Folding knives are handy, and there are a ton of great choices and impressive locks out there these days, but sometimes you can’t beat the strength and simplicity of a fixed blade. There’s always a compromise though between strength, size, weight, and portability, but I think the Demko Armiger 4 hits that balance just right.

Demko Armiger Knives

Demko Armiger 4

The Armiger 4 is actually a series of knives designed by Andy Demko that share the same basic dimensions and specs, but differ in blade style, edge profile, and color options. The knives are made from German 80CrV2 Tool Steel, which has both excellent strength and edge retention. They have 4.25-inch-long, flat-ground blades available in Tanto, Clip Point, and Spear point profiles. You have the choice between plain edge on all three versions, or the option for a fully serrated edge on the Tanto and Spear point models. Blades are finished with a black powder coat for corrosion resistance.

The Armiger 4s are full-tang designs with a thermal plastic rubber handle overmolded on to the tang. The handles are well contoured, and have integral guards. They’re available in black or OD green. There is a lined lanyard hole near the pommel of the handle. Overall length of the Armiger 4 is 8.625 inches and weight without the sheath is just 5.43 ounces.

The Armiger’s sheath is MOLLE compatible and has a unique design that allows it to be taken down for cleaning. Something you don’t see with many sheaths, but that’s a nice touch on an outdoors knife. It has a molded in terrain contour pattern to it that adds some character as well. It can be worn on the belt or strapped to a pack or armor carrier.

Hands On and Uses

I saw the prototype Armigers at the Atlanta Blade Show last June, and it was love at first touch. The Armiger 4 hits the balance just right for an all-around knife. I generally like a blade right in the 4- to 5-inch range, so the 4.25 on the Armigers is perfect. For bushcraft and carving work I am a fan of the Scandi grind, but for all-around use the flat grind is a great choice. The 80CrV2 Tool Steel blades come with an excellent factory edge and have a good track record for strength and edge retention. At the same time, they aren’t going to be crazy hard to resharpen when the time comes.

The grip on the Armiger 4 is part of what sold me on the design as soon as I picked it up. It’s a firm rubber that’s well contoured and very comfortable in hand. It has a light texture to it and a set of grooves that that drop under your thumb in a saber grip. Those grooves are on the spine side of the handle too, so they help you index the blade properly, even by feel.

Grip Features

There’s a bit of a palm swell along with depressions that lock your index finger in place, or act as thumb rest depending on the grip you’re using. I can comfortably get a full four-fingered grip on the knife with both bare and gloved hands.

The integral guards are plenty big enough to keep your hand from sliding up onto the blade during hard use or when performing thrusts and stabs. They’re small enough though to not get in the way, and you can still move your thumb up over the rear guard if you want to apply pressure on the spine of the knife.

I like that Demko has three blade profiles available. I like a spear point for general use, and think it works well for either field or tactical use. The clip point is a great camp or hunting pattern, and the Tanto is always a popular tactical profile. This size knife can work well for any of those purposes too.

Practical Use

Textured grip on the Demko Armiger 4 knife.

While not a chopper, I can pretty much do any other camp chore I need to with a 4-inch blade. Food and fire prep, cutting cordage, and zipping open backpacker meals or MRES are all easy work. There’s just enough length to do snap cuts to clear out small branches around a camp area or strip small limbs or sapling to make tent stakes, shelter poles or the like. The size is much like the Military Pilots Survival Knife, and the Armiger 4 would fill the role of a compact survival knife quite well. The spine has a 90-degree angle, which I prefer, and was sharp enough to strike a ferro rod or use as a scraper.

In a more tactical role, either the Tanto or Spear point would work quite well. The Spear point has a sharpened back swedge and is almost dagger-like in profile. The Tanto point is known for having a great combination of penetration and strength. The sheath will work perfectly on a pistol belt or attached to a MOLLE ruck or armor carrier. Being able to take the sheath apart to clean out mud, water or whatever else after a field deployment is a nice feature too.

The Armiger 2

If the Armiger 4 is a perfect choice for the field, the Armiger 2 is great option for folks who want a compact, fixed EDC knife. The 2 shares a similar handle profile with the 4, and is available in a clip point or Sharks Foot blade style. The 2 is a whole different beast than the 4 though. It has a 2-inch blade of 4034 Stainless Steel with a full flat grind. They’re available in plain or serrated edge versions. Overall length is just over 4 1/2 inches. The weight is right around three quarters of an ounce, or an ounce and a half with the Kydex sheath. The Armiger 2’s are only available with black handles and sheaths.

The Armiger 2 is made for EDC carry and comes with a key ring and snap clip attached to the sheath. It isn’t a tactical blade, but it is great for day-to-day stuff like opening up packages and boxes. You could carry it on your key ring or attached to your pack, purse, nurse, or whatever you carry. Most daily chores in an urban environment don’t require a lot of blade, and the Armiger 2 can handle those just fine. It’s solidly built for a little knife, and a neat option to an EDC folder.

Wrap Up

Whether you just need a lightweight blade for EDC use or a rugged blade for hunting, camping, or field work, Demko Knives has an option for you with the new Armiger series. Andy Demko has a long history in the knife industry from his days with Cold Steel. Many of their best designs came from Andy or had his influence, and he’s continuing that tradition of making rugged, practical knives on his own with Demko Knives. Aside from being great knives in general, I saved the best part for last; they’re also very affordable. The Armiger 4 is available for only $74.99 and the Armiger 2 is only $19.99. Demko Armigers are available directly from Demko Knives or from any of their distributors.

For more info, visit demkoknives.com.