Coin-shaped pocket knife snaps into action

Most people would have room to carry a coin on them most of the time, but not necessarily a knife. San Francisco's Fulcrum Knives has taken inspiration from these slender forms of currency to come up with a compact everyday carry option that can be slipped into a jean pocket, and then flicked into action with one hand when the need arises.

The Eclipse knife might be small, but it's actually made up of 24 individual parts. Leading the charge is the Wharncliffe-style blade made from heat-treated stainless steel. It features a pointy tip for piercing, a flat edge for chopping and a shallow chisel grind for smooth slicing.

With a simple button release and locking mechanism, the 0.7-inch (1.8-cm) blade can be deployed with one hand and secured in place. The moving parts pivot on phosphor bronze washers said to offer greater longevity, while the grip is crafted from a sturdy combination of fiberglass and epoxy.

The knife measures 2.9 in (7.3 cm) long when deployed, and can be folded back into the body through another press of the button with the blade facing downwards away from the user's fingers. When closed, the tool looks much like a pizza cutter and has a diameter of 1.8 in (4.5 cm), which is just 7 mm more than a US dollar coin.

Fulcrum Knives has taken to Kickstarter to raise US$20,000 for production of the Eclipse, with a whopping US$70,000 raised at the time of writing. Early pledges of $39 will have one shipped your way in October if everything goes to plan, with titanium bead and paracord attachments thrown in for good measure.

Source: Kickstarter