KATSU Camping Pocket Folding Japanese Knife, CPM S35VN Blade, Black Stonewashed Titanium Handle With Mars Valley Fat Carbon Fiber Inlay

INITIAL REVIEW AFTER 24 HRS: THIS KNIFE IS JUST AMAZING! ! ! INCREDIBLE ENGINEERING, SUPERB CRAFTSMANSHIP, QUALITY MATERIALS AND BEYOND AN EXCELLENT VALUE. Katsu is an emerging superstar that deserves a more detailed review from more experienced knife people. Many knife enthusiasts looking for a budget folder know of Kizer and Civivi. I'm not knocking those brands, but IMO, Katsu shines brightest for low to mid range budgets. With only 24 hrs of receiving this beauty, I'd place it up there with higher end folders like Cold Steel, CRKT, Kershaw and others. Once Katsu's really become known - I'm guessing their prices will increase or at least they should. Not that I'm not pleased with paying under a hundred dollars for it, but this model could very easily sell for $200 - $300 once the word gets out. UPDATE AFTER 100 HOURS: WITH THIS PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN COMPANY - I took a chance and I'm beyond glad that I did. American / Japanese materials and styling, with it's unique deployment mechanism, this knife greatly intrigued me. I originally wanted to get the all Damascus 'Bamboo' model, but decided on this whopping 4" sexy folder. I have quite a few three inchers and just wanted something larger and different. A precision piece of engineering such as this deserves a comprehensive review. I AM ABSOLUTELY & IRREVOCABLY BLOWN AWAY BY THE QUALITY OF THIS AMAZING FOLDER! IT IS DEFINITELY WORTH MUCH MORE THAN IT'S MSRP. After nearly 100 hours of getting acquainted with this Katsu, I've decided that it's value is just "MORE"! In fact, everything about this TiCF VG-10 Baby Beast is MUCH MORE than I expected. My first attempt at this cool deployment mechanism went very smoothly without any hitches. I can see myself playing with my new tool / toy for many years to come - absolutely no BS or hype. It's a gorgeous, fully functional and a fun cutting tool / fidgeter! When I first saw the Katsu about a week ago, I was very drawn to it's unique Higo deployment variation with it's modified drop point reverse tanto blade shape. I've been selectively collecting knives for more than 25 years now and I keep asking myself the same question. . . why another knife? Simple answer - excellently engineered with fine innovative craftsmanship, genuine quality materials, reasonably priced along with more than 300 good reviews. NEAR ZERO TOLERANCE SPECS! For my tastes, this knife is near perfect! I really like titanium, carbon fiber, stone washed Japanese VG-10, sleek innovative designs, superb engineering and well executed craftsmanship. This knife is certainly all of that and more. Yes, there are better knife steels available, of which I do have, but VG-10 is beyond decent and more than sufficient for my everyday tasks. I actually enjoy sharpening good steel. I became very quickly addicted to fidgeting with my new knife as soon as I got it and had to actually force myself, on my first evening with it, to put it down and go to bed, lol! This knife arrived very quickly - five days to Hawai'i, was razor sharp out of it's box and deployed as smooth as silk. The genuine leather sheath and Hessian cloth sack that came with it will be useful whenever this folder is not in use, but it's new permanent home, at work or home, will normally be in my pocket. This is a folder that I'll be proud to whip out whenever the need arises, even if it's just to open a letter or box, but it is very capable of doing much more and at it's price point it won't bother me at all to use it every chance I get. Whether Katsu Knives were made in Japan or China makes no difference to me depending on specifically "where" in China. This incredible piece of engineered craftsmanship is a high quality piece. It does have the Japanese Kanji for Katsu and VG-10 laser engraved (not just etched) on the blade without any indication of the Country of Origin. According to Katsu's Website, they very plainly state that their KITCHEN knives are made in Yangjiang - China's world renowned Knife Capitol, similar to what Seki City is in Japan. So again, IMO, so what if it's made in China. . . ?! I'm not Chinese. I am part Japanese (Samurai Descent), so it has nothing to do with national preferences. I was open minded enough to get a grip and not let this fact be a deal breaker for me and I'm beyond happy! Besides, with Amazon's great return policy, it really was a no brainier. Remember, China has a lot of history for producing pretty incredible weaponry and they do outsource their VG-10 from Japan! The milled titanium handles and clip is very well done and the folder's blade is excellent. The only issue that I've run into is the fact that because the clip is made of titanium, it's very difficult to clip the knife onto and remove it from my 5.11s. Titanium is known to be at least twice as strong and stiffer than steel, but is half it's weight. If they made the clip out of more flexible stonewashed stainless steel, that would easily resolve the problem. To get around that, I just used the clip to attach a paracord lanyard that I quickly made. The more than adequate jimping at the back of the blade on the thumb flip mechanism with the ergonomic handle design will prevent your fingers from slipping onto the razor sharp edge. You just need to be careful of your thumb after deploying the blade just as you are with thumb stud assisted openers. I tested the edge on thigh hairs and with virtually no pressure, the entire area that the edge glanced over became hairless. Once you get used to it's Japanese Higonokami Deployment Mechanism, you can choose to deploy it with a nice, slow and smooth movement or very aggressively easily whip it out either as recommended with your thumb or with the right side of your index finger. Part of the fun will be to figure out how / what's best for you. I had absolutely no problems whipping the blade out with my first try. IMO, once you figure out exactly where to place your index finger on the stud, deployment can be compared to an assisted opener and is more effective compared to using your thumb. This is a gravity / friction mechanism. It can be a little hard on your finger, but you'll toughen up, LOL. 48hrs with this knife and well over a 1000 flips, the pivot fastener required a touch of Loctite ($5), but many good quality folders often do. It will be an excellent EDC for normal use, but when I need something tougher, my Kydex sheathed Custom CPM-3V Field Knife will be at the ready. IMO, this knife is currently the best value for pocket knives on Amazon - I'd go as far as to say that it's a hidden gem. Did I mention how sexy it is? Any hotter and it would be smoking, LOL! If you're reading this and are on the fence regarding this folder, now's the time to take the plunge - buy it, you won't regret it. I used to sell high quality name branded knives for years, this could easily sell for at least three times, maybe up to five times more (as a custom knife) than their MSRP. My cheapest Ti Folder is $300 and my most expensive is $750 - All American Made. I actually really like this folder more than I like my $750 Custom Titanium Damascus Folder. This is more than likely made in China which explains how this incredible piece is selling so inexpensively on Amazon. Made in America = $300, Made in Japan = $200 and Made in China = $100! I'm just being real. I'll always prefer American Made because our quality is generally a lot better, but our prices are just too often, ridiculous. The tight tolerances, perfect balance, ergonomics, great materials and innovative design could easily warrant an appropriately higher price. Some argue that this knife is too heavy, but I do own other large solid titanium folders and this isn't any heavier than any of those - proportionately. IMO, this has an excellent weight for it's size. I only spent three days with this piece and have already decided that I just needed to get Katsu's All 'Damascus' Higonokami Model. My only question was if the clip on the 'Damascus' model was going to be made out of Titanium too or Stainless Steel. The Amazon Community was very helpful - It's steel, so it'll be more flexible than my first Katsu which will make it much more pocket friendly. FYI, I have absolutely no affiliations with Katsu and have not received anything in exchange to write this unbiased review - this model deserves someone to tell it like it is. As I warned at the beginning - comprehensive review, lol. Hope this helps someone.

