Morakniv Eldris LightDuty (S)

Our tester had doubts when he unboxed this diminutive knife, but by the end of the testing cycle he was singing its praises. The Eldris LightDuty’s 2.3-inch blade is constructed of Swedish stainless steel and proved ideal for carving tinder from hardwood in Virginia’s Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area. Our tester found that the blade’s spine is thick enough to spark a ferro rod (not included), a rare quality in a knife this size. A rubber handle coating gripped well in his hand as he gutted rainbow trout in the Linville Gorge Wilderness, North Carolina, and the knife rinses and wipes off easily; it shows no signs of rust after four-plus months. Bonus: We don’t often highlight sheaths, but we have to give props to the polymer one included with the Eldris LightDuty; its smooth draw action makes the knife exceedingly easy to access, and it holds tight the rest of the time.