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Gareth Bull Improvises Mini Scalpel Out of Scrap

March 17, 2017

Gareth Bull is bringing the OffShoot mini scalpel to market after an incredible social media response to the original. The tiny fixed blade was an improvised design, made off-the-cuff from a piece of steel leftover from work on his latest folding knife – the Kalos. But the reaction has convinced Bull to make more and he says that the OffShoot will be available just ahead of the release of the Kalos.

Bull made the OffShoot, cut from a piece of Odin Heim Damasteel scrap, without much premeditation. In fact, he admits that he was hesitant to even share photos of the scalpel. Most of Bull’s work goes from hand sketch to computer rendering to G-10 mockup before making it to the prototype stage but the OffShoot skipped the process altogether. “Making [the OffShoot] was almost subconscious,” he says. “As a stock removalist I often explain my field of knife making as ‘grinding off the bits that don’t look like a knife.’ That is exactly what I did here, no design, not even so much as a line drawn with a sharpie.”

Gareth Bull OffShoot

The OffShoot is truly diminutive, with a cutting edge of about an inch and an overall length of just 3-inches. But Bull, a big name in the international custom knife scene, says he has never seen such an overwhelming response to a product. “People from all walks of life commented or sent private messages. People saw a tool that would be very useful in their lives, from EDC, to glass blowing, to gardening and self defense.” Bull indulged in a bit of wordplay to arrive at the name, nodding to the bamboo shoot handle motif and use of leftover steel.

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The first run is expected to go up for sale just before the Kalos, Bull’s latest folding knife. The 2.75” bladed Kalos (shown in video below) takes the clean look of the popular Shamwari up a notch, incorporating the super-discreet front flipper seen on his WolfMouse. Bull’s affinity for this type of flipper comes from handling blades from his South African compatriots. “I do draw influence from knives from around the world but I would like to think my South African roots will always show in my work,” he says.

Bull is evaluating sheath options for the OffShoot, and plans to sell the Damasteel models for about $125 and other materials and price points are not out of the question. Bull says the OffShoot will be available in about three weeks, and the Kalos, which will sell for $650, in four. Bull’s books are closed, but fans can buy the new knives as they come up for sale on his social media channels.

Knife featured in image: Gareth Bull Knives OffShoot

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