- an elegant pocket knife made of top materials
My first encounter with Artisan Cutlery many years ago did not leave me fully convinced of the brand's excellence. Much depending on the fact that they were borrowed knives and thus not my own choice of models. With this knife called Satyr, the situation is different. I fell for the look the first time I saw it. It is of course a good start. The question is how did it go after that?
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| Artisan Cutlery Satyr |
Perhaps it is not so strange that I was attracted by the pictures since the most distinctive thing about Satyr is the appearance. That's sort of where it starts. Now it may sound like a matter of course as the visual is the first thing you notice when it comes to all knives. Very few knives are tested in a shop blindfolded. But what I mean is that some knives may have unique details, a special construction technique, an exciting material, a new lock, or something else that attracts beyond the looks.
That is not the case here. The knife is made according to template 1A for a "TFF" (Titanium Frame lock Folder). In the construction, nothing strange is found at all, it is exactly as expected. The materials, on the other hand, are well chosen to suit the clean style and appearance and contribute to the exclusive overall impression. Behind the apparent simplicity is Chris Ortiz of Cerberus Knives.
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| Satyr is designed by Chris Ortiz of Cerberus Knives |
Short version: Artisan Cutlery Satyr, stylish elegance for the everyday pocket
Blade
"Drop point" is the description of the blade on Artisan Cutlery's website. It may well be true even if it's almost up for discussion. By that, I mean that the part that drops down is pretty discreet. The knife blade in general is also quite restrained in terms of appearance. Except for the height, which is 31.5 mm, which is matched by a length of 85 mm and a thickness of 3.2 mm. It is not an excessive stock thickness.
The finish is a semi-polished satin which is damn hard to photograph I might mention in passing. The marking is exemplary discreet where the blade has the Artisan logo on the presentation side of the ricasso and the Cerberus marking on the opposite side of the blade. There you can also read steel type.
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| Bladet är en drop point med en markerad buk |
Of course, they want to brag about it because it is a fundamentally very competent steel in the form of CPM S90V. That material has been thinned from the original stock thickness to 0.5-0.6 mm behind the edge via a fairly wide primary grind. Unfortunately, this is one of the knife's Achilles heels. For those who don't know, that's quite thick. Especially for a folding knife whose role is not to chop with or do other tougher work. In fact, this knife, and especially with this steel could have benefited from being significantly thinner behind the edge.
Having said that, the factory edge is decent. Fairly smooth and "medium sharp". It wasn't the sharpest knife I've come across straight out of the box but it wasn't dull either. It shaved hair with some pressure but not with ease so to speak.
For future maintenance and sharpening, the blade has been given a good sharpening choil so I can't see that that part in particular would pose any major challenges. By good I mean that the edge starts outside the plunge line so the risk of "smiles" towards the heel of the blade is reduced.
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| A clean look is enhanced by excellent materials. The blade is made of S90V |
The physical properties of the blade are clear even when the knife is in use. Cardboard and thick paper are no problem at all to "kill". It's something I do frequently both at home and at work. But, it could be made even easier. It is the feeling that persists even when it comes to other materials. Satyr cuts competently but not to its full potential. It becomes especially clear when you cut into certain foods. Last it happened to be celeriac. Now that's not what this knife is made for but consistently cutting through fairly solid materials reveals something about the geometry.
Therefore, Satyr is better for small, fast cuts where the edge is used the most. Consider tasks such as cutting cable ties, nylon straps around packages, and the like. All tasks that do not require deep cuts.
I directly noted that the tip is excellent. Penetrates well as it is sharp without being fragile. Possibly it sits high in regards to the angle of the wrist. However, I usually solve that problem by turning the knife upside down when, for example, I open taped boxes.
Satyr bites unexpectedly well in wood, even dry wood, but in that case, it is rather the thin handle that causes certain limitations. This is not my first choice for outdoor excursions.
