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The Cazador is the Latest Prototype from Artisan Cutlery

March 25, 2021

Artisan Cutlery has just dropped a small batch of its latest folder prototype. This one is called the Cazador, and it brings a bold, stylish blade and overall look to the table.

At a glance, you might misguess the actual size of the Cazador. It’s not enormous, but its general slimness belies the fact that this is a mid-size cutting tool. Its blade, a dramatic wharncliffe, runs to 3.48 inches in length. At this point the wharncliffe is well-loved for EDC chores, and that seems like the role the Cazador is intended to fill. In particular, the low-but-pronounced tip will make piercing a breeze. The flipper tab is the only opening method on the Cazador, and works like a finger guard once the knife is open.

When Artisan first announced AR-RPM9, its proprietary, budget-focused, powder metallurgy steel, it was unclear how much of it we’d be seeing in their lineup. The company has clearly made RPM9 models a priority; the Cazador is only the latest in a long line of production and prototype releases made from the stuff.

The Cazador’s handle also makes a bold impression through its use of emphatically narrow dimensions: it starts off slender, and tapers to a very slim back end, with a single screw at the end serving as visual punctuation. The scales are G-10 over a steel frame, and the lock is a liner lock. The Cazador’s clip is made from sculpted titanium (an unusual touch for a sub-$100 knife), and all in all the knife weighs 3.53 oz.

The Cazador has a sculpted titanium clip

The last few times we checked in with Artisan, it was to cover collaborations with makers like Dylan Mallery and the YouTuber Swaggs; the Cazador seems to be an in-house design. In Spanish, the word “cazador” means “hunter;” it’s also the name of a particularly nasty enemy in Fallout: New Vegas; we like to think that’s where Artisan got the name for this one.

Knife in Featured Image: Artisan Cutlery Cazador Prototype

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