Knives Illustrated – August 2019

up apples. Usually, I’d be doing all of
these things with a fixed blade, but I
found that it may actually have been
more convenient to just pull the folder
out, do my task, and fold it back up
one-handed than it would have been
to pull a sheath knife and re-sheath it.

The Jarosz folder has a big 5-inch
handle, which allowed me to get a
comfortable grip on it during use. It
is thin, but it’s comfortable and the
textured G-10 provides a solid grip.

An Urban
Bushcrafter
Jesse Jarosz designed the KA-BAR 7508
and 7509 Flippers as convenient EDC
knives for work and casual use, but he
also succeeded in making a darn good
all-purpose knife.

If you go back before the turn of the
20th century, you weren’t likely to find
folks that had drawers full of knives,
all designated for di—erent niche
purposes. Most people had a knife or
two that they used for pretty much
everything. While it’s nice to have the
options we do these days, and fun to
collect blades, I often think we forget
that if a knife is well-made and well-
designed, it can do most anything we
really need to do.

I think Jesse’s simple and robust
Flippers epitomize that concept,
whether you’re working around the
house, on the street, or out in the
bush. KI

SPECS

Blade Material: AUS-8A stainless steel

Blade Length: 3.5 inches

Overall Length: 8.5 inches

Closed Length: 5 inches

Blade Thickness: 0.145 inch

Weight: 4.8 ounces

Blade Style: Spear point or Wharncliffe

Blade Grind: Hollow

Blade Finish: Stonewash

Handle Material: Desert tan G-10

Locking Mechanism: Titanium frame lock

Pocket Clip: Tip-up or down, right carry

MSRP: $98.93

The Jarosz Folder and Tanto Folder

If you like Jesse Jarosz’s style but need something a little lighter on your budget, check

out his earlier folder designs from KA-BAR, the 7505 drop point and 7506 tanto folders.

These folders also use 3.5-inch AUS-8A stainless steel with a hollow grind, but they’re fitted to

a liner lock frame with black glass-filled nylon handles. They use dual thumb studs for opening

and have a reversible pocket clip that allows for right-hand tip-up or tip-down carry. They come

in slightly heavier than the titanium Flippers at 5.6 ounces each.

Like the Flippers, the 7505 and 7506 are made in Taiwan to a high build standard. With the

more basic steel and nylon handle, the MSRP on these folders is only $54.74, and again,

street prices will knock more than a few bucks off of that, making them very affordable EDC

or field choices.

Blade Material: AUS-8 stainless steel

Blade Length: 3.5 inches

Overall Length: 8.0 inches

Closed Length: 4.625 inches

Blade Thickness: 0.150 inch

Weight: 5.6 ounces

Blade Style: Tanto or drop point

Blade Grind: Hollow

Handle Material: Glass-filled nylon

Locking Mechanism: Liner lock

Pocket Clip: Tip-up or down, right carry

MSRP: $54.74

SPECS

knivesillustrated.com JULY/AUGUST 2019 • KNIVES ILLUSTRATED 37