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Choosing the best horizontal carry fixed blade knives can be a little tricky. There are so many brands, models, and sizes to choose from. Also, what type of use will you be putting the knife through? This is important because some knives are made for a single purpose.
At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks For Horizontal Carry Fixed Blade Knives in 2024
- Best for Outdoor Activities: Oerla TAC Knives OLK-039B | 8.66- inch
- Best Looking & Durable: Ottoza Handmade D2 Steel Tracker Knife
- Most Rigid: Ottoza Handmade 1095 Carbon Steel Tracker Knife
- Best for Professionals: Oerla TAC DE-0014 Fixed Blade Outdoor Duty Knife
- Best for Hunting: GCS Handmade Tracker Knife D2 steel Hunting Knife
If you’re going to be using the knife daily, you need to make sure that it’s comfortable and easy to use. You don’t want to buy a knife that isn’t right for your hand size or is too uncomfortable to carry around. I have been an ardent user of horizontal fixed blade knives and have loved using the Ottoza Handmade D2 steel tracker knife. Here are a few other knives I have reviewed for your benefit.
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
|---|---|---|
Best for Outdoor Activities  | Oerla TAC Knives OLK-039B | 8.66- inch
| VIEW ON AMAZON → |
Best Looking & Durable  | Ottoza Handmade D2 Steel Tracker Knife
| VIEW ON AMAZON → |
Most Rigid  | Ottoza Handmade 1095 Carbon Steel Tracker Knife
| VIEW ON AMAZON → |
Best for Professionals  | Oerla TAC DE-0014 Fixed Blade Outdoor Duty Knife
| VIEW ON AMAZON → |
Best for Hunting  | GCS Handmade Tracker Knife D2 steel Hunting Knife
| VIEW ON AMAZON → |
8 Best Horizontal Carry Knives
If you are like me, you are considering making the switch to a horizontal carry. A quick internet search will show you many different models available, each with its pros and cons. While there are many great knives out there, I’m going to focus on a few that I think to stand out from the crowd.
1. Oerla TAC Knives OLK-039B | 8.66- inch
The Oerla TAC OLK-039B is a high quality and capable tactical or hunting knife. This knife is ideal for those looking for a high-quality tactical size blade without breaking the bank with a unique design. The Oerla TAC brand is popular among EDC knife users, outdoors people, law enforcement officers, and fire rescue professionals.
With a high-end appearance and quality, the blade’s edge is at an obtuse angle design, more durable, and safer. The blade material uses D2 steel, which is not easy to break and provides good resistance from rust.
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It has excellent corrosion resistance and strength. The black handle ensures high performance, comfort, and durability. A textured thumb ramp improves a firm grip, while the steel liners offer lightweight durability.
Pros
- Durable & safe
- Top-quality appearance
- Corrosion resistance
Con
- Not rustproof
TakeAway
The Oerla OLK-039B has an excellent style and unique handle with the fine art of matte finish, made of G10 material and steel. It is perfect for outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, hunting, and military duty. It could also be used in any situation, from the kitchen to the office.
2. Ottoza Handmade D2 Steel Tracker Knife
This Ottoza tracker knife is handcrafted with top-quality materials. It’s made with D2 steel, a razor-sharp blade, and a fully tang reinforced handle. It comes with a thick leather sheath and a high-quality camping box. The knife is heavy-duty ready for outdoor survival, tactical activities, and emergencies.
Related Article: 10 Best Budget Bushcraft Knives Under 50 Dollars
This tracker knife has a nice heft and a great feel in your hand. It has excellent edge retention and a comfortable contoured G10 handle for superior grip. It has a tapered tang that runs the length of the handle and is exposed on both ends as per traditional tracker knives. This tracker knife is ideal for hunting and outdoor athletes.
Pros
- Sharp, durable blade
- Handcrafted and unique
- It makes a great gift
Con
- May seem expensive for some
TakeAway
This is an elaborately designed and handcrafted tracker knife. The artisans paid thorough attention to detail when crafting this knife. After lots of hours spent creating this spectacular knife, you get a product that looks amazing and will last long.
3. Ottoza Handmade 1095 Carbon Steel Tracker Knife
The Ottoza handmade 1095 carbon steel tracker knife comes with double hollow grinds and a razor-sharp edge. It is hand-forged and rigged to help you get your job done. It is made of beautiful full tang 1095 carbon steel, and the handle is rosewood with brass pins.
This knife is handmade by Ottoza knife using 1095 carbon steel. The blade is polished and has a very sharp hard edge. It has a full tang handle with any-slip G10 material. A leather sheath is included. This is a large size knife and will perform better to skin wild animals, save you from attacking animals and make bushcraft easier for you.
Related Article: 32 Best Survival Knives
Ottoza is one of the best professional knife manufacturers with years’ experience in the industry. All their knives are handmade by artisans with decades of experience. They are also made of high-quality materials, hand sharpened, and polished to achieve a high standard.
