Folding Knives

We review four exquisite factory-made damascus folders that deliver the elegant look of custom work at a more affordable price.

Quality damascus knives have always been elegant. The steel, known for its unique surface appearance, defines “upscale” when it comes to high-end factory or custom knives. An increasing number of factory brands seem to be offering select models in damascus, bringing the knives to the masses at less than custom prices. For a nominal fee over the cost of a premium factory model—sometimes even less—you can have an exquisite damascus piece for your collection or daily carry rotation.

The A.G. Russell Knives Slim Damascus Folder

The A.G. Russell Knives Slim Damascus Folder is one of the better bangs for the buck in the genre. The 3⅝-inch drop-point blade is a damascus san-mai hybrid of sorts, featuring a core of 9Cr13MoV stainless steel clad with stainless damascus on either side. The construction allows the blade to be made for a more affordable price while also offering a distinctive appearance with the center core showing through near the cutting edge. 

The top of the thumb rest is notched for a non-slip grip, and the blade opens easily by a flipper tab. With the blade riding on a pair of caged bearings, the opening action is very smooth and sure. The 9Cr13MoV is a Chinese-made stainless that exhibits performance characteristics similar to the more familiar Japanese-made AUS-8 stainless.

The handle has stainless steel liners with beautiful chambray blue G-10 scales. The color is akin to a blueish gray that is less common for G-10. The double stainless liners are slightly oversized and chamfered for a refined appearance. A steel pocket clip carries the knife tip up. Overall construction is somewhat basic but executed extremely well.

Its overall slim form enables the folder to be carried comfortably in a variety of scenarios, from casual to full dress wear. As slender as it is, the handle remains a width that’s easy to grip and use. The smooth scales are slightly contoured to better fit the hand. The linerlock secures tight and safe, with zero blade play in any direction.

At about an eighth of an inch, the blade is moderately thick for such a slender folder. Add a shallow main grind bevel and there is a slight wedging effect when cutting cardboard, plastic foam and other materials, so you will have to apply a bit more force to get the blade through such media.

The handle is very straight, devoid of any features that prevent your hand from sliding forward or rearward. Combined with the blade grind, this doesn’t make the knife a good candidate for heavy/extended use. However, for casual and dress carry it’s perfect. It also makes a great folding steak knife. It’s low profile enough as not to catch unwanted attention in public. At a remarkably low manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $125, the knife represents a great value in a factory damascus folder. Made in China with the typical excellent manufacturing quality that is expected of such knives, the folder represents an excellent value. 

Lionsteel’s Twain

Lionsteel’s Twain damascus folder stands out in a crowd. Lionsteel calls it a double integral folder for its one-piece handle and one-piece scale. The handle is a solid piece of machined titanium—nothing new, though not too common, either.

It isn’t exactly the easiest nor most cost-effective manner of making a knife handle, but it has loads of “wow factor.” It incorporates considerable CNC machining to arrive at the one-piece handle and one-piece scale. The resulting construction explains the knife’s high cost. It is an extremely strong design since the handle is a true integral as opposed to being composed of multiple parts. It is shaped so that it seats your hand comfortably, especially for prolonged use. The integral scale is 3D-machined carbon fiber and incorporates an integral spacer as well. The scale flows continuously around the spine for an appearance unseen on few if any other production folders.

The knife carries very deep in a pocket, with the clip fastened to the handle butt. When the knife is in your pocket, all that’s visible is the clip. You practically do not feel a thing when carrying it. The weight of titanium and carbon fiber are at a minimum and do not bog you down at all.

The versatile, user-friendly drop-point blade is 3.15 inches of Chad Nichols stainless damascus. Called Scrambled, the pattern gets its name from its eye-catching radial shapes. The flat-ground blade features an oblong hole for easy opening with either hand. The blade spine is crowned, meaning there is a slight radius to it. This is a very nice touch that not all manufacturers offer. It also creates a comfortable surface for a finger rest.

