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PART KITCHEN KNIFE, PART BUSHCRAFT KNIFE, PERFECT FIELD KNIFE
If the name TJ Schwarz sounds familiar, it’s quite possibly due to the multitude of designs that he’s done with Columbia River Knife and Tool. Those have been mostly folders, but TJ does fixed-blade designs as well, and he makes those himself, by hand, in his Idaho workshop.
The Overland knife from TJ Schwarz is part bushcrafter, part kitchen knife, and all field knife. It’s an all-around camp knife like the old trade knives but made with 21st century materials and design.
THE OVERLAND KNIFE
I first caught wind of TJ’s custom work on Instagram and only later connected the name with his CRKT designs. I have an affinity for knives with short blades and long handles and was immediately drawn to his Scalpel + design that I previewed a couple issues back in my Gear Up column. When I went to dig deeper into his work, I saw the Overland, and it had a lot to like as well.
The TJ Schwarz Overland with the optional Kydex sheath. You can opt for a belt clip or a bare sheath if you have another mount of preference.
The Overland’s lines are not your run of the mill bushcraft style. They’re modern and sleek, with the handle sitting higher than the centerline of the Wharncliffe blade. The clean lines of the knife and matte finish of the blade contrast nicely with the wide variety of handle colors. You get a simple, workmanlike design that’s modern and eye catching at the same time.
You can see the kitchen knife influence with the handle and blade design, but that doesn’t detract from its bushcraft or field use. Think about it: our forefather’s Green River and Sheffield trade knives were essentially the same knives used in the kitchens of the time. The simple, sturdy, one-piece designs were stout enough to hold up to hard use but thin enough to be efficient slicers, fitted with a simple set of handle scales. The Overland carries a lot of that heritage with it, but it’s built from 21st century materials.
MAGNACUT STEEL
TJ uses CPM Magnacut steel with a high, flat grind on the 3.8-inch-long blade. Blades are treated to a 61-62 HRC by Peters’ Heat Treat of Meadville, Pennsylvania. Peters’ always does a fantastic job, and the company is the choice of many custom makers. It’s also only about two hours from my house and fellow Pennsylvanians, so I always like seeing when a maker uses them. I know what to expect, and it’s always great quality.
The Overland has a 3.8-inch blade of the relatively new and marvelous CPM-Magnacut steel. It has a high, flat grind with a thin edge and a stonewash finish, although Cerakote options are also available.
When I went to check out the steel properties, I found another local connection for me. CPM Magnacut was developed by Larrin Thomas, a metallurgist in my hometown of Pittsburgh and author of the excellent book “Knife Engineering: Steel, Heat Treating, and Geometry.” If you’re a knifemaker or a serious knife enthusiast, grab the book. It’s well worth it.
I read through Larrin’s post on his blog Knife Steel Nerds about the development and properties of CPM Magnacut. I’ll be honest: my eyes glazed over, and I started skimming it. Larrin knows more about steel than I could ever hope to learn. I guess that’s why I’m a cop and not some kind of scientist, or engineer. I can’t do math either.
Still, what I discerned from it is that he’s managed to come up with steel that has the toughness and edge retention of carbon steels such as CPM-CruWear and CPM-4V but with corrosion resistance better than stainless steels such as S110V, S45VN, and M390. It’s only been out for around a year now, but it’s making fast inroads with custom makers. Point being, TJ is using top notch materials and keeps up with the latest advances in knife-related technology.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
The Overland has a thin 0.140-inch blade and overall thickness of only 0.50 inch with scales installed. What kind of handles you ask? Well, what kind do you want? TJ uses a “configurator” that allows you to pick your handle material and color from a variety of choices. There are seven colors of G10 including black, coyote, olive drab, red, yellow, orange, and jade, or you can go with green canvas Micarta.
The user has a choice of handle colors in either G10 or Micarta. The author went with yellow G10 on his sample. You have your choice of handle screws and screw collars on the Overland. The author stuck with black on both as it contrasted nicely with the yellow handle scales.
Once you pick a color and material, you get to pick from black oxide or stainless steel handle screws and brass, black oxide, or stainless screw collars. The standard blade finish is stonewashed, but you can also get a black or coyote Cerakote-finished blade for a small upcharge. You get to customize your knife exactly how you want it, and TJ will build it for you.
OVERLAND SHEATHS
The Overland doesn’t come with a sheath, which I know can be a contentious subject for some folks. Some guys prefer that, as they do their own Kydex or leather sheathwork and don’t want to pay for a sheath they won’t use. Other guys want their knife ready to go out of the box and expect a sheath. Well for the latter, TJ has two sheath options for the Overland, both of which are reasonably priced at $40 each.
The tang stands proud of the handle scales, but both have all of the hard edges knocked off so the Overland is quite comfortable to use.
If you like Kydex, TJ has another configurator on his site that lets you select your Kydex color, option of a belt clip or not, and right, left, or ambidextrous orientation. TJ makes the Kydex himself, but he also has a leather sheath option as well.
Those are made by his dad, Cary Schwarz, who has been a full-time saddle maker and leatherworker for nearly 40 years. Your option on the leather sheath is natural or black colors, and right- or left-hand orientation. It’s a pouch style sheath with a belt loop that will take 1½-inch-wide belts.
I got the Kydex sheath with my Overland, and it’s really nice, but I’m tempted to grab a leather one, too. It’s a good-looking sheath at a very reasonable price.
HANDS ON
TJ describes the Overland as a knife designed for camping, backpacking, hunting, and general outdoor use. I’d add canoeing, rafting, and fishing to that list. With that hybrid design, it’ll work quite well around the camp kitchen as well.
“This…hearkens back to those old trade knives. They were jack-of-all-trades tools. You carried one knife that could do it all…”
The Overland is 8.5 inches long, which makes it fairly compact for outdoor treks. TJ Schwarz describes the Overland as a hybrid of a kitchen knife and a bushcraft knife. The Wharncliffe blade works equally well for camp kitchen chores or general campcraft. You can see the kitchen influence with how the handle sits above the centerline of the blade, much as a kitchen knife does.
This again hearkens back to those old trade knives. They were jacks-of-all-trades tools. You carried one knife that could do it all, not like today where your average knife nut hits the woods (or the sidewalk) with five different knives for at least that many specialized purposes. When weight and space matter, having one tool that can do most everything you need makes a lot of sense.
The Overland is 8.5 inches long and sits solidly in the hand. Your thumb falls naturally on the jimping on the spine. While not a large knife, it offers plenty of handle space for the author’s large glove size hands.
I used the Overland around the house for utility work and some kitchen chores when my wife wasn’t looking. I kept it on my desk and used it to open the steady flow of packages that I got including other knives, Glock parts, photo equipment, tools, and some birthday stuff for my wife. I think I keep the postal service in business single handedly.
I know opening boxes isn’t exactly hard, but I rapidly realized how easily the Overland was zipping through things, including heavy layers of packing tape and clamshell packages. I had to rein in my usual hacking at packages so that I didn’t punch right through to the items inside.
There’s a lanyard hole present at the pommel of the knife, which would be especially useful if you’re using the knife while canoeing or near the water.
When I was outside, I’d clip the Overland to my belt or pocket. I used it for a bunch of yardwork, including clearing branches and dead plants left over from the fall, as well as new drops from late winter storms. I tried my hand at some typical camp skills like making tent pegs and splitting up some kindling for my fire pit.
One thing that was apparent was that although the Overland has a thin handle profile, it’s very comfortable to use. The tang sits slightly proud of the scales, but everything is nicely contoured with all the sharp edges knocked off. In a sabre grip, my thumb falls naturally on the jimping on the spine of the blade. That’s also nicely melted with no sharp edges.
The author did some light batoning with the Overland to prep kindling for his fire pit.
The rounded spine made it comfortable to do push cuts with the Overland.
I will note that if you’re a firesteel guy, you’re going to need to carry a striker as the spine of the blade is rounded on the Overland. That’s nice for when you’re applying pressure to the blade for harder cuts or using it in a reversed grip for carving, but it won’t strike a ferro rod.
The blade shape is a great all-around style for utility and camp work. There’s enough belly for processing game or making rocking cuts on a cutting board. The Wharncliffe blade has a stout point, but it has a fine enough tip to pierce the skin for a starting cut on game or even to do some drilling on wood for campcraft.
Other than some scuffs on the blade from the yard work and batoning, the Overland was no worse for wear from a month of utility work around the author’s place. The edge was still as close to new that the author didn’t note any perceptible difference in performance.
I really didn’t do enough to dull the blade over the month or so that I was using it. I got some wear marks on the blade and the yellow handle on my Overland got a little grubby, but the edge still seemed to be about like when I started, even after batoning the kindling. It would still shave hair after that. So, I’d like to tell you how it resharpens, but it doesn’t need it yet.
ONE NICE DESIGN
If you’re already familiar with TJ’s work with CRKT, then you know he has a good eye for design. If you really want to see that, as well as his own personal craftsmanship, you need to grab an Overland. With the configurator you can design a knife just for you and know that when TJ builds it, he’s building it especially for you. Although I don’t want to live in a world where I can only have one knife, if I really had to do it, I could easily do it with the Overland. It’s comfortable to use, easy to carry, and made from top notch materials that will resist the elements. It’s the perfect 21st century trade knife. KI
“You can see the kitchen knife influence with the handle and blade design, but that doesn’t detract from its bushcraft or field use.”
There’s a small finger choil just ahead of the handle. Just be careful as the plunge line of the blade comes right to the choil with no ricasso in between. The author may or may not have discovered that sharp spot upon taking the knife out of the box the first time. The jimping just ahead of the handle scales on the top edge is well positioned and has all the sharp edges knocked off for comfort during use.
SCHWARZ OFFERS THE MINIMALIST SCALPEL +
If you’ve been reading the Gear Up column over the past few issues, you already saw a preview of the Scalpel +. I’ve gotten one in hand since that time and have been able to work with it for a while now and see what it can do firsthand.
The Scalpel+ is made from one piece of AEB-L stainless steel with a Rockwell of 60-61. I’ve used that steel on other knives and have been pleased with it. It takes and holds a good edge but is still easy enough to sharpen. The whole knife is just 5 inches long, with 1.65 inches of that being the blade. It’s finished with a matte acid stonewash.
The Scalpel + is a perfect workshop knife that will also disappear in your pocket if you use it for EDC.
The handle has a recessed center with a large oval lanyard hole at the base. I mentioned in the Gear Up column that it reminded me of a World War II Army mess kit knife. In hand it still does, although it’s smaller in proportion. The Scalpel+ weighs only an ounce, with another 0.3 ounce added with the sheath. Speaking of the sheath, it’s a simple leather sleeve made by Gfeller Casemakers in Idaho.
As is suspected looking at the pictures of the knife, it’s extremely handy. Although it’s a one piece design with no handle scales, TJ has everything smoothed out with no sharp corners. It’s comfortable in hand, and that 1-ounce weight is negligible. Put this one in your pocket and forget about it, and you’ll be looking for it all day.
The edge is excellent, and I’ve used it as a workbench and shop knife primarily. I found that it worked great in that role, cutting all sorts of stuff from packaging materials to leather, to cord and twine, and even whittling away rough wood edges on a project I was making for my wife.
As the name implies, it handles like a scalpel with the long handle and short blade. It allows for very fine control and was excellent for working in tight spaces. It makes a fantastic craft knife but is durable enough for regular EDC use. If you’re a fan of this style knife for craft or bench work, or for general EDC chores, then I’d highly recommend you add the Scalpel + to your list to check out. MSRP: $135.
SPECS
TJ SCHWARZ OVERLAND
Maker: TJ Schwarz
Type: Fixed blade
Overall Length: 8.5 inches
Blade Length: 3.8 inches
Blade Thickness: 0.14 inch
Overall Thickness: 0.5 inch
Steel: CPM Magnacut with Peters’ Heat Treatment
Hardness: 61-62 HRC
Configuration: Wharncliffe, with flat grind
MSRP: $260
SOURCE
A version of this article first appeared in the June/July 2022 print issue of Knives Illustrated.