Max Knives MKES1M — Ulys by Stéphane Espi, CPM-20CV folder, brown micarta

Overview

The Ulys, the folder drawn by French knifemaker Stéphane Espi and released by Max Knives, in brown: a 110 mm terracotta micarta handle and an 80 mm light satin drop point blade in CPM-20CV steel, with a flipper opening on ball bearings and a liner lock. 189 mm open, 106 grams, and a First Run limited to 300 numbered pieces. Brown micarta is one of the three handle colours offered for this knife, alongside light blue and black.

Micarta as a handle material

Micarta is a laminate: layers of cloth, linen, cotton or paper depending on the recipe, impregnated with resin, pressed and then machined from solid. The result is a handle that does not move with humidity, remains pleasant to the touch in cold weather where metal turns cold, and whose grip increases rather than decreases when the hand is wet. On this model it is tinted in a terracotta brown that sets off the light satin blade and the drop point shape drawn by Stéphane Espi.

The Ulys is one of the knives of the Stéphane Espi x MaxKnives collaboration: the knifemaker's background, the design of the model and its three versions are presented there in detail.

Flipper on bearings, liner lock, titanium clip and backspacer

What the specification table does not tell you is in the mechanism. The Ulys opens with a flipper: a press of the index finger on the tab protruding from the spine, and the blade swings out in one movement, riding on ball bearings that make the opening smooth and consistent. In the open position, the liner-lock plate moves behind the tang of the blade; to close, push it aside with your thumb. The pocket clip and the backspacer are made of titanium, a metal that does not oxidise and adds no weight to the knife. Each piece of the First Run carries its number.

CPM-20CV, a powder metallurgy steel

CPM-20CV is not an everyday steel. It is a stainless steel with a very high chromium and vanadium content, made by powder metallurgy: the steel is atomised into fine particles and then consolidated under heat, which spreads the carbides evenly through the whole mass instead of letting them gather into clusters. It is the highest-grade steel in the Max Knives catalogue, where blades are usually made of 440C, 12C27, N690 or D2.

Care

CPM-20CV is a richly alloyed stainless steel: a wipe after use and dry storage are all it asks. Its heavy carbide content makes for a long-lasting edge; bringing that edge back, on the other hand, calls for a diamond or ceramic stone able to bite into those carbides, always at the original angle. Micarta cleans up with lukewarm water and dries quickly; the titanium of the clip and backspacer needs nothing. A drop of fine oil on the pivot and behind the liner-lock plate keeps the action even. Do not disassemble the knife: contact us before any work on the mechanism.