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Horizon Evolves Morphing Micro Knife Concept with Lyra

May 31, 2019

Horizon Knives is currently funding their second knife project, the Lyra. This sophomore effort builds on the morphing knife concept introduced in their first release, but with a new design and better materials.

According to Horizon’s TJ Shifman, the four-bar opening/closing mechanism on the Lyra is an evolution of the one they used on their first release, the Eclipse. “The Lyra takes this concept a step further and maximizes all of the principles from the first knife.” This maximization doesn’t mean a big knife, but the Lyra does increase blade length significantly over its predecessor: while the Eclipse’s edge measured just .7 inches long, the Lyra’s sheepsfoot blade scales things up to 1.2 inches.

Shifman explains that the four-bar mechanism that gives the Lyra its morphing nature is also the key element to its ergonomics. When users open the Lyra, pulling on the blade itself as with a traditional slipjoint, the blade moves out of a channel between the four bars and pushes out, extending the handle length by a full inch compared to the closed position. “The feature that makes it usable for any daily cutting task is the full length handle, which gives it a more secure grip than other knives of this blade size,” Shifman tells us.

He also points out that, unlike the Eclipse, the Lyra is a non-locking knife. It uses a detent to stay open during use, but no full-fledged locking mechanism is in place. “The four bar mechanism actually holds itself open from the cutting forces based on the geometry alone,” he says. “So a more standard type of lock isn’t really needed for this kind of design.”

The Eclipse had a 440C frame and blade steel, but the Lyra comes made from titanium and has a D2 blade. Shifman also frankly admits to the QC issues in the company’s first project. “We made sure that this next knife would be free of the problems faced on the first knife, and we have a local USA contract manufacturer doing all of the assembly for us so we can oversee the quality checks and make sure each knife is delivered to expectations of the fit and finish.”

The Lyra is currently up for funding on Kickstarter, and about halfway to its goal with 45 days to go. It is expected to ship later this year.

Knife in Featured Image: Horizon Knives Lyra

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