HEAdesigns Kindles New Flame Integral

The latest knife to come out of HEAdesigns is the Flame, the company’s first-ever integral folder. The Flame showcases the latest evolution in the boutique outfit’s high-tech visual style.

HEAdesigns Founder Sam Abdelrahman has never been shy about his drive to build on previous knives. “Every release, we try to do more for the HEA family,” he tells us. “Blending form and function into something truly unique is always a challenge but one we always enjoy.” The titanium frame lock Flame stands out with a 3.76-inch blade can best be described as a modified American tanto: a recurve primary grind mated to a reinforced secondary edge near the tip. An elongated cutout further emphasizes the Flame’s otherworldly style.

Abdelrahman praises the Flame’s flipping action, but says it brings cutting performance to match. “We have been EDCing the prototypes and it has performed amazingly well. The flat grind towards the tip is excellent for getting into boxes – while the hollow grind in the middle is perfect for draw cutting.”

A three-year development cycle means that Flame’s big blade doesn’t translate into a pocket hog. “From the crowned spine execution to the way we 3D-contoured and milled the handle, and all the subtle details in between, we wanted everything to flow and integrate, unlike anything we’ve done before,” Abdelrahman says. The Flame’s blade sits deep in the channel, keeping the maximum closed width to a minimum (1.2 inches at its longest point), and the sloping, talon-like profile provides a neutral surface to accommodate multiple grips.

“We wanted this to be a knife for the knife guy – one that he can look back at a few years from now and notice a design detail that went unrealized and smile,” Abdelrahman continues. He reveals that HEAdesigns will soon be working for more than knife people. “Something we are really excited about is over the next few months is that we will be evolving HEA into a full design company, with new gear outside of knives, in addition to pushing our design language and approach into new knife models.”

The Flame is limited to a very small run – just 99 pieces. It will be available to order tonight at 7pm EST on the HEAdesigns site.

Knife in Featured Image: HEAdesigns Flame