A Legendary Knife Designer’s Latest Gorgeous EDC Flipper Breaks New Ground in Several Ways

Liong Mah downsizes and modernizes one of his best-known silhouettes with some pivotal tweaks, so to speak.

Close-up of a folded titanium pocket knife with visible screws and a textured black surface underneath.

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By Steve Mazzucchi

Published May 27, 2026

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Updated May 27, 2026

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The path to knifemaking greatness is rarely linear and often latent. Case in point: Liong Mah, who spent 15 years pursuing his love of French cuisine in New York City restaurants.

Crafting artisan knives was more of a side hustle until his first big-time production knife, the fan-favorite CRKT Eraser, got the industry’s attention in the mid-2000s.

liong mah design sfd open — At 6.75 inches open, the SFD is notably shorter than the classic Field Duty, which is typically eight inches long.

A decade later, he launched Liong Mah Design, teaming up with Reate Knives to produce his high-end, hand-crafted beauties.

While that going concern continues, Mah is tapping Kickstarter for his latest release, the Small Field Duty (or SFD), which departs from his extensive catalog in some pretty compelling ways.

Vive la différence

As you’d imagine, the SFD is a more compact version of the Field Duty, a Liong Mah classic, which his website offers in more than a dozen variants.

Close-up of a metallic folding knife handle with visible screws and textured surface. — The crossbar lock, thumbstud and nail nick offer a tempting triumvirate of deployment options.

It’s not just smaller, however; it also represents the designer’s first use of a crossbar lock and thumb stud, which, of course, changes your whole experience with the knife.

The latter is not only an increasingly popular and reliable locking mechanism, but it’s also the one Benchmade swears by, to the degree you could almost be forgiven for mistaking the SFD as some special-edition release from that brand, at a glance.

liong mah sfd marbled carbon fiber — The utilitarian titanium scales can be swapped out for a more luxe option in the form of marbled carbon fiber.

These two qualities together also make the knife multi-deploying, and that’s not even to mention the third option: a nail nick on the blade allows for a sneaky reverse flick, made swift and smooth thanks to caged ceramic bearings.

Another point of difference for the SFD is customizability, as you can use a T8 torx bit to not only adjust the spring tension but also to swap out the handle scales for a couple of striking alternatives, marbled carbon fiber and amber Ultem (sold separately, of course).

Yellow translucent folding knife with a metal clip held between two hands. — Devotees of the somewhat divisive Ultem treatment will be stoked to swap in this translucent alternative.

All of these points would be mute if the core form and materials were lacking, but true to the designer’s rep, they are quite stellar.

The three-inch drop-point blade is made of hand-rubbed MagnaCut, arguably the best knife steel in the business, mated to ergonomic titanium scales.

liong mah sfd jimping — As a great man once (almost) said, jimping ain’t easy but it’s necessary.

Extended jimping on the spine as well as a finger choil ensure a secure four-fingered grip on the 3.65-inch handle, while a reversible wire clip and a manageable weight of 3.4 ounces ensure, as Mah himself says, “your pocket will thank you.”

Availability and pricing

The SFD is available now on Kickstarter for the Super VIP price of $228 (one left!) and the VIP price of $248. Estimated shipping is in November.

Gray folding pocket knife with a partially serrated blade and metal clip on the handle.

Small Field Duty by Liong Mah Design

While the SFD is a more compact version of Liong Mah’s popular Field Duty, it departs from that silhouette in significant ways. The three-inch drop-point MagnaCut blade is brandished and retracted via the renowned designer’s first-ever crossbar lock and thumb stud (with a nail nick offering a third deploy option). Spring tension can be adjusted and the handle can be swapped for carbon fiber or Ultem with a T8 torx bit, though the stock titanium scales look mighty fine as is.

Starts at $248

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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