Damned Designs is the brainchild of Adrian Dsouza, he started with fidget spinners, and went on to release over 50 spinner designs. He stepped into EDC in 2019 and subsequently released his first knife, and then maybe another 10-15 shortly after. Adrian feels great products shouldn't only be for those with fat wallets. Everyone has a right to a good design and craftsmanship.
The Oni XL model is a hard use folder with premium materials and looks that can kill. I was curious where the name Oni comes from, and it comes from Japanese folklore. Oni are a type of evil spirit known as youkai. They are often depicted as large, ugly, monstrous creatures with horns, fangs, and sharp claws. Thankfully this knife is none of that, but I can see where Damned Designs goes with their product names.
The EDC landscape has changed alot in the last decade, and among those changes are the sheer number of newcomers to the industry. I absolutely love finding these companies, what they offer, what their ethos is, and how are they going to complete in what feels like an oversaturated market. It takes a lot to stand out above the rest, let alone be heard in all this noise, one company that has grabbed my attention is Tekto Knives.
The company was born out of an outdoor excursion in the backwoods of Maine in 2016. Some of the companies early partners were disappointed with the way their knives performed in the northeastern environment. The conditions left the teams knives chipped, dull, and unreliable. This experience spawned a development project that became what is now Tekto. They wanted to created products that would handle harsh environments, and be reliable for those who depend on their equipment.
Kansept Knives was started by Kim Ning, a former production manager and designer at Kizer Cutlery. Kim has more than 20 years of experience in the industry, and his small team has similar expertise. Kansept's goal is to offer high-quality knives at affordable prices. Their lineup is certainly impressive, and I've had the opportunity to check out their new Model 6.
The Model 6 was designed by a retired law enforcement officer, Nick Swan. He needed a knife that he could trust his life on, not only as a last line of defense but as an everyday tool. The Model 6 was designed to be a working knife that could be used for various task daily but could instantly be deployed as a self-defense tool. To me the Model 6 doesn't scream self-defense, but maybe that's the point.
Kansept does some in house designs, but like many other companies out there, collaborations are their bread and butter. I love in house just as much as anyone else, but when a company taps into the huge wealth of talent in the industry, and brings those designs to life, that benefits everyone.
Morgan Koens is a custom fixed blade maker. He has a lot of experience in designing and making fixed blades, Morgan has teamed up with Kansept to release a design of his in a folder. His designs are the mixtures of utility and aesthetic. Morgan's designs are both works of art and work horses at the same time.
Rihe Designs have been a design house for knives since 2018. Like many others in the industry, they decided to branch out on their own and offering knives under their own branding. They started with a handful of models, offering designs that would challenge the norm, and offer them at a competitive price. We're taking a look at one of those models that they launched with, the RH288 model.
What kind of people would write collect and review multitools? Quite simple really- we are designers and do-ers, outdoors types and indoor types, mechanics, doctors, problem solvers and problem makers. As such, we have, as a world spanning community, put every type, size and version of multitool, multifunction knife, pocket knife and all related products to every test we could manage in as many places and environments as there are.