Knife Deep Dive: Ek Commando Fixed Blade Review

Knife Deep Dive: Ek Commando Fixed Blade Review

Here you see a cool knife from the (John) Ek Commando Knife Co. @ekknives that we recently bought from a private collection. Ek commando knives, first conceived in 1941 by John Ek, have undergone significant developments and changes during their e(k) existence. From the earliest versions produced by John Ek himself in Hamden, Connecticut, to contemporary variations produced by Ka-Bar in Olean, New York, one thing has remained the same, though: Ek Knives have a legendary status as some of the most reliable and high quality combat knives out there.

What are Ek knives used for?

The first knives were produced by John Ek for American soldiers who fought in World War II. Since then, the knives have been used in all the major conflicts the US has entered. This fact is commemorated in the company's logo, with banners bearing the names of these conflicts.
As a result, the logos also help to date the knives. In the case of our knife, we can see that the logo contains banners that read: World War II, Korea, Vietnam. Later logos feature additional banners with the names Gulf War, Iraq War and Afghanistan. It follows that our knife dates from the time after or during the Vietnam War and before the 1991 Gulf War.

The History of the EK Commando Fixed Blade

Key features of our knife such as the OD Green paracord handle, blade shape, nylon sheath, and square steel crossguard further help identify our knife as a Model PG-3W. It was most likely produced in the late 1980s or early 1990s in Richmond, Virginia where the Ek company was located until 1993 when they were acquired by Blackjack Knives and most operations moved to Effingham, Illinois .

The blade is sharpened to its full length on one side, while the other side is sharpened to about halfway. The blade and guard are made of blasted stainless steel. Completed with a green paracord wrap for a handle and a green nylon sheath (also made in the USA), this knife is a dedicated, no-nonsense combat knife.