The Large Workhorse from Battle Horse Knives isn’t quite as large you might think. I mean, when I read the name “Large Workhorse,” I expected a blade that’s maybe like 10”-12” in length, some huge monstrosity that looks ready to do battle with gargoyles or something. But, that’s because I focused on the “large” and not the “workhorse” part of the name. The reality is, this knife is made to both dish out and accept a large amount of abuse and still keep going strong, while not being so huge as to be ridiculous.

The Large Workhorse is crafted from a single piece of 01 tool steel that is 5/32” thick. It has an overall length of 8 ½”, with the sharp edge running 3 5/8”.

As with many of the offerings from Battle Horse Knives, there are several ways you can customize this production knife, from handle material to gun bluing the blade to the type of sheath.

For mine, I chose to have blue liners under the scales, as I felt they added a nice bit of color. BHK currently offers 8 different liner colors, from black to bright green.

The handle scales are black bead blasted micarta. These provide just enough traction for a good grip without being uncomfortable with bare hands. The handle is slim and flares at the butt end. I have fairly large hands and was concerned at first that the knife would feel “lost” in a large grip. This turned out to be very much not the case. The knife fits my hand beautifully!

For the sheath, I went with leather. Why? Because I sort of detest kydex, at least for knife sheaths. What can I say? I’m a traditionalist. Leather is quieter, too.

Now, here’s one of the cool things BHK does with their sheaths. If you like a dangling sheath, they have you covered. If you like a normal belt sheath, you’re all set. But, they also offer this nifty 45’ belt accessory. Simply remove a couple of screws on the sheath and attach this accessory. It works great for either right or left handed users. Sort of like a scout carry, but with the knife at a bit of an angle. I have to say, this is an extremely comfortable way to carry the knife.

BHK does offer kydex sheaths as well as firesteel loops on the leather ones, if you desire.

I went with the bushcraft-standard Scandi blade grind. BHK offers all of the standard grinds, from Scandi to saber to flat and more. In retrospect, I wish I’d gone with a saber grind on my Large Workhorse. The only reason for that is because I have so many other knives with Scandi grinds I should have gone with something different with this one. The Scandi grind, though, is popular for a reason. It is exceedingly strong and will stand up to all of the common bushcraft chores, from batoning firewood to skinning game.

The spine is a perfect 90, great for throwing sparks with a firesteel. I’ll tell you something, while you’ll never cut yourself on that spine, it sure feels sharp enough to do so. When they say they’re doing a 90 spine, they aren’t joking.

At the butt end of the Large Workhorse is a handy lanyard attachment point. I realize there exist some strong feelings about knife lanyards, on both sides of the fence. I look at it like this – if you want a lanyard, here’s a spot for it. If you don’t want a lanyard, consider it a skull crushing pommel or something.

I do wish, though, that the inner edges of this lanyard attachment point were dulled a bit. While it isn’t razor sharp by any means, I could see a cord becoming frayed over time by rubbing against the 90 edge.

I’ve played around with the Large Workhorse for a week or two so far. It has easily held up to every task I’ve put before it. It batons very well, though the blade length obviously limits the size of the wood you can pound it through. The knife is extremely comfortable in the hand, even after lengthy use. I’ve cut firewood, cordage, and more and the blade is still razor sharp.

I love how securely it is held in the leather sheath. There is just enough handle showing to allow you to easily pull it from the sheath.

The overall size of the knife is perfect for just about any typical task you can envision. This is a working knife, not a tactical fighting blade nor a machete. It is designed and built to be used on a daily basis, not for “once in a blue moon” activities, though it could likely handle most of those, too!

All in all, the Large Workhorse is a very solid, very strong knife in a rather small package, despite the name. It is indeed a true Workhorse and is built to last a long time. The base price for the Large Workhorse is $170.00. You can find it here on the Battle Horse Knives website.