Max Knives FPKPLS — Fred Perrin Folding Kiridashi, Satin 440C Blade

Overview

The FPKPLS takes the kiridashi, the Japanese marking tool, and folds it into a pocket: a 17.5 mm tanto blade in silver 440C steel with a satin finish, closing into a 78 mm kydex handle. Open, the knife reaches 104 mm. A bottle opener is cut into the blade, and paracord is fitted to the handle. The whole thing carries the signature of French knifemaker Fred Perrin.

What a kiridashi is

The kiridashi began as a small Japanese marking and cutting tool with a short chisel-ground blade, kept within reach by carpenters and craftsmen to score a workpiece, sharpen a pencil or split a fibre. That logic explains the 17.5 mm blade on the FPKPLS: the cut happens close to the fingers, with the control of a short tool rather than the reach of a conventional pocket knife. The tanto profile adds a crisp point for starting a line, and the bottle opener makes the FPKPLS something you also pull out well away from the workshop.

Technical specifications

Tanto blade in silver 440C steel, 17.5 mm long and 3 mm thick, plain edge, satin finish, with bottle opener. Kydex handle measuring 78 mm, which is also the closed length of the knife, fitted with paracord. Overall open length: 104 mm. The 17.5 mm blade therefore folds entirely inside the 78 mm handle, bottle opener and all.

Care

The satin finish on 440C comes back with a soft cloth worked along the polishing lines, after a dry wipe. A drop of fine oil on the pivot keeps the folding action even; the kydex handle rinses under clear water and dries quickly. The paracord can be washed with soapy water and left to air dry before the knife goes back in a pocket.

Legal notice. Carrying a knife in public without a legitimate reason is an offence in France and in most European countries. Check the law that applies where the order is delivered before purchasing.