Overally, I love this thing and don't think I'll be switching it out for a long time. When I first got it, it was quite difficult to open, but it got easier once the tolerances loosened up a little bit. Plus the way you open it is slightly different than other "flpper" knives. See video for how I do it. It holds an edge decently well. If you're cutting a lot of cardboard, you'll want to hit it with a honing rod and then a leather strop just to keep the blade sharp enough to shave your arm hair. I love that the whole aesthetic gives of Japanese quality product vibes, and less like something a fedora tipping, neckbeard mall ninja would be interested in. One thing, though, directed at Katsu. Why is this marketed as a camping knife? Far be it for me to question your marketing team, but I'm not really feeling it, bros. It would be like using a nice kitchen bread knife to cut sheetrock. You can... but why would you? In my opinion, y'all should lean into the quality construction and materials, and how the blade holds an edge if you take care of it. No way we're gonna go chop wood with this. Pros: - Unlike any other folding knife I've ever seen. - Cool design with beautiful lines. - Solid, smooth construction. They put some effort into the quality department! - Durable, not cheaply made. Cons: - Very heavy - It opens differently than most other flippers. Don't expect to be able to do it with your index finger. The back needs to be grasped with your palm, and you press down on the tang thing with your thumb. - Not assisted opening, so a flipping motion is usually helpful.

I bought this knife strictly for my collection because I needed a front flipper. But I was also excited to receive after finding and ordering because it reminded me of a folding samurai sword (or as close as I'm likely to get). Made with high-end materials, including titanium frame-lock, so that sealed it. And I was not disappointed. Took a minute or two of practice with the front flipper (if you don't have the angle of pressure just right, that blade ain't going nowhere), but now can flip open with authority and feels and sounds very satisfying. Sticky sharp like you can get with S35VN. Although not an EDC for me (or maybe for anyone else), I am still very happy to add to my personal knife collection. It's a really nice piece.

