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Mikkel Willumsen Adds Fuel to the FABRIK Fire

February 20, 2018

Mikkel Willumsen of Urban Tactical is about to add some serious fuel to the FABRIK production line in 2018, starting with the Chibs folder. This affordable flipper bears an unusual handle construction but is just the start for FABRIK in 2018.

Willumsen calls the 4.8 oz. Chibs’ handle construction method the “Pocket Frame.” It has been seen on his customs over the last several years, but this is its first appearance on a production knife. Each of the four parts of the half-and-half carbon fiber and titanium handle connects via internal pockets. These pieces are held together across the backspacer by a pivot pin-size screw at the butt end of the knife. Most frame lock knives have different show and lock-side scales, but the Pocket Frame method allows the front scale to mimic the back nearly perfectly. “It’s lightweight, and the handle side looks the same as the lock side. I don’t know if there are advantages besides that, but it looks good and innovative,” Willumsen says.

Creative blade shapes often appear on Urban Tactical products, but the Chibs features a no-frills 3.7-inch drop point, accented by an oversized cutout and a long swedge. The first FABRIK knife, the frame lock Tyran sported S35VN blade steel but the Chibs will ship with D2 steel. The semi-stainless tool steel has been given a stonewash to prevent corrosion. Other than its blade, the materials remain on par: titanium, steel lock bar insert, and ball-bearing pivot.

When Willumsen debuted the FABRIK line, he promised releases around $100. With its $150 tag, the Chibs is first out of the gate near that range. But now Willumsens says the Chibs, rather than being the outlier, will set the standard for the rest of the line. “There are going to be five knives in this new production line. The price range of the production models is from $100 to $150.”

He is still prepping a FABRIK version of the Mad Dog, as well as a 4.7-inch fixed blade, and his first lock back model called the T RAT. That knife will come in two different sizes, a large 3.7-inch model and a small 2.5-inch model. Finally, the Tyran itself will be getting a more affordable variation with aluminum handles and D2 steel. “It’s been a dream for years to create a low-cost production line,” Willumsen explains. “I want Urban Tactical to be for everyone, from the custom knives made here at my shop in Copenhagen, to the low-cost blades made out of house.”

New FABRIK Knives

Each FABRIK model will see a first run of 300 pieces, with production expected to begin in the next 90 days. Starting with the Chibs, Urban Tactical will take preorders within the next few weeks.

Knife featured in image: Urban Tactical FABRIK Chibs

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