The Base - Pocket Knife
The Base - Pocket Knife
DISCLAIMER: Please make sure you are familiar with the knife laws in your country/ state, and do not order this knife if it is not allowed. It's a frame-locking 57mm blade, with one-handed (unassisted, no spring) opening. Many countries have laws prohibiting one or more of these features. Aroundsquare cannot take responsibility for customs seizures or delivery issues related to your country's laws, and knives confiscated by your country's customs or border services will not be refunded. Also, obviously, this is a knife and not a toy. Be safe, and be prudent with it.
Aroundsquare's first pocket knife, the Base, was designed to be minimalist without compromise. While a lot of everyday carry (EDC) gear leans hard into the "tactical" design language, the Base bucks the trend by going ultra clean. The knife is a completely custom design, built from the ground up to meet a strict set of requirements--requirements that, in and of themselves, do not feel particularly surprising. And yet, assembled in full, the Base is completely distinctive and striking in its simplicity. It is fresh and minimalistic, standing out in even the most extensive collections.
Taking its name from the solid foundations of quality materials and clean geometry, the Base is designed to be a reliable and adept daily companion to your EDC. While there are many great knife brands and makers out there, and no shortage of compelling offerings, the Base fills a noticeable gap in what's readily available. Relatively speaking, the Base is a fairly small knife.. around the size of a Bic lighter or a small pack of gum. But it hits that sweet spot where it is big enough to be a functional blade for a ton of daily tasks, without being so big that you'll be wanting to remove it from your pocket throughout the day. The Base also lands nicely in the space between tactical work knife and elegant gentleman's folder. It has the easy deployment and practical functionality of a workhorse, with the unassuming confidence that can only come from high quality materials and precision craftsmanship.
Drop Point Model
The knife was originally designed with a modified tanto grind on the blade, and we still love that original design. But the top request after the initial release was for some other grind options, and especially for a more conventional drop point style. We decided to take action on this, and worked out a beautifully proportioned drop point grind. To further differentiate the drop point model and play to the strengths of of the drop point blade shape, we've also trimmed the blade thickness down slightly to 2.5mm, compared to the chunkier 3mm thickness on the original tanto. Both still feel super robust and plenty substantial, but the drop point is just a shade slicier feeling, making it possible to say, slice an apple without feeling quite like you're driving an axe blade through it. As with the original tanto, the drop points feature premium materials, with s35vn blade steel, and full grade 5 titanium frames. They have smooth action straight out of the box, and a satisfyingly solid frame lock. Both models are dual thumb stud, making them usable for lefties and righties alike, and both models are available with or without pocket clip.
Tanto Model
Our first release of the Base features a modified tanto grind. This is the blade which the knife was designed around, and it works superbly for the size. While the appearance may take some getting used to, it's hard to argue with the functionality once you get it in your hand. This profile was chosen for practical purposes. Unlike a lot of other grinds, the tanto shape allows the blade to retain thickness until mere millimetres from the sharpened tip of the knife, which reduces the likelihood of chipping or snapping the tip. Additionally, the tanto shape creates a secondary point below the tip, which is extremely functional when a piercing edge is needed. This means the user seldom needs to go tip-down, which is an inconvenient position to handle a knife in, and inadvisable in a lot of cases.
Below are a few notes on the design and features:
- Materials: The frame is time-tested grade five titanium, and blade is reliable CPM S35VN steel.. Preferences in the knife world abound, but these are inarguably excellent choices, particularly for a knife of this size and purpose.
- Deployment: Easy to open one-handed, with comfortable dual thumb studs, and set on copper and nylon washers for smooth action. For those new to the space, it can take a bit of practice to get the motion and angles for one-handed deployment, but once you get it, it becomes second nature. While it's trendy in the knife community right now to have flip and flick opening with very loose action, there is just something timeless, intentional, and very satisfying about smooth movement with solid thumb studs. Those who own the classic gold standards from the early EDC days (and they know what blades we're talking about here) know the appeal.
- Design: The Base is very clean and minimal in its appearance. With its simple geometry and unassuming looks, it bucks the trend of tactical looking knives, which sometimes feel like they're trying a little too hard, while at the same time modernizing the idea of what a gentleman's folder could be. The result is a knife that can be tossed on an office desk without making the team nervous, while confidently holding its own when it comes to getting the jobs done.
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Dimensions: The frame is 80 x 20 x 10mm; blade is 57mm in length;
- Tanto blade thickness is 3mm.
- Drop Point blade thickness is 2.5mm.
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Weight:
- Tanto with clip: ~62g
- Tanto without clip: ~60g
- Drop Point with clip: ~59g
- Drop Point without clip: ~57g
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Blade Profile: Our Base pocket knife is available in two unique blade shapes;
- Tanto; our first sturdy and functional version of the blade.
- Drop Point; our newest slimmer and elegant version of our Base knife.
- Carry Options: The Base can be purchased with or without a clip. The clipless option makes for a cleaner "business" side of the knife, with a flush surface apart from the lock bar. The clip version features a solidly built deep pocket carry clip, meaning the knife can sit deep in the pocket without protruding. The clip is removable, but the frame on the clip version is recessed to allow the clip to sit flush with the frame.
For more information on the Base, have a look at our December 2024 Drop Preview video.