Here are four folding knives that employ unusual opening mechanisms.
“Cool Factor”
Some knives have a “cool factor” that makes your eyes pop out. Whether sporting creative designs, spine-tingling handles and blade shapes or—in this case—ingenious mechanisms, such knives always have that special something which sets them apart.
Cool can be anything from a notable mechanism to a standout design. From left: Boker Tucan, AIK Buck 112 Ranger Double-Action Auto, CRKT Daktyl and Olamic Busker Semper.
Boker Tucan
The Boker Tucan is a stately looking folder, but its 3-inch blade of Bohler N690 stainless steel is all business.
Boker’s sleek Tucan would be cool on its design alone, but designer Wilfried Gorski’s innovative blade-release mechanism puts the folder over the edge. A slide release just below the oversized pivot pops the blade out of the frame so it can be opened manually, and the release also serves to deploy the blade. Simply thumb it down and the blade is ready to fold into the frame.
Everything about the Tucan is upscale, from its stealthy 3-inch Bohler N690 stainless steel clip-point blade to its beautifully sculpted 3.875-inch titanium frame with carbon-fiber inlays.
There is no pocket clip but no matter—the Tucan is meant for loose pocket carry. At a weight of 2.82 ounces that is not a problem.
MSRP: $339.
CRKT Daktyl
(CRKT image)
The CRKT Daktyl is a revised version of the Tom Hitchcock “Hole In One” design.
Every bit as enigmatic as the original, if not more, the Daktyl has a 3.05-inch 420J2 stainless steel blade that rotates out of a 4.42-inch wire-frame handle.
The fun begins trying to figure out how to release the blade via Hitchcock’s Slide Lock mechanism, which requires sliding and tipping back the thumb lever.
Once you get the hang of it the Daktyl is pure fun and will amaze your friends. The modified wharncliffe blade has cutouts for lightening and a round carabiner at the base allows you to clip it to a belt loop, keychain or pack and—get this—pop a beer cap.
The Daktyl has a pleasant beadblast finish overall and weighs in at 2.4 ounces.
MSRP: $59.99.
Buck 112 Ranger DA Auto (Adams International Knifeworks conversion)
Adams International Knifeworks Buck Ranger 112 DA Auto has all the traits of the original. The 3-inch 420HC stainless steel blade whipped and sliced through paracord, 3/8-inch rappelling rope and tough waxed lasso rope with ease.
Unlike the new Buck 110 Auto, the AIK version of the smaller 112 Ranger differs in that it is a double action—opens both manually and automatically—and uses a leaf spring on the spine as opposed to a coil. The blade is employed via a flush brass button on the front, which matches the bolsters nicely.
Blade deployment is via the standard lockback on the rear base.
Everything else is Buck 112 Ranger, from the Dymondwood lockback grip to the 3-inch 420HC stainless steel clip-point blade and black leather belt sheath.
MSRP: $160.
Olamic Cutlery Busker Semper
Olamic Cutlery is known for making fashionable knives and the Busker Semper model, designed in-house, exudes coolness on every level. The folder sports curvaceous lines from stem to stern, including its ability to open 10 different ways (see above video), including a top-mounted flipper.
It is a small knife—6 inches open—featuring a 2.375-inch Bohler M390 modified wharncliffe blade and a 6Al4V titanium framelock handle. Other features include a machined pocket clip, caged bearing pivot system, stainless steel lockbar insert with an over-travel stop, ceramic detent ball, and ceramic pocket clip retention ball. In a nutshell, this is the good stuff!
The test model was delivered with a deep-brushed surface texture and gold anodized accents.
Lockbacks have never been so diverse. From left, with manufacturer’s suggested retail prices in parentheses: Spyderco Manbug Lightweight ($79.95), Cold Steel Grik ($59.99), KA-BAR Folding Hunter ($24.21) and Bear & Son Cowhand ($70.95).
Locking folders have been part of the cutlery scene for centuries. As for the lockback, some form of it has been around since the mid-1800s, when it started out as a tabbed lock and progressed over time as the more user-friendly detent style most of us know today.
