CRKT Bear Claw Fixed Blade River Knife

The CRKT Bear Claw is for river runners who believe a rescue knife should be immediately accessible and not buried in a PFD pocket underneath sunscreen, old snack bars, and a mystery carabiner that hasn’t clipped onto anything since 2019.

With its compact fixed-blade design and finger-ring grip, the Bear Claw is fast to grab, hard to drop, and extremely effective at slicing rope and webbing in ugly situations. The curved serrated blade cuts aggressively, and the blunt tip helps reduce the odds of accidentally turning your raft into an inflatable sprinkler system.

A lot of guides love mounting this knife on the outside of their PFD for instant access. In a real entanglement situation, seconds matter, and fumbling around for a folding knife can feel like trying to unlock your phone during a lightning storm.

But there is a tradeoff.

Anything mounted externally on a PFD can potentially snag while climbing back into a raft. The Bear Claw is compact compared to larger fixed blades, but it is still something sticking off your chest that can occasionally try to become part of the river instead of part of your rescue kit.

For paddlers who prioritize speed and accessibility above all else, the Bear Claw has earned a loyal following for a reason. It is simple, effective, and purpose-built for wet chaotic environments where “hold on, let me unfold my knife” is not an ideal rescue strategy.