- Sleek and elegant knife with Italian finesse
Lionsteel Skinny, as the model is aptly named, was released in 2024. I've had it for quite a while now and can reveal that it quickly became and still is a favorite knife. The format is really well-suited for everyday use, making it an excellent EDC knife.
It's also pleasing to note that it's visually appealing and, as is customary with knives from this brand, it incorporates numerous technically advanced solutions. All seasoned with excellent materials. Ingredients that are a good foundation for a tasty dish. Now it remains to be seen whether that is true.
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| Lionsteel Skinny |
Skinny is another example of a successful collaboration between the designer Pensato, also known as Molletta, and the Italian Lionsteel. There are two things that point to it having achieved some success. One is that it is still in the catalog, and the other is that it is available in no less than eleven different variants at this point.
The external dimensions are, of course, the same for all the knives, and so is the excellent blade steel. But the handles can be available in three variants of titanium or aluminum. A common procedure from Lionsteel when it comes to their integral knives. In addition, the blades can be available with or without a black coating in some cases, which increases the number of combinations.
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| If you are going to have a black blade, black and red are a pretty striking combination. |
Short version: Lionsteel Skinny is the result of another collaboration between the Italian brand and one of their most sought-after designers, Molletta. A very successful one!
Blade
The blade shape of the Skinny is simple and straightforward, but still has some interesting details. It is a drop point that is 84 mm long and 20 mm high. Fairly traditional proportions that give a harmonious blade. The thickness is 3.5 mm. Nothing spectacular so far.
The details I mentioned are three. First, there is a distinct swedge/false edge, which is less visible on this blackened blade. Then you have two oblong depressions, one on each side. However, they are not only cosmetic but also fulfill a practical function. More on that later. The third detail is, of course, that the blade is blackened. Lionsteel calls this tone "oldblack". The marking is small and discreet. On the presentation side, you can read Lionsteel/Italy/Magnacut, and on the other side, it says Molletta.
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| The blackened blade is made of Magnacut-steel |
The blackness hides an excellent blade steel that has also become a bit of the latest trend in the folding knife world. Of course, I'm talking about CPM Magnacut.
The steel has several eminent properties, and above all, it is the combination of them that makes it good. It is extremely rust-resistant while maintaining its sharpness very well, and it is also quite tough. Here, the stainless property is also reinforced by the black coating. But it is best known for keeping a good edge for an extremely long time. But it is assumed that it has been hardened correctly, in this case, to very high HRC degrees. Rumor has it that it is 63 HRC in this case. Lionsteel has apparently succeeded in this, as this knife just keeps cutting.
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| The marking is discreet but reveals who designed the knife. |
Once put to work, it is a competent blade. The tip is both strong and makes holes where it should. It is also easy to put some power behind the cuts with the Skinny as the knife, despite being light, feels strong and solid.
But then it was cutting anything other than plastic cans, pieces of wood, and cardboard. And that is where the rating is mixed. The sturdy, or rather quite obtuse edge, is certainly durable, but not optimal for everything.
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| Skinny is not at its best in the kitchen, but can still be used there if necessary.. |
Cutting wood, hard plastic, and the like is nice. Approaching thinner fabrics and other, more detailed work doesn't feel as fun. The same can be said for things like fruit, vegetables, and other foods, not least root vegetables like potatoes and carrots. Now this is by no means a kitchen knife, but it happens that you go camping or that Skinny happens to be the backup knife you take with you when the business at work is moved to a croft over the summer. Or it happened to me on a few occasions.
In general, the blade works well. This is especially noticeable when I started on a larger amount of fairly dirty rope that needed to be processed. Nylon rope with sand particles wears down an edge. But the Magnacut blade holds up quite well there. Also, cardboard can be easily cut. So overall, the knife performs well.
Handle
Given the name, the handle of this knife is very slim. In pure numbers, this means a length of 111 mm, a thickness of around 12 mm, and a height of 20 mm at most because the handle is shaped.
The material used is aluminum, and there is an inlay of Micarta on the presentation side. You may want to choose the titanium version if you don't like small marks on the aluminum handle. It simply patinas over time.
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| The handle has a Micarta inlay |
But what distinguishes this handle the most is, of course, that it is an "integral", that is, that the handle is cut from a single piece of material, aluminum in this case. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this procedure. Theoretically, it should be stronger, but above all, it is a neat way to solve it. The disadvantage is, of course, that there are some manufacturing technical details to solve. Like how to fit ball bearings and locks into a laser-cut lump of metal, for example. This usually contributes to the price.
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| This is what Lionsteel achieves with their SOLID technology, a handle made from a single piece of material, aluminum in this case. |
In the hand, the knife feels pretty much like it looks. Slim and smooth, but also a bit thin and slippery. It's not something I use as an outdoor knife exactly. But the name reveals those properties quite clearly. For that reason, you don't need an extreme grip either. It's well thought out. I hate it when you combine grips from commando knives with small pocket knives. They are often hopelessly difficult to get in and out of pockets.
That's not where Skinny is. It's easy to carry, but in the hand it's still quite comfortable, and the finger guard and the beak at the back provide enough support. Despite its slim shape, Skinny is also large enough for even my hand to fit.
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| For being thin, the Skinny is comfortable in the hand. This is especially true for the saber grip. |
The simple shape makes all grips work. But I like to use the Skinny best with a classic saber grip. Thumb on top and all fingers around the handle. In that grip, my little finger also ends up against the depression where the lanyard hole is found. It anchors the knife better.