The Twain’s high-tech approach to design and manufacturing yields a folder that is both very stylish and functional.  The blade has a sweeping belly that makes it easy to tackle mundane daily cutting tasks with ease, such as opening mail and packages, and even cutting food in a restaurant. It’s also not shy about tackling heavier cutting jobs like breaking down cardboard boxes. It is a lighter weight folder but feels very solid in-hand because of the integral titanium frame and super-secure button lock. 

The MSRP of $542 gets you a high-end folder with top-flight materials made of the finest craftsmanship in Maniago, Italy.  

Pro-Tech Knives Cambria

Known widely for superior-quality automatics, Pro-Tech Knives also makes equally exceptional manual folders such as the Cambria 2 button-lock flipper. The company released the updated version of the Cambria flipper this year, tweaking the design a bit for aesthetics and ergonomics—thus the Cambria 2. It’s designed primarily as an upscale EDC folder that combines style and function into one easy-to-carry package that comes in either a base, working knife format or a highly impressive full-dress model sure to please the most discriminating knife enthusiast.

The 3.5-inch drop-point blade of ladder-pattern stainless damascus forged by Chad Nichols is slender and opens fast via the flipper tab. The ergonomic aluminum handle is anodized black and has an integral lower guard to help keep your grip in place. The back end is oval shaped to conform to your hand. The maple burl inlay adds an organic touch to a high-tech knife. Each Cambria 2 comes with a deep carry pocket clip that totes the closed folder tip up. To add an ever-so-slight dash of panache, the lock button is inlaid with a mosaic pin.

Deploying the blade is a pure pleasure as it rides on a pair of caged bearings for super smooth action. Out of the box, the edge is super sharp and ready for work. In the pocket, the Cambria 2 rides comfortably. Due to its overall slender form, it practically disappears in your pocket. There is absolutely no bulk associated with this knife. You almost forget you have it! I really like how it slices. The flat grind thins the blade out nicely and gives the edge plenty of bite. Overall fit and finish is what you expect from Pro-Tech—flawless in every way. Country of origin: USA. MSRP: $570. Pro-Tech turns out each damascus piece in low quantities, so if you want one, you’d better act quickly.

Spartan Blades Harsey

The Spartan Blades Harsey 3.25 folder is a scaled-down, EDC-size version of the Spartan Harsey Folder. The company had been receiving requests for a smaller size that’s easier to carry and less bulky while still retaining the heavy-duty build of the original. Enter the 3.25—and just like the larger Harsey Folder, Spartan also offers the 3.25 in a more-dressed-up version sporting a damascus blade paired with a handle of your choice of plain or a decorative machined titanium. The test knife is the former, a damascus blade with a bead-blasted titanium handle, simply stated but elegantly executed.  

The drop-point blade is 3.25 (hence the name) inches of Chad Nichols stainless steel damascus in a raindrop pattern. Dual-machined titanium thumb studs provide ease of one-handed opening with either paw. The thumb rest on the spine has some traction notches for a nonslip grip and to apply more pressure to the blade. The bead-blast titanium handle boasts titanium hardware anodized a light blue for an interesting pop of color. The blade secures by a framelock, and a titanium pocket clip also anodized a light blue carries the closed knife tip up. It is a very handsome folder incorporating some heavy-duty elements that make it a great candidate for a user piece.

The 3.25 is a compact workhorse built to go the distance. The flat-ground blade can readily tackle most any daily cutting task: opening packages, breaking down cardboard boxes, slicing steak, or anything else that needs cutting, trimming or stripping. The blade opens smoothly with no play in any direction. It is very solid all around. Multiple finger grooves help seat your hand, providing no-slip control. All handle edges are chamfered to soften the grip and allow the knife to ride in your pocket comfortably. The blade is plenty sharp out of the box and ready for work.  Country of origin: USA. MSRP: $545.

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