Asher Nomad 3.0: An Excellent Knife at a Great Price

Asher Knives just released the Nomad 3.0, its best knife so far and one of the best values in the knife world.

Value is something the knife industry has left behind. There are multiple production knives that sell for close to four figures. Shirogorov and Rockstead have been joined by Medford, Liong Mah, Reate, and LionSteel in making ultra-high-priced production knives.

And the Sebenza Barrier, which for years served as the last line of reasonableness, is crossed on a weekly basis by new blades. Even the vaunted Spyderco Delica, which could be had for around $55 20 years ago is now almost $100. Value has been forgotten. Almost.

Asher Knives, a small brand from Pittsburgh that uses overseas production, has released knife after knife with a clear focus on value. Its most recent release, the Nomad 3.0, is the company’s best knife so far and is one of the best values in the knife world.

In short: If you want excellent materials and performance without spending a Benjamin, keep reading.

Few Drawbacks

The drawbacks of the Asher Nomad 3.0 are few but obvious. It bears a striking resemblance to the Benchmade Bugout. But for a few different curves on the handle and a fuller, this is pretty much a Bugout. But the Bugout was itself very similar to a lot of other knives.

The simpler a design, the more similar it is to other designs. It’s kind of like how all streetfighter-style motorcycles (bikes without cowlings) look the same. There are only so many ways to make a drop point knife with a simple handle shape and a sliding bar lock. It is not a counterfeit or even a clone, so I am going to mention this point, but move on.

A bigger issue for me is the exposed rear tang when closed (which is also an issue on the Bugout). These tend to snag things in pockets and collect lint. I have rarely had it impact performance, but it is the knife-design equivalent of an unforced error. One small issue is that I have found the clip a little tight, but that is easily fixed by a user with some careful bending.

Nomad 3.0’s Pros

The things that are good about the Nomad 3.0 are numerous. The steel, M390, is great, especially at the $90 shipped price point. I also like the sculpted G10 handles. They are substantially better than the Bugout handles. I also like the shape of the sliding bar lock grips, which are more tactile than the Benchmade versions.

The knife also runs in ceramic bearings, making deployment smoother, more consistent, and faster than knives without them (like the Bugout). I also like the shape of the thumb studs better.

The Nomad 3.0 offers great performance at a truly bargain price. Highly recommended.