Peter Rassenti is introducing the Satori, a custom knife with an open-backed integral handle. The new knife has a prehistoric, geological finish that can only be done by hand.
A standard knife handle consists of two separate slabs, but integral knives are made from a single, continuous piece of material, usually titanium. Lionsteel pioneered this process in production knives, but Rassenti has been making custom integrals since 2010. “I was always obsessed with integrals because I thought it was the ultimate,” he recalls. A Rassenti production collaboration, the Spyderco Nirvana, was released last year and Rassenti says he already has manufacturers interested in producing the Satori.
Integrals are stronger and require fewer parts than conventional folders. They also provide the opportunity to maximize blade-to-handle ratio. “I can go right to both ends. It’s maximum usage of space, which is one of my key design goals,” Rassenti says. The Satori has a 3.9-inch blade made of a stainless Damascus and Stellite 6K laminate. Its open frame is also easier to clean. Although the owners of custom Satoris aren’t likely to put the knife to hard use, this benefit would be a key selling point in a production version.
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