RL1 is the folding knife that from the very beginning has a drop point blade profile with a convex edge and is thus a unique piece of art on the world market. To this we have added a blade lock that I consider to be the world’s strongest/safest, the so-called liner-lock, where part of the inner construction of the handle is folded in behind the back of the blade when the blade is fully extended. Another detail that may not be noticeable is a small ball on the locking liner that folds into a recess on the blade tang when the blade is recessed and prevents the blade from being folded out without further ado. Making a liner-lock lock is not so difficult but if you are not very careful and know what you are doing, it can all end up in a terrible accident. There are no springs that can break, no spaces that can be filled with sand, soil or snow and that can cause the locking to fail. The blade bolt is threaded and the reason is that you as a user should be able to adjust with what inertia the blade should be folded in and out. On either side of the blade are two round teflon layers that provide a comfortable blade action and can be replaced if necessary in the future. I now urge no one to immediately start adjusting the blade but give the knife a few months before you try to adjust the blade action. Once the torx nut is dislodged from its original position, you must re-add some thread lock to prevent it from unscrewing or tightening itself. In any case, all bolts and distances are available to buy as spare parts in case you loose something.

The base model RL1di has handle scales in desert iron wood and when it comes to the management of this exotic kind of wood, I would like to point out linseed oil-based products, i.e. about the same as for wood stocks for shotguns. RL1ey is a fabulously beautiful version of this fine folding knife, with a unique handle material called elforyn that imitates genuine ivory but does not shrink as easily and is also legal to use. You treat this material with a thin, colourless oil but otherwise no care is needed other than to keep the knife clean and sharp. We have chosen elmax for some natural reasons, partly because it is a Swedish, well-developed and carefully tested powder steel, and partly because this steel is very suitable for knife blades. Elmax is a stainless steel, i.e. a steel that “stains less” and this means that you can get dark spots, shadows or pores on the blade if you expose it to salt, blood, organic acids, etc. and store the knife in dirty conditions in a damp space. Elmax will not rust if you treat your knife in the same way as your weapon, that is if you are a hunter. A clean and dry knife does not rust!

Finally, some simple advice on how to use this knife: I hope no one thinks the knife will be used to split firewood with. No, a folding knife is meant for fine-work and retains its shape and function if used with discretion so, never expose your RL1 to heavy abuse! This is a two-handed, non-aggressive folding knife that, if used and handled correctly, will serve you well as long as you live.