Retractable utility knives are versatile cutting tools, but clicking the blades in and out can require a bit of elbow grease, and once the blade is out many can suffer from slippage. Artisan knife-maker Giacomo Di Muro reckons he's come up with a better solution, with an elegant everyday carry option claimed to simply slide into action and lock securely in place.
Available in silver and black, the Maker Knife is crafted from corrosion-resistant stainless steel and aluminium, a combination that keeps it to a lightweight 65 g (2.3 oz) and also makes it waterproof. Di Muro has opted for replaceable ceramic blades over metal, which he says better maintains sharper edges and better slices through a variety of materials. It also measures just 7.7 mm (0.3 in) thick so it can slide easily into a pocket, with a built-on clip to hold it in place.
This all makes for a pretty handy little tool, but where the Maker Knife gets particularly interesting is the locking mechanism that deploys and retracts the blade. With a finger through the center ring, users can simply slide the blade out and get to work.
Video demonstrations show that with the finger then removed, the blade can be plunged into wood or hit top-down with a hammer, and the mechanism will continue to hold it in place. Placing the finger through the ring again then allows it to be easily slid back inside the body. We asked the team how exactly this works and they were pretty tight-lipped.
"We can't tell in detail as we're applying for a patent but we can say that the inside mechanism is achieved from a single piece of stainless steel using EDM (electrically discharged machining)," says Di Muro. "No pins and no springs required! You just need to have your finger in the ring to open and close it easily otherwise it doesn't move ..."
The mystery behind the mechanics of the Maker Knife seems to be no issue for the more than 3,000 folks to have backed the tool on Kickstarter at the time of writing. If you're keen to get your hands on one yourself, early pledges of €39 (US$45) are still available, with shipping slated for October 2018 if the campaign runs as planned.
You can check out the pitch video below.
Source: Kickstarter
