Hey everyone, David C. Andersen here coming
at you from the KnifeCenter, and today we’re going to be looking at a genre of knives that
we’re calling Executive Knives, which you can find at KnifeCenter.com Characterized by narrow handles, and long,
slender blades, these fancier knives are more refined than the typical, broad-bladed framelocks
we’ve gotten used to these days. Nice and elegant, they’d fit right in when
dressed in a suit or office attire, and are just what you need to create the right impression. But they aren’t just good looks, they are
ready to throw down as well. One could even argue that these blade shapes
are more useful. They have more in common with old school slipjoints
than anything else. Their precision and ability to execute fine
cuts in tight places are what has made these shapes useful for generations. Add in the best modern steels and locking
mechanisms, and they can still get the job done today. Here are just a few of this new wave of Executive
Knives that you might want to check out. The first is the titanium framed Boker Plus
Urban Trapper, a flipper designed by Brad Zinker, who has been making this style of
knife for years. Like it’s namesake, the classic Trapper
slipjoint pattern, the blade is a long, narrow clip point. The materials are quite nice. VG10 steel ensures plenty of edge retention,
and although you can get it without any overlays, which keeps the profile very thin, the versions
with wood, G10, or carbon fiber feel and look even nicer. The best part is that the Urban Trapper, and
indeed all of the knives we’ll see here, carry nice and unobtrusive in the pocket. It barely takes up more room than a nice ink
pen, and a deep carry clip helps it go unnoticed until you pull it out. Next up is the CRKT Crossbones, a design by
Jeff Park. This start with a distinctive two-tone aluminum
handle design. A brushed satin finished shape sits higher
and follows the lines of the frame, while the lowered section is anodized gray and features
a diamond checkered texture giving this knife plenty of grip. It sits in the hand quite nicely and makes
the knife pleasant to use. The upswept blade is exquisite, and its flat
grind and AUS-8 steel make it a pure slicer, especially on longer cuts. Keeping it in place is an inset liner lock
that is as solid as it is easy to operate, and completing the package is another deep
carry pocket clip. Moving on, we come to the Real Steel Metamorph
series. There are actually two tiers, the first being
the G5 Metamorph. This is a front flipper design with a more
deliberate opening action, and come equipped with anodized aluminum handles. A few different colors are available but I
especially like the intense blue. We see a few similarities here to the Crossbones,
at least when it comes to the construction. The milled aluminum scales also features a
deep carry clip and inset liner lock. It even goes a couple steps further with a
semi-floating backspacer and a lanyard attachment point integrated into the spine. The handles also feel great… we see a nice
concave section running the length of the handle and it indexes very well, especially
in a pinch grip. Add in fine-grained Swedish 14C28N steel and
the design is a winner. Stepping up the ladder we see the S5 Metamorph. It trades the aluminum duds for titanium,
upgrades to S35VN blade steel, and adds a traditional flipper for even easier deployment. All these knives so far have featured blades
that sit at or near the 3.5” mark, so let’s check out a couple of smaller options. First is the American-built Benchmade 485
Valet. It isn’t quite as fancy as some of these
other knives we’ve just looked at, but the smooth gray G10 handles offer just enough
class that the knife won’t look out of place wherever you carry it. The really nice thing with the Valet is the
efficiency in packaging. It has a 3-inch blade and just enough handle
to keep it concealed when folded up. Moreover, we get truly premium steel with
Bohler’s fantastic M390. We also get a reversible deep carry clip and
Benchmade’s signature Axis-lock, which makes the Valet one of the best options out there
for a fully ambidextrous gentleman’s knife. Another example of this genre is the ArtisanCutlery
Shark. Although you can get this knife with a 4-inch
blade, we think the 3.15” version hits the sweet spot. The nicer variants in this series are full
titanium frame locks with snappy, bearing-equipped flippers. The blade itself features a nice continuous
curve along the edge, and is made from premium S35VN steel with a stonewash finish which
will help scratches to blend in when you actually use it. We don’t get a deep carry clip with this
design. Instead, it is milled titanium, adding an
extra touch of elegance. The real standout though is the large carbon
fiber inlay on the presentation side. This dignified feature looks great, and is
fully contoured with the handle, for a very comfortable grip. Of course, if you still want a big bad Executive-style
blade, you can check out the 4-inch version of the Shark, or better yet, the WE Knives
618 series. WE has been killing it lately; offering world-class
materials and fit-and-finish for a lot less money than you would think, and the 618 is
no exception. This is about as good as it gets on a production
piece. This knife has a ton of reach with a four-inch
M390 blade riding on ceramic bearings. It doesn’t have a flipper, only a single
thumb stud, but it is still easy to pop the blade open with very little effort, and it
is held in place by the sturdy frame lock. The nicest part though is the titanium frame. Ergonomically contoured, it features fine
grooves for extra grip and style. The two halves fit together without the need
for a backspacer, making for a smooth spine, which includes a hidden lanyard hole. The milled pocket clip even features grooves
that match the handle pattern. This truly is a statement piece that has the
performance to back up its good looks. Of course, production companies aren’t the
only ones serving up this style of knives. A number of custom makers are putting out
excellent interpretations of the executive knife, including the aforementioned Brad Zinker,
as well as Michael Zieba, whose MS3 flipper has become a favorite of many of us here at
the Knife Center, myself included. As the saying goes, everything old is new
again, and we are thrilled to see these classic profiles thriving today with a modern twist. If you like what you’ve seen here and want
to get your hands on one, click the link in the description below to head over to KnifeCenter.com,
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