Ocaso knives are made uncompromisingly from high-quality materials such as aerospace titanium, carbon fibre and American S35VN2 steel and are manufactured in Taiwan and Italy, guaranteeing high production standards. The Solstice model we present, for example, is a light and refined knife ideal for everyday use that was designed by Andrew Demko. To name this knife line Ric Valdez was inspired by the natural beauty of California, choosing a name, ocaso, which means "sunset" in Spanish. The reference to the sun also returns in the name of the model we present here.
The Ocaso Solstice is a gentleman's knife, a type of knife designed to be part of the kit that a gentleman carries to deal with small everyday tasks. This is perhaps a somewhat old-fashioned concept, and one that often clashes with the fact that in some countries it is not socially and legally permissible to carry a knife, even a small one. However, it cannot be denied that, where it is permitted and accepted, a small knife can help solve small practical tasks, such as opening a package or portioning out a food item.
But let's come to the Solstice, which is available with different blade finishes and handle scales materials – the latter are either titanium or carbon fiber for all versions. It is a folding knife featuring flipper deployment and liner-lock, with an open frame. At first glance, the handle design might appear to be a simple rectangle, but a closer look reveals a more dynamic development of its lower profile, which widens slightly towards the rear and features a recess that facilitates the liner lock release. Despite the very essential lines (or perhaps because of them), the Solstice offers an excellent "grip index", i.e. it feels very natural to grip it correctly and firmly. There are no holes or screws on the handle surface, and even the blade pivot pin is hidden by a diamond-shaped shield, embedded in the grip and bearing the Ocaso logo.
In fact, the only visible screw is the Torx screw that fixes the clip, which is also recessed; there is another screw but it is not visible as it is covered by the clip itself. Models with titanium scales have an anodised finish that gives the metal a very pleasant feel to the touch. Models featuring engraved handles with motifs and floral patterns, similar to those of the more classic and refined hunting guns, have an aesthetic edge and it is inevitable to imagine them in the pocket of a gentleman hunter. In this case, the contrast between the rounded, organic volutes of the floral and foliage motifs creates a pleasing optical contrast with the angular, square lines of the grip, and one highlights the other aesthetically.
A gentleman's knife also means carrying the tool without attracting attention or alarming those around: therefore, great attention was paid to the design of the clip that allows the Solstice to be discreetly locked inside the pocket. The Solstice's clip is very small and allows the knife to be inserted all the way into the pocket (deep seated carry), making it indistinguishable at first glance from a pen. The level of workmanship is excellent, with perfectly aligned surfaces and components. Before dealing with the blade, let us briefly give the floor to the person who designed the Ocaso Solstice.
Talking about the Ocaso Solstice with Andrew Demko
The design of the Solstice was entrusted to the American cutler Andrew Demko, a veteran of US sporting knives, active in Pennsylvania since 1988 and designer of revolutionary locking systems such as Tri-Ad Lock, Scorpion Lock and Shark-Lock, developed while working with the American manufacturer Cold Steel. Entrusting the design of a gentleman's knife to a knife-maker like Demko, who usually tries his hand at large models, may not have seemed like a coherent idea, but the result is remarkable. As is often the case, pushing into uncharted territory is almost always a good idea, and confirmation of this comes from the Solstice, which is undoubtedly a knife that has been thought through down to the last detail.
Good morning Andrew, and thank you. Let's start with the classic question: How many and what knives have you designed so far for Ocaso and other manufacturers?
“Currently for Ocaso, I’ve designed the Solstice series. I have also designed for CAS Iberia and Cold Steel… many, many, many knives for Cold Steel.”
What has been the most difficult detail to achieve on the Solstice?
“The size parameters we were after, because, left to my own devices I make everything with a 5-inch blade and massively overbuild. I don’t normally work in the Gentleman’s category. But, to achieve Ric’s desired category or design, I had to realign my design thinking into… This is used in a conference room and not a jungle.”
Did industrial production force you to give up something you would have liked on the Solstice?
“Not at all. Our Taiwan Factories are such experts at producing this type of knife that we had no manufacturing limitations.”
The Ocaso Solstice versions
The Ocaso Solstice is offered with three blade profiles: Straight (as in most of the photos in this article), Harpoon and Wharncliffe. In all cases, length is 89 millimeters for a thickness of 3 millimeters and the steel used is Crucible S35VN, a high-performance martensitic stainless steel, developed specifically for knife production. It contains carbon (1.4 per cent), chromium (14 per cent), molybdenum (2 per cent), vanadium (3 per cent) and niobium (0.5 per cent), which improve hardness, wear resistance and edge retention. Developed by the recently closed US steel company Crucible, S35VN is a so-called super steel with an excellent combination of strength, durability and ease of maintenance. The blade of the Solstice is hardened to a hardness of 60-61 HRC, is perfectly crafted and pivots on stainless steel caged bearings that guarantee lightning-fast and smooth deployment. A positive touch on the flipper, which protrudes (slightly) to the side, is all that is needed to open the blade. Knives such as the Solstice are the reason why assisted opening knives have never caught on; opening is lightning fast just by relying on the flipper. The possibility of choosing between three blade profiles is a plus that makes the Solstice even more interesting. The Straight blade with a flat grind is by definition the most versatile and suitable for general uses, ranging from opening a package to peeling a piece of fruit. The Wharncliffe one, with its straight edge and chisel grind for about half length is more suitable for those who plan to use the knife mainly for precision cuts and on materials resting on a plane. The Harpoon profile, with its raised counter edge and sabre grind, reveals the tactical DNA of the designer and is certainly more suitable for uses where maximum tip strength is preferred. The blades of the Ocaso Solstice are available with a sandblasted finish or with a matt black PVD coating.
The weight of the Solstice is 71 grams for the version with the titanium handle and only 48 grams for the one with the carbon fiber scales, very little if we consider the materials used and the blade length. So much quality in materials and workmanship comes at a cost and this is reflected in the price tag, which ranges from around 190 euro for the carbon fiber handle variant and around 220 for the titanium handle version. The packaging of the Solstice is decidedly original, with a triangular-section cardboard box inside which we find the knife in a microfibre pouch with the Ocaso logo and a small brochure offering some brief information about the manufacturer and the warranty, which is for life.
Let's talk about accessories: Ocaso Knives offers a rich catalog where we find multi-compartment leather pouches and storing cases, or the EDC Wallett, a real wallet made of full-grain leather that also has compartments tailored to hold the knife. In our photos you can see the knife case with four sections, but it is also available in 3- and 6-section versions. Materials used, workmanship and attention to detail are always at the highest level and are consistent with the Solstice's image as a well-kept and elegant product.
To conclude, we can define the Solstice by Ocaso Knife as an example of a successful experiment, namely to create a gentleman's knife refined in construction and with mininal yet sophisticated aesthetics. The choice of Andrew Demko as designer confirms that going against the rules often pays off in terms of originality and rational design. The decision to have the knife made in Taiwan is also a good one: the Solstice is certainly not a cheap knife, but it is not made on the cheap either. With its refined details it is worth what it costs and will certainly stand out in a market segment in which people are happy to spend a few euros more to take home a classy product.
To find out more please visit the Ocaso Knives website.
