This Double-Bladed Pocket Knife Is a Modern Take on a Centuries-Old Design

CRKT Forebear Slip Joint

All of which leads us to the Forebear. Designed by Folsom, California-based Darriel Caston, an electrical engineer by trade, it has more to offer than a welcome nod to knife history. 

Weighing in at just 1.3 ounces, it boasts not one but two Wharncliffe blades, providing the versatility to handle a variety of cutting and slicing jobs. Made of edge-retaining 12C27 steel, the blades feature nail nicks for easy opening, and the longer of the two is 2.29 inches.

Rounding out the materials is an ultem handle. Not only does the semi-transparent thermoplastic resin add visual interest, but also the substance is known for its strength and resistance to heat, steam and hot water.

That’ll come in handy when your washing the knife after a late-summer picnic. Pro tip: Use one of the blades for cutting ham, the other to slice cheese, and carefully craft a snack that, like the slip joint itself, is hundreds of years old: the sandwich.