The simple yet effective lockback mechanism got a massive shot in the arm in 1964 when Buck Knives introduced the now legendary Model 110 Folding Hunter.
These back-locking stalwarts have never left the folding knife scene, they have just been overshadowed by newer locking mechanisms. Lately they’ve been making a nice resurgence and are more diverse than ever.
Lock positions vary on the four lockbacks. The Cold Steel Grik and Spyderco Manbug Salt (from left) have mid-locks or front locks, while the Bear & Son Cowhand and KA-BAR Folding Hunter (from right) have theirs located near the base, which is more common among the breed.Three of the test lockbacks have pocket clips for everyday carry. From left: Bear & Son Cowhand, KA-BAR Folding Hunter and Cold Steel Grik. The Cowhand’s clip can be removed for loose pocket carry as you would a traditional pocketknife.
Spyderco Manbug Salt Lightweight
The Spyderco Manbug Salt Lightweight is a small, pocket carry model bent on defying its weight class. The smallest of the test knives, the Manbug Salt is a scant 4.4 inches extended with 1.9 inches of the total focused on a wicked, fully serrated sheepfoot blade. Spyderco knives come extremely sharp out of the box and this small lockback was no exception.
The bright yellow handle is the company’s classic, molded FRN synthetic, accoutered with the same, bumpy pattern found on its popular Delica and Endura models. The Manbug Salt’s rustfree blade of “corrosion-proof” H-1 work-hardened steel makes for pocket carry worry-free from sweat and moisture. Its midlock positioning is located halfway up the rear handle spine, and there is a lanyard/neck cord hole in the base. MSRP: $79.95.
The Spyderco Manbug is small enough to carry loose in the pocket, or you can use a cord for neck carry if so inclined. Excellent for daily chores such as opening packages, the small folder also makes for a wicked little hideaway knife.
The Manbug Salt Lightweight is not designed to be a serious knife user’s primary blade, but it is a great secondary carry loose in the pocket. I tested it for a week around the office opening boxes, ripping through corrugated board and other daily functions. The blade is extremely sharp, as Spydercos typically are, and slices through packing tape with ease. I stacked up three layers of heavy-duty reinforced packing tape and it sliced through it like butter—and after a week the edge was as effective as ever. In the pocket you hardly know its scant .8 ounce is there. I also like it as a last ditch hideaway knife should I ever need one. That little 1.9-inch blade is bigger and badder than it looks.
Bear & Son Cowhand Lockback
With its sleek California clip point blade, the Bear & Son Cowhand is a great slicer for medium size cutting chores such as rope. If you like a blend of traditional styling brought up to modern standards, the Cowhand will fill the bill.
The Bear & Son Cowhand Lockback has the look and feel of a modernized version of the traditional copperhead pattern. The 3.75-inch handle sports rosewood scales sandwiched between nickel silver bolsters, with the lock located at the lower rear base.
The slender 1095 carbon steel blade, a California clip point, is 2.875 inches long and accessed via an ovate thumb hole. On the back side is an ample 2.5-inch stainless steel pocket clip positioned for tip-down carry, or if you like you can remove the clip and carry the Cowhand loose in the pocket. At about 3 inches closed and tipping the scales at 2.3 ounces, the Cowhand is a medium-size folder that won’t bog you down. MSRP: $70.95.
I gave the Cowhand an initial run on some 550 paracord. The blade sliced through one, two and three lengths of cord with ease on both flat surfaces and pull-through strokes. I moved up to some much tougher waxed quarter-inch lasso rope on a flat surface. Applying pressure, I had no trouble slicing the rope in single strokes. Pull-throughs required multiple strokes but this extremely dense material gives most knives fits. Of the three folders in our lineup with pocket clips, the Cowhand’s is the deepest fitting. If you’re an aficionado of traditional folders, you’ll enjoy the feel of Rosewood in your hand as opposed to a synthetic.
