Lionsteel's newest offering combines their signature elements into a cohesive and beautiful design. Get your own ROK by clicking this link: bit.ly/3e9ulaa
Italians have mastered the art of taking the basics and injecting passion to create extraordinary things. That Italian flair can be seen everywhere, from their architecture and cuisine to their cars, motorcycles, and even knives, creating some of the most joyful expressions of the human experience our planet has ever seen.
LionSteel has been creating knives that fit that tradition perfectly, and the new ROK is a culmination of all their signature innovations, with some new elements that continue to move the ball forward for advanced and attractive knife design.
For starters you’re getting premium materials, starting with the blade itself. You can get it with either high performance M390 steel or exotic Chad Nichols Damascus. The drop point blade features a flat grind and a distinctive swedge, meaning that it can back up it’s good looks with keen performance. It also features the first of one of the elements that LionSteel is known for, and that is a crowned spine and flipper tab. This is a nice detail that not only feels good when using the blade, but it is also something that makes you appreciate the blade that much more as an object of beauty.
The frame also come in a couple different flavors, with either lightweight aluminum or bold titanium construction. Several different anodized colors are the perfect topping, including high polished finishes on the Damascus versions, but the cherry on top is the fully integral construction. The frame is milled out of one solid piece of metal, eliminating the need for a backspacer and making for a more rigid build. It is finished off with a sprinkling of milled texture that adds some visual interest and a bit of grip.
For deployment the knife is actuated via a flipper that has its own party trick to make those clean Italian lines even cleaner. It is actually removeable using a torx bit and gives you the option for one or two handed opening. It is a little more difficult to open without the flipper, but in either case the action is very smooth with positive lockup thanks to the replaceable steel insert on the lockbar.
Adding to the security is another Lionsteel development, their patented Rotoblock safety mechanism. This may look like an ordinary overtravel arrester, but like the flipper tab, it has a secret of its own. With a simple twist it lowers down and will essentially lock the lockbar itself, preventing it from being disengaged accidentally. It’s a nice touch that allows this knife to be more than just a style piece and gives it the horsepower to lap just about any stock knife out there.
The finishing touch on this knife is the pocket clip. This knife features the new H.WAYL system which stands for Hide What Annoys You. While a pocket clip keeps a knife handy, most designs out there can be uncomfortable if pressed into hard use, since they stick up and break the contours of the knife.
The patented H.WAYL system fixes this by making the clip spring loaded so that it nests into a recess in the handle, letting it ride completely flush. Overall this provides a much more enjoyable user experience, eliminating those potential hotspots and keeping the profile nice and streamlined.
When you want to put the knife away simply press and hold the button on the opposite side and slide it into your pocket. It takes a little getting used to, but it quickly becomes second nature, and next time you pull it out, the spring pulls the clip back into the frame automatically.
Overall, the LionSteel ROK is just the latest in a string of phenomenal knives from this powerhouse Italian firm, neatly tying together all their signature elements into a new cohesive and beautiful design. And from blacked out workhorses to high-spirited Damascus exotics, the ROK has options fit for anyone from the high-rolling gentleman to the hard-working everyman.
5 окт 2024
