Hey everyone, David C. Andersen here coming at you from the KnifeCenter it's the end of
the month, so you know what that means it's time to take a look at the best new knives
that have hit our shelves in the last month, or at least some of my favorites.
Let's check them out.
All right, we're gonna start things with a new KnifeCenter exclusive This is the new
non locking ArtisanCutlery Archaeo coming in right under 100 bucks right now.
Now the non locking mechanism here, although some companies are calling it a slip joint
it's actually got more in common with a friction folder, as there are two detent bars nested
in the handles and that provides the retention on the blade.
However Artisan is taking things a step further than most of the double detent folders on
the market right now.
They've turned it into a flipper.
Because of that you get the fast deployment that's typically associated with a locking
flipper.
But then you can close it even faster to just by placing your finger here loading up the
pressure just a little bit and flicking it closed.
It's definitely an addicting motion, but it doesn't take a ton of pressure to close the
blade it's tuned very well for the flipping and then they've gone and done a couple of
things, extra to increase the safety of the design, firstly since your index finger is
sitting right behind the flipper tab, your whole hand itself acts as sort of a rudimentary
safety, since it's going to keep the blade from rotating fully if it does happen to disengage
for more positive security though the attached lanyard does feature a small metal pin and
you can insert that into this hole right behind the blade itself, essentially wedging or locking
the blade in place when it's in there you've got a good amount of strength just like any
other locking folder out there.
It even works in the closed position too so that you can keep it from opening accidentally
in a bag or a pocket, the execution of the design works great and the materials are chosen
very nicely on this version too, I must say, the orange and black g 10 for the handles
are rounded over just a bit so that it sits very comfortably in the hand, and it's a bit
more of a subtle iteration of an orange and black g 10, the black takes more of a center
stage than the orange, and in a way it kind of looks like a stylized piece of desert ironwood.
Meanwhile the blade sits perfectly on the smaller side just under three inches long,
and it's got a really good shape for EDC.
We've got a high flat grind that's going to cut well, and it's very acute tip is going
to make it great for piercing the steel is a Vg 10 Damascus, which means it's not just
a pretty face you're gonna get some pretty good performance to.
Now you guys love these so much that I didn't even get a chance to buy one for myself before
our first run sold through.
Now we are expecting more in August though so make sure to get your pre orders in now
if you want in on the next run.
Now you can certainly get the Archaeo and its standard locking flipper format, but I
think this double detent reimagining of the knife really transforms things and really
sets it apart, it's just such a cool and original design.
It's non locking unless you use that pin to fidget friendly to and with that blade under
three inches, all these things together means it takes a lot of boxes that are gonna allow
you to take it with you just about anywhere.
If you kind of like the vibe of that knife but you want something with a more standard
lock got something here with a similar shape albeit a bit larger from our friends at zt,
the American made 707, which runs for 248 right now.
This titanium frame lock flipper is your typical rugged zt quality but it's very refined it's
gonna make a fantastic executive or gentleman's knife.
It's got the fancy looks and the narrow profile you want for that style knife, and it also
hides away when not in use thanks to this very subtle and very deep carry pocket clip
which is reversible for left or right carry fitted to the front is a fancy carbon fiber
scale, and it features a small cutout that goes through both sides of the knife right
behind the pivot and it's starting to become something of a zt signature.
Now what sets this knife apart, though, is this the detent for the flipper is actually
nested into the carbon fiber side rather than on the lock bar itself as is typical.
As far as I know this is a first on a production knife.
Now let me know if I'm forgetting something down in the comments, of course, but because
of that feature unlike pretty much any other framework out there.
When you go to open it can actually be squeezing on the lock bar when you go to deploy, and
it's not going to affect the action at all.
Even with a lot of pressure on that lock bar it's still flips out quickly and smoothly
on the kvt bearings in the pivot that blade itself is long and narrow about three and
a half inches, and it features a premium CPM 20 cv steel with a nice stonewashed finish.
I've long said stone washing is great for a hard working blade as your scratches from
use are going to blend in, but I've also always thought it looked great juxtaposed with carbon
fiber.
So it's a really nice pairing on this fancier knife to the blade stock is fairly thin, with
a full flat grind so it's ready to slice and again with a long narrow profile like that
it's going to be a great piercing knife as well.
It looks great, it's going to perform nicely and with it ZTE is showing that they're still
looking for ways to push the envelope on design, rather than just resting on their past achievements.
Now in more great flipper news we've got the new Malibu, which is one of the rare non automatics
from Pro-Tech a button lock design Made in America for just under 190.
