KNIFE Magazine’s KNIFE NEWS – August 2023 edition

Hey All,  we at KNIFE Magazine are always looking for ways to improve the website, and to make use of our extensive print archives. One thing we are thinking of doing on a regular basis is to share our Knife News column from the current print issue. By the time we post it here, it isn’t going to always be the freshest, and in many cases we will have already run a Press Release or article from one of the sites from which we aggregate content for the daily Newsfeed.

That said, sometimes we are among the first to cover something, and more often than not we have been connecting with the company or maker, and have a unique insight, comment, or quote that you won’t find anywhere else.

So here is the August 2023’s Knife News…

 


Spartan adds Poros folder to lineup

North Carolina based Spartan Blades has been busy this year. The new Les George Raider Dagger, a pair of Harsey fixed blades, and the highly anticipated MagnaCut KA-BAR all made their debut in the past several months.

In the pantheon of Greek mythology, Poros was the God of Expediency, a fitting name for Spartan’s latest folding knife. The Poros is designed by company co-founder Curtis Iovito. Iovito, a retired Marine and US Army SOF veteran, wanted to combine popular EDC features with classic Spartan styling. “(W)e are known for our contoured handles on our fixed models and wanted to include that distinctive Spartan Blades look and feel with this knife while incorporating customer input such as using IKBS ball bearings, adding a deep carry pocket clip, and incorporating some of the ergonomics that are found in our fixed blade knives”, he said.

The Spartan Poros is a liner-lock with a flipper tab and has a 3.75” CPM154 blade with a black titanium nitride coating. It is available in 3 handle styles with Spartan’s signature grip enhancing scalloped detailing. The OD Green or black G10 have an MSRP of $180 or $190 for composite carbon fiber/G10.

The Poros is being released as part of Spartan’s “Bronze Class” of knives, meaning it is made “abroad by one of our allies” – in this case Taiwan. It is available now from the Spartan website or major knife retailers. From more information visit www.spartanblades.com or call 910-757-0035.

 


Ocaso Knives releases Seaton folder

While Ocaso Knives might be new on the scene, company founder Ric Valdez is most certainly not. A 20 year industry veteran, Ric left his VP position at Cold Steel when Lynn Thompson sold the company to GSM Outdoors, and struck out on his own. The inaugural offerings from Ocaso include designs from fellow Cold Steel alums Andrew Demko and Mike Wallace, as well as other custom makers from around the country.
Ocaso’s latest release is called the Seaton, after its designer David Seaton. Seaton, who is based in Missouri, has been making knives for more than 20 years. The Seaton folder is based on David’s custom “Canoe Knife”, so called due to the shape of its handle. Unlike the classic canoe slipjoint, the Seaton has a thumb stud and liner lock. Like the classic it eschews a pocket clip, giving the Seaton a svelte handle thickness of just 3/8” (9.5mm). It is available in two sizes, a 3.75” large (MSRP $99) and a 3.35” mini version ($79), with choice of Black PVD or bead-blasted handle finish. Ocaso’s signature logo emblazoned pivot cap gives a final aesthetic pop to this classy, gentleman’s folder.

For more information on Ocaso Knives or the Taiwanese-made Seaton, visit www.ocasoknives.com or call (805) 500-8043

 


Vosteed Knives releases R.S. Knifeworks collaboration

It is a mark of maturity in the Chinese production knife industry that key players from the Chinese premium knife renaissance of the past decade have branched out to form their own companies. There are numerous examples of this throughout the industry, including David Sun’s founding of B’yondEDC Knives and Joyce Jiang’s helping launch Kansept. The most recent example of this trend is Yue Dong, known to the Instagram knife community as DoctorEDC, who is co-founder of Vosteed Knives. Yue is a former collaborator at Kizer, who’s designs there include the Cormorant and Cyber. He has designed much of Vosteed’s lineup, including their popular Nightshade series, but their latest design is a collaboration with Rob Saniscalchi of R.S. Knifeworks.

Called the Mayhem, it is based on Saniscalchi’s custom design of the same name. The biggest difference between the custom and the Vosteed production version is that instead of a frame lock, Vosteed will be utilizing its patent pending Top Liner lock, which is a hybrid of an insert liner lock and a Compression lock. Two opening options maximize “fidgetability” – a chamfered thumb hole and low-profile flipper.

The handle and clip are both machined Titanium, and the knife is available in a “bright” version with satin blade and copper colored pivot collar, and “dark” with PVD coated blade and a gold-colored pivot and hardware.

There is no MSRP available at the time of this writing, though the Vosteed Mayhem is expected to reach dealers by late July or early August. More information can be found at www.vosteed.com or by emailing support@vosteed.com

Editor’s note: Since publication, this knife has been renamed the RSK-OS because while Saniscalchi has been making a custom “Mayhem” for many years, Cold Steel released a knife called the “Mayhem” this year as well.

 


White River partners with Liong Mah make a culinary pair

Freemont, Michigan’s White River Knives is a family business, which was founded in 2011 by patriarch John Cammenga Sr.. his wife Susan, and sons John Jr. and Matt.

They have just announced the immanent release of their latest culinary knife offerings, in partnership with Liong Mah. Liong Mah began his career as a professional chef in New York City, before embarking on an almost 20 year career in the knife industry. In his designs, he seeks to “push the envelope with respect to aesthetics, functionality, and feel while still staying true to the art”. Those familiar with Liong Mah’s KUF (Kitchen Utility Folder) will recognize the blade shape as similar with pronounced rocker on the edge, and a spine with a short drop towards the tip.

Both blades are made from CPM S35VN. The handles are a variation off of the traditional octagonal Japanese style, but have a thumb pad which tapers toward the blade, facilitating a western-style pinch grip. The Liong Mah Chef Knife has a 7” blade while the Liong Mah Utility Knife’s 4.75” blade is sized for the more precision tasks.

Like all White River Knives, the Liong Mah Chef Knife and and Utility Knife are made in the USA. They are available individually for $300 or $200 respectively, or can be purchased as a set for $475. You can find out more about White River Knives at www.whiteriverknives.com, or by calling 800-353-7343. For more on Liong Mah Design, visit www.liongmah.com