Ken Onion Ripple mid-tech

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misterjuiceman

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Sep 19, 2009
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I'm interested in the Ken Onion Ripple mid-tech folder. I can't really seem to find too much on how it varies from the custom version, or any specs on it (blade length, handle length, etc.)
Does anyone know what colors they'll be available in?
 
If you have not seen the site: http://www.onionknives.com/ it might help answer some questions. I have not read anything regarding colors or size, but you could try emailing Dan at Plaza Cutlery.
 
yep I have seen it. i'll try emailing Dan. i've never had or seen a ken onion knife before, how do ken onion mid-techs compare quality wise to mid-techs like the gen3 xm-18 or the pro-series jyd? i know ken onion is a top notch custom knife maker, mostly I'm wondering if this knife is closer to a production knife than it is to a custom. i guess the CRKT collaboration kind of put me off a little.
 
You would probably not know the difference between a custom Onion and a "mid-tech" Onion if you did not know that it was a mid-tech. They are that good. Yes, the customs are better, but the mid-techs are definitely a big cut above production.
 
they're thinner than the galyean JYDs and hinderer XM-18s.

I believe that Ken will put even more attention in this first run to make sure it's better than perfect (can there be?)....
 
I have said it before, and will say it again.
The Ripple is a genius piece of design.

It is not the same kind of knife as the XM-18.
It's what he calls a "gentleman's tactical" AKA, "Genticals". --no joke.

I've handled several of the custom Ripples, and the other variations in the "Genticals" line. It is a very thin knife designed to be easy to carry and maybe more refined or "gentlemanly" than some of the larger, work-horse tacticals that are the norm. On the other hand, it is definitely more aggressive and tough-minded than the typical "gentleman's knife" genre. It's staking out some new territory.
That, in itself, is not what I find most significant about this knife. but I won't blather on about it here.
I would expect the mid-techs to be superb.
 
Daniel said:
You would probably not know the difference between a custom Onion and a "mid-tech" Onion if you did not know that it was a mid-tech. They are that good. Yes, the customs are better, but the mid-techs are definitely a big cut above production.
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How many "mid-techs" has he made?
 
It looks pretty much identical. I'd be much surprised if they tinkered with it too much. Ken is pretty smart about designing things that can translate well into production.
 
JCaswell said:
It looks pretty much identical. I'd be much surprised if they tinkered with it too much. Ken is pretty smart about designing things that can translate well into production.
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are Ken Onion mid-techs usually so similar in appearance to the production verison?

edit: does anyone know how come the ripple mid-tech is priced so low compared to Ken Onion's other mid-techs?
 
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tf8s said:
are Ken Onion mid-techs usually so similar in appearance to the production verison?

edit: does anyone know how come the ripple mid-tech is priced so low compared to Ken Onion's other mid-techs?
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I'm not sure what you're asking.
The CRKT Ripple (production knife made in Taiwan) is about $90. An actual Onion Mid tech is going to cost a lot more than that.
 
tf8s said:
are Ken Onion mid-techs usually so similar in appearance to the production verison?

edit: does anyone know how come the ripple mid-tech is priced so low compared to Ken Onion's other mid-techs?
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Are you talking about Ken's prices or resell prices? Those DO differ a lot...
 
RxEnergy said:
Are you talking about Ken's prices or resell prices? Those DO differ a lot...
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I'm seeing a lot of mid-techs going for over 800$, but I know for sure, right now, you can go and reserve the mid-tech Ripple and eventually get it for an estimated 350$. Were the other mid-techs around the same price at first?
 
when i was at plaza cutlery the guy behind the counter had this knife. he let me handle it and it was amazing. thin smooth sharp. back in october he said they would be released in a couple months
 
I'd say they were more expensive, but the finish and materials used was also different.
For example, Forum Studlock Bump was $500 from the maker, but a lot more went into that knife, AFAIK
 
gundude73 said:
when i was at plaza cutlery the guy behind the counter had this knife. he let me handle it and it was amazing. thin smooth sharp. back in october he said they would be released in a couple months
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yeah, I guess the blades weren't acceptable to Ken, so it's being delayed a bit.
 
not sure what you mean but. Dan at plaza cutlery had one of his own that he got at the plaza cutlery knife show. but the knife was amazing. it has 24 ball bearings that make it super smooth. and it opens great.
 
gundude73 said:
not sure what you mean but. Dan at plaza cutlery had one of his own that he got at the plaza cutlery knife show. but the knife was amazing. it has 24 ball bearings that make it super smooth. and it opens great.
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I'm not sure, this is what I found on the Plaza Cutlery site, http://plazacutlery.com/Onion/OnionMainpage.htm
"Blades came in and were not acceptable so will be sometime first quarter next year hopefully!"
 
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