There are some EDC knives designed to be performers, there are some designed to look intimidating, there are also some designed to channel ‘gentlemanly minimalism’, but sometimes knifemakers make knives a certain way because they can. In certain times, looking stunning is enough of a design brief – and this particular number from SDOKEDC falls within that category.
With a VG10 Damascus Steel blade and a Yellow Sandalwood handle, this knife already hits the right spots when it comes to elite material selection – but that isn’t all. The knife’s split-handle design has one of the most mesmerizing opening mechanisms ever. Rather than a simple flipper or an out-the-front (OTF) switchblade, this one disassembles first, before reassembling into an open knife. The handle’s clever linkage system allows it to morph between being an ergonomic grip when open, and a nifty sheath when closed.
Designer: SDOKEDC
This knife isn’t the kind you carry as a tactical companion. It isn’t even the knife you consider indispensable because of all its extra integrated tools – the Split Handle Damascus Knife is the kind you keep for the fact that it uplifts the idea of a knife to something virtually jewel-like. Damascus Steel, for the uninitiated, is a gorgeous marbled metal made of two (sometimes three) types of steel that are forged together, before being acid-etched to reveal the different steels folded into one another. The name comes from the fact that it first originated in Damascus (Syria), but was lost somewhere in the pages of history. The steel we call Damascus Steel today is merely a tribute to that original style (people still don’t know how it was made), but it’s still preferred by EDC collectors and enthusiasts for the level of artistry that goes into meticulously folding different steels together in a forge.
The blade in question is a standard drop-point with a curved belly, but the Damascus pattern adds a world of charm. The handle’s unique shape gives the entire knife a gorgeously rustic silhouette, and I’m fairly certain this knife works as good as it looks, cleanly cutting through objects, while also piercing, carving, slicing, whittling, scraping, etc.
The handle uses one of the highest-quality woods too, opting for the rare Sandalwood rather than something a little more run-of-the-mill. Sandalwood isn’t the kind of wood you’d find in EDC. Depending on where (and how) it’s sourced, Sandalwood can get expensive, and at least where I come from (India), it’s so regulated as a plant that it’s illegal to sell through private channels. The Split-Handle Damascus Knife’s choice of Sandalwood feels premium at best, but its $33 price tag indicates that the knifemaker chose to make this EDC accessible rather than overtly out of reach. To that end, the sandalwood used here is a medium-grade yellow sandalwood variant, which doesn’t possess the aromats and essential oils found in more expensive Red or Indian Sandalwoods.
The joy, however, is in the interaction of opening and closing the knife. The split handle design, truth be told, isn’t new (there’s a similar one made by YouTuber Koss Knives), but it certainly hasn’t been explored or exploited as much as it should. The interaction is simply addictive, and it’s something your eyes end up falling in love with, along with your hands. The unique format also turns the handle into a sheath for the blade, making it fairly functional.
The use of Damascus Steel and Sandalwood means every single knife is unique. Each blade has its own unique Damascus Steel marbling, while the wood grain on the handle is unique to every piece too, which makes each knife about as distinctive as a fingerprint. Each knife measures 5.74 inches when closed, and a whopping 7.28 inches when open. The knife weighs 120 grams (4.32 ounces), and is ambidextrous, although it desperately lacks a pocket clip or lanyard hole for easy carry. However, to account for that, each $33 knife comes with its own leather sheath, giving you a classically rustic way to carry your gorgeously ornamental EDC around with you!
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