Nordsmith Lapwing Review

100 Knives in 100 Days Weekend Giveaway: Nordsmith Lapwing

David C. Andersen is a gentleman of many talents. He was my Associate Editor for 5 years at The Truth About Knives, he is the public face of KnifeCenter’s online marketing, and on top of all of that – he is a knife designer and proprietor of Nordsmith Knives.

He is also a good friend, and when I asked if he was interested in participating in our 100 Knives in 100 Days Giveaway, he came through with one of his Lapwing models in AEB-L steel. We will be drawing for this knife on Sunday, August 11th, or Day 72 of our contest.

If you would like to win the Norsdmith Lapwing you must Register for a free KnifeMagazine.com account and leave a comment on THIS POST. If you are new to KnifeMagazine.com, you are also going to want to leave a comment on our Official Contest Thread, where your comment will enter you in the primary drawing pool and the 25+ knives still to be given away there.

I actually own First Production examples of his first two releases, the Canteen Knife and the Pilgrim, both personal purchases.

David is learning the craft of knifemaking, but not quite yet of the caliber to do his designs justice. Nordsmith Knives are manufactured in the shop of LT Wright Knives, with each run being a mixture of pre-sale and post manufacture offerings. David has participated in several of LT’s knifemaking schools, and is on hand during the final stages of each run to both further develop his skills and to have a personal hand in the final product.

 

From Nordsmith.com:

The Lapwing continues Andersen’s passion for camp cutlery that is also at home in the kitchen environment. As adept at whittling and small game as it is at food prep, the Lapwing has a full four-finger handle for easy control of the knife.

The successful First-Run of the Nordsmith Lapwing was limited to 30 units bearing a special “1st” stamp denoting their part in the first run. They are outfitted with our signature launch colors – green canvas micarta with yellow G10 liners – and come with a handmade leather sheath in black with contrasting stitching. The handle is equally durable. Canvas micarta will not swell or crack like wood, is nearly indestructible, and provides excellent traction in wet or dry conditions. The scales are held in place with marine-grade epoxy and brass pins. A large lanyard hole allows for easy customization.

LAWPING SPECS (From Nordsmith)

  • Steel: 3/32” thick AEB-L Premium Stainless
  • Hardness: 57-59 HRC
  • Grind: Convex with secondary bevel
  • Handle Material: Canvas Micarta with G10 Liners
  • Blade Length (tip-to-handle): 3.75 inches
  • Sharpened Edge: 3.25 inches
  • Overall Length: 7.75 inches
  • Weight: 3.2 ounces
  • Sheath: Leather hip sheath

Personal Observations:

David prides himself on the comfort and usability of his knives, as he states – in the field or in the kitchen. I can comfortably state that it would make an excellent Bird and Trout knife for processing game or utility paring knife for peeling your vegetables at home.

The ergonomics are great, and fit my hand perfectly. I know from personal experience that the micarta used on Nordsmith/LT Wright Knives gets grippier when wet.

Coming out of LT Wright’s shop, the fit and finish is darned close to custom. Each knife is hand finished, with serious attention to detail.

 

Outside Review:

Hard to find someone with better knife swinging bona fides than Bladesports Champion Dwayne Unger.


I want to thank David for his support of our 100 Knives in 100 Days Giveaway, but more importantly for more than a half decade of friendship.We have come a long way Brother.

After leaving TTAK, both David and I “fell up”. Here we are at our first SHOT Show this past January.