Home / Knives / Tepe Designs Releases New Folder under Own Label

Tepe Designs Releases New Folder under Own Label

December 18, 2019

In October, we saw Tepe Designs‘ Shan Hassan working under Two Sun Knives‘ aegis with the release of the cigar cutter-equipped Perfecto. Now Hassan is back with the Kilij, a premium folder under his own label that takes its inspiration from a historical sword of the same name.

The historical kilij is a short, curving saber that found use in various Turkic empires and cultures. Hassan’s folder pays obvious homage through its blade shape, which is similarly curved – albeit at the modest scale of an EDCable flipper knife. The Kilij’s blade length is 3.5 inches, and in addition to an ample belly, it inherits an acute trailing point tip as well. Hassan is offering the Kilij’s blade in both a satin-finished S35VN configuration, and an upscale, collector-friendly version with a Damasteel blade.

Emulating the hilt of a sword in the handle of a folding knife is obviously a tricky business; instead of doing a 1:1 conversion Hassan tried to capture the feel of a kilij’s hilt in the ergonomics of his knife. He micked the snaking, sinuous curves and narrow dimensions of the sword’s pommel. This He Knife-produced blade is a frame lock, and both scales are made from sculpted titanium; Hassan further embellished the show side with an hourglass-style marbled carbon fiber insert. “It is much more complex in the way two materials are integrated together on the show side,” Hassan tells us. “The transition is delicate and tedious, as the CF inlay is finished by hand at the factory.” He also points out that the sculpted titanium pocket clip’s unique shape nods to the historical angle in a different way. “It represents the Roman short sword, bearing the historical signifigance between two major empires.” As a complete package, the Kilij weighs 4.6 oz.

Last time we talked to Hassan, he told us about his ongoing with Two Suns as a brand. Hassan has given over multiple of his designs in collaboration with the company, and intends to do more in the future. However, the Kilij is being produced for his own label which Hassan sees as a separate entity. He says to expect more models from him in the future. “I am currently in the process of producing a larger version of my Hornet design and have plans to release more designs in the coming year.”

The Kilij is currently seeking crowdfunding on Kickstarter. The project has already reached its funding goal, and the window for getting in on it closes on December 21st, 2019.

Knife in Featured Image: Tepe Designs Kilij

Related Items