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Knife Reviews$300 to $400Arcane DesignCPM 20CVDrop PointFlipper TabFolderFrame LockManual

Arcane Design Creature: A Mysteriously Impressive Knife

The Knife Karen April 5, 2025

I hate to admit this, but until just recently, I was totally unfamiliar with Arcane Design. I am glad that this has changed. The company is, as far as I can tell, a one-man shop run by the founder, a clever and talented young dude named Israel Bacchus. He specializes in crafting visually provocative knife designs, in which his deep interest in angular, geometric-based shapes consistently comes through in his work. In its relatively short history of 6 years, Arcane Design has released (at least) 12 knife (and knife-related) designs, all of which share its clear and consistent design language. ...

Knife Reviews$301 to $400AutomaticBenchmadeCPM Cru-WearGrivoryOTFPVDShootout

Benchmade Shootout: An OTF in the Back of the Pack

The Knife Karen March 9, 2025

Out-the-front (OTF) automatic pocketknives have a mystique about them. They are members of the switchblade family, and switchblades have been the subject of controversy and legislation for ¾ of a century now. Because of the bad boy taboo they (used to) represent, their association with lawlessness (whether or not it’s true), and the fear-inducing automatic deployment feature rocketing the sharp blade straight-forward from the handle, they are perceived to be as dangerous as a cocked crossbow loaded with a bolt at the ready. They just seem inherently hazardous, like they’re about ready at any moment to launch that sprung, sharp ...

Knife Reviews$200 to $300AnzuCarbon FiberDrop PointFolderFront FlipperM390Manual

TuyaKnife Anzu: Excellent Action with a Funky Finish

The Knife Karen February 23, 2025

TuyaKnife is not one of the major brands of popular pocketknives today, but it would be a mistake to ignore them. TuyaKnife is a small Chinese knifemaker (when I first heard the name, I thought they were a Russian knifemaker!) about which little is publicly known (and I’m here to fix that). Founded 8 years ago, they have produced several recent models that have earned consistent acclaim from aichmomaniacs (knife aficionados) who appreciate higher-end knives made of premium materials using highly skilled, technical artisanship. TuyaKnife has scored several hits with their releases of the Envy, Wrath, Strength and several more ...

Knife Reviews<$100Carbon SteelCarboneFolderManualNo. 9OpinelWood

Opinel No. 9 Carbone: A Knife of the Ancients

The Knife Karen February 5, 2025

In the autumn of 2006, I had a lovely visit to the Avignon area in the south of France. One day, the group I was with went to the bustling, open-air, Friday market in Carpentras. There I came upon a man sitting alone in front of a little table. He was selling something I had never seen before. It looked like a short dowel of wood with a metal strip wrapped around the smaller end. I had been looking for a souvenir top commemorate my first time in France, so I took a look at these peculiar things. It wasn’t ...

Knife ComparisonsKnife Reviews<$1008Cr13MoVBudgetCarbon FiberD2Drop PointFolder

Harbor Freight Budget Knife Fight: Icon vs. Gordon

The Knife Karen January 19, 2025

Budget knives. Purchased from hardware, auto parts and tools stores. They just gotta be friggin’ fantastic, right? These stores would never stoop to selling us utter crap knives, right? Riiiiiiiight. If you shop for your pocketknives at big box home, tools, and hardware stores like Home Despot, you’ll find a lot of low-cost options (mostly low-cost options, to be honest). They have multi-tools, razor utility knives, carpet knives (a genuine upgrade to utility knives, BTW), duct knives, insulation knives, and usually a selection of “pocketknives” made by unknown entities but labeled as tool manufacturer brands, such as Milwaukee, Husky, Craftsman, ...

Knife Comparisons$301 to $400AnalysisBenchmadeCarbon FiberCounterfeitCPM MagnaCutCrossbar LockDrop Point

Benchmade Mini Adamas: Anatomy of a Counterfeit Knife

The Knife Karen December 19, 2024

Counterfeits. Who cares about counterfeit products? Who are they hurting? There’s a segment of people who either don’t care about counterfeits, and in some cases, actively pursue such products. Why? Well, there‘s a few reasons. Some folks simply can’t afford to buy the genuine product, so they believe a counterfeit might give them a taste of what that genuine product is like (unfortunately, counterfeits are always inferior to the genuine versions, so that argument will always lead to disappointment). Other folks want to appear to others that they can afford the genuine product, and they really want to have whatever ...