Ultem on a traditional lockback is a strange pairing, and that is exactly why the Rustic Gent XL works. The knife has a granddad silhouette — clip point, brass bolsters, lockback — and a translucent yellow handle material borrowed from aerospace and dental tools.
Specs: 7.85 inches overall, a 3.48-inch clip point in Nitro-V at 0.1 inch stock and 58-60 HRC, flat grind, black stonewash, 4.37-inch closed length, 3.59 ounces, lockback on bronze washers rather than bearings, and a 0.44-inch thick handle. No pocket clip. The bolsters are brass, the backspacer and liners are stainless, and the whole knife is in-house CIVIVI design.
Bronze washers instead of caged ceramic bearings is the telling detail. A lockback with a slip-joint feel is a slower, quieter knife: it opens with thumb pressure and no snap, which is exactly right for a handle material that will show every scratch. Ultem is stiff, chemically resistant and notably heavier than G10 or FRN, which is where part of the 3.59 ounces goes. Nitro-V at 58-60 HRC is a sensible working steel with good corrosion resistance and easy maintenance on a stone.
The comparison inside the lineup is with the standard Rustic Gent XL in bone and nickel silver, also $105 for the sample-listed version. Same knife, different story: Ultem is modern, bone is traditional, and both weigh what they weigh. Against the $99.70 Estoc you trade three quarters of an inch of blade and a throwable liner lock for a lockback and a handle that does not look like anything else in the drawer.
Verdict: a $105 traditional folder for people who already own the obvious knives. Nitro-V, brass, Ultem and bronze washers are a coherent package, and the lack of a clip is the honest design choice. Slow openers with no clip are not for everyone, which is the point.
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