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RoseCraft References Rhino with Robust Tanto Flipper

September 7, 2023

RoseCraft founder and designer Andy Armstrong seems to be on an animal kick, taking inspiration from both the name and look of some of nature’s more impressive fauna for recent designs. We already talked about the serpent-inspired Joka; now meet the Kifara, which takes its name and visual motif from the rhinoceros.

“Kifara” is the Swahili word for Rhino. We’re not sure we would describe a rhinoceros’s horn (which is made from hair, by the way!) as tanto-like in any way, but the Kifara’s tanto blade, without a doubt, evokes that creature’s signature protrusion. We’d go so far as to call it (the knife, not the animal) a modified tanto, because it has a slight upward curve to the main edge rather than the usual straight silhouette. At 3.4 inches, the Kifara’s blade is a bit smaller than the Joka’s 3.6-inch clip point, but it still comes across as the more rough and tumble of the two, and probably the better choice for hard work.

The only other color option for the Kifara comes with red accents, no change to the handle scales

That judgment is further backed up by the blade steel. We’ve seen a lot of recent RoseCraft blades, Joka included, made from AR-RPM9 steel, Artisan Cutlery’s proprietary powder metallurgy formula. But D2 is also a recurring cast member over at RoseCraft, and that’s what Armstrong chose for the Kifara. It makes sense, because between the two, D2 could be considered the tougher steel, trading in the stainlessness of RPM9 for more raw edge retention. And, with a wider blade profile than the Joka, the Kifara can accommodate dual openers: thumb studs and a flipper.

As befits a knife with a work-first sensibility, the Kifara’s handle is all business. Unadorned, full G-10 scales cover a bracket-shaped frame, with the liner lock built into the off-side. Although a robust knife, the Kifara doesn’t weigh a ton, tipping the scales at 3.7 oz. It comes with a reversible pocket clip, too.

The Kifara is here now.

Knife in Featured Image: RoseCraft Kifara

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