Cold Steel Ti-Lite S35VN Folding Knife

Taking inspiration from old-school switchblades, the Cold Steel Ti-Lite is lengthy and quick to deploy. You can open it two different ways: via the flipper or by way of the sharp jimping directly from your pocket. Once open, the knife is a sight to behold. It clocks in at nearly 9 inches long (13 inches on the 6-inch version), and the slim, tapered design only further accentuates the sword look. With regard to materials, Cold Steel hasn’t left anything in their bag of tricks. There’s a blade made from premium S35VN steel—which is arguably the best steel on the commercial market—and an aluminum handle for grip retention. Though the knife is long, it won’t weigh you down. The handle is skeletonized to reduce weight, adding to the aerodynamic form factor. Upgrade to the 6-inch blade for even more devastating power.

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, featured on the Gent), 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.