It's got smart aesthetics with a black aluminum handle paired to a 3.3 inch blade made of
stonewashed 20 cv and a deep carry clip for pocket carry really similar story to the zt
we just looked at actually.
The flipping action is great, actually defied my expectations when I got it in hand, it's
hard to make a button lock flipper feel crisp and silky smooth, but protect really knocked
things out of the park.
The blade is a good length two features a high flat grind and with its wharncliffe profile
it's going to be ready to work very hard.
I also like the understated nature of the handles, they just work.
I think once it picks up some wear and tear from pocket carry it's going to look even
better for its effective design reasonable price perfect execution and being a Pro-Tech
that most of us can actually carry without worrying about it.
This knife has definitely earned its place on this list.
Alright, let's take a look at a couple of pocket cleavers now.
And the first is the newest version of the Gerber flat iron ringing up at the $50 mark
and for those of you who like me, who weren't really moved by the original This one is definitely
aimed at changing your perceptions.
The first and most obvious upgrade as the micarta handles with kind of a denim look
gives them more of a rugged vibe, and that notion carries through to the blade two, which
has now been upgraded to hard working D two tool steel for much improved edge retention.
Some other upgrades are more subtle, but namely an enlarged and repositioned blade cut out
for easier opening and a patent pending pinch plate on the back.
They were looking to solve some of the same issues as the ZT from earlier that of gripping
the lock bar too tightly when opening the blade, and then the pinch plate also works
as an over travel stop as well to keep you from pushing the lock bar out too far when
you're unlocking with improvements made in virtually every nook and cranny this flat
iron is a convincing option for a tough work knife.
That should be just as home on a tool belt as it would be in your pockets as an EDC.
Now if you'd rather have your pocket cleaver with a flipper.
We're also recognizing the new CIVIVI bull Mastiff this month.
also sitting right under $50 just like the Gerber this knife follows a real familiar
formula that we've gotten used to from CIVIVI.
It's a ball bearing flipper and the quality is top notch thanks to the heritage of their
more expensive sister brand, we knife company.
We also get a liner lock underneath g 10 handle scales, which are available in a selection
of colors rounded out with a reversible deep carry pocket clip now riding on this strong
foundation is this very distinctive cleaver blade shape featuring a stonewashed finish,
and they switch things up a little bit by offering 9Cr18MoV steel rather than their
regular D2.
That should give you performance roughly similar to 440C, and of course you've got more stain
resistance than D2.
And it's executed very nicely here with a full flat grind and a very thin edge for efficient
cutting, especially like the Fuller's on each side of the blade.
Not only do they visually break up the very broad palette of the blade, but they also
work as a thumb opener if you want to open the blade more deliberately.
This is going to be another hard worker and a great shape for modders out there too, we're
already starting to see folks using this blade as a blank canvas for some new blade shapes
they want to create and I can't wait to see more.
Now for a really hard working folder, we've got to talk about the newly released AD-20
from Andrew Demko, on which he debuted his brand new patented shark lock, which is a
spine mounted ambidextrous mechanism that I'm very excited about.
Now while it may look just like a regular flipper tab, the bit sticking out from the
spine is actually the lock release itself.
You pull back to unlock the blade and then close it as you would any other knife.
Although if you do use a little bit of wrist action you can even hold that lock bar back
and flick the blade open or closed quite nicely.
Although it's brand new to the market we're being told that the strength of this lock
is going to be very high, while still being very easy to use.
And one of my favorite parts, you can operate it while keeping your fingers completely out
of the path of the blade for a high degree of safety.
Now initially available with a drop point or clip point 20 cv blade and a G 10 handle
our first batch did go very quickly, as their custom made though the sky's the limit in
terms of the materials and we're going to be getting more soon.
Now for a bulldog of a work knife you can get right now, we've debuted a new L.T. Wright
fixed blade this month, the general purpose GP Medium handcrafted in Ohio, these start
at a very reasonable 139.
And what we get with this design is a roomy handle, it's been shaped by hand to remove
any hotspots.
And it's secured to the Tang with marine grade epoxy in addition to a four pin layout and
an extra large lanyard hole.
This particular one features micarta python micarta.
In fact, gives it a real distinctive look and micarta is a great material for a heavy
duty knife.
It's finished to a matte texture for grip and of course being micarta, it's going to
feel even grippier when things get wet or sweaty.
The blade of this bad boy is a sturdy eighth inch thick, and it measures approximately
three and an eighth inches long.
