This Titanium Filipino-Inspired Knife Has a Super Unique, Lightning-Fast Deployment

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: we are in a golden age of folding knives. There are more options on the market now than ever before, and a shocking number of them are highly competent and of good quality.

Unfortunately, that can make true novelty hard to come by. So, when something really unique emerges, it’s always worth taking a gander (or two) at.

Such is the case with We Knife’s Shadowhook, a highly fidget-friendly, tactical flipper with an innovative deployment system that made its debut at this year’s SHOT Show.

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Filipino flipper

You’ll probably notice that the Shadowhook has a pretty unique format. It’s reminiscent of a karambit; however, its origins differ slightly.

For starters, karambits are from Indonesia, whereas Pikals are from the Philippines. They are also different in their format; karambits have a blade that faces out, opposite the handle, while Pikals have an inward-facing blade.

In practice, this means that karambits are best suited to slashing and hooking — keeping opponents at a distance — but Pikals excel at jabbing and shearing and are better in a clinch or grapple. That said, there’s definite crossover with modern examples, especially those designed more for EDC and versatile, non-combat use.

The Shadowhook, for instance, still boasts tactical vibes, but its materials — more about that below — are better suited to practical use.

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A cut above

This knife’s unique reverse hawkbill blade is made from a current fan-favorite super steel, Böhler M390. And the accompanying handle is built from titanium.

It has a finger hole at the base for a secure tactical grip, and a pocket clip for more convenient EDC-style carry. And it features a button lock — another fan-favorite mechanism of the moment.

However, the most unique and novel part of this knife is definitely its deployment, which is best illustrated through seeing it in action (check out the video above). But it kind of works like a combination of a classic flipper mixed with elements of a butterfly knife.

To release the blade, the button lock must be depressed. Then, the whole blade housing tilts out of the handle. Then, as the blade continues to flip out to its fully deployed position, the housing can be reset back into the handle. And the reverse action closes it once more.

I’m making it sound a lot clunkier than it is. In practice, it’s lightning-quick and super fidget-friendly. But it’s definitely better just to see it for yourself.

We Knife

Pricing and availability

The We Knife Shadowhook Show Prototype will be available soon for $435, and you can sign up for stock notifications now. However, if you’d rather wait, a production run is also in the works, although pricing and availability are subject to change.

We Knife

We Knife Shadowhook Show Prototype

• $435 at We Knife

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