Describing his new , Robert Young Pelton says it听鈥渨as designed for undercover work, where professionals must dress in formal wear but carry tools that cannot fail.鈥 I鈥檓 neither a professional nor a formal dresser, but I have carried the new knife every day for seven months. Here鈥檚 why it instantly became my new favorite.
Pelton鈥檚 a canoe-accident survivor turned lumberjack turned marketing executive turned war reporter听who started designing knives a decade ago. Along with the 听fixed blade, he designed the Aculus Flipper to celebrate the anniversary of his craft.听It represents the pinnacle of folding-knife design and materials,听the best possible blade steel fitted to the strongest possible handle, wrapped up in elegant proportions.
鈥淭here is nothing better than M390,鈥 Pelton says of the听听by the German maker B枚hler. It听was designed for use in industrial tools, where its ability to retain an edge, resist corrosion, and听be manufactured with incredibly tight tolerances pay听big dividends in high-volume manufacturing processes. 听鈥渃an increase the life of a tool by several hundred percent.鈥
The same merits that make M390 such a good tool steel carry over to the Aculus鈥檚 blade. That the hollow grind combines with the laser-like sharpness it arrives in to make it a peerless slicer isn鈥檛 surprising. What is surprising听is that,听after seven months of daily use, the performance has only just begun to taper off. I do not take good care of my blades听and have treated the Aculus no differently. It鈥檚 been used to cut up food atop ceramic plates and听open听countless cardboard boxes and听stick听through firewood,听and听it鈥檚 been thrown in the dishwasher a dozen times or more. It鈥檚 just now starting to dull听and shows zero signs of wear, no scratches, and no damage. M390鈥檚 ability to resist corrosion听is real. No blade has any right to retain its polish after听the abuse I鈥檝e put it through.
That blade steel is the main upgrade to the new Aculus, but you鈥檙e going to notice the new handle material long before you鈥檝e used the knife enough to marvel at its ability to retain an edge. The听handle is a single slab of titanium alloy milled out to make room for the blade and to form a frame lock. That alloy is just as special as the blade steel. Ti-6Al-4V is more commonly used by the aerospace and medical-implant industries. One of the reasons the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is so efficient is that , which has 听as well as incredible corrosion resistance. Employed here, the alloy is bronze in color and finished in a really neat wave pattern that鈥檚 visually appealing and听adds traction for your hands. Even when your hands are wet and cold, it provides a solid grip. The monolithic design of the handle means there are only two screws in it鈥攐ne through the blade pivot, which is capped on one side by a flush-fit nut, and the other used to mount the replaceable pocket clip. A ball bearing on the frame lock keys with a divot on the blade to securely hold the knife closed.
Also new is the flipper, which is sort of a fin on the rear of the blade that protrudes from the handle when closed,听allowing听you to flip the blade open with your finger. It works as fast as an assisted-opening design, without adding a complicated mechanism and its associated points of failure, and it rides more seamlessly in a pocket than thumb studs. Helping there are the flawlessly chamfered edges applied to the flipper鈥檚 sides. Those deliver plenty of traction for a finger听but don鈥檛 catch on a pants pocket. If you want to manipulate the blade with more delicacy, there鈥檚 a large thumb hole. The interior edges of that are also chamfered鈥攁n impressive touch for an oft-forgotten area on knives that commonly remains unfinished and, as a result,听unpleasant to touch.
The Aculus鈥檚 pocket clip is the best I鈥檝e used. Its top rides flush with the end of the handle, allowing near total concealment within a pocket, and the long, narrow clip is well matched to the knife鈥檚 lines. It appears to be more strongly constructed than most knife clips, too; in those seven months of use, it鈥檚 totally retained its shape and retention. Mounted close to the knife鈥檚 handle, it also doesn鈥檛 interfere with your ability to tightly and comfortably grip the entire knife in your palm with the blade closed. That鈥檚 handy, because in my size 11 hands, the handle is able to protrude just far enough from my grip to form an effective kubotan.
Perhaps my favorite feature, though, is Pelton鈥檚 signature milled into one side of the blade. Pelton is听one of my favorite authors, a role model, and a friend. Knowing that I鈥檓 carrying a tool that represents the pinnacle of his abilities, and one of which he鈥檚 very proud, is just a really cool feeling.
The Aculus Flipper is only being produced in a limited run of 250 units. It听retails for $450.