Bestech 1707 Dolphin S35VN Folding Knife

The Bestech 1707 Dolphin is aptly named. When closed, the flipper looks like a dorsal fin poking out as a dolphin charges forward through the water. The arched spine resembles the back of a dolphin as well. Aside from looks, the 1707 is built with the best of the best. Its 3.5-inch blade is made from premium S35VN steel, which is perhaps the best commercial steel on the market in terms of all-around performance. It’s housed inside a 6AL4V titanium frame that’s anodized in multiple colors—a real eye catcher. Blade deployment is as smooth as a dolphin gliding through the water. The blade opens effortlessly with a press on the flipper tab. Rounding out the knife is a slim tip-up clip to match the agile frame.

Developed by Crucible Industries (one of the leading manufacturers of specialty steels for the cutlery industry) and Chris Reeve (pioneer of the integral frame lock), S35VN is perhaps the most balanced blade steel ever created in terms of all-around performance. It’s made through a process known as Crucible Powdered Metallurgy, which results in near perfect consistency in the distribution of carbides. Compared to conventional melting practices, the CPM process produces a steel characterized by superior dimensional stability, grindability, and toughness.