Feel the burn of the hottest makers’ hottest Custom EDC Knives—both folded and fixed.

Tommy Gann: Coke Bottle Slip Joint

As Daniel O’Malley of BladeGallery.com noted, “ABS master smith Tommy Gann makes an exceptional knife. The 52100 carbon steel wharncliffe blade of his Coke Bottle Slip Joint has a handrubbed satin finish, smooth, consistent action, a firm half stop and easily opens with a light pull.” Blade and closed lengths: 2.9 and 3.9”. Bolsters: 416 stainless steel. BladeGallery.com’s price: $550. (BladeGallery.com image)

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Willem Steenkamp: Raider Flipper Folder

The 3.5-inch blade of hollow-ground CTS XHP stainless steel on Willem Steenkamp’s Raider flipper folder pivots on an Ikoma Korth Bearing System. Handle: Silver-strike carbon fiber. Pivot collar: stainless damascus. Pocket clip: 3D-machined titanium anodized blue, configured for right-side, blade-tip-up carry. Lock: linerlock. Weight: 3.2 ozs. Closed length: 3.83”. BladeGallery.com’s price: $680. (BladeGallery.com image)

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David Breniere: Mini Inglorious Slip Joint

“The Mini Inglorious slip joint by David Breniere offers a handrubbed Elmax stainless steel blade with David’s W’s pattern damascus bolster and Sambar stag scales,” stated Dave Stark of Steel Addiction Custom Knives. “The knife just melts into the hand. Truly topper fit and finish.” Blade and closed lengths: 2 7/8 and 3.25”. Weight: 3.2 ozs. Retail price: $2,000. (Steel Addiction Custom Knives image)

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Brian Efros: Elder Tactical Folder

The Elder tactical folder by Brian Efros has a drop-point recurve blade with dual bead-blasted thumb studs. Blade length and steel: 3” and CTS XHP stainless. Handle: carbon fiber with Chad Nichols Dark-Ti damascus bolsters and backspacer, and zirconium pivot collars. The Dark-Ti pocket clip provides blade-tip-up carry. Lock: linerlock. According to Arizona Custom Knives (AZCK), the Elder has “very nice action, detent and blade seating.” Weight: 5.2 ozs. Closed length: 4.25”. AZCK’s price: $3,295. (AZCK image)

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Jacek Hnatow: Bushcraft 1

The Bushcraft 1 by Jacek Hnatow boasts full-tang construction and excellent balance and handle ergonomics. “Though designed for bushcraft, the knife makes an outstanding all-around utility tool,” observed Les Robertson of Robertson’s Custom Cutlery. Blade length, style and steel: 5.5”, drop point and Bohler N690 stainless. Handle width and material: 3.75” and textured black G-10. Overall length: 14.5”. Sheath: custom made of leather by the maker. Maker’s price for a similar knife and sheath: $325. (ImpressByDesign image)

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Bill Koenig: Arius Flipper Folder

Bill Koenig’s Custom Arius flipper folder has a 3.5-inch blade of CPM 20CV stainless steel with a handrubbed satin finish and mirror-washed accents. The handle on the custom EDC knife is copper-dust carbon fiber on the front side and titanium with C-pattern milling on the framelock side. Hardware and screws: zirconium. Pocket clip: handrubbed titanium configured to carry the knife blade tip up. Closed length: 5”. Maker’s price for a similar knife: $3,510. Recon 1 sold price: $6,500. (Recon 1 image)

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Piotr Gosciniak: Breaker Tanto

Of Piotr Gosciniak’s Breaker Les Robertson writes, “The compound grind provides the penetration of a tanto-style blade and slicing ability of a recurve blade. The texture of the black Micarta® handle gives additional grip, particularly in a wet environment.” Blade length, steel and finish: 4.7”, Elmax stainless and satin. Overall length: 10”. Sheath: custom made of Kydex® by the maker. Maker’s price for a similar knife and sheath: $415. (ImpressByDesign image)

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Sean Kendrick: Ruiner Tactical Folder