Cold Steel Grik
The Cold Steel Grik is nothing short of cool and every bit as handy. The deep-bellied grind worked well for slicing sausage for a meal of red beans and rice, and can handle similar chores around the home.When it comes to pocket clips, the Cold Steel Grik gets the award for thinking outside the box. The company provides a mirror-image clip for left-hand pocket carry with an additional base plate to complete the package.
As cool looking lockbacks go, the Cold Steel Grik rates an 11 out of 10. Cold Steel has been a longtime proponent of the lockback and uses the trademarked name Tri-Ad Lock™ for its mechanism. The aggressively styled Grik is a mid-sized midlock folder—6.875 inches overall, 3.875 inches closed, 3.3 ounces—with a tactical-looking handle profile and a 3-inch spear-point blade of AUS-8 stainless steel.
Adding to its attitude is a heavy, ramped and checkered lug-shaped thumb stud on each side for ambidextrous access. Another cool feature is a tip-up pocket clip that spans the width of the GFN injection molded handle. Left -hand conversion is available for southpaws. MSRP: $59.99.
I liked the Grik’s wide, deep-bellied blade and put it to the test on slicing up sausage for a pot of red beans and rice. The links were approximately 1 inch in diameter and, while the Grik doesn’t have a long blade like a chef ’s knife, it had no trouble whatsoever taking off clean, consistent slices. Similar edibles such as carrots and shallots would be no problem.
As an EDC the Grik would be useful performing other daily chores around the office, and its wicked, double-ground blade can offer up a sweet bit of protection should the occasion arise. If you desire a thoroughly modern mid-sized lockback with a wide range of capabilities, the Grik will serve you well.
KA-BAR Folding Hunter
The KA-BAR Folding Hunter’s 3.87-inch clip point blade has ambidextrous thumb studs with an optional long-pull nail nick for blade deployment options. The blade was equally at home slicing leather strips and taking off portions of 3/8-inch rappelling rope.
The KA-BAR Folding Hunter is, simply stated, a modern tactical take on the legendary Buck 110 and KA-BAR’S subsequent Model 1189. The overall design and dimensions are very close, but the new KA-BAR version takes off from there in a hurry. About 5 inches closed, the KA-BAR Folding Hunter has a gray, nonreflective 3.87-inch clip point blade of 420 stainless steel with matching bolsters and black G-10 scales—which combined give it a very stealthy look.
The blade has ambidextrous thumb studs along with an optional long-pull nail nick on the front side for opening. On the backside is a 2.25-inch tip-down reversible stainless steel pocket clip. The cross-section of the handle is a trim .5 inch across, cutting down on weight and signature. The KABAR Folding Hunter is affordably priced at an MSRP of $24.21.
KA-BAR’s Folding Hunter was the only large-sized lockback in the pack and, like its predecessors, has the ability to perform tough tasks. I tested the blade on some 1/16-inch suede leather to see how well it could take off nice, clean strips. Laying the suede down on a flat wooden surface, I used the knife to slice through the material in easy, even strokes. The blade sliced equally well through 3/8-inch rappelling rope. Skinning, meal prep and shaving wood would be no problem with the KA-BAR Folding Hunter.
Lockback Knives are Back
Very much alive, the lockback folder is more diverse than ever, and choices abound. The Spyderco Manbug Salt Lightweight can fulfill many daily chores and also prevent wear and tear on your larger EDC, if so desired. The Bear & Son Cowhand and Cold Steel Grik give you a choice between a lockback with traditional styling versus a modern tactical one. If you want a full-size carry capable of more heavy-duty chores, the KA-BAR Folding Hunter will do the trick.
According to Joe Culpepper, cattle bone constitutes 98 percent of the total bone sales at Culpepper & Co., with camel and giraffe bone being the remainder. H.L. Holbrook employs stabilized giraffe bone on his hunter in CPM 154 stainless. Overall length: 8.25 inches. (PointSeven image)
Bone handle knives are good to the bone, including some of the latest blades made today.