In a hammer grip, the knife feels a bit too thin for my taste, but this is compensated for by the fact that with a guiding index finger on the back, it feels like a precision instrument. So the effect of having such a slim knife is that certain features are emphasized at the expense of others. The positive thing, however, is that the small clip mostly stays out of the way and does not cause any discomfort.
Opening and Lock
Skinny is one of those knives that can be opened in a couple of different ways. The most obvious is the rather discreet flipper tab. Then, of course, you can open the knife with two hands as part of the blade is visible and can be gripped. This process is especially easy, as the indentations on the blade I mentioned above help to improve the grip.
So much so that you can actually fold out the blade by pressing your thumb against it if you wish.
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| Here you can see the small flipper, which can also be removed. |
To make the Skinny usable even in parts of the world where quick release is not allowed to be combined with locks (read Germany), you can remove the flipper tab itself. Lionsteel calls the technology REF - Removable Flippertab. You simply take a T6 key and remove it if you wish. In addition to making the knife legal in more jurisdictions, it makes the knife both more streamlined in the pocket and, in my opinion, also a little nicer!
When it is in place, it is a pretty good flipper function for Lionsteel. It is rarely their best area otherwise. But here you get a fairly snappy action, but only if the tab is pulled back. Pressing it does not help at all. The fact that the blade gets fairly good speed can be attributed to the use of IKBS ball bearings.
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| The lock bar is quite roughly cut. I have a lock bar insert combined with an overtravel stop. |
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| The lock is exemplary |
Combining Solid technology/integral handle with materials like aluminum poses challenges that must be solved. One is, of course, the same as with frame locks in titanium, and that is that the contact surface between the blade and the lock bar wears out. This is fixed with a combined lock bar insert and overtravel stop. The latter is also needed to avoid accidentally destroying the lock.
Because that's where another subtlety comes into play. It doesn't really work with just any type of aluminum. You need an alloy that flexes enough for the lock to work without suffering from metal fatigue. A technique that Lionsteel has mastered by now.
The lock function is excellent. The lock engages every time the knife is opened, regardless of how it happens. There is no movement in the blade, and it is relatively easy to release. I write relatively because it is a thin knife, which means that even though there is a recess on the opposite side to reach the lock bar, you can sometimes slip.
To Carry
The consequences of the design choices made for this knife are that it is eminently pocketable. It simply doesn't get much better than the Skinny in that regard. Especially not if the flipper is removed.
The explanations for this are found on several levels.
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| The clip is small but works well. The screw allows you to change sides if desired. |
Basically, you have a slim and thin knife that takes up little space physically. Then it is made with a technology and a shape that means that there is nothing that can get in the way. Since the knife also lacks thumb studs and other things that can get stuck, such interference is also removed.
In addition, it can be added that the manufacturing technology, in combination with the material choices that follow it, gives a very low weight. Skinny weighs no more than 73 grams! A figure that was, incidentally, a few grams less on my scale.
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| This much, or rather little, of Skinny, is visible when carried in a pocket |
When these features are combined with a small, simple, and well-functioning deep ride clip, success is a fact. It is also removable using the included tools.
The size of the ramp and a well-balanced tension in the clip, combined with the smooth surface underneath, make it very easy to both pull and put away the Skinny.
To Conclude
As is often the case with Lionsteel's folding knives, or at least those in the "Solid" series, there is a lot of hi-tech and know-how baked into the knife. In Skinny, you can find that very technology, which is Lionsteel's method for manufacturing integral handles in titanium and aluminum. They are also pretty much alone in the latter. There is also REF, which stands for their removable flipper tab. In addition, there are IKBS ball bearings, and the materials in the blade and handle are not ashamed of themselves either. A solid little package, in other words.
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| Lionsteel Skinny is an excellent EDC knife, accompanied by another favorite from the same company and designer, the TM1. Also, an integral made of Micarta |
I also want to give a thumbs up for the design. Molletta's design is recognizable with soft curves and a sweeping, substantial belly on the blade. Although the last detail is, of course, smaller on such a slim blade.
Speaking of blades, Lionsteel has somewhat returned to an old sin. They have forgotten how to make a knife that cuts really well. All the prerequisites are there, but they have neglected them. The blade could have been three millimeters instead of 3.5, considering how small the knife is. This is not a hunting or outdoor knife. Then the grinding bevel is only seventeen millimeters, but what is really a problem is that it ends with 0.6 mm of material behind the fairly steep edge. So even though the knife came sharp and is easy to maintain, it does not cut as well as it could.
The question is whether it is the material that the manufacturer does not trust or whether it is the end user. Magnacut could probably do with half that thickness and still be strong enough. In return, you would get a less steep edge angle, et voilá, a knife that cuts like a laser.
For this reason, despite its name, Skinny is more of an EDC knife that is better suited for cutting twine and rope than slicing carrots or plucking a skewer out of your hand. It is a good everyday companion but is clearly geared towards more robust tasks.
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| An excellent partner in all weathers. Here on an early spring day in March |
That said, I would highly recommend the Lionsteel Skinny as a really good EDC knife. It does everything you would expect from one with flying colors. It's also nice to look at and comes with a lot of fun technology if you appreciate that kind of thing. The price for this version is around 200 euros at the moment.
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| Lionsteel |
Specifications:
Length Overall: 200 mm
Length Folded: 111 mm
Weight: 72 g (weighed by me, stated 73g)
Blade Length: 84 mm
Blade Thickness: 3,5 mm
Blade Steel: CPM Magnacut
Handle Material: Aluminium, integral, Micarta inlay
Lock: Frame Lock
Produced by: Lionsteel, Made in Italy
/ J - not as skinny as his knife
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