By John Markwell | Contributing Editor
The Sendero Pack (top) and its big brother the Sendero Bush Knife are simple classic field knives that are big on performance.
We first bumped into John Cammenga at the 2015 SHOT show. John and his family are the soul of White River Knives (WRK). Located in Coopersville, MI, WRK is truly a family operation that produces high quality cutting implements for all segments of the outdoor community. My son Brock and I have been using an assortment of White River’s offerings for a few years now; for hunting, fishing and general field/camp use, these blades have excelled at all the tasks we’ve put them to.
At home afield, the Scout performs well on game of all sizes.
Shortly after meeting John, we obtained an early sample of the Sendero Pack Knife (number 003) and later the larger version; the Sendero Bush Knife (#336). The Senderos were designed by Master Bladesmith Jerry Fisk for White River. Sendero is a Spanish word translating to trail, path or track and is an appropriate moniker for a field knife described by Fisk as “the best overall using knife I have made in an outdoors knife.” The Sendero Pack and Bush knife are both made from CPM S30V, 59 HRC steel with handle scales of Olive Drab Micarta that are finished in a stonewash/light polish. Each blade is precision ground, hand finished, and the final edge is leather honed. Blade length on the 8.25” Sendero Bush Knife is 3.6” while the 10% smaller 7.45” Sendero Pack has a blade length of 3.25”. The Pack is sheathed in Kydex while the Bush Knife is sheathed in leather. MSRP of the Sendero Bush Knife is $220 and the pack sells for $200.
We have used both of these Sendero blades for everything from kitchen chores to skinning whitetails and general camp chores with the Sendero Pack seeing the most use since we’ve had it for the longest period of time.
The Filet is secured in its sheath via the snap on the handle’s pommel.
The most notable feature of the Sendero knives is their comfort in the hand. The lightly polished Micarta handle scales and the handle shape offer both good purchase and great edge control, no matter what kind of grip the user has on the knife. Whether used edge up or edge down, or even sideways, the handles of the Senderos seem to nestle securely in the hand. Unlike many of the “tactical” knives out there, with grasping grooves and other course handle treatments, the Senderos’ smooth Micarta scales have never produced even a hot spot during use. The other notable feature of these Senderos is their edge holding ability. The Sendero Pack we have has seen extensive use as a general camp knife here in the hills as well as on several long camping trips west. It has seldom required any more than a light touch-up of the edge. The semi-drop point blade has beveled top edges to enhance slicing ability and a deeply curved cutting edge reminiscent of the Nessmuk knife popularized by George Washington Sears in his book Woodcraft published in 1884. For field and camp use the Sendero Bush and Pack knives are hard to beat for the price and we think that G.W. Sears would approve of them.
Although a small bladed knife, in experienced hands the Scout is more than capable of dealing with larger game.
More specialized than the Sendero Bush and Pack models is White River’s Traditional Filet Knife. This cork handled beauty has an 8” blade of 440C stainless steel hardened to 54 HRC. The cork handle covers the full tang and provides a comfortable grip, even when coated in fish slime. Sharp in the extreme, this is one of the lightest cutting tools we’ve ever used; it is, in fact, so light it floats. And that’s a pretty nice feature for a knife designed to be used around water. The White River Filet comes in a nice leather sheath and is secured through the innovative application of a snap on the pommel of the knife that mates up with the securing strap of the “stay put” sheath (see the photo). At $130 MSRP, this is a filet knife for the serious fisherman.
The White River Filet knife and the Scout; great field knives with distinctly different missions.
The smallest of the White River knives we’ve been using is the Scout. With its 2.5” blade and an over-all length of 6.5”, the Scout has a large for the blade size handle that allows for precise edge control for delicate chores like caping as well as providing ample power to the blade when necessary. Our son has become particularly fond of the Scout, often stating that he wishes he had had this knife when he was guiding in Wyoming. The Scout has served us well here in the hills and has, despite its diminutive size, been more than capable of dealing with game the size of deer and bear. The CPM S30V blade, at 60HRC, came to us razor sharp and leather honed (like all WR Knives) and has required only an occasional touch up to keep it that sharp, even when caping. Priced at $140 the Scout is available with Canvas Micarta handle scales of assorted colors and a custom Kydex sheath.
These are just a few of the offerings from White River Knives. Perusing their online catalog, one can view their entire line of not only hunting and fishing knives but also their Every Day Carry knives and the unique Firecraft line of survival/bush craft blades. All White River Knives are covered by the company’s simple guarantee; if the customer is not 100% satisfied with any White River Knife simply send it back for repair or replacement. For more information visit online at: whiteriverknives.com Good shooting.
