Shadetree MagLock Acorn Review

[Comprehensivist]

Shadetree MagLock "Acorn" Review

Intro:


If you have been around Blade Forums for any length of time, you've probably heard of Shadetree Custom Composites. They make custom burlap micarta in all colors of the rainbow. This material is very popular with custom knife makers. The wide variety of unique colors and interesting weave textures that distinguish it from mass produced generic canvas micarta.

I was introduced to Shadetree burlap micarta back in 2013 when I purchased one of my first Fiddleback Forge knives. I liked the look and grippy feel of the burlap so much that my theme for future purchases became focused almost entirely on handmade knives with Shadetree burlap handle scales. I also got to know Todd & Dylan (the father & son proprietors of Shadetree) at the 2015 & 2016 Blade Shows.

Early in May, Todd replied to one of the sub-forum threads about “Who is going to Blade this year?” to say that he was going to have a table there. He also mentioned that he was going to be introducing “Shadetree Knifeworks” as a new product line for the company. That was news to me. Since I know Todd well enough to poke a little fun at him, I posted a reply to ask him what kind of wood handles he was going to put on his knives. He replied that the handles would not be either wood or Shadetree burlap. Hmmmm, that’s interesting.

A couple of days later, Todd sent me a message offering to lend me a prototype knife if I was interested in reviewing it. I said OK, even though Todd would not give me a clue what kind of knife it was. He kept it a surprise to not influence my initial impression(s) in any way. Upon receipt, I discovered that the new knife is a swing-lock folder named the “Shadetree Maglock Acorn.” I think the name is very appropriate for a company offshoot that will hopefully grow into its own unique product line.

Specs:

The Acorn comes packaged in a protective plastic tube (There is some history to this that will be explained below.)

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Inside the tube is the knife and a card showing the prototype serial number, steel type & hardness, and the scale material & color.

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The following measurements were taken with a digital caliber I use at work. Most of the results are very close to the nominal specs listed by Shadetree with the exception of blade length. I measure blade length from the front of the handle forward to the tip, rather than including the pivot section of the blade that is covered by the handle. It is possible that Todd made a typo on the blade length spec he posted with his announcement.

Lock Type: Rotating “Swing Lock” Mechanism w/ Rare Earth Magnets acting on Open & Closed Positions
Blade Steel Type: S30V @ 60 HRc
Primary Grind Type: Flat Grind
Blade Length: 2.410”
Cutting Edge length: 2.680”
Blade Height @ Plunge Line: .710”
Handle Material: 7075 Aluminum w/ Green Hard Anodize (also available in Blue)
Handle Length: 3.545”
Handle Width: .435”
Handle Height: .748”
Weight: 1.86 oz.

My sample Acorn is serial number 66 of 99 prototypes in this run. This information is laser etched onto the inside surface of what I will call the primary pivot scale. All of the component pieces for this run were manufactured by local suppliers to Shadetree in Michigan. It is always nice to see manufacturing stay in the USA. I am not aware of any plans to change this arrangement for future production runs.

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The S30V Jack-style blade has a flat primary grind with a V-grind secondary edge. The flats and pivot section of the blade are surface ground for consistent size and smooth finish. The blade was sharp enough as received to cleanly slice paper over the full length of the edge. Note: Both the blade and handle are guardless.

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This is a washer-less design with the blade directly sandwiched between the two handle scales.

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The knife is held together by a single hex-headed stainless steel screw that is mates into female threads in the primary pivot scale. This photo also shows the smooth radius machined around the handle.


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The knife opens and closes by rotating one of the handle scales 360 degrees to secure the blade in either position. The rotation is very smooth throughout its motion. This indicates good parallelism and finishes on the mating surfaces.

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The rare earth magnets are housed inside the back end of the handle scales to hold the handle in the open or closed position.

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The handle scales are simple and unadorned. There is no pocket clip or lanyard hole.

 

[Comprehensivist]

Design History:

The idea for the split handle swing lock design goes back quite a ways. There were several U.S. Patents filed in the 1880’s for what was originally called a “Clasp Knife” and various other nondescript names by other inventors.

Here is a sketch of one of the early patents from 1887 that shows semi-circular pivot cut-outs and opposing crosspins through the blade tang that ride in the cut-outs to open and close the blade.

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Most people who are familiar with swing lock knives think of Barry Wood as the knife maker who brought it into the modern era with his improved version of the design along with some very well crafted handmade knives. He was granted U.S. Patent # 3702501 on November 14, 1972 for what he called a “Split Handle Jack Knife.” His patent covered a new locking design for the pommel end of the handle that incorporated a locking pin and locking hole in the opposing handles to lock both sides together as a unitary handle whether the blade was in the stored or exposed position. The “lock” feature was released for opening or closing the blade by means of a notch on the top back end of the handle that allowed finger pressure to pry apart the handle enough to overcome the engagement of the locking pin from the hole. If this all sounds overly complex, don’t fear. I owned a Barry Wood Mk .1 a couple of years ago and I can tell you from experience that it is much easier to use than it is to describe the function in words.

Here are the first couple of pages of Mr. Wood’s patent along with his sketch for the design.

