Spartan Ares — Fighter / Combat Utility Knife
Inspired by the raw power of Ares, the god of war, the Spartan Ares is a purpose-built combat and utility knife engineered for modern operators and serious collectors alike. Developed with decades of knife-making expertise and input from U.S. Special Operations practitioners, the Ares blends battlefield-proven design with premium materials to deliver a reliably lethal, mission-ready tool.
Designed for the demands of combat and utility use, the Spartan Ares offers a balanced, lightweight profile that excels in both hard-use tasks and precise control work. Its fixed drop-point blade geometry delivers strength at the tip while maintaining an efficient cutting curve — ideal for tactical breaching, field tasks, and close-quarters applications. Finished with durable SpartaCoat® PVD coatings and fitted with rugged CE Canvas Micarta® handles, the Ares is built to perform and endure.
The Spartan Ares is the embodiment of warrior craftsmanship — a precision-engineered, mission-ready fighter/utility knife designed for operators and collectors who demand excellence. Built for combat, utility, and enduring performance, the Ares is the ultimate testament to Spartan Blades’ legacy of quality
Pure and simple fighting knife. The blade feels weightless in hand it’s so well balanced. Sharp,, pointy, penetration blade. Also an all around utility blade. Created for a purpose. Love it
Purchased in black/black with black soft sheath. Construction quality was excellent; there was no "chipping" of the CNC-machined handle scales as one review I saw showed and, while the knife has the correct edge geometry for field use (as opposed to being too thin) it still cut paper out of the box. Penetration length of knife (tip to middle of front half of thumb rest) is 5", which is an inch shorter than the standard for non-recon vital organ penetration but better for utility purposes, which is what most "combat" knives do 99% of the time (exception being recon, which needs 7"). Very happy the swage was a narrow blunt as it allows for ease of penetration but maintains tip and pry strength. Thumb rest location and choil make it very easy to choke up for fine work. Very pleased with blade profile; use of excellent S35VN blade steel permits 0.19" thickness making for a lighter knife, just as strong as typical 0.25" blade, easier penetration and, perhaps more importantly, better capability for utility (non-combat) purposes which are, again, the primary use. Ergonomic single finger indent handle is a good, solid design for gloved use. Transition from standard to saber grip requires very minor adjustment of hand position. This allows the thumb rest to be closer to the rear increasing the penetration length of the blade (as opposed to designing the thumb rest nearer the tip). Rear of handle is well-designed for this grip change. All in all I would give at an A+ for combat utility use. I am not really happy with any soft sheath as they all have excess bulk, including the best of breed, but it is what I expected and satisfactory. At $330 it is at market price for a top-quality limited production combat knife, and well worth it. Based on this knife, I would buy from Spartan Blades, LLC again.
The Ares would be my first choice for a fighter. It is thin, sleek and is very sharp. As a defensive carry blade, it would be my first choice. As I mentioned before, any blade less expensive than a Spartan is inferior, and any blade more expensive is unnecessary. The other thing is that in purchasing a Spartan blade I am supporting a couple of Green Berets.
Green handle was disappointing, but nice blade. Expected a bit more for $330.
Love the look and functionality. Fits great in my hand.
This is my first Spartan blade and it did not disappoint. It has a high-quality blade, great balance, and a rugged (yet beautiful) design. The Kydex sheath is form-fitted and makes pulling the knife out quickly a little tough but that was expected after reading the previous comments prior to purchasing. Besides, you wouldn't want the knife to simply fall out of it's sheath. Anyone reading this (especially current/prior military) should be able to respect the idea of 'gear retention'. In addition to the knife, the customer service was amazing. I highly recommend this company and their knives. I will purchase from them again.
Excellent knife and awesome service. Will buy more from these guys.
Amazing knife! Couldn’t ask for a better one!
Nothing exciting about this knife. Knife fits okay in the hand, well balanced. Not razor sharp and not easy to remove from sheath. Note: The knife comes sharp and will cut easily into flesh - Razor Sharp is what razors are and is not what a combat knife should be, otherwise it would dull quickly in the field. Our Kydex is form fitted, so you want to grab the handle of knife in position of function and push your thumb against Kydex sheath to release, should be easier for you and provide best retention. Sorry you were not pleased!
The Ares is my fourth Spartan knife. I don't know what else I can say about their knives! The service is great, the knife, as usual, above and beyond! Spartan Blades are definitely for the more "discerning" knife owner. Everyone who sees any of my Spartans loves them. The EK dagger (and now the Ares) always makes them drool. I plan to get every one of their knives!