The time-honored utility knife with its retractible blade is an indispensable tool for many, and has undergone many iterations over the years. Californian startup Aerocrafted has now put forward a particularly minimalist one, doing away with fasteners and most moving parts for a two-piece solution with style and simplicity at its heart.
Aerocrafted is a small team of pilots and aerospace engineers who have turned their expertise to developing what they see as the ideal utility knife, called the Sideslip. This meant adapting the materials and methods used in designing aircraft systems to produce a Grade 5 titanium tool weighing just 0.45 oz (12 g), with an elegant, smooth tumbled finish to minimize wear.
The skeleton frame keeps the weight to a minimum and interlocks with a bronze slider as the Sideslip's frame's only two moving parts, which means the blade can be switched over without tools. This bronze slider is said to develop a natural patina with use, while the blade is protected by an edge-saver groove tucked into the bottom of the frame.
Overall, the dimensions of the Sideslip knife are listed as 2.67 x 0.850 x 0.282 in (6.8 x 2.1 x 0.7 cm), while it also packs a pocket clip and key ring for convenient carry options. Priced at US$98 and available in both left- and right-hand variants, the Sideslip knife is available now, and a tutorial on exchanging its blades can be viewed below.
Source: Aerocrafted
