Figuring out which knives and gear have been featured on TV shows seems to be becoming something of a running theme on this blog. We’ve gone through Dual Survival’s knives, Naked and Afraid’s gear, and now we’re on to the knives used in Showtime’s Dexter, specifically those knives in Dexter’s kill bag.
For the first three seasons of the television show, Dexter’s kill bag is pretty much a mess. The knives used vary from episode to episode, season to season. It’s not until the fourth season where Dexter’s kill bag gets pretty much fully sorted out: to the point where he very consistently pulls out the same knives, knife bag, and equipment over and over again from episode to episode.
The order of the knives in the season 4 onward kill bag are shuffled around a lot, thus numbering them off to name them can be difficult because the order really depends on which episode you’re watching.
For the sake of identifying the knives with a visual aid, we’ll be using a screenshot taken from Season 4, Episode 8. You can find a large version of this screenshot (the same one that is pictured below) here.
Dexter’s Knife Kill Bag
Dexter’s knife bag/roll: Messermeister 12-Pocket Knife Roll
- Mundial Future 6-1/2-Inch Stainless-Steel Cleaver
- Mundial Future 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife
- Mundial Future 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Bread Knife with Serrated Edge
- Global 10-Inch Spatula (modified into a fillet knife)
- Custom-made “Hero Kill” Dexter Knife (commissioned by prop master Meltzer, and made by Brian Bero)
- Thermo Scientific Shandon Rachiotomy Bone Saw (discontinued and super rare; decent alternative: Post Mortem Bone Saw)
- Mundial Future 6-Inch Stainless-Steel Flexible Boning Knife
- Mundial Future 6-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife
- Messermeister 10-Inch Poultry Shears
- Satterlee 12-Inch Bone Saw with 9-Inch Blade
Miscellaneous Dexter Knife and Gear Facts
- Dexter’s first kill is performed using the Buck 119BR Special Fixed Blade Knife.
- Dexter uses a Northstar 1050 HD Diamond Ripstop Series Duffle Bag to carry his knife bag and other gear.
- MSA Safety Works 817893 Adjustable Faceshield and Update International APV-2641HD Vinyl Bib Apron are both worn by Dexter when he is dismembering his victims/targets.
If you’d like to learn more about the props used on Dexter, there’s a really cool video about them that you can watch here.
A huge thank-you goes out to the folks who posted to this thread on The RPF forum for doing a hell of a lot of detective work on this topic. The OP actually has an amazing replica of the kill bag that he pieced together himself – and it looks amazing! You can take a look at that here (you’ll need to scroll down a bit).
If you’ve watched any other television shows that you’d like us to identify the gear for, let us know in the comments! Otherwise, enjoy those reruns of Dexter!
I finally decided to take 2 of my friends recommendations and watch Dexter. I had started it a while back, but it didn’t really grab me. I am picky with books, movies, and especially series’ as they are the greatest time commitment, but lately I have found myself with a shortage of good films to watch, so I have been doing the rounds so to speak, and binge watching some of the more popular serials available to stream (no pun intended) It’s not a bad show. I am enjoying it enough to keep going, but I just watched the episode where Dexter finally kills that psycho bitch Lila. Very satisfying, but a little bonus was that I noticed he did her in with a double sided boot dagger with a combo blade. One side plain edge, and the other serrated. I am 99.9% sure that it was a SOG Pentagon dagger. I couldn’t properly freeze the frame to confirm it, but I’m a hardcore knife junkie, and the second I saw it, I recognized it as such. It’s a cool knife with a modest length and weight and an AUS-8 stainless steel blade with a rubber overmold handle. I always wanted one, but there is a new version in XHP steel that I like even more, and a it has a sick sheath system. Just thought I’d put that out there in case anyone as obsessed as I am decided to look into it. Thanks ;)
I’m on the Helter Skelter episode on season 7 (first watch through) what is the fixed blade knife he uses to kill Oleg?? First time I’ve seen him use it. Looks like a Schrade blade, but I know Dexter is a Benchmade fan as well.
I own one of the bags. I couldn’t locate the original source from when i learned of the fact (only a couple years ago, owned the bag since ~2007 i think. But this post i did find and with it being so recent i figured id mention it.
The one knife I was looking for (#5) was custom made… smh
Do one for The Walking Dead! People would devour that :)
We’ve actually attempted doing The Walking Dead! There’s just so much gear featured that isn’t production – makes them so difficult to identify. We’ll give TWD another go, though!
I’m a Netflix binge watcher and luckily Dexter is still on there so I watch that occasionally. I’m shocked you guys got all his knives down. :-)
Dextesr es un aficionado, habiendo motosierras y dremel, tiene mucho que aprender de los clasicos
(Translation: Dexter an amateur, having chainsaws and dremel, has much to learn from the classics)
Dexter is awesome to binge watch – perfect show for that :).
And a LOT of the credit goes to this thread. We would have done the digging anyway, but it would’ve taken exponentially longer to figure out without their help!
Thanks for stopping by! :D
i noticed in season 6 he is using a new and unusual pocket knife while working the apocalypse killer. My first impression was a spyderco, it looked very small, too small to be leagal. it appears to have a large hinge/hole that the blade pivoted open and a automatic/switch blade/spring assist Does this seem correct?What make was this knife?
i noticed in season 6 he is using a small automatic… i think i figured it out… the things that stood out…
1. very handy easy to produce frompocket.
2. small 2″ blade roughly.
3. black handle with large hole in handle, silver ring that the blade pivoted open on.
I found a similar knife made by Gerber… maybe its a custom job… Im sure the actor gets swamped with offers to use a product on TV.