Pictures for Reference:
Retails ~$3,000-3,500 on Polish Custom Knives. Bifrost damatseel blade. Titanium body. Mother of pearl pivot collar.
Maker Communication:
Communication was fantastic right from the start. I reached out via Instagram asking about pricing, timing, and my preferred build. I gave a description of exactly the shade of blue I desired, as well as briefly mentioned the mother of pearl pivot collar and damasteel blade. Lesbar quickly and concisely responded, saying they would have no issue proceeding and would start the knife in ~1.5 months from when I reached out. Honestly, it felt a tad bit "cold" to me, but I chalked it up to them having plenty of work to do and being used to this sort of thing. I decided to wait for the "warm fuzzies" until later in the process. Lo-and-behold, I receive a message around the time they said they could start my knife and... it was already done. I was (1) shocked they didn't reach back out to confirm details and (2) amazed that they delivered exactly what I wanted without doing so. Ultimately, I interpreted this as a strong understanding of my request alongside respect for me as a buyer ("He told us what he wanted. We're not going to ask him twice."). Now for the interesting part... The day I received the knife, it took all but about 10 flips for the detent ball to fall out. Yes, the detent ball completely fell out of the detent hole, rendering the knife effectively "broken". This was not something I was comfortable addressing myself, as detent balls are friction-fit and, well... you're probably not looking to do repair work on a knife in this price range. I sent them a message, showing images and detailing the issue. There is about a ~12 hour time gap between Lesbar and I, so communication was always kind of between-days, so to speak. I woke up to a PayPal notification of a FULL REFUND and a message from Lesbar apologizing profusely and asking me to send the knife back for repair, stating they would pay shipping fees. If you're familiar with the state of the world right now, fun fact, shipping a 1.25lb package from the U.S. to Ukraine is gonna run you about $300, which is exactly what it cost me. Before going through with this, I reached out, asking them if they were sure they wanted to pay that for return shipping. They insisted "yes" and, sure enough, within 30 minutes of confirming I had shipped the knife, I had a PayPal refund in-full for the ~$271 shipping bill DHL charged me. I was in touch with Lesbar the whole time, and it took about 3 weeks to get the knife back. The knife was received in what was now effectively "perfect" condition, the deal was done, and I still occasionally message Lesbar knives to check in and they enjoy the photos I've taken of the knife. Overall - I must emphasize - regardless of the knife having a critical issue, Lesbar Knives could not have been any better about how they went about resolving this. They could have held onto my money the entire time, they chose to give me a full refund without me asking. They could have let days go by between messages, they never let a day go by without sending a response. They were extremely apologetic for the issue and took full responsibility - as they should - but, sadly, we live in a world where even when a knife has a legitimate defect, some makers do not maintain the integrity required to own up and address the issue, so this is worth mentioning. Overall, I walked away with a better communication experience with this knife, which initially had a critical defect, than I have with other knives that were "fine" right from the get-go.
Build Quality
Aesthetics: For all intents and purposes, effectively flawless. No flaws or inconsistencies to note in anodization finish, no scratches direct from maker, no strange etching to note on damasteel blade, no blemishes on the mother of pearl pivot collar. The ONE issue I can find anywhere on the knife is a small imperfection on the pocket clip. It's almost impossible to see unless under the right light, and it's so small I physically can't even feel it with my finger - but it's there. It's a TINY indentation toward the end of the clip, but I know it was there 'from the start', because the anodization is on top of it, rather than "scratched off" of it - so it was clearly a minor blemish on the titanium before anodizing. Effectively not even worth noting, but I am stating it here because it is quite literally the only thing I can find objectively 'wrong' with the knife.
Action: Glassy - like polished glass on polished glass. They did polish the detent track and bearing races on the tang of the blade. They create their own custom multi-row caged bearings for their knives. The action is gravity-shut but doesn't slam shut like a guillotine when the pivot is properly tightened. You CAN get it to "slam shut" via gravity, like a guillotine, but you need to loosen the pivot and I find that backing out the pivot at all from its intended position begins to introduce minor blade play. You can also over-tighten the pivot to prevent the gravity-shut action (some people don't like it), but I haven't tinkered much with that because I don't want to risk the ceramic bearings leaving indentations on the tang of the blade due to overtightening.