Handle
The fact that this is an all-metal knife is hard to miss. Given the stylish design and above all the weight, it is also not difficult to figure out that the material used in the handle is titanium. However, you don't get very much of it as the sides are as thin as about 2 mm and the entire knife stops at 10.7 mm across the back. The length of the handle is 113 mm and the height stops at 26 mm.
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| The handle is completely made of titanium |
The handle, like the entire knife, breathes elegance and this is expressed by the fact that the sides are properly machined. They are, for example, both chamfered and arched. It improves the comfort considerably. In addition, the sides of the parts that are not beveled have been provided with a very fine milled pattern. It gives a certain grip while looking very good.
As I said, the construction is not overly complicated, so in addition to the two sides, a very small backspacer is found in the back, but otherwise, the handle is open. Incidentally, the manufacturer's name is also printed on the small piece of titanium.
Everything is put together with two screws per side plus the pivot screw. The size of the flat screw heads is T8.
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| The key word here is "slim". The back is mostly open |
But there is one thing that is hard to get away from. Since the knife is both stylish but above all thin, so are the sides. If you also bevel them, which of course is appropriate, then the risk is that they feel a bit sharp against the hand, and they do in certain situations. This particularly applies to the area where the little finger meets the handle and also the back where it meets the hand. There, the metal could have been made slightly thicker, but above all rounded a little more. In return, it might have affected the appearance so that is a consideration that has to be made.
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| The handle is long enough to accommodate the whole hand in several different grips |
Otherwise, it can be said about the Satyr that it is a well-balanced knife. The balance point is found right in the middle of the recess for the index finger. That, together with the low weight, makes the knife feel lively in the hand.
All common grips work and about equally well. The only thing that becomes noticeable sometimes is, as I said, the thin edges of the distinctive lines. In addition to the aforementioned blade notch, this also applies to the clip.
But I still don't consider it a compromising detail as the Satyr quite frankly feels like an EDC knife/"gentleman's carry" and nothing for the wilderness excursion. In other words, what I see in front of me are a little simpler or at least easier cutting tasks that don't last that long in terms of time. Then the materials and construction actually invite a bit more but that's another matter. But this means that the ergonomics are both very good and somewhat less good depending on how heavy you cut.
Opening and Lock
A thumb hole is what this knife opens with. An oval one as you can see. The shape has then been completed with the edges being chamfered. It is in line with other lavish machine work on the knife. I don't really know how I feel about that detail. It's pretty as hell and it matches the look in general, but it also gives less grip for the thumb. Especially as the hole is small. It is positioned correctly to be easy to reach and it is not in the way when the knife is used, but it is not large.
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| Satyr opens with an oval blade hole that has a heavily chamfered edge |
Now, some of my resistance to the hole itself may be due to how the relationship between me and this Satyr developed. When the knife arrived, it was quite rough with a gritty feeling when I first opened it. Nothing I expected from this knife, at this price point, and certainly not from a model equipped with ceramic bearings. But that was the case.
I started the troubleshooting by adjusting the pivot screw which helped a little but the sluggish feeling lingered. The next step consisted of disassembling the knife, which is very easy to do by the way, and cleaning it. It wasn't dirty but the procedure helped partially. However, one problem remained. Sometimes, not often but from time to time the knife could not be opened at all! The thumb was unable to overcome the resistance of the detent ball that held the blade in an iron grip. Then it didn't help that the edges were rounded on the hole itself. It made one slip with the thumb. It was difficult to figure out what the problem was because it was not consistent. In addition, opening the knife with the middle finger on the back of the knife with a "middle finger flick" was always excellent.
But a little more fiddling with the pivot screw and a period of use has done the trick. Now none of the above problems remain and the "action" is now very smooth. A shake and the blade slides majestically into place in the handle. The feel is now what I expected!
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| The frame lock has both an overtravel stop and a reinforced lock bar |
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| The beveled lock bar is easy to get to |
The lock follows the handle in such a way that it is uncomplicated but well done. It is a titanium frame lock with the now mandatory companions overtravel stop and a steel-reinforced tip of the lock bar. The function is exemplary. It has always felt completely safe as in that there are no tendencies to slide and that there is no play sideways or up and down in the blade. But in the beginning, as I said, was the problem with the detent ball.