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Getting back to current day and the Shadetree Acorn, I learned through a subsequent communication with Todd that he has a small collection of cherished Barry Wood knives that inspired him to brainstorm a way to simplify the design for modern production. Todd’s brainstorm solution was using magnets in both handle pieces for the lock function. Todd filed for a provisional patent on May 1st, 2017 for the “Maglock” feature used on the Acorn. I do not have a copy of his patent application and associated sketches to show here. Todd did the rest of the design work and drawings for the Acorn on AutoCAD.

I find the Shadetree Maglock design smoother and easier to operate because it only requires overcoming magnetic attraction to slide and separate the handle pieces to start the open or closing rotation vs. prying apart the handle pieces to unlock with the Barry Wood design. I rate the Wood pin and hole design as technically a more positive “lock” than the Shadetree magnets, but the difference is somewhat moot because neither one is going to allow the blade to open or close when you are holding the handle in the palm of your hand. This safety factor has always been one of the main selling points of the swing lock design since its inception.

Special side note: The tube packaging and info card shown in the first photo of the review was chosen by Todd as a way to honor Barry Wood because he packaged his original handmade knives in a similar fashion.

What’s Inside & How It Works:

The construction of the Acorn is relatively simple because the machine work is very precise. Technically speaking, there are eight component pieces that go into the knife (1 blade with 2 opposing crosspins, 2 handle scales, 2 magnets, and 1 pivot screw.)

Here is what you see when pivot pin and top of the handle are removed. Note the position blade edge in the closed position. It sits far enough away from the bottom of the handle to provide a good margin of safety.

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The circular pivot section on the inside of the handles sits approximately .020” higher to provide blade clearance from the rest of the handle.

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The blade has opposing stainless cross-pins positioned 180 degrees apart. Each of the handle scales features a 180 degree circular groove that work together to move the blade through a full 360 degree rotation and secure the blade in the open or closed position. The was a thin layer of clear grease in the pivot section to aid with smooth function.

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[Comprehensivist]

The opening and closing sequence works as follows. Remember that each opposing cross-pin in the blade has only 180 degrees of free movement in its corresponding groove in the mating handle scale.

Starting in the closed position, the cross-pins are located in the 0 degree position of their respective handle grooves. The blade is locked from movement in this position.

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Rotating the top handle clockwise 90 degrees does not cause any blade movement from its closed position.

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Continuing the rotation another 90 degrees places the cross-pin at the end of its 180 degree arc inside the top handle. Continued rotation beyond 180 degrees will apply torque that starts moving the blade and the bottom cross-pin through its arc.

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Rotating the top handle another 90 degrees moves the blade a corresponding 90 degrees on its arc to toward fully opening.

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Completing the last quarter rotation moves the blade to it fully open position and aligns the magnets in the handles to their lock position. Both cross-pins are now in their respection 180 degree position inside the handle arcs which locks the blade into the open position.

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Closing the blade is accomplished by going through a counterclockwise 360 rotation. Of note here is that blade is covered by the top scale from the 180 degree through 360 degree final closing rotation.

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Comparisons & Observations:

I normally like to incorporate a lot of comparison photos with similar knives into my reviews. The fact of the matter is that I am mostly a fixed blade knife user with a very limited collection of folders to draw comparisons to.

Here is the Acorn shown with a full size Benchmade Ritter Grip and a Wenger Swiss Army type knife. I only carry the Ritter Grip when I have a specific purpose in mind because of its overall size and weight.

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The Wenger has been my regular carry pocket knife for the last fifteen years or so. These two knives are almost identical in weight. The Acorn handle is .025” longer, .075” slimmer in width, and .022” shorter in height than my Wenger. In less technical terms, The Acorn is a size and weight that I would feel comfortable carrying everyday.

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The main difference to me between these two is the blade shape and utility. Even though the Wenger blade is .010” longer overall, it offers .490” less cutting edge length than the Acorn due to the long ricasso section of the blade. I call long ricasso sections on knives “dead space” because they are not useful to me in any way. The Acorn does a nice job of keeping the ricasso to an absolute minimum. This allows me to get closer to what I am cutting for increased leverage and control. I really like the choice of 3/32” stainless blade stock and the high flat grind on the Acorn.

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[Comprehensivist]

In-Use Comments:

I found the Acorn to be comfortable in hand thanks to the radii of the handles and the rounded pommel shape. That comfortable smooth finish also means you must use care to not let the knife slip out of your hand. (My palm is 4” across for reference.)

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I tried the Acorn on the same type of tasks I typically use my Wenger for. I started by slicing up some cardboard for the recycle bin. The Acorn sliced through it with ease thanks to the thin blade stock and high flat grind. I cut-up several boxes before checking for edge retention by slicing thin paper cuts. All good here.

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Slicing food like an apple for lunch is a simple task with the Acorn.

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Next I tried it on some basic wood notching. The blade bites in easily and produces nice thin cuts. I like the close proximity of the back of the edge to the front of the handle for work like this because it allows Puukko-ish like control and leverage to the wood for precise cuts.

