0
0
In the past twenty or so years there have been some new knife brands in the community that have risen to prominence. For every Buck, OKC, and GEC, there is a CIVIVI, Kizer, or Artisan Cutlery.
Considering the latter, they make some of the most durable and innovatively designed knives on the market today and often use premium materials.
And one retailer, White Mountain Knives, is renowned for its collaborations. They offer a wide range of exclusives, not only of Artisan Cutlery but from many other brands.
This post is going to highlight a WMK Exclusive Arion from Artisan Cutlery – the S35VN model with coral titanium scales.
Here’s what it offers and why it’s a steal.
The Steel
The first thing that makes this knife a winner is the steel. It’s S35VN. That alone makes it worth getting one to add to your collection.
If you’re not familiar, S35VN is a super steel with a heck of a lot of vanadium and molybdenum, with a smidge of niobium.
It clocks 3% vanadium, 2% molybdenum, and half a percent of niobium. Together these vastly improve not only the wear resistance of this steel but also its resistance to shock.
It is an extremely tough steel that offers excellent edge retention and is unlikely to chip, snap, or break, even when stressed, making it one of the toughest alloys used in modern metallurgy.
What’s written so far, however, does not tell the entire story of this steel’s chemistry. It also packs 1.4% carbon – almost 50% more than 1095, which also improves its wear resistance and ability to take and hold an edge.
Moreover, S35VN steel contains a whopping 14% chromium, making it much better than you’d imagine at resisting corrosion.
This gives S35VN the trifecta of desirable stel attributes: edge retention, toughness, and corrosion-resistance.
As has already been written, this steel alone is a reason worth getting this knife (and the price is none too bad from WMK at $199).
The Contours and Scales
In terms of ergonomics, this knife is basically the same as any other Artisan Cutlery Arion. It has the same graceful contours and a nearly “broomstick”-styled handle, with a few angles.
But the scales are a real gem. They’re coral titanium, which offers not only a unique visual aesthetic but also excellent performance.
Titanium is lighter than steel but not noticeably less strong in this capacity, and is highly corrosion-resistant as well. This makes titanium comparable in weight (if not lighter than) most modern synthetic scales, but much stronger and more wear-resistant. There is no comparison on that front.
The Mechanics
Last but not least, you’ve got to love the operation of this Artisan Cutlery knife. It features a gracious thumb hole that makes flicking it open a dream and lacks the harsh corners of a flipper tab or thumb studs.
Also, the pivot mechanism of this knife rides on a smooth-as-silk caged ceramic ball bearing, which runs like quicksilver from the moment you first open it – although it will only get better with time.
It also features a lock better than you’d probably expect, trading the textbook liner lock for a much stronger frame lock – eliminating nearly any conceivable objection you’d have about this knife.
Where Can You Get This Exclusive Artisan Cutlery Arion?
There is only one place you can get it: White Mountain Knives.
Many of their other exclusives, including other Arion models configured with S35VN and AR-RPM9 steel – have already sold out and there’s no telling when they’ll be back in, if ever.
So don’t put it off. If you want this knife in this collection, get one today.