I bought this knife because I wanted a heavy duty, more modern version of the higo no kami japanese pocket knives. I never thought I'd find exactly what I was looking for, until I found this knife. It's basically a higonokami (its even got the old thumb lever the higos have), but it's larger, it's got a titanium handle, a pocket clip, and a frame lock. It's freaking awesome. So if you loved the higonokami knives, I'd definitely recommend this knife. As for my experience using it. It is a very beefy, exotic knife that will endure through some pretty tough conditions. I immediately started using it for work when I got it (ripping up carpet, slashing through cardboard, the usual wear and tear for my EDC) and it performed very well. The edge held up despite the consistent wear. And after wiping it off it still looked freakin' cool. Seriously, the oriental design with the kanji engraved on the blade makes this guy stand out among other pocket knives. As for where it fails? The pocket clip is made of titanium. That means it hugs your pocket very tightly. It's kindof hard to pull it out of your pocket very fast unless you get it at a certain angle. Mildly annoying, but not a deal breaker in my opinion. Also, Personally I don't have a problem with it, but it's pretty big so its got a bit of a weight to it while its in your pocket. So if you don't like that then you might want to buy a lighter knife. The company that makes these knives has made a very weird decision by NOT stating anywhere on the product box, the sheath, or the knife itself that the knife is "Made in Japan". This, combined with the oddly low price of the knife leads a lot of people to believe these knives are made in China. (Katsu's website openly states their kitchen cutlery is made in China, though they don't state where their other products are made). If you call them up and ask where this knife is made though, they'll insist that it was made in Japan. Honestly, this knife is so good that I could care less where this thing was made, but if you care about that stuff, then I guess you'll have to live with the supreme mystery of whether or not this knife is true nippon steel. It is VG-10 though, so the fact it's a Japanese steel alloy is reassuring. To sum it up, I'd say this knife is a lot of quality, selling for relatively cheap. It's a GOOD knife, with a traditional design that's been revamped to work well in a tougher environment. It's like the muscle car of higo no kamis. Buy it man, for real. It's worth it.

First, this is nearly a 4" blade. This means it may not be legal as a EDC in your state! A lot of states have a 3" max. Once I learnt how to handle with the thumb opening; this is simply a beautiful knife. Mine has required messing with the 2 screws on both sides of the blade to find the right balance. I have an issue after fidgetingly opening and closing where one gets loose and the blade gets a bit of looseness in its positioning. This is unfortunate and I to find a perfect balance eventually. Its a T8 #2 if anyone is wondering the size to tighten. Without any sharpening. This is simply the sharpest, scary sharp, knife that I've ever purchased and owned. The other day I simply used it, out of curiosity, and simply cut some sour dough (non-stale) more easily than the slightly dull bread knife we had around. Simply put for a straight edge from the factory this is insane. Now, its VG-10 or at least listed as that. So that means its going to be able to have an extremely sharp blade but may dull quicker than equally expensive hybrid metals like S30V and S35VN. Its a little longer in both handle and blade than most EDCs so while I love the handle, quality, and sharpness. Its going to be more a collectors while I retain a more legal EDC that I won't have to worry about pulling out if I cross any nearby state lines! (3" versus 4")!

It's a massive upgrade from what I was using, it screams quality right out of the box. The titanium clip is very solid. I hate the mass produced clips they always get bent. Very simple all business.

I've wanted this knife for about a year, it was hard justifying to myself it was worth spending $120 on a edc knife. But after finally buying one... I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS KNIFE. The build quality is top tier. Feels great in the hand. The pocket clip is stiff and thick, I dont see any issues coming from daily use. The blade gets SCARY sharp... I can cut through construction paper like a hot knife through butter. I can even cut SLOW. Which, if u ever did the old paper test, u know u normally have to put some speed behind ur cut. The front flipper design is very easy to use and feels cool flipping open. It took very little practice to figure out how the front flipper flips open (Ive never had a front flipper before). It feels great in my pocket. The sheath is very well made. I usually toss sheaths like this aside and go for pocket carry but this one makes me WANT to use it. Overall, I am beyond impressed. Worth every penny. It looks gorgeous, its different, feels different (in a good way). My only regret is i wish i didnt wait a year to buy it... But Katsu... give the knife a name... please and thank you.

This knife is just fun. The blade is unconventional, and the level lock takes practice. It’s sharp. The bearings are smooth. Its appearance is novel. Appears well made. Value is good. I’m pleased with my choice. It just a cool blade.