Outdoors

Cardsharp folding knife goes full metal

View 6 Images
The Cardsharp4 is built from aluminum and stainless steel
The Cardsharp4 is built from aluminum and stainless steel
The Cardsharp4 travels as a 2.2-mm thick card
Within three folds, the Cardsharp4 becomes a knife
The Cardsharp4 is the latest folding knife from Iain Sinclair
View gallery - 6 images

The Cardsharp, designed by Iain Sinclair, is a nifty, little pocket knife that folds as flat as a card. It's less weighty and bulky in your pocket than other foldable knives, but promises cutting power like a scalpel. When we covered the Cardsharp2 back in 2012, it was a stainless steel blade integrated in a polypropylene body. Now it's received a full metal jacket.

The Cardsharp4 makes use of a 2 mm-thick aluminum casing, which Iain Sinclair says adds robustness and strength. The updated knife also has a two-stage Zytel locking mechanism to prevent accidental opening. The new design adds a little weight compared to past models, but at 24 g (less than an ounce), it won't exactly be cumbersome.

As was true with the Cardsharp2, the 2.5-in (65-mm) stainless steel blade is ready to slice and dice with just three folds. The blade technology was originally designed for the medical industry, and while you might not be doing much out-of-pocket surgery in the future, that background makes it sharp enough for all kinds of tasks, including food preparation and cutting through automobile seat belts in an emergency.

On the negative side, the new build has more than tripled the price over the Cardsharp2. The Cardsharp4 retails for US$90. Older, less expensive models are still available for order.

Source: Iain Sinclair

View gallery - 6 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
8 comments
Nairda
Thank goodness its not all carbon fiber or silicon carbide design, or airport security would be having cold shivers right about now.
yinfu99
Because someone is going to take over a plane with a 2.5" knife? lol I think it is a convenient and new gadget idea that allows you to bring a useful tool along in a very compact form!
Omen
Anyone know if there are distributors for this item in the US?
David Clarke
According to the 'official' story, the 911 hijackers took over the planes that crashed into the Twin Towers with an even smaller knife. Yeah, right!
Magnetron
I can't think of any occasions that I'd want or need to disguise a knife as a credit card.
The Skud
Nairda and others - That was the 1st thing I thought of while reading. Also, when would you use it? I can't imagine asking a mugger to "wait a second while I take out and fold my knife" Seems like a clever idea looking for a user.
Gadgeteer
David Colton Clarke,
The hijackers succeeded using only box cutters because nobody expected them to suicidally crash the airliners, something that had never been done before. Everybody expected them to take over, land the plane and maybe make demands. 9/11-style hijackings can't happen anymore with current crew protocols and reinforced cockpit doors, not to mention passengers who'll remember history and would rather die fighting than die meekly strapped in their seats while the plane crashes.
As for the Cardsharp series, I've used a knockoff and honestly, it's a pain in the neck with its relatively complicated folding and unfolding process. I'd rather have a regular folding Swiss Army Knife, which are easier to open and close and have many more functions. These knives are gimmicks sold to people who prefer form over function.
Steven Morales
Omen, there is one distributor in the USA that I know of: www.iainsinclairny.com