Steel Will Apostate Folder
As many of my stories begin, I was walking the aisles of Shotshow on day 3, on the lower level. I came across the Steel Will booth and, of course, I wanted to stop and say hello and see what was new in the line. I was lucky enough to meet the Vice President of sales and he let me get up close with a lot of new blades. There were a bunch of knives I would gladly review and introduce to my online friends. We talked about several items and then we pulled the Apostate folder from the case. Honestly, once I saw that knife I got tunnel vision. Nothing else seemed to matter in that moment, I found a personal white whale and all I wanted to know was when I could get one.
It didn’t take long to get a very special package in the mail. I liked it then and after carrying it everyday since it arrived, my affection has only grown. Each time I look at a potential EDC pocket knife I return to my list of wants. Each item is easy enough to find on its own but together they become neigh impossible. Durable, relatively light weight, quick to deploy, not bulky and a blade of 4 or more inches.
The Apostate has a 4.1 inch blade and low print factor with a G10 scale and bare frame on the other side. It’s light weight too, partly because that exposed frame is titanium. Titanium is known for its durability and the blade is S35VN, a crucible steel, serious durability and a light weight strength you can rely on. In all, it weighs in at 6.2 oz. As for quick to deploy, most of the time a blade over four inches is anything but quick. Even if the blade is spring assisted it’s a lot of mass to push with quickness. In the case of the Apostate, it’s one of the quickest flippers I’ve seen. The best part about that, the Apostate isn’t spring assisted. The magic lies in a ceramic ball bearing joint that makes its function feel frictionless. It’s incredibly impressive.
I’ve seen the Apostate being advertised as a military folder, with it’s blade length, speed and lightness it’s a fitting category. However, when I think of a military blade other ideas come to mind. I see specialty fighting styling like a karambit, or a overbuilt beast like a Medford or a multitude of fixed blades. That’s not what I see in the Apostate. Honestly, while some may see the Apostate as a bit large, I see this as an ideal pocket knife. Other knives, like those listed above have a niche they fill very well; the Apostate is a great overall pocket knife that will handle most jobs very well and make one hell of a fighting blade.
