Pint-Size Fixed Blade: Cold Steel Pendleton Mini Review

The Cold Steel Pendleton Mini Hunter is a small fixed blade, perfect as a kid’s first knife but capable enough for adults. Our contributor (and his son) put it to the test.

The Cold Steel Pendleton Mini Hunter is a very small fixed blade, similar in design and size to what used to be called a Bird and Trout knife. The blade is three inches long. The entire knife comes in under seven inches and weighs two ounces.

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A tacky rubber material called Kraton forms the grip. The sheath is Cold Steel’s version of kydex, which it calls Securex. The steel on the base Pendleton Mini Hunter ($50 retail, easily found for $30) is an infrequently used metal called VG-1 (not the much more common VG-10). The blade retails for around $30. There is a step-up version that uses 3V and costs more than twice as much.

Cold Steel Mini Pendleton Fixed Blade Review

This size fixed blade is often just a folder replacement, something I like to carry into the woods when I know I will need a bit more durability or resistance to dirt and sand.

These small fixed blades are ideal for making feathersticks for fire. My personal small fixed blade, the Jarosz JFS, is almost identical in size and shape.

Good First Knife for Kids

My real use for this knife is as my 7-year-old son’s first true cutting tool. Folders are a bit harder to use, and the idea of a blade snapping closed on his fingers didn’t fill me with hope. But this particular fixed blade suits him perfectly.

The size and balance work with tinier hands. The Kraton all but guarantees that his hand will not slide forward. And the sheath not only protects the knife (and him) well, it also has an attachment point that a kid can use, opting for a snap instead of the more-difficult-to-use TecLok system.

For him, the knife is nothing short of Excalibur. The day I wrote this review he tried to fell a tree the size of his waist. Only after I gave up (because it was lunchtime) did he walk away. In the woods, he does all sorts of things with this knife. I do not worry about him or the blade.

Finish, Edge

Cold Steel finishes the blade nicely with a near mirror-polish. It holds an edge well and is easy to sharpen, very much like AEB-L, a steel that is chemically similar to VG-1. The best part of the Mini Pendleton is that as my son grows up — unlike his bike, his clothes, and most of his sporting gear — the Mini Pendleton will retain its utility.

Either adult or child looking for a small fixed blade would be silly not to consider the Mini Pendleton. For around $30 it’s a steal.

This is an easy choice. Buy it now!