Review: Leatherman Rustle Fixed-Blade Knife

Leatherman Rustle Fixed-Blade Knife Helps You Conquer Campfire Cooking

Recently, Leatherman has branched out from their vast multi-tool roster to offer a selection of folding and fixed knives. Earlier this year, I reviewed the Leatherman Blazer folding knife, and today I am tackling the Leatherman Rustle fixed-blade knife. How does it compare to other fixed-blade knives, and what applications is it best suited for? I’m walking you through my experience to help you decide if it’s worth adding to your knife roster.

Leatherman Rustle Knife Blade

• Blade length: 4 inches
• Total length: 8.3 inches
• Weight: 122 grams
• Blade material: MagnaCut
• Blade hardness: 60-63 HRC
• Handle material: G10

The Leatherman Rustle features a 4-inch Santoku-style blade comprised of MagnaCut stainless steel. This Santoku design excels in outdoor cooking applications, and Leatherman designed it with the modern camper in mind. It’s ideal for slicing through cuts of meat and dicing and chopping vegetables.

The Rustle knife has an overall length of 8.3 inches from tip to tail, making it a compact solution for outdoor food prep. It’s much smaller than a standard chef’s knife, so it can easily be stored in your camping gear until you need it.

The 5-inch blade has a full-tang design, meaning the MagnaCut steel from the blade extends through the entire length of the handle. I like this durable build element, and it also provides a nice heftiness and balance that feels high-quality when preparing food.

MagnaCut Steel

MagnaCut stainless steel is Leatherman’s go-to blade material in all of its new knives, including the Rustle. If you’re not familiar with MagnaCut steel, it’s one of Crucible’s newest super steels for knife blades, and it’s becoming incredibly popular in high-end knives.

It’s a much tougher blend than most premium steels and maintains high corrosion resistance. While it has mid-range edge retention and sharpening ease, it’s the toughness that has vaulted it into such high regard.

Of course, as a premium blade material, the trade-off with MagnaCut is a higher price tag.

Leatherman Rustle Fixed-Blade Knife Handle

For the Rustle’s handle, Leatherman went with G10, also known as glass epoxy. It’s fairly grippy, although the smooth finish doesn’t provide as much traction as a textured handle does. Still, Leatherman describes it as easy to grasp in any environment, even when wet. It’s certainly an easier grip than knives with a smooth metal handle.

The G10 also helps keep the knife fairly lightweight; the Rustle weighs in at just 4.3 ounces, or approximately 1/4 pound.

There are three handle colorways available: Alpine, Evergreen, and Vapor Gray. I’m reviewing the Evergreen colorway, and it comes with a vibrant orange sheath.

Sheath

Leatherman included a sheath with each of the fixed-blade knives in this launch. The sheath that comes with the Rustle is constructed of molded Kydex to fit perfectly around the blade. Kydex is impact-resistant, waterproof, and durable enough to protect the blade from damage while it’s stored.

I had some concerns about the security of the sheath, as it lacks a locking mechanism to hold it in place over the blade. After some very scientific manipulation (don’t try this at home), it did start to slide off the blade. However, you really need to try to remove it, and it seems unlikely to come out of the sheath by accident during normal use.

Additional Features

• Lanyard Hoop: Attach a cord for quick access or hands-free storage on your person.
• Blade Spine Jimping: Provides more leverage when slicing or cutting.

Leatherman Rustle Fixed-Blade Knife Price

This knife retails for $279.95, and you can buy it directly from Leatherman. Leatherman backs your purchase with a 25-year warranty.

Your MagnaCut knife also comes with free sharpening services for the life of the blade.

The Bottom Line

The Leatherman Rustle fixed-blade knife is a camper’s dream, excelling at outdoor food prep tasks like no other blade. While it’s not quite as versatile or compact as a standard folding knife, Leatherman designed it specifically for outdoor cooking tasks. In other words, it’s not a replacement for your current EDC; it enhances your outdoor repertoire with a capable food-ready tool.

If you’ve been chopping campfire fare with your everyday folding knife or one that’s undersized for the task, it’s time to upgrade to a more specialized tool to do the job more effectively. Plus, you can have confidence that the Rustle is built on Leatherman’s 35-year, US-made legacy.