VZ Grips earned its name by making pistol stocks that simply do not fail. Their calling card has always been precision-machined G-10 that immediately fits right and keeps working after thousands of draws. In recent years, the company took that passion into the knife industry with its G-10 daggers. So, imagine our intrigue when VZ Grips announced a strong entry into the steel knife world with its Persian Fighter.
The VZ Grips Persian Fighter
Quick refresher for anyone new to the material. G-10 is built by stacking woven fiberglass cloth, saturating it with epoxy, then pressing and baking that stack into a dense laminate. The result is stable, water and chemical-resistant, and grippy once textured. Color runs through the layers, so patterns are not just a surface print.
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A couple of years back, VZ Grips took that know-how and pushed into non-metallic defensive tools. I have carried their Leonidas and Ripper. They are featherlight, tough, and surprisingly durable for G-10.
Now VZ has stepped into steel. They partnered with Chris Williams of Wilmont Knives, a North Carolina maker with a résumé that matters to people who actually use their gear.
Williams is a retired U.S. Army Special Operations veteran who started grinding in service. He worked as a mechanical engineer afterward, then went full-time building hard-use customs and the Wilmont Grinders many shops rely on, including the TAG-101 and LB-1000.
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His shop philosophy is simple: practical geometry, stout heat treat, and clean execution. Together, VZ Grips and Williams built the Persian Fighter.
The Persian Fighter in Hand
The Persian Fighter arrives ready to work. Blade stock measures a healthy .180 inches, which means real rigidity when you start twisting through dense material or driving the tip. The profile is long and purposeful.
The generous flat belly arcs just slightly before flattening toward the sharpening choil. So, you can push cut, draw slice, or roll the edge through food without the tip diving. The primary bevel runs almost three-quarters of an inch deep. This keeps the wedge angle friendly and makes the knife feel very slicey during use.
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My sample wears VZ’s Diamond Back scales in red and black. They are G-10, deeply textured, and anchored to a handle that was obviously drawn with the human hand in mind.
There are two substantial finger choils and a matching relief in the grip. So, choking up feels natural and secure for control cuts. At the hilt, the jimping is aggressive enough to lock your thumb without turning your skin into confetti. In hand, the knife reads like a purpose-built tool rather than a showpiece.
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The blade measures 4 and 3/8 inches. Overall length runs 9 and 1/4 inches. The steel is CPM-CruWear, a tough tool steel in the D2 family, providing wear resistance and workhorse temperament.
My knife is finished in black Cerakote. It adds abrasion and corrosion protection without the gummy drag you get from lesser coatings. VZ also offers a stonewash finish if you like the look and easy maintenance of bare tool steel.
The weight of the knife alone is 6.3 ounces. That is a sweet spot for a fixed blade you will actually carry. It is heavy enough to handle a baton strike or a firm twist, yet light enough that you will not “forget” to strap it on.
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The Persian Fighter on the Hip
VZ offers two carry systems. The leather sheath is a low-profile snap-retention design with a belt slot. The leather itself is .080 inches thick, which keeps mass down and keeps the package trim under a jacket or overshirt. It has a clean VZ stamp on the side and feels like the kind of leather that will break in without collapsing.
If you are more mission-driven than heritage-minded, the Kydex option is the performer. It is formed from .090-inch material and ships with a latching, multi-position clip that has become the industry standard for practical mounting on belts and straps.
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On-off is quick, the ride height is adjustable, and the draw is consistent. With the clip and hardware, that Kydex setup weighs 3.3 ounces. The leather comes in at just 1.5. Both retain the blade well.
For concealed or minimalist carry under modern clothing, I lean toward Kydex. However, for a field belt or a camp rig, the leather has its own quiet appeal.
The “Fighter” Name
VZ calls this a fighting knife. In 2025, many dedicated defensive fixed blades are compact, with short blades and long handles for extreme control in close spaces. The Persian Fighter borrows its name and silhouette from an older school. You get reach, a pronounced clip that supports the tip, and a belly that actually wants to cut. That matters if your life straddles both the defensive and field worlds.
In camp, the Persian Fighter does real work. The deep primary bevel and long belly make food prep fast. Slicing protein feels like a kitchen task rather than a chore. The clip point places the tip precisely where you expect for opening bags, starting notches, or scoring wood. With .180-inch stock, batoning wrist-thick kindling is straightforward. No drama. No chatter.
The choil and jimping let you choke up for feathersticks and detail carving. The handle fills the palm, and the Diamond Back texture stays confident with wet or sweaty hands. I did not find hotspots, even during longer sessions on tinder and stakes.
From a defensive training lens, the knife indexes quickly and draws well from either sheath. The guard and jimping give positive orientation with no visual confirmation. Likewise, the pronounced choils give you a reliable forward stop under stress. If you train in edge in, edge out, or a blended method, that forward grip security matters.
The point is supported by the clip geometry, adding stability to the tip for thrusting tasks/techniques. If you prefer non-lethal options during a grappling scramble, the exposed tang tip at the butt gives you a hammering point that can redirect or discourage without cutting.
None of this replaces training. However, it does mean the tool will keep up if you bring the skill.
Steel Choice and Price
Some readers will see the price tag of $349.00 and expect a super stainless with a name that trends on forums. D2 is not that. What you get instead is a high-toughness tool steel with excellent wear resistance that is easier to bring back on a strop or ceramic than many hyper-hard steels.
For a four-and-three-eighths-inch field and defensive blade, that is a smart balance. You can baton some kindling, prep a meal, strop ten passes, and be back to a biting edge. If you run the Cerakote, you will also tame the corrosion side that often scares people away from non-stainless tool steels.
Details & Intent
The Persian Fighter’s primary bevel depth, nearly three-quarters of an inch, is not just a visual flourish. It keeps the blade from behaving like a wedge during thick cuts. The tip is robust and does not feel wispy. The finger choils provide excellent retention for scalpel-like tasks and prevent sliding up onto the edge.
Texture on the G-10 scales is aggressive enough to matter, yet the edges are broken. So, they do not chew your palm. The entire package conveys intentionality from a shop that has spent years refining the seamless integration of hands and tools.
If I could change anything, I would add a little more jimping forward on the thumb ramp to lock it in the hand better. As it sits, the jimping does its job. A little more would only enhance the control story. Everything else feels dialed.
VZ Grips Persian Fighter: Verdict
VZ built its reputation on a material that is not steel. That is evident in the confidence of the Persian Fighter’s handle and ergonomics. Partnering with Chris Williams means the blade geometry and heat treat are not guesswork.
On paper, you get .180-inch stock, a 4 and 3/8-inch CPM-CruWear blade, 9 and 1/4 inch overall length, Cerakote or stonewash finish, and your choice of leather or Kydex. In hand, you get a knife that slices like a tool, controls like a trainer’s blade, and shrugs off the kind of camp chores that separate marketing from reality.
Some will buy it for the name. Some will buy it for the look. The people who keep it will be the ones who cut with it. I see a hard-use fixed blade that bridges field and defense without pretending to be a chopper or a scalpel.
Use it to baton quick kindling, carve tent stakes, slice dinner, then hit a strop and repeat. Tools like this do not go out of style. They get handed down.
Adventure safe.
VZ Grips Persian Fighter Features
- CPM-Cruwear steel (D2 family) for outstanding durability and edge retention
- 3/16″ thick, 4.375″ blade with 9.25″ overall length
- VZ Alien texture G-10 scales in multiple color options
- Available in Black Cerakote or Stonewash finishes
- Choice of Kydex or Leather sheath
- 100% USA Made