Pros
- Long-lasting
- High Quality
- Unique
Cons
- Small in size
TakeAway
This is one of the most rigid knives on the market. This unique-looking full tang drop point tracker blade is 5 inches long when sharpened with a razor edge. The blade is 1095 high carbon steel, annealed for toughness and strength with a hardness rating of 58-60 HRC, and will last for many years. The knife has a natural hand polish finish with a black linen-micarta handle that is 5 inches long and 1 1/2 inch wide at the grip.
4. Oerla TAC DE-0014 Fixed Blade Outdoor Duty Knife
This Oerla TAC DE-0014 fixed blade outdoor duty knife is designed for professional users who work in tactical situations. This knife is built perfectly for survival and outdoor situations. The blade is satin finished 8Cr13MoV stainless steel with a full tang.
The Oerla TAC series of knives are all-around tools built for outdoors people and military enthusiasts. This flat grind tanto blade is made from durable D2 steel with a stonewash finish; this full-tang fixed blade has exceptional edge retention. Finger choil and thumb rest jimping on the knife’s spine provides superior gripping ability even in wet conditions.
Related Article: 30 Best Self Defense Knives (Fixed Blade and Folding)
The handle is contoured and wrapped in sand-colored canvas Micarta for a secure and comfortable grip. A lanyard hole at the butt end of the handle facilitates attachment to carabineers or accessories lanyards. Included with this knife is a durable Kydex sheath with MOLLE compatible straps that can be mounted vertically or horizontally.
Pros
- Sturdy
- Rustproof blade
- Sharp
Cons
- It runs slightly smaller than expected
TakeAway
This is a fixed blade knife. It is ideal for soldiers, hunters, and adventurers. The knife is made with carbon steel, which makes the knife sharp and durable. When designing this knife, it was crafted with a perfect grinding angle that provides you with a comfortable grip and non-slip use. This is also an ideal knife for collectors.
5. GCS Handmade Tracker Knife D2 steel Hunting Knife
The GCS Handmade Tracker Knife D2 steel hunting knife can fully meet your hunting needs along with camping, fishing, outdoor & DIY activities such as carving, skinning, and so on.
The GCS tracker knife is a handmade quality product. The blade is crafted from D2 steel and includes a sharp convex edge with a 58-60 HRC hardness. The blade has a black oxide coating for added protection against the elements. It includes a custom brown leather sheath with a belt loop for easy carry. The blade length is 6 inches, and the handle length is 5 inches.
Related Article: 32 Best Combat Knives and Military Fighting Knives
The GCS tracker knife is quickly becoming a top-rated knife among campers and hikers to have along on their adventures. It can be used for cutting, hunting, and many other necessary bush crafter needs that may arise.
The Tracker Knife is adamant and easy to use, made with D2 Steel (Rockwell hardness rating HRC 58-60) which allows for edge retention, strength, and hardness, making it an excellent bush crafter knife to own. The design is sleek, with beautiful oiled American walnut wood scales as the handle. Overall it’s a superb knife for any occasion!
Pros
- Long Sturdy Design
- Designed to be multipurpose
- Excellent cutting experience
Cons
- Won’t fit in a pocket
TakeAway
Built for durability and reliability, this hunting knife features a durable D2 steel blade. The barrel handle fits perfectly into the palm of your hand and, with a lanyard hole, offers multiple carrying solutions.
The GCS tracker knife is handmade with a sharp and durable blade. It is a very versatile tool, perfect for carving and bushcraft. The handle is made of walnut wood, making each knife bear the material’s natural beauty.
6. Weyland Tracker Knife
The Weyland Tracker knife takes the next slot in the review. The biggest thing this one has going for it is the chisel blade which is nearly as long as the proper edge.
The grip has 2 finger slots. The blade is coated to improve rust resistance, but that coating will wear off with time, and the serrated spine is not as good as a true saw, but it will cut some stuff faster than the knife blade. It is best used on saplings and some pipes.
The grip has some texture to it to improve handling when wet. Even better, the grip is held in place with Torx screws. You can add material to the handle and secure it with a longer set of screws.
Pros
- Big chisel
- Large blade
- Lanyard ring in handle
- Serrated spine
Cons
- Fiberglass handle gets slippery when wet
- Cheap sheath
7. Morakniv Craftline
Imagine getting Swedish engineering and manufacturing in a knife for much less than a full tank of gas. The Morakniv Craftline does that.
The knife is a 3.2 mm thick carbon steel blade with an overall length of 91 mm. The overall length of 224 mm with 206 mm of that being the steel. In other words, it is nearly a full-tang knife.
The stiff straight blade is best used for straight cuts such as boning out large animals, peel bark from wood and construction applications. It fits well in either hand.
The handle is a polymer and rubber combination. Polymer grips a little better than smooth polished wood when wet, but not as well as a textured handle or one with finger loops.
The sheath is right handed. It has a proprietary button that allows you to connect another Morakniv sheath.
Pros
- Carbon steel
- Rubber grip
- Easy sharpen
Cons
- Will rust
- No firestarter
- Not MOLLE compatible
- Does not float
- Right hand sheath only
Take away: This is a very good all-purpose knife. It will do a lot of things well as long as you do not need finesse. This is a good knife for field dressing medium-large animals, construction and medium weight work.
