Since the company’s inception in 2014, Prometheus Design Werx has delivered a wide range of tactically-inspired outdoor and EDC gear, including a generous selection of top-shelf knives. And while the San Francisco-based brand’s catalog has already included more than a dozen fixed blade models, PDW’s latest full-tang offering — the OS3 — is almost certainly its most noteworthy fixed blade to date.
Sporting a design that was inspired by 1980s fixed blade models, the OS3 is a compact pack and field knife that measures 8” overall. Boasting a thickness of 0.145”, the OS3’s blade is comprised of a flat-ground spear point item with an unsharpened upper swedge and a top-shelf CPM S35VN construction with a matte ceramic bead-peened finish. The knife’s full-tang Crucible construction has been sandwiched between a set of 4″, fully-contoured, four-layer, two-color G10 scales that feature a trio of handle tube-lined circular cut-outs and jimping along both sides of the top and bottom of the handle — ensuring ample grip regardless of conditions. The OS3 also tips the scales at a svelte 3.7oz, making it ideal for everything from backpacking to survival use.
Alongside its compact yet utilitarian nature, another major part of what makes the OS3 so special is its sheath. Rather than opting for a custom-fitted KYDEX item, PDW has paired the OS3 with a stacked leather sheath. Made entirely by hand, the sheath sports a cleverly-designed backside that allows it to be securely mounted to a backpack’s shoulder strap — including PDW’s HAL1 Velcro straps — where it can be kept at the ready for rapid deployment. This Velcro-enabled, dual-loop mounting system can also be used to secure the knife to a myriad of racks and other bags.
The Prometheus Design Werx OS3 Fixed Blade Knife is available now with pricing set at $239. The OS3 is also being produced in two different versions: an OD green-accented black-handle model; and an orange-accented variant with an OD green handle.
