Pro-Tech Malibu vs. Mordax: A Mordax Owner Asks r/knifeclub Whether the Malibu Is Different Enough to Own Both
Pro-Tech's button-lock revival has produced two of the most beloved US-made EDC knives of the past few years, which means collectors eventually face a pleasant dilemma: Malibu, Mordax, or both? One r/knifeclub member arrived at exactly that crossroads this week. He acquired a Pro-Tech Mordax a while back and was very surprised by how much he likes it — so now he is asking owners of both whether the Malibu is different enough to justify adding it, given his self-imposed rule: I don't like to buy things just to collect them, I try to use all my knives.
That last line is the heart of the thread. The Malibu and the Mordax share a family resemblance — both are Pro-Tech's signature button locks, both are built in the USA, and both have become the standard answers whenever someone asks for a premium production knife with satisfying action. The Malibu is the model that started the craze, famous for its clean lines and drop-shut button-lock action; the Mordax is the sibling that followed, and owners like the poster keep reporting that it surprised them. The question is whether the two overlap so much that owning both means owning the same knife twice.
The comments split along predictable lines, and both sides made sense. The practical camp argued that if you actually use your knives, the Malibu and Mordax fill nearly the same role — same lock, same action, same general size class — and the difference in blade shape may not justify a second purchase when a more different knife would expand the collection's range instead. The enthusiast camp countered that blade geometry is the whole game: a wharncliffe-style Malibu cuts differently than the Mordax's profile, the handles feel distinct in hand, and for people who appreciate the button-lock platform specifically, both are worth having. Several owners of both confirmed they carry them for different tasks.
The thread is a useful case study in how knife people actually make buying decisions. The poster's rule — no safe queens — is one many collectors adopt after a few purchases they regretted, and it forces a genuinely useful question: does this add capability or just another version of the same thing? For a working collector, the answer usually comes down to blade shape and handle feel rather than brand loyalty.
If you are facing the same Malibu-versus-Mordax decision, the thread is worth reading for the owner perspectives — and if your rule is use everything you buy, let your cutting habits make the call.