Information on Rod Olson, Knifemaker

bld522

bld522

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I'm looking for information on a Canadian knifemaker by the name of Rod Olson. I'm thinking about buying one of his folders and I can't find very much information about him on the Internet. Only one Internet retailer currently carries his knives and they've only got one knife in stock right now.

There's some evidence that Rod and Brian Tighe, another Canadian knifemaker, may have knowledge of each other. Rod uses RWL-34 steel in some of his knives and Brian is the RWL-34 steel distributor in Canada. Rod also uses the same sealed thrust bearing system in his flippers that Brian uses . . . STBS . . . a bearing system that appears to be proprietary to Brian.

If you have ever owned or handled a Rod Olson knife . . . particularly one of Rod's flippers . . . I'd appreciate any information you'd be willing to share with me. Also, if the mods feel this thread belongs in the GBU forum, I'd respectfully ask them to move it there.

UPDATE: Looks like I'm going to buy the knife. I'm picking it up from a BF good guy who said he'd be willing to stand behind the purchase. That's good enough for me. But I'd still be interested in any info you guys might have on Rod Olson.

Thanks. :)
 
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I own 2 of Rod's knives and his stuff is absolutely superb. Amazing fit and finish. One of Canada's many high end makers.
 
Yes, Rod's work is top drawer. It's definitely worth resurrecting this thread to acknowledge one of Canada's finest knifemakers.
 
I love my quick flip. Definitely one of the knives I don't see myself parting with. Kinda sad great makers like Rod Olsen seem to be mostly overlooked on the forum.
 
Not all great makers get overlooked here. Part of the problem may be that Rod doesn't do a lot to market himself and he's not widely distributed here in the USA. In fact, I'm unaware that his knives are available anywhere other than Knifeart.com. In terms of quality, fit and finish, I'd put Rod's Quick Flick alongside my Small Sebenzas and my Laconico Slim EDC as one of the best knives I own.
 
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I went to visit Mr. Olson on Friday... I like to see what he has on the go, and watch the mad genius at work!!! Rod has some awesome stuff coming to the surface in the next few months. I had the pleasure of flipping and experiencing his newest model... the "JV Deception." It is a 4 inch tactical button lock with top notch fit and finish, smooth action, and overall slick ergonomics make this new design something for everybody to get excited about. Monkey edge carries his knives.... but like any top maker, you blink and the knife is out of stock.
 
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That's good to know. You didn't happen to dig into his relationship with Brian Tighe, did you? I'd love to know how far back those two go together. My guess is that there's a lot more to their relationship than simply utilizing RWL-34 and Brian's proprietary bearing system in Rod's designs.
 
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Mine as well. In my reality, the Olson Quick Flick is to little flippers what the Small Sebenza is to little non-flippers with the edge in blade steel and exclusiveness going to the Quick Flick. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
 
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The Recon appears to be a larger version of the Quick Flick with a more aggressive blade shape. It's constructed of RWL-34 blade steel and it incorporates Brian's sealed thrust-bearing system, I assume. Congrats on picking up a fantastic knife from a little-known, highly-talented maker.
 
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I first met and purchased a knife from Rod at a Canadian Guild Show in Toronto some 7 years ago. Turned out to be a great knife. He is in the process of doing a knife for me now and I expect it will be as fine as the other two of his that I now have. I own or have owned knives from a number of the top makers in North America and none much better than his. Just a great gentleman to talk and work with. The knife world needs to wake up and discover this fine Canadian knife maker. Rod Olson is one of the best.
 
Yes. The M9 Urbantac appears to be a variation of the Quick Flick with a slightly longer blade. The price is in line with Rod's other offerings. It's an incredible bargain for a custom folder from a great knifemaker. Someone ought to pick it up. :thumbup:
 
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bld522 said:
Yes. The M9 Urbantac appears to be a variation of the Quick Flick with a slightly longer blade. The price is in line with Rod's other offerings. It's an incredible bargain for a custom folder from a great knifemaker. Someone ought to pick it up. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

I was visiting Rod yesterday and flipped some of his newest M9 Urbantacs. The M9 Urbantac is the exact same knife as the Quick Flick, its just Knifeart has always referred to it as the QuickFlick. The one that I was flipping yesterday was a stonewash scale with copper inlays, and blue anodized custom hardware, the steel was gross-rosen pattern damasteel......super sexy!! But beyond the looks, the flipping action was absolute lightning!!....his knives just keep getting better and better. He has a number of variations on the go right now from timascus to texturetech... bodies and inlays alike, if you are looking for a custom experience give him a shout..... he will not disappoint.
 
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