Also Read: 26 Knife Blade Types
8. GladiatorsGuild DH81B
The Gladiators Guild is a damascus knife. This means two different alloys were folded over each other time and time again. The alloys do not mix, but create layers, much like a cake.
This makes the swirled pattern seen in the metal. Every blade is unique because of the forging process.
One layer is strong and tends toward being brittle. The other is soft and flexible. The combination gives you a durable knife that holds and edge for a long time.
This is a good skinning knife for small to big game. It may be a bit much on a rabbit, but if you harvest yotes for the hide, it will work well. The full-tang knife has a 4.5 inch blade. The fake ivory handle adds to the beauty of this knife.
Pros
- Full Tang
- Damascus
Cons
- Will rust VERY easily
- Needs to be oiled when stored
Buying Guide: What Makes The Best Horizontal Carry Knife?
A horizontal carry knife is a knife that can be carried in your pocket and drawn out quickly. They are so named because they are meant to be kept horizontally in the pocket, letting the user draw it out faster than if it were kept upright.
They are most commonly used by tradespeople and hunters, but many have begun carrying them for self-defense. This is partially because of their ability to be drawn quickly and because they are legal in more states than traditional fixed-blade hunting knives. However, many will still not allow them to be worn openly. For this reason, it is essential to check your state’s laws before carrying one of these knives. Many states require them to be concealed at all times when being carried. Some states even require a permit or license to carry one at all.
There are a lot of factors to consider when you’re looking for the best horizontal carry knife. It’s a necessary purchase, and you want to make sure it will meet your needs (and look good doing it). The following is a breakdown of what to think about when shopping for your next knife.
Size
First, consider how large you want the finished product to be. If you’re going to be carrying it on your belt, you don’t want anything too bulky or heavy, but if you’re not planning on wearing it in a holster, it may be okay for the blade to be a little longer. You also have to think about your personal preferences—do you like big knives or small ones? There’s no right or wrong answer; it’s just a matter of what works best for you.
Knives come in all shapes and sizes, but most have similar characteristics. For example, they have a handle that fits snugly into your hand and a blade that is long enough to cut through whatever material you’re using it on. They can also be used as protection in case of an emergency.
Frequency Of Use
Do you plan on using your knife regularly or only occasionally? If you’re going to use it often, you’ll need something with a longer blade. Shorter blades are better suited for lighter tasks like cutting vegetables or slicing meat.
Blade Material
If you’re planning to use your knife frequently, it should be made from something sturdy like stainless steel. Otherwise, if it’s just going to sit around unused most days, then plastic works fine too.
Ease Of Use
When you’re hunting or hiking, you want to be able to carry your knife in a way that is easy, comfortable, and secure. The best horizontal carry knife will allow you to do just that, plus it’ll keep you from having to mess with sheaths or any other kind of cumbersome carrying system.
Secure
The knife should have a handle that stays firmly attached when it’s in its closed position. After all, if the handle falls off while you’re walking around, there’s not much point in having a horizontal carry knife!
Locking Mechanism
The knife should come with a locking mechanism that ensures the blade won’t fall out and injure the user or anyone else nearby. As with any lockable object, it should be easy to open and close but difficult enough to stay locked.
Weight Distribution
It should come with a weight distribution that allows for both ease of use and comfort while carrying (and using) the knife.
FAQ’s
A scout carry knife is a tool that allows you to get more done in less time. This lightweight, state-of-the-art tool includes a blade, screwdriver, and tape cutter so that you can take care of your to-do list with ease.
These knives are made from the highest quality materials. It’s a durable and functional tool that’s built to last and helps you take care of business quickly and effectively. If you’re ready to upgrade your tools and knock out your to-do list in record time, you need the Scout carry knife on your side.
Knife sheaths are designed to protect your knife’s blade. The knife sheath is meant to keep the blade in pristine condition for as long as possible—to ensure that it remains sharp and clean. To accomplish this, the knife sheath must be able to stave off damage from the elements, friction, and moisture.
The best place to store your knife sheath is with your knife, not separate from it. If you have a set of knives that you use regularly (e.g., on a cutting board), you should keep your knife sheaths close by so that you can put them on when you’re done using your knives. It’s also essential to put your sheaths on before putting away your knives, so you don’t accidentally dull their edges.
Final Verdict
When choosing the best horizontal carry fixed blade knife for your needs and style, you must do your research. You have many companies to look through, but there are various good options and some outstanding companies that make the best fixed-bladed knives.
There are options with serrated blades and without, as well as various finishes to choose from and also a 3-5 year warranty depending on the brand you choose. When choosing one of these fixed blade knives, the most important thing is to know what you want.
In the end, it is most important to remember that everyone has their preferences when it comes to fixed blade knives. For some, a classic Bowie-style blade is the only option. Others prefer minis or tanto blades. Ultimately, finding the right knife will be highly dependent on you.
If you know someone who regularly carries a fixed blade, ask them what they prefer and why. Based on my recommendation, the Ottoza Handmade D2 steel tracker knife is a top horizontal fixed blade knife. I have used this knife the longest and used it for various purposes.