Massdrop x Ferrum Forge Falcon (Blue Edition)

Designed by Ferrum Forge Knife Works, a two-man operation out of San Diego known for producing small batches of custom knives, this folder is small enough to take anywhere, yet rugged enough to open boxes, cut rope, slice food, and much more. The blade is made from S35VN stainless steel for excellent edge retention and resistance to corrosion. It flips open effortlessly thanks to the caged bearing system—a mechanism used in nearly all of Ferrum Forge’s custom knives. The 6AL4V titanium handle is both lightweight and strong. A 3D-machined titanium clip is reversible for righties and lefties.

The Falcon’s 2.9-inch drop-point blade features a sizable choil for index finger placement when choking up. The spine has a concave cutout offering a natural thumb rest for a forward grip. As far as hardware, the Falcon has been crafted with the best materials on the market. Thanks to titanium’s spring properties, it makes for a safe and reliable frame lock that is almost impossible to accidentally disengage. The hardened steel lockbar insert won’t wear out in the long haul, drastically increasing the folder’s longevity. Holding the knife together is a titanium backspacer, bead blasted in gray. Also notable is the titanium clip, which has been adjusted for tension so that it stays put on the go, but it won’t rip your pants apart when taking out the knife.  Available here with a special, anodized blue handle, this is one knife you won't want to miss. 

This blue edition of the Falcon came to life under the supervision and handiwork of Chris Williamson, chief anodizer and refinishing expert at Ferrum Forge. To start, every titanium part is bead blasted to remove the standard hot oil seal and reset the titanium substrate. After bead blasting, each part is stonewashed to achieve the ideal finish for a knife that sees a lot of use. The final step is anodizing each component to a deep blue color, only possible through the electrochemical anodization of titanium. After reassembly, the limited-edition Falcon is fine-tuned for fit and finish by designers Chris and Elliot Williamson themselves.

Developed by Crucible Industries (one of the leading manufacturers of specialty steels for the cutlery industry) and Chris Reeve (arguably the most famous knifemaker in the world), S35VN is perhaps the most balanced blade steel ever created in terms of all-around performance. It’s made through a process of powdered metallurgy known as CPM, 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. This folder boasts a blade with remarkable edge-holding ability and wear resistance, placing the Falcon on par with knives vastly more expensive.

Founded in 2009, Ferrum Forge started from humble beginnings in Elliot Williamson’s garage in Southern California. Using found pieces of steel like old files and leaf springs, Elliot gradually taught himself the art of knifemaking and metallurgy. As his skills and passion grew, so too did the demand for his work. Luckily, Elliot’s brother Chris joined the team in 2012 to help expand Ferrum Forge to what it is today: a small operation dedicated to designing and producing custom knives through a rigorous process of development, machining, iteration, and quality control.