Frame Lock Flipper with Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (Double Row Ceramic IKBS)

Product Description for Frame Lock Flipper with Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (Double Row Ceramic IKBS)

Maker: Andre Van Heerden (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 94688
Blade length: 3.00 in.
Total length: 6.80 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.00 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.09 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.09 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.03 in.
Item weight: 2.60 oz.
Shipment weight: 3.4 oz.
Blade: M390 stainless steel, hardened to 59 Hrc
Bolster: Integral zirconium
Handle: Carbon fiber set into the zirconium frame
Sheath: Fleece lined cordura pouch
Style: Frame lock with flipper (IKBS)
Description: South African knifemakers André Thorburn and André van Heerden create exceptional folders at an amazingly low price and tremendously high skill level. They recently decided to collaborate on knives together -- creating their A2 knives. This A2 framelock is the first framelock that A2 has done. It is the prototype.
The blade is perfectly centered and silky smooth -- easily opened with one hand using the discreet and ambidextrous flipper toggle. The blade uses the IKBS (Ikoma Korth Bearing System) pivot system. This mechanism, which was originally designed to fit balisong knives, uses ball bearings to create exceptional action with no blade play. Like the A3 and A5, this framelock flipper uses two tracks of ball bearings, rather than just one. This produces unparalleled smooth action without play -- even more so than a standard IKBS mechanism. Thorburn and van Heerden created this special A2 with ceramic ball bearings. Generally IKBS bearings are made either from tool steel or from stainless steel. Stainless steel can wear away, resulting in uneven action over time. Tool steel bearings can oxidize making the action rough. Ceramic bearings are the best of all worlds -- extremely hard and wear resistant, they are also inert and will not oxidize.
The clip point blade is formed from M390 stainless steel, a super-steel created by Bohler in Austria. It takes an incredibly sharp edge and holds on to it due to its high concentration of vanadium and chromium carbides. Its unique powdered metallurgical process also promotes a uniform carbide distribution and clean steel properties, making M390 a popular steel used in surgical cutting instruments and in applications requiring a high finish. It offers excellent corrosion resistance due to its high concentration of chromium. The blade is hollow ground for an easy to maintain edge.
The scales are formed from carbon fiber keeping the knife incredibly light. This frame lock folder using zirconium for the integral liners and frame as well as the pivot and pocket clip. The zirconium has been anodized to a deep blue/purple. Zirconium is a new material to the knifemaking world. It is a transitional metal that is primarily mined in South Africa and Australia. Zirconium is highly resistant to corrosion. The frame lock ensures a sturdy lockup. Jimping on the thumb ramp aids grip. The gently rounded handle feels sturdy and fills out the hand perfectly. The handle is completed with a carbon fiber backspacer. The zirconium pocket clip is mounted for right-handed tip-up carry.


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