Max Knives FPGDMINI — The Mini Griffe in damascus by Fred Perrin

Overview

The damascus Mini Griffe is the only Griffe in the catalogue made in this steel, and it is made in it throughout: blade and ringed body come out of the same layered billet. The knife measures 89 mm overall for a 31 mm plain edge, in the curved claw shape Fred Perrin has been drawing since the early 1990s. A moulded kydex sheath comes with the piece. The format is pocket-sized, but the material belongs more to a cabinet of curiosities than to an anonymous tool.

A pattern that belongs to it alone

Damascus is made by stacking and forge-welding several steels, then drawing, folding and reworking the billet until the layers multiply. Polishing and etching then bring those layers out as contrasting veins. Because the drawing depends on how the block was folded and cut, no two pieces ever show quite the same pattern. Here the process runs across the whole knife, body included: the finger ring itself is ringed with lines. That is what the eye goes to first, ahead of the dimensions.

Technical specifications

Blade and handle are damascus steel in one continuous piece. The blade shape is a claw and the plain edge measures 31 mm. It measures 89 mm overall for a quoted 55 g. The knife ships with a kydex sheath. The format matches the FPGG10MINI Small Griffe in G10, also quoted at 89 mm overall, but that one puts just 7 g on the scale: same bulk, two opposite choices of material.

Care

A layered steel asks for a little attention if the pattern is to stay crisp. Wipe the piece after every use, particularly after contact with acidic food, salt water or simply perspiration, and dry it completely before putting it away. A thin film of light oil, spread with a cloth over the whole surface, keeps the contrast between layers and protects the metal through spells of storage. The kydex sheath rinses under clear water and air-dries with the knife out.

Legal notice for international buyers. Carrying it in public without a legitimate reason is an offence in France and in most European countries. It is the buyer's responsibility to check the law that applies where the order is delivered before purchasing.