Christmas was stuffed with laughter, cheer, and a knock on the door from the FedEx man — and he wasn’t delivering my “Jelly of the Month Membership” bundle. As an alternative, he got here bearing a field from Artisan Cutlery containing the Holm, one of the vital elegantly completed knives I’ve seen in fairly a while.
Recognized for its reasonably priced knives and customary supplies, Artisan Cutlery continues to seize my consideration with its launches. And this iteration of the Holm actually caught my eye: Barlow styling, chrome steel bolsters blended with Micarta, and a button lock with a secondary lock. Nonetheless, the most important shock right here was the usage of ultrapremium S90V metal.
Both means, after the thrill of the vacations wound down and issues bought again to regular, I discovered myself admiring the Holm as a dependable EDC knife. The look, really feel, efficiency — and distinctive S90V — actually impressed me.
In brief: With a retail worth of $150, the Micarta and S90V model of the Artisan Cutlery Holm proves that premium can be sensible. The place different manufacturers may cost double for a knife with these supplies and construct, Artisan priced it to make a top-notch knife accessible to extra individuals.
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S90V metal -
Barlow fashion -
Stonewashed chrome steel bolsters and Micarta scales -
Security lock for lock
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You could take the knife aside so as to add a lanyard -
The protection lock rattles
Artisan Cutlery Holm Assessment
Design & Options
Barlow knives are an anchor to our previous. They’ve each heritage and tradition baked into the material of their being. Artisan did a superb job sustaining the traditional Barlow tapered form whereas retaining the opposite indicators — just like the juxtaposition between the bolsters and deal with scales.
All in all, Artisan gives 10 variations of the Holm, Barlow-style folding knife. Six sport Artisan’s personal AR-RPM9 blade metal and ring in beneath $80. The remaining 5 choices sport the ultrapremium S90V blade metal. I acquired the Micarta and S90V variant, which fits for $150.
Micarta supplies glorious grip and patinas very well over time. Like S35VN and S45VN, S90V excels in corrosion resistance and edge retention. However with S90V, you get a sharper edge that hangs round for an extended time period. That being the case, it’s a bit of harder to sharpen, so it’s a very good factor that you simply don’t must do it a lot.
The place Artisan takes the Holm off in a unique course is with the addition of a button lock, deep-carry pocket clip, and exaggerated Wharncliffe blade. These options are all fashionable, however nonetheless complementary. The truth is, the unique Barlow fashion of knives was a slip joint-style knife, in order that they lacked any lock in any respect.
Not solely does the Holm have a lock, nevertheless it additionally has a lock for the lock. Extra on that in a minute.
Artisan Holm: First Impressions
Opening up the field on Christmas Eve and seeing this knife added to the magic of the day. Barlow-style knives remind me of my grandfather, the hero I by no means met. I think about him slicing an apple out within the orchard and wiping sweat off his forehead after a tough day of selecting fruit to promote at my household’s retailer two homes over.
The match and really feel of the Holm in my hand was pure, proper from the soar. Its opening motion felt easy and clear. The truth is, these ball bearings are dialed in so effectively that if you press the lock button to shut the knife, it drops down and absolutely closes. I can see trying down into the knife that there are a variety of machined tolerances that work collectively to maintain it working in addition to it does.
Stonewashed chrome steel and worn Micarta all the time look good collectively. Nonetheless, the true eye-catcher on the Holm is the exaggerated Wharncliffe blade, full with fuller. The blade sweeps up from the again to entrance, harking back to a scimitar. Although the rise is gradual, the profit is a fatter stomach on the blade proper as the sting begins to show as much as meet the purpose.
An additional tidbit I observed after some use was its dexterity with gloves on. Artisan milled a aid into every bolster that gives elevated clearance to the thumb stud. It’s a small element that aids within the total perform of the knife.
Many knives are made to be ambidextrous, however the stability between visible and bodily cues is value noting right here.
Within the Subject
When a knife rattles, it sort of freaks me out. What’s unfastened? What’s falling aside? Within the case of the Holm, the rattling comes from the safety lock button. When it’s not locked, it’s unfastened and that may show a bit of annoying.
Nonetheless, for the reason that major lock button sits larger than the highest floor of the bolster, you can find yourself urgent it and shutting the knife unintentionally beneath laborious use.
As a result of I’ve used this knife for greater than a month, I’m conscious that the lock button protrudes. However for somebody simply beginning their relationship with the Holm, the safety button could come in useful.
My first few days with the Holm had been spent breaking down post-holiday bins. I took my youngsters on a brief trip to the Postcard Cabins — a tiny cabin in the midst of the woods. I used the Holm to organize kindling and unfold butter on English muffins. Its lowered tip and fatter stomach make it nice for spreading something you need to placed on bread.
From there, the knife turned my EDC, partially as a result of it’s depraved fidget-friendly.
Now a month later, the knife wanted a bit of cleansing, however the blade was nonetheless sharp as a scalpel. That’s spectacular, contemplating I crammed my 90-gallon recycling bin thrice with cardboard the Holm processed.
Conclusion: Who’s It For?
Whereas Artisan gives 10 iterations of the Holm, the Micarta and S90V variant proves {that a} knife with premium supplies and development can nonetheless be a sensible, on a regular basis software.
The place S35VN and even S45VN steels stay frequent in the marketplace from a wide range of manufacturers, S90V stands in one other echelon of metal — often at prohibitive costs for a lot of. However this model of the Holm prices lower than $150 at retail.
That mentioned, the Holm is a steal for anybody searching for a well-made EDC knife that excels in each kind and performance. It has an important stability between dimension and weight, which makes it a pleasure to hold and deploy.
