If you like titanium, you’re going to love Vargo Outdoors. Their Titanium Wharn-Clip Knife is just one of many innovative products made from this strong, yet lightweight material. And it’s not just for minimalist hikers and campers. This knife should appeal to a wide range of outdoor enthusiasts.
Before we get into the knife review, I’d like to mention some of the characteristics of titanium, and why it excels in so many uses, such as camping and other outdoor activities. At roughly half the weight of steel, some titanium alloys can still offer the same hardness. In a knife, that means a good edge, easy to sharpen, but low weight. It also conducts heat poorly. This can be an advantage when used around a campfire, as it won’t transfer heat back to you when cooking or stoking a fire. Titanium also resists corrosion very well. Spend enough time in the wet, especially around salt water, and even your stainless blade will suffer. But not titanium. It’s also nearly unbreakable. Finally, it’s a great material for water bottles as well as cooking pots, since nothing will leach out of it, and it lasts virtually forever.
Vargo Titanium Wharn-Clip KnifeWith that out of the way, we can get down to the business of checking out this handy little knife. Snapped into a simple plastic sheath, it’s a great knife for novice to veteran campers. The Wharncliffe style blade is safe and easy to use, being single sided with a squared back edge, and just enough of a curve below the blade to keep fingers from making contact. With the 2.7″ blade taking up half of the overall length, it fit my daughter’s hand well enough, but left me with two fingers hanging off. We solved this by snapping the sheath back on to the end of the handle, which resulted in a more secure hold. From there, whittling up some tinder was very easy. We also tried using it for food prep, with mixed results. It cuts, slices, and pares ok, but requires a careful hand as the small blade requires extra care when trying to do the job of a bigger knife.
Vargo Titanium Wharn-Clip KnifeNote that the blade design makes this strictly for right hand use when it comes to making fuzz sticks or wood carving. The single bevel of the blade dictates that. It’s also worth mentioning that despite being delivered with a nice edge, a few passes with a ceramic rod improved the Vargo Titanium Wharn-Clip Knife even more. Overall, we liked this knife for its usability, low (one ounce with the sheath) weight, and convenient spring clip that should keep it at hand, and less likely to get lost. To order one, and see the full line of titanium products from Vargo, go to vargooutdoors.com.
– Brian
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Vargo Titanium Wharn-Clip Knife for free from Vargo Outdoors as coordinated by Deep Creek PR Outdoor Retailer Public Relations, in consideration for review publication.