Now, however, it releases as easily as you would expect from a knife in this class. The procedure is facilitated by a recess on the opposite side and the locking bar is nicely chamfered.
To Carry
Light and thin are two words of honor that apply to this knife. A total thickness of only 11mm and a weight of just a few grams over a hundred grams (106g) is certainly not bad for an all-metal knife with a fairly wide 8.5cm long blade.
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| The clip is very nicely integrated into the whole |
The clip is a story in itself as it is really nicely integrated into the whole and follows the other lines of the knife in an excellent way. It is a milled titanium clip and, in addition to that, Artisan has gone to the trouble of providing it with the same pattern that is found on the rest of the handle, which is positive. In addition, they have chosen to have a hidden fastening screw screwed from the inside.
Even more important, of course, is the function. It can be said that the clip is thin enough to have good tension and both the space under the clip and the ramp itself are large enough to handle most regular pants. That includes the slightly thinner work pants I use at work. Once in place, a bit of the knife is visible, but it is as close to "deep carry" as a clip of this type can offer.
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| A little bit of the knife is visible when the knife is carried in a pocket |
But thicker fabric and jeans aren't exactly this clip's best friends. It works, but not completely without resistance. It gives another hint that this is more of a "gentleman's carry" than a tool for the construction site. It becomes clear when I sometimes carry knives in the breast pocket of a jacket.
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| The milled clip is thin enough to provide good tension but the tip is almost sharp |
When fiddling with thicker fabric such as in jacket pockets, one of the clip's weaknesses is also discovered. The shape of the clip together with the distinct lines gives a very pointed tip. In fact, it's almost sharp. I have advanced plans to round it off at the top with some sandpaper. But I have to be a little careful as I don't want to ruin the look or scratch the handle.
Speaking of appearance, Artisan did not want to destroy the pure titanium surface, so there is no recess on the opposite side of the handle for the clip. In other words, it stays where it is.
To Conclude
The love story that didn't go in a straight line is one way to sum up the relationship with this particular specimen of Satyr. As for the appearance, it was hot feelings at first sight. This design from Cerberus Knives exudes elegance and exclusivity. Sometimes gray titanium knives can be boring, but here it's just restrained and stylish in my eyes.
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| Light, thin, and stylish with a capable blade makes the Satyr a good EDC knife |
Then there were some flies in the ointment like in many relationships. This beauty didn't dance as well as she looked. There was also a spanner in the works and the feeling was therefore not the best and in addition, it sometimes refused like the worst jumping horse. The blade did not want to appear. But after a little adjustment of the tension in the pivot screw and above all a period of use, the situation is different. The function is now excellent.
Speaking of function, it is important how a knife cuts. In that respect, Satyr is approved, but it could be better than it is and that's something I intend to fix in the future. The knife is definitely worth it. With such an advanced steel and such a wide blade with a really high grind, this could have been a real slicer. As is, it is ok for most EDC tasks. But it could be so much better. The potential is there.
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| Artisan Cutlery Satyr is elegance personified |
One thing that is part of good knife design and is sometimes missed is that the model should preferably look just as good folded as unfolded. Satyr certainly does. It doesn't matter from which angle it is viewed. It is still stylish with a frugal design. It is the knife's main selling point, which in this case is backed up by, in the knife world, "precious" metals such as titanium and S90V.
Then it's a good EDC knife, easy to carry, and not too bad for that kind of work either.
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| Artisan Cutlery |
Specification:
Length Overall: 197 mm
Length Folded: 112 mm
Weight: 109 g (weighed by me, stated 109 g)
Blade Length: 85 mm
Blade Thickness: 3,2 mm
Blade Steel: CPM S90V, 59-61HRC
Handle: Titan
Lock: Frame lock
Produced by: Artisan Cutlery, made in China
/ J - intends to sharpen the relationship
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