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Enrique Peña Adds Rhino to Production X Series

September 10, 2019

Knife maker Enrique Peña is bringing his custom Rhino flipper into a high end production format with the latest X Series release. The debut of the X Series Rhino coincides with some big additions to Peña’s custom work.

The custom Rhino originated as something Peña commissioned from Jared Van Otterloo of JVO Design. “He takes his flair and incorporates it into your own style,” Peña explains. The drop point blade runs to 3 inches in length and incorporates belly, straight edge, and an acute but reinforced tip. Produced by Reate Knives, the X Series Rhino comes with M390 blade steel and flips open on ceramic ball bearings.

Peña thinks of the Rhino as a do-all EDC knife, aided by a blade shape capable of handling just about any everyday cutting chore you need it for. “I feel that the blade is very utilitarian,” Peña says. “You can cut up a steak, remove a splinter, break down a box; it’s not too purpose-specific.” He also tells us that the size and shape of the design, with its reasonable dimensions but feeling of solidity, was important: “It carries small but packs a big punch.”

Peña says that the production philosophy at Reate impressed him. “These knives are made with some of the same processes as customs, like the hand tuning and hand grinding they do.” He himself plans to expand his own capabilities with the recent addition of some CNC mills. “I want to be able to do stuff not capable of being done by hand,” he tells us. Peña sees it as a natural evolution of his craft. “It’s not any different than an author writing with a word processor instead of by hand. The ideas are still coming from your brain.”

Earlier this year, Peña debuted the production version of his Bronco slipjoint. The next release in the X Series will be a Trapper-style Front Flipper, which he says should be available this month.

Knife in Featured Image: Peña X Series Rhino

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