At first glance, the LionSteel B40 is just another bushcrafting fixed blade. However, once you get it in hand and really look at it, it has a ton of slight touches that elevate it to awesomeness. We’re not saying LionSteel is the first to put a 90-degree grind on the exposed pommel of a bushcrafting knife. It’s just the first time we’ve seen it and we think it’s brilliant. As a matter of fact, just about everything about this knife is brilliant.
The B40 has a crowned spine which reduces hot spots and gives you a comfortable grip when you choke up on the knife. It has a stonewashed 4.06” Sleipner drop point blade with a blade thickness of 0.15” hardened to 60-62 HRC. Sleipner is a less commonly seen steel but according to everything we’ve read about it, it seems to be a danged good steel. It’s a high alloy non-stainless steel with a touch corrosion resistance (but will still require care), good toughness, and what appears to be good wear resistance. Dr. Larrin Thomas of KnifeSteelNerds.com wrote that Sleipner, “…would be expected to be somewhere in between A8 Mod and CruWear in terms of toughness and edge retention.”
Another striking feature of this knife is that one edge of the exposed pommel is ground flat making it compatible with a ferro rod. This is handy because it means you can still use for your fire steel or ferro rod even when the knife is in the welted leather sheath. Which is not only just stinking cool, it makes the whole process just a little bit safer. It has a generous lanyard hole for accessories. It’s 8.78” overall and weighs about 7.13 ounces.
This knife is available in the following five different handle scales: Olive Wood, Green Canvas Micarta, Black or Orange G-10, and Santo Mahogany. They’re contoured for both comfort and a slip resistance and have a great feel in hand. The fit and finish is flawless, exactly like you can expect from any LionSteel knife.
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LionSteel B40 Details
- Sleipner Steel, Stonewash Finish
- 4.06” Drop Point
- 0.15” Blade Thickness
- HRC
- Full Tang
- Exposed Striker Pommel
- Lanyard Hole
- Welted Leather Sheath
- 7.13 Ounces
- 8.78” Overall
- Made in Maniago, Italy
The LionSteel B40 is a well-crafted bushcrafting fixed blade with a fantastic fit and finish, a ton of functionality, and some outstanding touches. If you’re interested in this knife, click any link in the article or simply click the button below.
All images courtesy of Smoky Mountain Knife Works – smkw.com.
