Architect® AK 8 Blade Only – Uncoated CPM-3V Steel – High Saber Grind

The AK 8 – When Smaller Knives Won’t Cut It

Dale Stoops, founder of The Knife Connection along with his son Ethan designed the AK 8 in early 2021. It has now moved from prototyping to production under the ARCHITECT® KNIVES brand.

This blade is proudly made in the USA by White River Knife & Tool. The CPM 3V Steel blade features an expert “full” heat treat. The blade machining and finishing are top notch and what you would expect to see on knives costing much more. This blade is low-drag due to being uncoated, which makes slicing and food preparation chores a breeze, plus, you’ll never have to worry about a blade coating wearing off.

The blade and handle have an unconditional lifetime warranty.

The 7.28″ cutting edge (8.2″ including the finger choil) of the AK 8 makes it a capable chopper for light to medium duty tasks. The blade drops slightly downward in front of the handle, and the tang is skeletonized to reduce weight and to shift the balance of weight forward. These features offer you an enjoyable chopping experience. The AK 8 is an excellent batoning and bushcraft knife due to its overall length of 13.5″ and mild wedge shaped high saber grind.  The generous finger choil allows the user to choke up on the blade for finer tasks like feather-sticking and trap carving. The near center-line drop point tip allows the knife to perform well for piercing tasks. The thumb jimping provides a traction area when more downward force is needed and gives better blade control. A sharpened ferro rod striker divot sits just forward of the thumb jimping on the spine, for ease in fire-starting tasks.  The “crusher” pommel is very effective when blunt force is needed, and a generous lanyard hole that accommodates 550 lb paracord is provided. This 3/16″ thick blade is stout enough for the toughest of tasks, and is ready to get to work!

We plan to offer an optional sharpened 90 degree spine on a per-order basis soon.

The engraving design communicates a generous amount of information in an attractive and clean way. This blade matched with one (or more) of our Architect® handle kits provide you with a premium knife without a premium price, giving you real value.

After contacting ESEE Knives, we carried over our existing ESEE 5/6 handle design to the AK 5.5/6.5/8 blades, providing for cross-compatibility. This is feature that offers flexibility and customization within the community, and has resulted in much positive feedback.

A matching handle kit must be purchased with a blade only product unless you have previously purchased a handle.