Born and raised Minnesotan Jacob Lundquist is the designer of the Kizer Varatas. He's got a Bachelor’s of Science in Design, has been an Industrial Designer, CNC Machinist, Manufacturing Engineer for nearly 20 years. He's been a knife guy for a long time, and can’t remember a time where he did not have a pocket knife. In 2021 he started Qvist Bladeworks, and subsequently Jacob Lundquist Design. He feels collaborations open up the EDC world. You can be more free to experiment and design more than just knives.
The Varatas is a titanium framelock, with a S35VN blade, and milled pocket clip. The knife sports a 3.27” blade, 4.41” handle, and a 7.68” overall. What makes the Vertas special is the handle, the titanium handle material and frame lock structure make it form an echo cavity. The knife will create a tone as you lock the blade into place. Lots of knives have a sound as the lock bar snaps into place, and the blade hits the stop pin. When the lock bar snaps into place the sound reverberates create this beautifully authoritative sound. What I like even more than the acoustics is the unique texture on the handles. The regular triangular patterns are not only visually striking, but make that titanium quite grippy. This finish is unlike anything else I've seen, and it's something I'd like to see more of. Sound and texture are nothing compared to ergonomics, which the Varatas has plenty of. The heel of the handle curves perfectly, nestling in my palm. The index guard follows this geometric theme, and while being square it's very comfortable. The knife features non aggressive jimping on the spine, that's accessible in regular grip as well as choking up on the finger choil.
The blade steel is S35VN steel in a drop point fashion. This premium steel seems to be the benchmark for a lot of manufacturers. It's marginally better than the aging S30VN while still being relevant. Opening the blade is done via a thumb hole or front flipper. Thumb hole opening can be a little stiff due to a strong detent, but the blade fires out with that front flipper. The flipper tab is fairly pronounced making deployment super easy. The drop point shape makes it a good balance for daily activities. Some profiles make for little to no point and more belly, but the Varatas has plenty of point to tackle piercing tasks. The premium steel performed on par with its reputation. Edge held well for days worth of various tasks at work. Touch up was a breezing, needing only to use a higher grit to bring the edge back to sharp.
The whole thing is aesthetically pleasing, every line perfect. I firmly believe knives are a form of artistic expression. