Knives in the backcountry are an item that can easily get overlooked. This new Argali Col knife changes the game in ultralight hunting knife options. If you’ve ever experienced that dreaded dull knife half way through field dressing a big game animal, this knife might just be a solution for you. The new Argali Col knife came to market to fill a need for those folks who want a high quality, ultralight skeletonized hunting knife that still feels good in your hand. This thing is flat out impressive and weighs next to nothing.
Make sure to check out our review of the other Argali Carbon knife and the Argali Serac knife, as well as our Backwoods Pursuit YouTube Channel.
Argali Knife Steel – S35VN
The Argali Col ultralight hunting knife is made of premium S35VN steel, which makes this knife retain an edge extremely well while still being able to be sharpened in the field if needed. In my experience, this S35VN steel that all of the Argali knives feature holds its razor sharp edge for field dressing an entire elk. I could have easily gotten through the whole job without any touch up, but I did take a couple of strokes on a leather strop about half way through to keep it scary sharp.
Made in the USA: Argali Col Knife Review
It’s getting harder and harder to find products made in the USA these days, so we love the fact that the Agali Knife collection is made in America. It takes some sacrifice to keep products made in the United States, so we truly appreciate it.
skeletonized Handle: Argali Col Knife Review
If you’ve ever used an ultralight knife with a skeletonized handle, they are a totally different beast than a knife with a rubberized handle. When you buy the Argali Col knife, you need to know that this is a skeletonized handle, and as such it simply isn’t as comfortable to use as the Argali Carbon or the Argali Serac knife, which both feature a textured G10 handle, which is much more comfortable.
I used the Col to field dress my deer this year and effortlessly quartered the entire deer without it losing an edge and having to resharpen it. I did, however, begin to feel a little hand fatigue by the end due to the handle. It’s a compromise you make to get a product that is ultralight. So, why would you elect a skeletonized knife handle like the Col? Weight savings. At just 1 ounce, you have a knife that can get through just about any big game animal. Pretty slick!
With that being said, for a skeletonized knife, this one is quite comfortable. I did find that I experienced a bit more hand fatigue with this one when compared to the Serac and Carbon knives, but it still wasn’t bad. It’s just harder to keep your grip on a skeletonized knife if you are using it to field dress an elk or deer, but it certainly can get the job done. I prefer to use this for its intended purpose of caping and detail work rather than for field dressing an animal. It feels very agile in your hand and really gets in those small, tight spots well.
Sharpening: Argali Col Knife Review
Sharpening the Argali knife is a breeze both in the field and at home. If you happen to dull up it up while in the backwoods, a few strokes on a leather strop, leather belt or even the leather part of your boot and it brings the edge right back. If it really gets dull, sharpen it like you would your favorite knife, with a flat stone, hand-held sharpener like this Lanskey broadhead sharpener, Lanskey C-Sharp knife sharpener, or lightweight Lanskey pocket sharpener.
Now, if you really want to maximize your gear, pick up one of the Argali Kodiak belts, which has an integrated Tungsten carbide knife sharpener in the buckle so you never need to carry a sharpener in your pack or kill kit. Not only that, but it features a built in leather strop to hone in the edge. It does a great job of sharpening your knife and is a fantastic field belt that is made of super thin nylon to keep you from getting hot spots when wearing a pack. Argali hit it out of the park with the usefulness and versatility of the Kodiak belt!
CHECK OUT OUR FULL REVIEW OF THE ARGALI KODIAK BELT HERE
Argali Col Knife Sheath
The Argali Col knife comes with a Kydex sheath in a couple different color options. Choose from blaze orange on both sides, or First Lite Fusion to best suit your needs. Personally I like the blaze orange to help me keep track of it in the field as it keeps me from setting my sheath down on a rock or log and forgetting about it or losing it because it blends in too much. The blaze orange makes finding it so much easier!
Argali Col Knife Specs
You’ll be hard pressed to find an ultralight knife with more impressive specs. You get a very usable blade size, substantial handle, and top notch steel coming in at only 1 oz.
- Weight: 1.0 ounces
- Steel-CPM-S35VN (Stainless)
- Total Length- 6.5″
- Blade Length- 2.5″
- Handle Length – 4″
- Handle Type – Skeletonized
- Blade Style – Caping
- Sheath Type – Kydex
- Edge Angle – 20 Degrees
- Sheath/Belt Attachment – Compatible with Ulticlip compatible
Check out The Argali Knife Collection Video!
What I liked: Argali Col Knife Review
There is a ton that I loved about this Argali Col knife after testing it. Its crazy lightweight, premium S35VN steel holds its edge but is relatively easy to sharpen, and is actually pretty comfortable for a skeletonized knife. It’s the kind of knife I always have in my pack because it’s capable of doing everything from field dressing an entire elk to doing just a little detail work when needed. I had been using the Outdoor Edge replaceable blade prior to testing this knife, and while I really like the Outdoor Edge for a replaceable blade style knife, this Argali Col knife is in a totally different league.
What I didn’t Like: Argali Col Knife Review
The Argali Col’s strength in its weight savings also serves as its primary downfall. Having a skeletonized handle, it’s not as comfortable to use . Again, it’s not bad, but certainly not as comfortable as the Serac or Carbon knives. It worked really well field dressing my deer, but by the end I started to notice some hand fatigue from the smaller skeletonized handle. Another downside is the price tag. While it’s about what you’d expect to pay for a knife like this, it’s still an investment to do so. While you pay a pretty penny for the Argali Col knife, I think you’ll find it’s money well spent.
Conclusion: Argali Col Knife Review
At the end of the day, I absolutely LOVE the new Argali Col knife. The edge retention and durability are fantastic, the ability to sharpen is great, and the handle is still very comfortable, especially for a skeletonized knife. You get a crazy, ultralight hunting knife that will last you many, many seasons. Pick one up. You won’t be disappointed!
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I’ve been planning to get an Argali Col Knife for a while now. Would definitely get this one soon. Thank you for this review!
Thank you! It’s an awesome knife!