Last year, Liong Mah told us about his desire to make Liong Mah Designs a production knife brand. For SHOT 2020, Mah brought an impressive catalog of new models to continue pursuing that goal. These nine models showcase that LMD’s range and capabilities have grown over the last year.
Mah celebrates 18 years in the biz with the aptly-named 18. One of two integral knives in the 2020 lineup, the 18 cuts with a 3.74-inch Loveless-style drop point, made from S90V steel, and in classic Mah fashion the flipper tab vanishes completely when the knife is open. There are also options for Micarta, carbon fiber, and Mokuti handle inlays.
L-1
The L-1 is another integral design, but smaller than the 18: it has a 3.25-inch, broad-bodied drop point blade. Users can flip the L-1 open or utilize the nail mark for two-hand opening. This knife also has S90V blade steel and multiple inlay options.
The latest iteration of Mah’s GSD model (we don’t know what it stands for) is here. The big difference over the last version is the redesigned blade: it’s now a flat ground 3.4-inch spear point made from M390, and gone is the opening cutout, replaced by a subtler nail mark and a standard flipper tab. The GSD will be available in six different handle varieties, including a full carbon fiber option that takes the weight down to 3.4 oz.
Mah decided to create his riff on the kwaiken-style knife with this one. The T-1 falls in between the above knives in terms of size, with a 3.5-inch long tanto that flips out from a narrow handle using a flipper. It weighs 3.9 oz. and, along with several other models, sports Mah’s new Shield Pivot, which is secure on side for easier maintenance.
Warrior 3
The flagship Warrior model is back for round three, with a new ergonomic setup that emphasizes a curvier overall handle. The 3.6-inch tanto is made with M390 blade steel, with a Damasteel option available in addition to the LMD-standard smattering of handle inlay options.
KUF Line
The KUF (Kitchen Utility Folder) line expands in 2020, with two distinct variations on offer. The standard KUF has a 4-inch santoku blade, while the KUF-EDC shrinks the blade length all the way down to 3 inches; it also benefits from a monoblock-style construction first pioneered by Mick Strider: instead of a separate backspacer component, the front scale and backspacer are all one single, machined piece of material – in this case G-10 or carbon fiber. Both KUF models use ELMAX steel.
Also featuring the monoblock construction is the 2020 FD-EDC. This folder relies on extremely simple lines and a broad spear point blade to cover all the cutting chore bases. For this EDC variation, the ELMAX blade’s length has been shrunk down from 4 inches to 3.5.
The latest run of LMD’s popular Warrior 2 marks the debut of S30V on a knife from this company. Too, the addition of the Shield Pivot should please potential customers who want to try one of the flagship LMD products.
Lanny V2
The Lanny also returns, and is also made with S30V blade steel. The standard version comes with jigged titanium scales, but handle inlay options are available for this 3.25 inch-bladed, 4 oz. flipper knife.
Knife in Featured Image: Liong Mah Designs 18
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