Outdoorsy types have plenty of uses for folding knives, so if such a device can be lightweight yet also kinda cool-looking, so much the better. That's where the Dragon Ridge comes in, as it has an M390 steel blade that folds into a skeletal titanium handle.
Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the Dragon Ridge is made by Hong Kong company TIGO (as in "titanium" and, well … "go").
M390 steel was chosen for the 87-mm (3.4-in) blade instead of the often-used D2 steel, as TIGO claims that the former is considerably more wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant than the latter. In practical terms, this means the blade shouldn't have to be sharpened as often.
When not needed, the blade folds into the 123-mm (4.8-in) skeletal handle, which is made of two joined pieces (one per side) of CNC-milled grade-5 titanium alloy. According to the company, this design not only reduces weight – the whole knife reportedly tips the scales at 143 g (5 oz) – it also improves grip.
And as if that wasn't enough, the design is additionally claimed to "resemble the elegance of dragon bones." We'll have to take TIGO's word for that.
Users can single-handedly deploy the blade by either pulling back on a flipper mechanism with their index finger, pushing forward on another mechanism with their thumb, or pushing down on the lock button with their thumb. The blade smoothly pivots on roller bearings, and remains locked in place until the button is pressed again.
A belt clip and a lanyard hole allow for two carrying methods, for folks who don't want to just stuff the thing in a pocket.
Assuming the Dragon Ridge knife reaches production, a pledge of US$219 will get you one – the planned retail price is $279. It's demonstrated in the video below.
Source: Kickstarter