A.G. Russell Knives Powerball Folder Gets Another Variation with New Lock

Here’s a heads-up on a recent A.G. Russell Knives release that flew under the radar: the Powerball 4. This latest incarnation of the now seven year-old series changes things up quite a bit over its predecessors.

A.G. Russell Knives, founded by and named after the late, great knife maker, is that rare bird, a company that is both an all-purpose knife dealer, as well as manufacturer of their own models. Right up until his passing in 2018, Russell was working on knife models, some of which did not even see release until after his death. Since then, the team at AGK has continued to turn out both those archived Russell originals, as well as their own models, following in the spirit of the master.

The Powerball 4 is once such knife, a sequel by the AGK crew to a Russell design that released in 2017. In that first incarnation, the Powerball was a response to the developing tastes of knife users for modern folders with a certain set of popular characteristics – flipper, liner lock, etc. In 2022, the AGK team turned out the Powerball C2, a further refinement of the design in accordance with developing modern tropes; now we have the Powerball 4, which continues to see that underlying concept modified to appeal to users’ tastes in 2024. It’s the most dramatic overhaul the line has seen since its inception.

At 3.25 inches, the Powerball 4’s blade is all-purpose utility, all the way – a use category that Russell himself often favored in his folder designs. The mid-width drop point is a handsome-looking blade, evoking the one seen on the Acies line, another Russell original. Made from D2, the Powerball 4’s blade may not land in the top tier in terms of edge retention available today, but it will certainly do its fair share of work before needing any kind of touch up.

The Powerball 4 stands out from prior incarnations in its handle design and the mechanism underneath. Materials-wise, you’ve got a combination G-10 scale and stainless steel bolster, housing a new-to-the-line lock. AGK describes this one as an inspired by the Bolt Action Lock, designed by Blackie Collins and implemented on some now fairly collectible older Gerber models. On a surface level, this thing looks like a new entry in the ever-growing corral of Axislikes, ambidextrous crossbar-style mechanisms inspired by the Benchmade Axis Lock. All of which is to say that the Powerball 4 is completely ambidextrous.

The Powerball 4 is available now from A.G. Russell Knives itself.

Knife in Featured Image: A.G. Russell Knives Powerball 4

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