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Reate Taps Tashi for Two New EDC Folders

September 6, 2017

Tashi Bharucha and Reate are teaming up again for a pair of releases, the Starboy and the Baby Machine. Both knives take Bharucha’s style into EDC sizes rarely seen from the French maker.

Bharucha’s push into the production knife world began with a bang. The Future’s integral construction and impressive appearance made his name stick in the minds of collectors, but it may have been too big for some to carry and use. He hopes this pair of smaller blades will introduce more users to his work. “They might very well suit a broader audience. A lot of people are into carrying smaller, sub-3.5-inch blades these days.”

At 3.35-inches, the Starboy’s RWL-34 blade is down nearly half an inch from that of the Future. The handle has been slimmed down in tandem with the blade. The changes should make for a more EDC-friendly package. “It is intended to be a little brother to the Future,” Bharucha explains. “Same design language for the blade and handle, in a more compact package.” Although they are clearly related, visual differences such as the partial swedge and minimalistic milling keep the Starboy distinct from its predecessor. Bharucha chose to forgo the integral construction here, utilizing a specialized two-piece titanium construction with integrated backspacer instead.

The Machine, the custom inspiration for the Baby Machine, was never Bharucha’s largest model. But for this production version, the collaborators set the goal of a high-performance cutter with an even smaller footprint. The Baby Machine comes in with an edge length of 3.15 inches. It will still be considered mid-sized to some, but when it releases the Baby Machine will be the smallest production Bharucha design on the market. “[Reate Founder] David Deng calls this the perfect EDC,” Bharucha tells us. “I designed it to be a slicer, with its tall flat grind and low cutting edge.”

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Working with Reate to produce a reliable source of smaller knives will also allow Bharucha to focus on larger ones in his custom work. “As a custom maker, I enjoy working on larger, 4-inch plus blade folders,” he says. “When I work on a production design, I try to take it where I don’t go with my custom work.”

Reate expects the Starboy to release in October. The Baby Machine may not drop until early 2018. No prices have been announced for either knife at this time.

Knife featured in image: Reate Baby Machine

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