Home / Knives / Bestech Explorer is the Company’s Latest In-House Folder

Bestech Explorer is the Company’s Latest In-House Folder

August 23, 2021

Bestech is following up their latest Kombou collaboration, the Nogard, with a strikingly different in-house design called the Explorer. The Explorer is a conventional EDC knife at heart, but its quirky visuals and unusual dimensions throughout give it a distinct character all its own.

Even after years of seeing tanto blades serving in every conceivable cutting role, there’s still a tendency (on our part at least), whenever the blade shape is spotted, to give it a kneejerk classification as a “tactical” blade. But the Explorer’s tanto is clearly sized for everyday cutting chores, as it measures just 2.87 inches long. This is a mostly conventional rendition of the American-style tanto, with its distinct primary and secondary edges; but one thing that sets it apart is the shortness of the secondary edge, which gives the Explorer’s blade profile a snubnose character, adding even more durability and piercing power to the tip.

Opening can be done through either a flipper tab or blade cutout. Neither is an uncommon opening method on a modern folder, of course, but as with everything on the Explorer, they’re done in such a way as to make them that stand out. The downcurved flipper tab is exposed just enough to be usable, but low enough to almost disappear when the knife is open. The thumb cutout, on the other hand, is particularly elongated, covering most of the blade flat, and stepped around its corners. Any guesses for the blade steel? Would it surprise you to learn that this one is made from D2 tool steel, the ubiquitous semi-stainless for Bestech’s budget-friendly blades?

The front and back of the Explorer

The Explorer’s handle is short and a little wide, with a concavity on the back end and some grille-like cutouts in both its front and back G-10 scales. Full stainless liners are set underneath those scales, with a locking leaf on the off-side. A deep carry pocket clip is present and accounted for, and all in all the Explorer weighs 4.55 oz.

The Bestech Explorer is arriving with dealers now.

Knife in Featured Image: Bestech Explorer

Related Items