Editor’s Note: In this Skallywag Tactical Riptide review, author Eugene Nielsen takes a stab at evaluating an intriguing new knife. The tanto version of the knife was provided to the author by the company for this review. The author states, “All opinions are my own and are based on my personal experience with the product.”
Skallywag Tactical is a U.S. veteran-owned company that has developed several innovative knives. The company has recently added to its lineup with its new Riptide family of hard-use tactical fixed-blade knives.
The Riptide family of knives comes in two distinct blade profiles: spearpoint and tanto. They’re available in either partially serrated or non-serrated versions. Aside from the blade profile, all of the knives are similar in size and construction. What it really comes down to is personal preference. I opted for the Riptide Tanto Serrated.
The Riptide Tanto
The Skallywag Tactical Riptide Tanto Serrated is a substantial knife. It has an overall length of 12.0” and features a 6.35” full-tang blade machined from a D2 tool steel billet. It has a 0.1875” thick spine, providing excellent strength for heavy-duty field use. The blade is cryogenically hardened to 59-61 HRC. The knife is no lightweight, weighing in at 11.9 oz.
D2 is an air-hardened, high-carbon, high-chromium tool steel that’s sometimes referred to as semi-stainless due to its 11-13% chromium content. However, it lacks the same level of corrosion resistance as true stainless steels since much of its chromium is boundup in carbides, reducing the free chromium for corrosion resistance. Although D2 offers better corrosion resistance than most tool steels, it can still rust if exposed to moisture.
D2 has excellent wear resistance, making it ideal for hard-use cutting applications.
However, although D2 is tougher than some premium stainless steels, it isn’t the toughest tool steel overall. It has large carbides that enhance edge retention but also contribute to brittleness, making it more prone to chipping under heavy impact or lateral stress. It’s a solid performer for its price. It’s a great choice for larger knives, such as the new Riptide collection.
The blade has a matte-black PVD coating that minimizes glare and protects the blade. PVD stands for “physical vapor deposition.” It’s a vacuum deposition method that produces a thin, exceptionally hard, and corrosion-resistant coating. It also minimizes glare. PVD coatings tend to outlast traditional finishes due to their superior hardness and resistance to environmental factors.
The Blade
The Riptide Tanto features what’s commonly referred to as a Westernized tanto or American tanto blade profile. Although inspired by the traditional tantō worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan, it features a distinctly different blade profile. The Riptide Tanto incorporates an angular transition between its saber-hollow-ground main edge and the flat-ground secondary edge that creates two distinct blade bevels.
The intersection of the blade bevels is traditionally called the yokote. It creates an effective secondary tip capable of delivering powerful and precise snap cuts. The spine retains its full thickness almost the entire length of the blade, providing an exceptionally strong tip that’s ideal for piercing. The chisel tip and straight edge also make the tanto particularly useful for scraping tasks. The angular geometry of the blade and the corresponding lack of belly, however, can make slicing somewhat more difficult.
The partially serrated blade option combines the benefits of the plain edge for precise push cuts and a serrated edge for slicing, especially through tougher fibrous materials like rope and webbing. Serrated edges concentrate force into localized points, creating multiple points of contact and deeper penetration, improving cutting performance on tough materials.
A serrated edge sacrifices some precision compared to a plain edge, which delivers cleaner cuts. Most current military issue knives now feature partially serrated edges.
D2 takes a very sharp edge. The Riptide Tanto came razor-sharp out of the box. It easily passed the paper cut test and has held its edge well. I have used the knife to cut a variety of materials that quickly dull most knives, and the edge has held up well.
A serrated edge tends to retain its cutting ability longer and requires less frequent sharpening. Sharpening a serrated edge does require extra attention and specialized tools and techniques, but this isn’t an issue.
D2 is easier to resharpen than some high-end steels, but it still takes a little bit of patience and skill. The most important thing to remember when sharpening a westernized tanto blade is to never sharpen the entire blade at once. Sharpen each edge separately.
Specifications
| Overall Length | 12.0″ |
| Blade Length | 6.35″ |
| Handle Length | 5.65″ |
| Handle Material | G10 |
| Steel | D2 |
| Blade Thickness | 0.1875″ |
| Blade Hardness | 59-61 Rockwell |
| Weight | 11.9 oz |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime |
| Origin | Taiwan |
| MSRP | $245.00 |
Ergonomics
The handle scales on the Riptide family are made of G10, a high-pressure fiberglass laminate composed of glass cloth layers infused with epoxy resin to create an exceptionally strong yet lightweight material. G10 is known for its durability, impact- and chemical-resistance and its nonporous nature, making it a perfect choice for hard-use knives. The scales are attached with stainless Torx screws.
The thickness of the G10 and the tapered edges provide for a comfortable grip. There are no hot spots. The handle’s texture provides a good grip without being so aggressive as to cause discomfort. The double guard prevents any chance of the hand slipping over the blade during use. The rear of the handle bevels up to help secure the knife in the hand for pull cuts.
Knife balance is important for both handling and comfort. The Riptide Tanto shines here, too. It has a slight weight bias towards the guard, with a balance point at the first handle screw, approximately 1” back from the guard. This is widely considered be the optimal balance for a combat/fighting knife. The knife doesn’t feel at all heavy in the hand and is very maneuverable. The rear of the blade spine features jimping, although the guard limits its utility.
The tang has a tapered angular pommel designed as a strike point/impact tool and a large lanyard hole that’s compatible with 550 paracord. It’s important to note that D2 steel’s lower impact toughness makes it less ideal for glass-breaking applications, although I haven’t tried the knife for this purpose. Materials like tungsten carbide or specially hardened steel tips are typically preferred for this.
Dual-Retention Sheath
The Riptide family of knives comes with an ambidextrous, pancake-style Kydex sheath. The sheath features a unique dual-retention system. The form-fitted sheath provides a secure, rattle-free friction fit. It’s augmented by a spring-release tab that further secures the knife in the sheath. It’s easily released in a single motion when drawing the knife by simply pulling up on the ambidextrous button on the tab. Skallywag Tactical is incorporating the dual-retention system in the sheaths of all of its new knives.
The sheath comes equipped with an adjustable belt-mount clip that can be mounted for right- or left-hand carry. The polymer clip fits belts up to 1.75” wide. The sheath is designed to be compatible with a wide range of aftermarket belt clips, loops, and mounting accessories. Skallywag Tactical offers a variety of mounts on its website.
Final Thoughts
I really like the Riptide Tanto Serrated. I believe it would be an excellent duty knife for tactical operators and military personnel. I have been carrying it a general all-around field knife and it has worked well in that role.
The Riptide Tanto Serrated was designed in the USA and is manufactured in Taiwan. The workmanship on the knife provided to me is outstanding. MSRP is $245.00 (and is on sale for $179.99 at the time of publication of this piece). As with all Skallywag Tactical knives, it’s covered by a limited lifetime warranty.
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