Smooth redbone completes the handle of the Boker Trapperliner. The 3.25-inch blade is 440A stainless steel. Closed length: 4 3/8 inches. MSRP: $107.95. (Boker image)
Bone is one of the earliest materials used on knife handles, becoming a high art during the early and mid-1800s when the factories in Solingen, Germany, and Sheffield, England, were peddling their wares to eager American consumers. When tariffs on the old-world manufacturers were imposed in the waning years of the 19th century, U.S. manufacturers gained a toehold on the domestic pocketknife market, and by the early 1900s were in high gear. Bone was the most prominent and popular handle material in those days—and remains among the most prevalent, if not the most prevalent, to this day.
Many offerings by pocketknife manufacturers are graced with bone scales, and custom knifemakers use it frequently on both fixed blades and folders. BLADE® went inside the knife industry to find out why bone remains such a dominant handle material on today’s knives.
Where’s the Bone?
Most bone used on knives is bovine—that is, from cattle. When you think about how much beef is consumed annually in this country, you have to believe there’s a whole lot of cow bone available. There is. We asked proprietor Joe Culpepper of Culpepper & Co.—a large wholesale supplier and processer of all types of handle materials to both factories and custom artisans—about the importance of bone on his bottom line.
Joe Culpepper of Culpepper & Co.—shown inset with his wife and business partner, Kristi—said both factory and custom makers, though more custom than factory, lean heavily toward bone in browns, ambers, reds, oranges, blacks and other more conservative colors. Levi Miller opts for brown jigged bone on his trapper in 52100 carbon blade steel. Approximate closed length: 3 5/8 inches. (PointSeven knife image)
“Cattle bone constitutes 98 percent of our total bone sales, with camel and giraffe being the remainder,” Joe says. “The overwhelming majority of the cattle bone that we use is from South America, although it is available in nearly every country that has a beef industry.
“We find that cutlers, both factory and custom alike, lean heavily toward browns, ambers, reds, oranges, blacks and other colors that are more conservative. This is probably a bit truer for the custom makers than manufacturers. As for surface texture, we sell a lot of the more traditional jigging patterns that resemble patterns used before World War II. Approximately 60 percent of our sales are to factories, custom knifemakers the other 40 percent.”
Joe indicates he has seen an increase in demand for bone in recent years and, along with it, an jump in prices.
“As with anything, costs are always rising. The cost of jigging, polishing and cutting bone is nearly always a product of labor costs, which is somewhat predictable. Coloring is a different story,” he notes. “All of the dye components have risen exponentially in recent years.
“As far as overhead goes, we have to buy the raw material, have it shipped to our processing plant, treat it, cut it into scales, bleach the scales, sort for characteristics, identify outliers, texture and jig the bone, stack it into vats, color with dye, and test and document a sample before we make the final product available to the industry. There are also hundreds of other smaller processes involved, but these are the major things.”
While jigged bone is the most popular, Joe has seen an uptick in stag or carved bone patterns made to simulate deer antler.
“Most of our varieties of our carved stag bone have seen a rapid increase in popularity in recent years,” he says. “This is primarily because of the ban and scarcity of genuine stag. To my knowledge, we made the first variety of carved stag bone in the 1980s. It was made based on a Delrin [a type of thermoplastic] sample. Carved stag bone is popular in a variety of colors including amber, green, and various shades of brown and orange.” While smooth bone is still popular, it lags behind the jigged and carved varieties—but it does have the advantage of being laser etched and scrimshawed.
A Case Study
ABS journeyman smith Steven Koster combed through the entire box of bone scales at a Tru-Grit knife show booth to arrive at the nice matched pair of black jigged ones for his English bowie. The blade is Koster’s feather-pattern damascus in 1084 and 15n20 carbon steels. Overall length: 11.5 inches. (PointSeven image)
“Bone handles have always given Case knives their distinctive look and feel,” begins Fred Feightner, Case marketing coordinator. “While all of our handle materials cycle from time to time in terms of consumer favoritism, bone remains our most popular. Right now we are using our traditional cattle bone, the same we’ve been using for generations. Beyond that, some of our synthetics, woods and shells, like mother-of-pearl and abalone, continue to be very popular.”
