State & Union has a new fixed blade out, and it comes with more historical baggage than most knives released this year. The EK103 is a direct descendant of the John Ek fighting knives — the Ek Commando in particular, a blade whose field record sits alongside the USMC knife in the short list of American military knives that actually earned their reputation.
The "EK" in the model name is not an acronym. It is a surname. John Ek built fighting knives during the Second World War, and his handle design — a chamfered linear shape secured by three oversized bolts — has been referenced and reinterpreted for decades. KABAR, State & Union's parent company, has been the steward of the Ek line for years; in 2016 it worked with Jesse Jarosz on a modern take on the same design. The EK103 is the latest entry in that lineage.
Small Blade, Large Presence
The blade is 3.5 inches of CPM S45VN in a spear point profile. On paper that is a compact fixed blade — the size class usually occupied by bird-and-trout knives and lightweight hunters. In person it will read as something considerably larger, because the blade is unusually wide for its length and carries an oversized fuller running down the center.
That combination is deliberate. Width and a deep fuller add stiffness and mass without adding length, which is exactly what a fighting knife needs: the blade has to survive impact and lateral load rather than slice tomatoes. The spear point is symmetrical enough to thrust effectively and broad enough to cut, and the fuller lightens the blade while giving the grind a visible spine line.
S45VN is the modern part of the equation. Crucible's S45VN is a refinement of S35VN with increased chromium and nitrogen, which pushes corrosion resistance up without giving away toughness or edge retention. It is a steel designed for hard-use fixed blades, and a meaningful upgrade over the S30V-class steel that would have been standard a decade ago.
The Handle Is the Point
Most of the EK103's identity lives in its handle. The three large bolts are present and accounted for, arranged in the same triangular pattern that has defined Ek knives since the 1940s. The scales are wave-chamfered — a series of angled facets that create a tactile reference without abrasive texture — and they are made from Ultramid, a modern polyamide.
Ultramid is an interesting material choice. It is a glass-fiber-reinforced nylon family from BASF, dimensionally stable, resistant to most solvents, and considerably tougher than the molded plastics used on inexpensive knives. It is not as grippy as rubber or as pretty as Micarta, but it does not shrink, it does not absorb water, and it survives being dropped on rock. For a knife intended to be carried in conditions where kit fails, that is the correct set of priorities.
At 8 ounces the EK103 is substantial — heavy enough to feel like a tool, light enough to carry on a belt without complaint.
Sheath and Carry
State & Union has kept the sheath simple: a classic pancake-style Kydex unit. Pancake construction means the two halves are formed around the blade and riveted at the perimeter, which produces a slimmer profile than a folded sheath and allows for a wide range of mounting hardware. The EK103 can be configured for belt, pack, or MOLLE carry without modification, which is the point of the format.
There is no leather option and no fancy retention system.
Where It Fits
The compact fixed blade market has swung toward ultralight hunting and bushcraft knives, which makes the EK103 an outlier. It is not trying to be a featherweight. It is a 3.5-inch blade built to take abuse, carried in a sheath designed to be mounted anywhere, made by a company whose parent has been supplying military knives for generations.
The closest comparisons are the ESEE 3 and the KABAR BK16 — both excellent knives, both heavier and longer than the EK103. What State & Union offers instead is the Ek lineage and a more compact footprint, which suits buyers who want a hard-use fixed blade that does not announce itself on a belt.
The Verdict
The State & Union EK103 is a well-judged modern interpretation of a classic American fighting knife. S45VN gives it genuine hard-use credentials, the Ultramid handle is a more practical choice than the materials usually used for heritage reissues, and the pancake Kydex sheath keeps the package versatile.
It is available now. Pricing was not included in the release information reviewed here, so confirm cost with State & Union or an authorized dealer. For anyone who wants an Ek knife that can actually be carried and used rather than stored, this is the most sensible version of the design in years.