There’s something to be said for the subtle pocket knife; the type that’s made with high-quality materials and provides as much utility as one could ask for but doesn’t shout about these details with a flashy blade shape or an overwrought handle. Then again, some knives don’t need to be talked about at all — their flash and flourish allow them to speak for themselves. Like HEAdesigns’ Equilibrium.
The Equilibrium was the first knife for the company, and its founder, Housam E. Abdelrahman, wanted to pay homage to that design while giving it a significant upgrade in the Version 2. Some of these upgrades are subtle — the blade has a hollow grind, which means that it’s very sharp; the steel is M390, which provides a balance of hardness, corrosion resistance and toughness.
Other updates are far more apparent. For one, Abdelrahman shortened the blade from 3.9 inches to 3.5. That may not seem like much, but it makes the EQ V2 significantly more pocketable, reflecting Abdelrahman’s inclination toward everyday utility. There’s also a stylized groove and a redesigned flipper tab.
Abdelrahman claims to have spent the most time reinventing the Equilibrium’s handle, of which there are two options. The first is a frame lock made of aircraft-grade titanium while the second employs a bolster lock and carbon fiber scaling. Both are available in a selection of traditional and poppy colors.
The Equilibrium V2 is available now for $349 and $399, depending on which handle you decide on, and will ship on August 3rd.
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