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Summary & Conclusion:

In a folding knife market that is dominated by fancy flippers with exotic locks on one side and traditional folders on the other, it is a bold move for Shadetree to bring out a unique modern take on the swing lock folder. I foresee the MagLock Acorn appealing to a loyal niche market in the same way that Shadetree’s custom burlap micartas appeal to buyers seeking a unique alternative to commonly used generic micarta, G10, and wood handle materials.

On the whole, I found there is much to like about the Acorn with only a few suggestions for improvement on the next production run.

The features I like are:
- The safety and security of the swing lock design that prevents unintended opening or closing of the blade.
- The simplicity and smoothness of the new MagLock feature.
- The machining and finishing of the handle scales is very well executed.
- The use of stainless steel for the blade, cross-pins, and pivot screw.
- The functional blade shape in 3/32” steel with high flat grind and minimal ricasso.

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My suggestions for improvement are:
- The blade on my sample exhibited some tempering discoloration from the heat treat process. This could be easily and inexpensively corrected with a post heat treat stone wash, tumble deburr, or glass bead blast. I think a stone wash would look best and improve the surface finish the most.
- This is strictly a personal preference, but I would like to see some surface texture added to the outside faces of the handles for improved grip and increased wear resistance long term. This could take the form of machined checkering similar to the Victorinox Alox handles or some other stylish form of ridges and grooves.
- I think some buyers for this niche market may prefer the option for titanium handles.

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The only other comment I have is that I cannot predict how the hard anodize finish will hold up over time. One thing to keep in mind in this regard is that the magnets in the handle will latch onto any other steel items you keep in your knife pocket. In my case, I carry a pocket knife in my “junk” pocket along with a pen, comb, loose change and whatever else I want that day. If that describes you too, you may want to consider a small leather or suede slip cover to keep your Acorn looking pristine.

That is all I’ve got to say. The Acorn will be making its debut at the Blade Show in Atlanta this week. Todd & Dylan will have knives from the prototype run available for purchase there at the Shadetree table.

If you would like more information about the Acorn, I suggest you read the formal announcement thread that Todd posted in the general knife discussion section. It includes a nice video showing one-hand opening and closing with either hand. There is also a link to their Kickstarter page for this project if you are interested in getting an Acorn.

http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/new-shadetree-maglock.1494939/#post-17178985

One last beauty shot:

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Please feel free to reply with any comments (good or bad) about the knife or my review. I know that Todd & Dylan will appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks,

Phil

 

[miso2]

Looks fantastic. I really like the deep primary grind (hollow?)
I would buy one at $100. Maybe $150. The price at Kick Starter ($220) seems too expensive to me.

Miso

 

[fod]

Thanks for doing this for us Phil. It shows off the knife very well.

We will see you in a couple days!

 

[fod]

Looks fantastic. I really like the deep primary grind (hollow?)
I would buy one at $100. Maybe $150. The price at Kick Starter ($220) seems too expensive to me.

Miso

Thanks Miso, it is a flat grind.

You are correct. Short run high precision made in the USA is expensive. Frankly one of the most difficult issues with this project has been pricing. We had to commit to a run of 100 in order to get the price down to what it is now. If I had the resources to do a larger run I could get to a lower price point, but. . .we gotta start somewhere.

Anyhow, we are packed up and ready to drive down to Blade, leaving first thing in the morning with an overnight in Asheville. I'll try to check in from the road but once the show starts, no bets.

-Todd

 

[madcap_magician]

Some very thoughtful comments regarding the issue of powerful magnets sharing pocket space with other items. People will want to keep them away from the same pocket as your credit cards and electrical devices such as cell phones and flash storage devices. I agree with the texturing question, and I was thinking titanium handles with CRK-esque press fit Shadetree micarta inlays would be pretty killer.

 

[fod]

Some very thoughtful comments regarding the issue of powerful magnets sharing pocket space with other items. People will want to keep them away from the same pocket as your credit cards and electrical devices such as cell phones and flash storage devices. I agree with the texturing question, and I was thinking titanium handles with CRK-esque press fit Shadetree micarta inlays would be pretty killer.

We may need to make some Faraday sleeves to carry them in.

We wanted to whittle this first one down to its minimal form. If this gains traction I have numerous deigns adapted to this concept. Sodbuster, Barlow, and some other originals.

I asked Jared Oeser to make one and he adapted his Tengu model to the Maglock concept. He showed it off on Instagram yesterday. very cool. He'll have it at his table at blade (13F?)

Good night for real this time.

-Todd

 

[miso2]

I understand the price setting dilemma. It was just my opinion on the price point. Others may be comfortable with the current price.

Maybe you can do something like what John Grimsmo has been doing for others like me to justify the price. Showing the process, concepts, and your enthusiasm. I wouldn’t probably crave for Rask at that price range (>$650) if I have not seen his videos.

Anyway, good luck at the Show. You may get a praise and a lot of customers to rocket start!


Miso

 

[jstrange]

Looks really cool. I like the simple styling and overall shape, but would like to see it a tad bigger overall.

 

[tiogatires]

+ Ti scales would make me buy this. Really cool idea

 

[jstrange]

Sorry for the necropost, but was just curious if this project ever went anywhere.