Sean Kendrick’s Ruiner is a framelock tactical folder with a 3.125-inch black blade of an “unknown material,” zirconium thumb studs and a notched thumb rest. Handle: dark Timascus™ front scale, backspacer and blade-tip-up pocket clip, and an orange-peel-finished and anodized titanium lockside. Pivot: zirconium. Weight: 6.1 ozs. Closed length: 4.5”. Sean names Mike Franklin of Hawg Knives as one of his top mentors. AZCK’s price: $5,995. (AZCK image)

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Tashi Bharucha: Onion LegacyFliper Folder

“The Legacy project is Tashi Bharucha’s way of paying homage to the icons of the knife world that have influenced him,” Dave Stark observed. “The Onion Legacy, his tribute to Ken Onion, was limited to nine pieces featuring a handrubbed RWL-34 stainless steel blade running on caged bearings. The frames are stonewashed and bead-blasted titanium with laser etching, accented by a custom-heat-colored Mokuti clip and pivot rings.” Weight and blade and closed lengths: 6.2 ozs., 4 and 4.75”. Retail price: $1,875. (Steel Addiction Custom Knives image)

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Matthew Christensen: Full Dress Dreadeye

The Full Dress Dreadeye by Matthew Christensen sports a 3.375-inch high-satin-finished blade of Mike Norris Fire Clone damascus and dual zirconium thumb studs. Handle: Zirblast-finished Ant Farm Mokuti scales, and zirconium pivot collars, backspacer and blade-tip-up pocket clip. Weight: 4.9 ozs. Closed length: 4.625”. One of Matthew’s leading mentors is Dave Curtiss of Curtiss Knives. AZCK’s price: $3,595. (AZCK image)

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Riann Manser: H4 Flipper Folder

South African Riann Manser’s H4 custom EDC knife has a 3.7-inch blade of satin-finished M390 stainless steel that runs on caged bearings. “It is perfectly centered, has silky-smooth action” and opens easily via a flipper tab, Daniel O’Malley noted. Handle: black G-10 with gold snakeskin FatCarbon inlaid into each side. Backspacer: black G-10. Liners: bead-blasted Gr6 titanium. Lock: linerlock. Pocket clip: bead-blasted titanium, configured for right-side, blade-tip-up carry. Closed length: 4.8”. BladeGallery.com’s price: $695. (BladeGallery.com image)

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Sergey Shirogorov: Mini Quantum Flipper Folder

The Mini Quantum flipper folder by Sergey Shirogorov is highlighted by a rotating titanium pocket clip that carries the knife blade tip up. Blade length and steel: 3.5” and Mike Norris damascus. Handle: titanium. Closed length: 4.5”. Maker’s price: varies depending on what the knife brings at the various auctions where it is sold. Recon 1’s price: $10,000. (Recon 1 image)

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RJ Martin: Q36 Flipper Folder

Custom knife purveyor Les Robertson has been buying Q36s since RJ Martin started making them. According to Les, “RJ never ceases to amaze me how he incrementally improves this knife: serrated thumb ramp, extremely lightweight, hypersonic flipper opener and bank-vault lockup.” Blade length and steel: 4” and MagnaCut stainless. Frame: grooved titanium. Closed length: 4 7/8”. RJ’s price for a similar knife: $3,200. (ImpressByDesign image)

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Thomas Gony: Speartac Front Flipper

Frenchman Thomas Gony’s Speartac front flipper has a 3 3/8-inch blade of handrubbed RWL-34 stainless steel. The titanium handle features Zircuti inlays, pivot rings and pocket clip (blade tip up). Weight: 4.8 ozs. Closed length: 4.5”. Retail: $2,600. According to Dave Stark, there is such a huge demand for Gony’s work that Thomas can no longer take custom orders. (Steel Addiction Custom Knives image)

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Dmitry Sinkevich: Skiving Tanto

A 3.125-inch tanto blade of K110-core san-mai and a titanium handle help complete the Skiving Tanto prototype by Dmitry Sinkevich. The pivot and blade-tip-up pocket clip are zirconium on this custom EDC knife, and the body screws are titanium. Closed length: 4”. Maker’s price: varies depending on what the knife brings at the various auctions where it is sold. Recon 1’s price: $10,000. (Recon 1 image)

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