Take one look at the Benchmade Tengu Flipper, and you’ll be intrigued — I was, and I look at a lot of knives. Conceived by world-class knifemaker Jared Oeser, the knife is an ode to the bleak beauty of the Scandinavian winter. Mesmeric patterned Damasteel and marbled carbon fiber invoke snow-swept stone, and color-changing Raffir SFX Blue Uranium (we’ll get to that later) adds a sharp, icy accent.
Here’s a portrait of the stone-cold EDC rarity that is the Benchmade Tengu Flipper.
Specifications: Cold-Blooded EDC
Benchmade partners with the highly sought-after Oeser to create the Tengu Flipper; its design and materials are master-quality. The 2.77” etched tanto blade is made from high-performance Damasteel (a proprietary form of legendary Damascus steel). Benchmade calls the pattern BiFrost and implements it for the first time on the Tengu Flipper.
The knife’s marbled carbon fiber handle is tough but entirely distinct with its pattern, blue-coated hardware, and G10 shield — not to mention the color-changing Raffir backspacer. Raffir is a UV-reactive composite that changes colors (in this case, from blue to green to black) depending on environmental conditions.
Open, the knife is a comfortable 6.61” long (3.85” closed). It weighs less than 3 oz. and has no attached clip hardware — Benchmade opts for a sheath instead.
The Unobtainable Becomes Obtainable
Benchmade heralds the Tengu Flipper as an access point for fans of Jared Oeser, whose knives are hard to come by and commonly cost $2-4k. The project, says Benchmade, gives Oeser’s fans “the ability to get their hands on something true to his design.”
This flipper knife is part of Benchmade’s Unlimited Limited Gold Class collection. True to the collection’s characteristics, the Tengu Flipper contains hidden features — we happen to have heard about a tribute to the Northern Lights that can only be viewed when conditions are just right.
Pocketing the Tengu Flipper
MSRP $550 buys the ice-cold EDC wonder. The first units are set for release late on April 7th.