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Did a Happy Accident Birth One of the Best-Looking Premium EDC Knives Yet?

Rather than scrapping a bunch of janky handle scales, Tactile Knife Co. transformed them into something cooler.

Close-up of a folding knife handle with a textured dark blue grip, featuring a circular metal pivot with concentric rings and cut-out sections along the handle. The blade is partially visible, marked with "MC." The background is a weathered surface with peeling paint in blue, red, and beige tones.Tactile Knife Co.

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published

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Sometimes a mistake is just a mistake. You accept it, try to learn from it and move on.

Other times, however, a mistake unlocks a cool new opportunity you would not have accessed sans the mishap — and an open mind.

A hand holding a folding knife with a matte silver blade and a black skeletonized handle. The blade has the word "TACTILE" printed near the base. The handle features multiple cutouts and a circular pivot with concentric rings. The person holding the knife is wearing a gold ring on their ring finger.
The skeletonized Rockwall Flipper is arguably better looking and certainly a stronger conversations piece.
Tactile Knife Co.

That’s exactly what happened with the latest release from Tactile Knife Co., the Dallas-based spinoff of premium machined pen brand Tactile Turn that brings the same blend of ingenuity and rigor to EDC blades.

Here’s the story of how a production hiccup led to perhaps an even better knife, the Skeletonized Rockwall Flipper.

Blunder to breakthrough

During the first production run of Tactile’s flagship Rockwall Flipper, a batch of handles and blades didn’t fit together as cleanly as a brand built on precision machining demands.

Folded pocket knife with a dark blue handle featuring multiple cut-out sections and a silver clip, resting on a weathered surface with peeling red and blue paint.
The eight spacious holes in each handle scale provide a sneak peek at the blade without sacrificing performance.
Tactile Knife Co.

However, instead of junking these misfit toys, partial owner and production manager Matt Palmore got crafty. 

He took the reject handles and milled them into a super-skeletonized form, then refined the blades themselves.

A sleek folding knife with a silver blade and a textured silver handle. The blade has the word "TACTILE" printed near the handle. The handle features circular grooves around the pivot and cut-out sections for grip. The knife is resting on a rustic wooden surface with a rusty metal edge below it.
At 3.4 inches long, the drop-point MagnaCut blade is beyond qualified to tackle most if not all EDC tasks.
Tactile Knife Co.

The result is a pretty wild-looking handle with a whopping eight cut-outs that provide a sneaky cool peek at the blade even when the knife itself is closed.

That’s the kind of magic that can only really happen in a smaller knife shop, where people have the chance to ponder alternatives rather than swiftly moving on in the name of efficiency.

Premium ingredients

Perhaps part of Palmore’s motivation was not letting some seriously good materials go to waste. After all, these contoured handles are made of grade 5 titanium, valued for its combo of durability and minimal weight.

Meanwhile, the rear flipper deploys a generous 3.4-inch drop-point blade with the hottest knife steel of the moment, MagnaCut, which offers an unrivaled blend of edge retention, corrosion resistance and toughness.

Three folding knives with stonewashed blades and skeletonized handles in different shades of black and gray, arranged diagonally on a weathered wooden surface. The blades are marked with the brand name "TACTILE.
The three handle options are, from top to bottom: Slate Blue, Darkwash and Stonewashed.
Tactile Knife Co.

Deployment is super smooth thanks to ceramic ball pivot bearings, while a 17-4 hardened shelved liner lock ensures the blade stays firmly in place once it’s out. So yes, this is one of those one-handed deployment, two-handed closing types of knives.

Rounding out the features are a stainless steel deep carry pocket clip and three colorways: Stonewashed (our standard finish), Darkwash and Slate Blue.

Oh and as you might expect, skeletonization really maximizes weight savings. This flipper tips the scales at 2.45 ounces, nearly 12 percent lighter than the original’s 2.78.

Folding knife with a sleek, modern design featuring a silver blade and a black handle with multiple cut-out sections and textured grip, resting on a light blue plastic grid surface.
A stainless steel pocket clip and liner lock ensure convenient carry and reliable deployment.
Tactile Knife Co.

The Skeletonized Rockwall Flipper is listed as coming soon on Tactile Knife Co.’s website, for a price of $349. 

You can sign up to be notified when it’s available and in the meantime shop its predecessor, the $329 Rockwall Flipper.

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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