EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – We live in a world that is increasingly being taken over by rehashed ideas on TV and Hollywood, artificial intelligence and poor customer service.
So when you come across a company or an individual making a quality product that combines good function, craftsmanship and a personal touch, it is worth taking note of and spreading the word about.
Red Beard Knife and Tool out of Gulfport, Mississippi hits that trifecta.
RB-4 from Red Beard Knife and Tool Photo by Dave Burge/KTSM
I have been getting to know Ed Wittneber, who is the creative force behind this one-man band of a business.
I first heard of Ed and Red Beard Knife and Tool through mutual friend Jesse McJames, aka “The Alien Outlaw” of YouTube.
Jesse is on a mission to let the world know about Ed and Red Beard Knife and Tool.
And I have since learned why.
For the last couple of weeks, I have had the privilege of being able to carry around one of Red Beard’s custom-made fixed blades.
Jesse sent me his RB-4 (The RB stands for Red Beard) as a loaner to check out and help spread the word about his good friend’s work.
It is a beefy custom-made fixed-blade that comes with a leather sheath, also made by Red Beard.
When I first got it, my initial impression was it might be too much of a knife, if there is such a thing.
RB-4 from Red Beard Knife and Tool Photo by Dave Burge/KTSM
Its overall length is a tad over 8 inches with a 4-inch blade.
I carried it around for a few days and used it to open up some boxes and even some letters and bills. It is actually quite “slicey” for a knife of its size.
Where it really shines is as a hard-use, work knife.
On a recent day off, my son, brother-in-law and I spent a good five hours doing some late-summer cleaning that involved four trips to the dump.
During one excursion, we broke down an old couch that dates back to my bachelor days. The wife has been wanting us to get rid of it for quite some time.
We had some issues getting it out of the house and had to tear it apart into chunks so we could get it out the door. To be honest, I can’t remember how we got it into the house.
We used the RB-4 to cut through some fabric and even some leather to break this couch down and take it to its final resting place.
I don’t think I have been so hard on a knife since my camping days and my days out in the field covering the Army as a civilian reporter.
Vintage Colonial Barlow refurbished by Knife Delights with leather slip by Red Beard Knife and Tool Photo by Dave Burge/KTSM
My son, who is a monster of a man at 6-feet-6, absolutely loved the knife. He usually rolls his eyes at my knife collecting and thinks most are lame or boring.
He loved the RB-4, saying it fit his hand well and did “awesome work” that made our lives easier.
Isn’t that what a great tool is all about?
For a beefy knife that can definitely take a beating and get some work done, it is surprisingly light and balanced.
Ed Wittneber, aka Red Beard, is a Navy veteran and Navy contractor. He told me that he tries to take the same attention to detail he learned serving our country to make knives, axes and leather products.
Each of his knives is custom-made and comes with a leather sheath that is also hand-made by Ed.
Ed also told me he tries to get to know each of his customers and what they want out of a knife.
He offers a huge variety of handles – a wide selection of wood, micarta and other materials.
The RB-4 ranges in price from $165 to $185, depending on handle material and other customization. All knives also come with limited lifetime warranty.
Ed explains about the warranty that he isn’t one of the “big guy” knife makers and can’t offer a blanket lifetime warranty. Instead, he wants to make sure his knife hasn’t been “run over by a truck” or been terribly abused before doing a replacement.
As for the price, this is normally way out of my budgetary range. But I do love, LOVE these knives. I am already on Ed’s “board” to get an RB-4 made for my son for Christmas (Sshhh! Don’t tell him. I want it to be a surprise.)
And I’ve already told Ed to expect an order for the smaller RB-3 for me in the new year.
After two weeks of carrying, I can attest these knives are workhorses that have some artistic flair, great craftsmanship and attention to detail behind them.
When we first started to get to know each other, Ed also sent me a handcrafted leather slip as a gift. It is beautiful in its functionality and simplicity.
I have been using it to carry my secondary knife each day and it has become a favorite leather slip to protect some of my smaller knives, like my vintage Colonial Barlow and my new Rough Rider Desert Fox Copperhead. (Will have more on those knives in a later column).
If you are interested in Red Beard Knife and Tool, you can contact Ed Wittneber on his Facebook page. Here is a link.
Here is a link for Jesse McJames, the Alien Outlaw’s YouTube channel.
Here are some other YouTube channels I enjoy and closely watch for EDC-related content, in no particular order.
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