Argali Serac: An ideal lightweight backcountry knife

The first thing I noticed when I got the Argali Serac knife was the “cool factor.” I recognized it to be a quality knife, but, first, it just looked cool. Beyond that, I quickly realized that the Serac checks a lot of boxes in my list of criteria for a serious knife for serious hunts. When it comes to breaking down animals, I prefer a quality fixed-blade knife that isn’t overly bulky in the hand but also not so small that you have a hard time holding on to it.

With an overall length of 7.25”, the 3” blade leaves 4.25” of textured G10 handle that fits firmly and securely in my average-sized hand. Strategically placed cutouts in the handle make for a nice, lightweight knife of only 2.1 ounces, though it is durable enough to handle whatever even the most serious hunter throws at it.

The Serac is made from S35VN steel that is capable of breaking down an entire animal in the field while retaining an edge. I have found that with S35VN, as long as the user is careful to not try and cut bone and periodically touches up the blade, it can be used for quite some time without complete re-sharpening. This steel is also very corrosion-resistant to keep your blade from rusting and breaking down over time. On the back of the blade, there is a sharpened ferro rod striker. The Serac comes with a well-fitting Kydex sheath that weighs next to nothing.

In the Field

I used the Serac extensively in the 2021 season and broke down multiple animals with it, from mule deer to Oryx, and it performed well. As I mentioned earlier, I made a point to periodically give it a quick touch-up with my Worksharp field sharpener while breaking down animals, and the edge stayed quite sharp. The blade has a fairly deep belly, which is great for long cuts while skinning, but the fine drop point makes it nice for more detailed work like caping a head for a mount.

Lifetime Warranty, Guarantee, and Sharpening

Argali offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee – if you aren’t 100% satisfied, they will give you a full refund. Each knife is also guaranteed for life – if anything happens, they will fix it or replace it. Lastly, as long as you own the knife, you can send it in for resharpening when your blade does finally get dull.

I must admit that I have become a bit of a knife snob as I have gotten older. I figure that if I am going to carry a knife, it had better be worthy of the weight in my pack – a top-notch tool is well worth a decent investment of money. I will gladly take the Serac on a hunt, regardless of where I am headed.