It features abl steel so that you're going to get stainless without giving up toughness
and it comes with that LTWK standard crisp spine, so that you can use it as a scraper
or a striker for a firesteel, and that broad drop point blade, especially paired as it
is with the full sized handle is going to be just at home at camp or when hunting, as
it would be at a construction site, doing yard work or pretty much any difficult chore
out there with the included JRE industries leather sheath and a lifetime warranty.
This knife is ready for a lifetime of action now for about the same price of just over
140, you can get a very nice production fixed blade from Benchmade.
Now you don't get the handmade charm of the LTE right but you do get higher end materials
when it comes to the blade itself.
And this is the benchmade 202 Leuku based of course on a traditional Nordic design but
it's all American and execution.
This is the bigger brother in fact to the model 200 puukko bushcraft knife The benchmade
also makes the blades just over five inches long and it's made from CPM 3V particles steel
for premium performance when you're out on your adventures offers a very high degree
of toughness combined with a long lasting edge like the traditional Leukus got a mostly
straight back spine, but it does drop ever so slightly right near the tip that spine
won't strike a fire steel but it is very comfortable when choked up, or pressing on it with your
thumb.
The handles themselves are quite comfortable there rubberized santoprene over a full tang
and it features a very nice contour and of course they offer a ton of grip to this type
of construction is perfect for cold or wet weather, since you're not actually touching
the steel of the knife when you hold it.
I especially like the way that the longer blade on this knife balances with the handle
with the tipping point sitting right at the index finger, which means this knife is very
nimble to wield so you're not going to be fighting the weight distribution.
Because of that the knife is going to move with you, rather than against you.
And of course finally the sheath that comes with is quite nice to made from black leather,
featuring a fire steel holder and a large belt loop with a removable dangler.
Okay, let's start to wrap things up with a couple of fancier designs and I'm going to
start with the more expensive one of the two.
The Jonas Iglesias design SPAR-K from WingmanEDC, a full titanium handled versions of this knife
start at 350 with this version with patina to copper and lays jumps up to 395.
This is a smaller design with a two and five eighths inch and 390 Tonto blade which is
very precisely ground, and a contoured three finger handle that's very comfortable to hold
the big story with this blade though beyond that, is the Lee Williams designed kickstop
flipper where the flipper tab itself is actually separate from the blade.
I'll go ahead and open it.
And you can see that the flipper tab remains flush with the spine of the handle, rather
than sticking down below the edge which lets you keep a more clean visual profile to the
design,
and yet it still operates just like any other flipper so it's intuitive and the ceramic
bearings keep the action very snappy.
Then if you watch as I closed the blade, the flipper tab itself doesn't move until about
the last third of the rotation of the blade.
It's not necessarily a feature for a useful knife but it's just a really cool thing to
appreciate.
For those of you fans out there have higher end pocket cutlery.
Alright, last but not least, we started this vid with an artisan cutlery and we're actually
going to end with one as well.
This is the new smaller version of the Hyperion flipper coming in, just over 180 at the moment,
previously available with a four inch blade, I like these new just under three inch versions,
even better make some pretty much the perfect size for a gentleman's knife.
What we see here is essentially a titanium frame lock flipperized version of the lanny's
clip slip joint pattern, a modern traditional for sure.
The steel has artisans Vg 10 Damascus that we talked about earlier, the blade shape itself
is excellent, it flipped open on ceramic bearings and the tuning.
As you would expect from Artisan is perfect.
We've also got a hidden lanyard attachment point so you can add some custom accessories
like a bead or a decorative braid, and it's got a classy milled titanium pocket clip to
round things out.
The handles themselves consist of titanium bolsters and carbon fiber scales on each side.
Now the bolsters do come anodized and a few different color options but my favorite of
the bunch.
Is this plain gray right here.
It's classic and adaptable to anywhere you might be taking a small classy folders such
as this.
Alright, that's it for a top 10 best knives of June, or at least the things that I've
picked for that list.
Make sure to let me know what you think of my picks in the comments, or if something
else came out this month that you think should have deserve to spot on this list.
In the meantime, if you want to get your hands on any of these cool knives, we will leave
links in the description, and that'll take you over to knifecenter.com and you can get
your orders
in there.
And while you're there, make sure you're signed up for a knife rewards program too, because
if you're going to buy one of these knives, you might as well earn some free money to
spend on your next one.
I'm David C. Andersen from the KnifeCenter, hope you're all staying safe sane and sanitary
out there, See you next time.