Fit and Finish: Now, pay attention. I am a VERY critical collector. It's a blessing and a curse. I start by looking for mechanical issues - I will make note of even the slightest bit of blade play, lock rock, centering off by a fraction of a millimeter... If I can't find mechanical issues, I will move on to aesthetic / cosmetic issues, ergonomic hotspots, etc... I am not exagerrating when I say, aside from the almost imperceptible visual imperfection on the pocket clip, I cannot find a single thing wrong with this knife. No "ghost lines" from the (extremely elaborate) milling process, no inconsistent spots with the anodization coloring (of which there are THREE distinct colors), no lock rock, no blade play, no centering issues, no hot spots. This knife is literally as close to perfection as I could ask for. If every knife I ever received was guaranteed to be like this, I'd be the happiest man alive. <THIS> level of fit and finish is what every maker should strive for, although it is such a high level of care and attention to detail that I almost feel unrealistic demanding it. It feels like a privilege, not a right, to receive a knife this well-made.
Ergonomics: I expected more hotspots as a result of the milling. The milling in the center of the knife where the "cutouts" are does have relatively sharp edges - yet, these never really come in contact with your hand as you bear down on the knife. They're there, for sure, but they are downward-slanted and any of the "pokey parts" are pointed away from the skin they would otherwise make contact with. ALL of the milling on the knife maintains relatively sharp and fine edges, but the milling that makes contact with your hand is primarily very small and fine milling - which actually causes the fine edges of the milling pattern to act more like grip than like hotspots. The milling itself, while being a work of art, also functionally acts as a sort of grip-enhancement on the handle. Overall, let's be honest, though - it's a pretty neutral handle design. It is not uncomfortable by any means, but it doesn't give you that wild level of comfort that something like a pistol grip will give you - but that's not really shocking and I'm not saying the knife is "less" because of it - the handle shape was a design choice, and the ergonomics of that handle shape, while not the most form-fitting in the world, are executed beautifully and as well as can be expected for that handle shape.
Final Thoughts
This knife was everything I had dreamed it would be. I've watched Lesbar from a distance for about two years now, wondering and hoping that their knives performed at the same level that they appeared aesthetically. I am not exagerrating when I say I have never felt more confident in my purchase of a knife at this level than I do with this knife. There is absolutely zero buyer's remorse (let's not kid ourselves, we all feel even just a fraction, at times, even with some of our favorite pieces) when it comes to my feelings about this knife. I am not afraid to nitpick the smallest things about any knife, even a knife that I've sunk this much money into, and I genuinely just have nothing bad to say about this knife / brand. If you're considering picking one up, all I can say is... you can buy with ABSOLUTE confidence.
Retails ~$3,000-3,500 on Polish Custom Knives. Bifrost damatseel blade. Titanium body. Mother of pearl pivot collar.
Maker Communication:
Communication was fantastic right from the start. I reached out via Instagram asking about pricing, timing, and my preferred build. I gave a description of exactly the shade of blue I desired, as well as briefly mentioned the mother of pearl pivot collar and damasteel blade. Lesbar quickly and concisely responded, saying they would have no issue proceeding and would start the knife in ~1.5 months from when I reached out. Honestly, it felt a tad bit "cold" to me, but I chalked it up to them having plenty of work to do and being used to this sort of thing. I decided to wait for the "warm fuzzies" until later in the process. Lo-and-behold, I receive a message around the time they said they could start my knife and... it was already done. I was (1) shocked they didn't reach back out to confirm details and (2) amazed that they delivered exactly what I wanted without doing so. Ultimately, I interpreted this as a strong understanding of my request alongside respect for me as a buyer ("He told us what he wanted. We're not going to ask him twice."). Now for the interesting part... The day I received the knife, it took all but about 10 flips for the detent ball to fall out. Yes, the detent ball completely fell out of the detent hole, rendering the knife effectively "broken". This was not something I was comfortable addressing myself, as detent balls are friction-fit and, well... you're probably not looking to do repair work on a knife in this price range. I sent them a message, showing images and detailing the issue. There is about a ~12 hour time gap between Lesbar and I, so communication was always kind of between-days, so to speak. I woke up to a PayPal notification of a FULL REFUND and a message from Lesbar apologizing profusely and asking me to send the knife back for repair, stating they would pay shipping fees. If you're familiar with the state of the world right now, fun fact, shipping a 1.25lb package from the U.S. to Ukraine is gonna run you about $300, which is exactly what it cost me. Before going through with this, I reached out, asking them if they were sure they wanted to pay that for return shipping. They insisted "yes" and, sure enough, within 30 minutes of confirming I had shipped the knife, I had a PayPal refund in-full for the ~$271 shipping bill DHL charged me. I was in touch with Lesbar the whole time, and it took about 3 weeks to get the knife back. The knife was received in what was now effectively "perfect" condition, the deal was done, and I still occasionally message Lesbar knives to check in and they enjoy the photos I've taken of the knife. Overall - I must emphasize - regardless of the knife having a critical issue, Lesbar Knives could not have been any better about how they went about resolving this. They could have held onto my money the entire time, they chose to give me a full refund without me asking. They could have let days go by between messages, they never let a day go by without sending a response. They were extremely apologetic for the issue and took full responsibility - as they should - but, sadly, we live in a world where even when a knife has a legitimate defect, some makers do not maintain the integrity required to own up and address the issue, so this is worth mentioning. Overall, I walked away with a better communication experience with this knife, which initially had a critical defect, than I have with other knives that were "fine" right from the get-go.
