made Kydex sheath with index fastener belt clips.
Tougher Than Leather
I have a buddy named Bruce who is a supervisor over at the world-famous Horween Leather Tannery here in Chicago. From time to time, Bruce brings over some cool leather for me to play around with or destroy.
The last time he brought some leather over, it was a partial sheet of thick, boot/belt-grade tanned horse hide. It is some super tough stuff. It is so thick that some companies make leather jackets out of it that can stand up on their own.
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I have been holding onto this piece of Mr. Ed in my garage for about a year, waiting for the right moment to use it. Along comes the Ferox, just asking to stab and slice through something. So, I folded the leather four times and duct-taped the ends. I essentially made an 8-ply roll of leather. I figured this is about as thick as anything that this blade would ever stab through.
I then held the leather log up against a tree and drove the Ferox through the leather and into the tree easily.
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Then, I used the Ferox to cut the tape off the leather and began slicing it like paper. This is one extremely sharp blade. It sliced the leather into ribbons like nothing and retained a surgically sharp factory edge after I was finished.
A Really Comfortable Handle
Aside from cutting capabilities, a knife’s comfort in the hand is the ultimate determination of its usefulness. Nobody likes an uncomfortable knife. Chris really hit it on the mark in this category. The Ferox feels good in the hand.
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While designed primarily as a combat knife, the majority of Ferox owners will use it for pretty much everything a good knife is used for outside of actual combat.
The swell on the canvas micarta scales was ergonomically perfect for my hands. I felt good control in a forward grip while slicing up the leather. Likewise, I had a good, safe reverse grip when stabbing it into an immovable object like a tree.
The Osprey Ferox Combat Bowie is a Permanent Fixture
This is the second knife from Chris Linton that has become a permanent fixture of the Tsai family residence. As a writer, I have been sent a LOT of edged tools and weapons over the years to review. As one can imagine, I just can’t keep them all. So, I give a lot away to friends and family to enjoy.
That being said, I am keeping this Ferox from Osprey Knife & Tool for myself. Nope, the wife can’t have it.
The fit, finish, and materials used on the Ferox are just awesome. I have it in my EDC pack right now. If anyone wants this knife, they will have to find a way to pry it away from me.
Osprey Tool & Knife Ferox Combat Bowie Specs
| Steel | 3/16 inch (.187 inch) CPM 3V, Cryo-Tempered, 59-60 HRC, Skeletonized Full Tang |
| Finish | Acid Washed and Tumbled |
| Hardness | 59 -60 HRC |
| Handle | OD Green Canvas Micarta, over Natural Canvas Micarta with Cherry Red G10, (Bead Blasted) |
| Handle Hardware | Cherry Red G10 Pin and Natural Micarta Lanyard Tube |
| Overall Length | 11 1/8 inches |
| Blade | 6 3/8 inches |
| Primary Bevel | Flat |
| Secondary Bevel | Convex |
| Sheath | Kydex with Index Fasteners belt clips |
| MSRP | $395.00 – $725.00 (depending on options) |
