Reiff Knives Circadian Review | GearJunkie

I’m all about carrying a belt knife out hiking and exploring most of the time. In the colder months, I wear one all the time. I’m not sure if it’s because I subconsciously think I will need to fend for myself against a legion of ice monsters destined to take over our planet, or not. However, consciously, I know that my life in the outdoors in the winter is more demanding, and I find myself outdoors all the time in winter.

That being the case, I was looking for something burly but compact to carry as I embraced the colder days and longer nights. However, as I would be wearing it on my belt everywhere I went, I wanted it to be less conspicuous and therefore, more compact. Reiff Knives had my answer.

Made in small batches here in the USA, the Reiff Knives Circadian is efficient and built to last. It is beefy enough to take on the toughest tasks while maintaining a low profile to remain in the realm of EDC carry. Its saber ground sheepsfoot MagnaCut blade easily adapts to all tasks and environments, while its Kydex sheath can be adapted out of the box to be carried the way you need to carry it — inconspicuously.

In short: The winter months almost require you to carry a durable, indestructible fixed blade on your outdoor adventures. That knife, for me, is the American-made Reiff Knives Circadian with a sheepsfoot blade. If I were you, I’d consider giving it a chance to be your knife of choice as well.

Shopping for a bushcraft knife? Check out our guide to the best of the year.

Reiff Knives Circadian Review

Design & Features         

The Reiff Knives Circadian is available in both a clip point and sheepsfoot version, both featuring MagnaCut steel and Canvas Micarta handle scales. It’s also available with a stonewashed or DLC-coated blade. I chose to go with the stonewashed sheepsfoot and green Micarta variant because it looks incredible, and a ferro rod does not work with DLC coating.

Micarta is hands-down the best handle material on the market for outdoor knives. Not only is it durable, but it also provides an exceptional grip in all weather conditions. Canvas Micarta has more texture to it compared to some of the other Micartas out there — making it extra grippy.

MagnaCut is the most well-balanced knife steel on the market today, especially for folks who plan to put their knives to work in all environments. It has very good edge retention and is easy to sharpen. It’s also tough and abrasion-resistant.

In the sheepsfoot form, with saber grind, it makes for a highly adaptable work steel that can pierce, slice, shave, chop, and draw. On the Circadian, it allows you to switch easily between hard work and precision work.

With an overall length of 7.25 inches, the Circadian may be a little large to be part of the pocket fixed blade craze that’s sweeping the knife world, but it’s perfectly sized as an EDC belt knife.

Reiff includes a Kydex sheath and a Tek-Lok Belt Attachment with the Circadian. This leaves your carry options to be limited only by your imagination. Additionally, they were kind enough to send along a leather sheath, which I tend to prefer in the cold, icy heart of winter.

First Impressions

I’ve been following Reiff’s Instagram feed for a couple of years. Last fall, when they initially launched the Circadian in clip point, I was really interested in it, but my testing schedule wouldn’t allow me to fit one in. Then, in May 2025, they launched the sheepsfoot version, and I got a little obsessed with it.

Not only do I love the fat, palm-filling design of the handle and handle scales, but I am a sucker for sheepsfoot blades. So, once the leaves started falling and the nights got a little cooler, I reached out to Reiff to see if I could secure a sample of the green Canvas Micarta, stonewashed sheepsfoot version.

They’re a cottage brand that builds their knives in small batches, and man, are they meticulous. From the branding to the packaging to the knife itself, the level of execution and craftsmanship is excellent.

That said, I had no idea I was getting a leather sheath with the knife. I don’t even see it on their website. I prefer leather sheaths for belt knives in winter because they absorb the moisture off the blade better than Kydex does. So, where I have a feeling I will be carrying the Circadian in the Kydex sheath (scout carry, baby!) on those cold and snowy days, I have a feeling I will be switching to the leather sheath.

In the Field

Deep sigh. I love this knife. I really do.

It’s lightweight, but also a workhorse through and through. Although I will never consider myself a bushcrafter, I enjoy the aspects of the hobby as well as the tools that come along with it. The Circadian drips with Bushcrap flair while being an excellent knife for all the other kinds of outdoor tomfoolery.

Sheath Swap

When I first received the knife in the middle of November, I kept it in the Kydex sheath, and scout carried it (horizontal across the small of my back) up until the first weekend of December. At that point, I switched over to leather as we were in a cold snap and it was snowing regularly.

So, for 3 weeks, I frolicked around in the woods like a gnome. I gathered pine bows and pinecones with it and battened through some more serious branches out back at the house to collect firewood for the firepit when I was too lazy to get my saw. I lived with this knife. A couple of bourbon barrel-aged beer bottles may have been opened with it.

All in all, the Circadian proved to be a true companion, and I don’t see it leaving my side (or the small of my back) until spring — if even then. At that point, I may end up throwing it in my pack to have with me when I hit the trail. I bet, based on the sheepsfoot design and compact, yet burly size, it would be great for harvesting fiddleheads and spring flowers.

Pro tip: If you bring fresh flowers to your mom, gram, your partner, or even your two amazing daughters in spring, it’s something special. Fiddleheads? Well, they’re an acquired taste.

In Conclusion

My editors are constantly telling me I need to lower my scores on knives because I tend to be generous about my ratings. Well, I rate from the heart, and where I have reconsidered scores in the past, I am happy to destroy the bell curve with the Circadian. From design to build and materials, I think this knife does a great job for people who spend time outdoors and need a reliable blade.

You can get right down on the ground with it and dig up some wintergreen to transplant home with it, or, once you clean the blade off, slice some beef tenderloin at the dinner table. The Circadian is designed to be an extension of your hand and will do whatever chore you plan on doing with it. Which goes to show, you don’t need to carry around a large belt knife on your adventures. A knife this size is easy to carry with you all day, every day, anywhere you want, without making you stand out in the crowd.

So, for my hardcore outdoorsy friends out there, those of you who still wear wool sweaters and prefer your Carhartts faded and tattered, this knife’s for you. But, don’t worry, if you’re roaming the trails in your Arc’teryx shell and Patagonia chinos, the Circadian is going to be just right for you as well.

The key to this whole rant is being in the outdoors with this knife. Don’t just relegate it to opening the mail and looking cool. Use it. Abuse it. And fall in love with it.