Some jobs require all-purpose utility knives that are big, no-nonsense, brutish, over-built, and tough. Farmers and ranchers fit the bill here, as well as soldiers and cops. The difference is that farmers and ranchers can always ride back to the barn or to the local feed store to replace a broken knife, while soldiers and cops can’t. As a result, there is a market for strong, handy, durable knives that are of high quality, but that also won’t break the bank.

Timberline has recently introduced its series of Greg Lightfoot-designed 18-Delta folders into that sector of the market. These are the type of knives that get their stoutness from their thickness rather than length, and they definitely feel somewhat “oversized” in the hand. Available with a spear, tanto and “rescue blade” (sheepsfoot), my primary test model was the all-purpose utility, spear-point version. The 3-5/8-inch long, titanium-nitride coated, AUS 8 hollow-ground blade is machined from 3/16-inch stock, and the titanium liners in the 9/16-inch-wide handle are a wee bit over 1/16-inch thick. Its G10 scales and open-back construction keep the weight down and the balance point at the finger guard. The 1-1/8-inch-wide blade and 1-1/4-inch handle are proportionate to the other dimensions of the 18-Delta. Brass washer construction and a stainless pocket clip round out this liner-locking knife. Decorative touches include the desert tan colored scale option (in addition to black), the Timberline escutcheon on the butt, and the three accent holes in the exposed liner at the pommel.