Build Quality
Aesthetics: For all intents and purposes, effectively flawless. No flaws or inconsistencies to note in anodization finish, no scratches direct from maker, no strange etching to note on damasteel blade, no blemishes on the mother of pearl pivot collar. The ONE issue I can find anywhere on the knife is a small imperfection on the pocket clip. It's almost impossible to see unless under the right light, and it's so small I physically can't even feel it with my finger - but it's there. It's a TINY indentation toward the end of the clip, but I know it was there 'from the start', because the anodization is on top of it, rather than "scratched off" of it - so it was clearly a minor blemish on the titanium before anodizing. Effectively not even worth noting, but I am stating it here because it is quite literally the only thing I can find objectively 'wrong' with the knife.
Action: Glassy - like polished glass on polished glass. They did polish the detent track and bearing races on the tang of the blade. They create their own custom multi-row caged bearings for their knives. The action is gravity-shut but doesn't slam shut like a guillotine when the pivot is properly tightened. You CAN get it to "slam shut" via gravity, like a guillotine, but you need to loosen the pivot and I find that backing out the pivot at all from its intended position begins to introduce minor blade play. You can also over-tighten the pivot to prevent the gravity-shut action (some people don't like it), but I haven't tinkered much with that because I don't want to risk the ceramic bearings leaving indentations on the tang of the blade due to overtightening.
Fit and Finish: Now, pay attention. I am a VERY critical collector. It's a blessing and a curse. I start by looking for mechanical issues - I will make note of even the slightest bit of blade play, lock rock, centering off by a fraction of a millimeter... If I can't find mechanical issues, I will move on to aesthetic / cosmetic issues, ergonomic hotspots, etc... I am not exagerrating when I say, aside from the almost imperceptible visual imperfection on the pocket clip, I cannot find a single thing wrong with this knife. No "ghost lines" from the (extremely elaborate) milling process, no inconsistent spots with the anodization coloring (of which there are THREE distinct colors), no lock rock, no blade play, no centering issues, no hot spots. This knife is literally as close to perfection as I could ask for. If every knife I ever received was guaranteed to be like this, I'd be the happiest man alive. <THIS> level of fit and finish is what every maker should strive for, although it is such a high level of care and attention to detail that I almost feel unrealistic demanding it. It feels like a privilege, not a right, to receive a knife this well-made.
Ergonomics: I expected more hotspots as a result of the milling. The milling in the center of the knife where the "cutouts" are does have relatively sharp edges - yet, these never really come in contact with your hand as you bear down on the knife. They're there, for sure, but they are downward-slanted and any of the "pokey parts" are pointed away from the skin they would otherwise make contact with. ALL of the milling on the knife maintains relatively sharp and fine edges, but the milling that makes contact with your hand is primarily very small and fine milling - which actually causes the fine edges of the milling pattern to act more like grip than like hotspots. The milling itself, while being a work of art, also functionally acts as a sort of grip-enhancement on the handle. Overall, let's be honest, though - it's a pretty neutral handle design. It is not uncomfortable by any means, but it doesn't give you that wild level of comfort that something like a pistol grip will give you - but that's not really shocking and I'm not saying the knife is "less" because of it - the handle shape was a design choice, and the ergonomics of that handle shape, while not the most form-fitting in the world, are executed beautifully and as well as can be expected for that handle shape.
Final Thoughts
This knife was everything I had dreamed it would be. I've watched Lesbar from a distance for about two years now, wondering and hoping that their knives performed at the same level that they appeared aesthetically. I am not exagerrating when I say I have never felt more confident in my purchase of a knife at this level than I do with this knife. There is absolutely zero buyer's remorse (let's not kid ourselves, we all feel even just a fraction, at times, even with some of our favorite pieces) when it comes to my feelings about this knife. I am not afraid to nitpick the smallest things about any knife, even a knife that I've sunk this much money into, and I genuinely just have nothing bad to say about this knife / brand. If you're considering picking one up, all I can say is... you can buy with ABSOLUTE confidence.
Last edited:
..