Drop + Eric Ochs Lynx Titanium Liner Lock Knife

Custom knifemaker Eric Ochs is no stranger to the outdoors. A childhood spent in the Oregon countryside helped him learn the utility of a good knife in the field, which ignited a passion for making them himself. Our second collaboration with Ochs, the Lynx is a compact titanium liner lock with a premium RWL34 steel blade and a G-10 handle—the same materials found in the larger Orca folding knife. Measuring 6.9 inches long, the Lynx is far smaller than the Orca, but it has plenty of size for daily cutting tasks, like opening boxes, piercing through packaging, cutting food, and more. Opening the knife is smooth and easy, courtesy of the flipper tab, dual thumbstuds, and caged ceramic bearings. Rounding out the Lynx is a curved titanium pocket clip that mimics the contours of the handle, and matching anodized titanium liners and hardware. 

One of the main reasons Ochs’ work has struck a chord in the knife community is thanks to his emphasis on handle design. The Lynx doesn’t stray from that mentality: the knife is machined with an intricate S curve in the G-10 scales—a design element that Reate is able to machine with greater accuracy than is possible by hand. In addition to their aesthetic appeal, the curves make for excellent grip retention in any orientation. For tasks that require a little more control and power, there’s a large choil at the base of the blade, perfect for an index finger. And when you do need to choke up, the Lynx’s deep hollow grind provides a keen easy-to-work-with edge. Also notable is the crowned spine for added comfort.

RWL34 is named after iconic knifemaker Bob Loveless, who popularized the hollow-ground drop-point blade and the use of full-tapered tangs and screw-type handle scale fasteners. Loveless originally employed ATS34 ball-bearing steel to meet the demands of his custom knives, but knew it could be improved further. Similar to ATS34, but made through Damasteel's state-of-the-art Rapid Solidified Powder process, RWL34 is a tribute to Loveless’s legend. It performs best at high hardness, takes a wicked sharp edge, and can be sharpened with relative ease—all while maintaining excellent toughness and strength.

“If you don’t have a good handle, you don’t have a good knife. If you can't hold on to a knife, you can't cut very well." Growing up in Oregon against a backdrop of rivers, valleys, and forests, Eric Ochs understood this from an early age. In fact, that age was six, when his father gave him his first pocket knife. A year later, Ochs got his first Swiss Army Knife, and today he can’t remember a day without a folder by his side. A self-taught talent, Eric started making knives in 2007. His designs have become known for their blend of simplicity, balance, and function. He’s also an avid hunter, fisherman, and kayaker, so he has ample opportunity to field test his knives—which is testament to why they’re so useful for a wide range of tasks.

A small and highly respected original equipment manufacturer in China, Reate was founded in 2012 by David Deng, a longtime knife enthusiast with a background in mechanical design and manufacturing. Since starting the business, Deng has expanded its capabilities to offer key services like wire EDM precision cutting, laser engraving, CNC milling, low-temperature tempering, custom hand finishing, and more. Owing to the company’s impressive work, Reate has earned the opportunity to work with knifemakers around the world, including names like Liong Mah, Tashi Bharucha, David Mosier, and Todd Begg.

If you're looking for a real statement piece, go for an upgraded version with carbon fiber and blue or purple Moku-Ti hardware. Featuring carbon fiber scales and a matching backspacer, these are lighter and just as strong as the G-10 versions. To make them really pop, the clip and pivot collar are made from Moku-Ti: a multi-layer titanium alloy that is forged by hand in Mississippi at Nichols Damascus, then carefully heat treated, resulting in a swirled mosaic of blue and orange or silver tones.