According to Fred, Case handles its own jigging and color-dying processes. “We receive the bone in smooth slab form, then do all of the work needed to turn it into beautiful Case knife handles—including jigging, dying, drying and cutting to size. There are costs implicit in our manufacturing plans as the bone is sometimes stored before it goes to the production floor. The slabs also need enough time to take just the right color shade before being moved to assembly operations.”
Feightner sees no let-up in the popularity of bone handles in the near future.
“Bone is such a traditional knife handle material. It remains among our top sellers at Case, which is probably true of most makers of traditional folding knives today. Even with all the new handle materials that continually enter the marketplace, there’s still something special about the way a bone handle completes the look of a Case knife. We see demand for traditional folders to continue to grow, especially for Case knives, as our distribution and reach continue to expand into new markets.”
Puma USA opted for smooth white bone on the appropriately named Deadwood Canyon White Bone hunter. The 3.8-inch blade is 440A German stainless. Weight: 4.6 ounces. Overall length: 8 inches. It comes with a leather sheath.
Tried and True
The giraffe bone grip of Calvin Robinson’s “Little Bill” slip joint exhibits a two-tone color effect. The 2 5/8-inch blade is Damasteel damascus. Approximate closed length: 3.5 inches. (PointSeven image)
Steve Koster is an American Bladesmith Society journeyman smith who specializes in traditional fixed blades, most featuring his exquisite handforged damascus as seen in the English-style bowie on page 37. It sports a forged 1084/15n20 feather-pattern damascus blade and a boxed-frame handle topped with thick jigged bone scales.
“I do not jig or dye any of my scales. I get most of them from various manufacturers and suppliers at knife shows,” he states. “The cheekbone scales on my English bowie came from Tru-Grit. I picked through the whole box to find a nice matched pair with a fine jigged pattern. Some of the jigged-bone patterns are not uniform so I have to spend time selecting a matched pair of scales to fit the tang or frame.”
Though Steve uses a wide variety of handle materials on his knives, bone finds its way onto a healthy percentage. “I do about two out of 10 knives with bone scales,” he says. “I like using natural handle materials, and bone has been used for knife handles for hundreds of years. It is very durable and I really like the look of anything natural or antique looking on handles. Natural cow bone, camel bone or any of the ancient bones can be used as they are, or can be stabilized.”
Koster opts for bone with a traditional look. “The imitation stag I don’t care for,” he notes. “I prefer bone that has been picked or jigged, and also bone sanded smooth with a natural finish.”
Rest Assured
Green bone is a traditional favorite and the Remington Bullet 200th anniversary R11035 jackknife employs it along with blades of 440A stainless. Weight: 3.2 ounces. Closed length: 3.5 inches. Made in a limited edition of 5,000, it has an MSRP of $115.99. (Bear & Son image)
The tactical end of the cutlery industry (page 12) has ruled the roost for many years—and with it synthetic handle materials such as Micarta®, G-10 and carbon fiber—but traditional knives (page 12) still garner a sizable segment of the market. If you’re one of those who appreciate old-school pocketknives and fixed blades, rest assured—the factories and custom knifemakers have your back!one is one of the earliest materials used on knife handles, becoming a high art during the early and mid-1800s when the factories in Solingen, Germany, and Sheffield, England, were peddling their wares to eager American consumers. When tariffs on the old-world manufacturers were imposed in the waning years of the 19th century, U.S. manufacturers gained a toehold on the domestic pocketknife market, and by the early 1900s were in high gear. Bone was the most prominent and popular handle material in those days—and remains among the most prevalent, if not the most prevalent, to this day.
Many offerings by pocketknife manufacturers are graced with bone scales, and custom knifemakers use it frequently on both fixed blades and folders. BLADE® went inside the knife industry to find out why bone remains such a dominant handle material on today’s knives.
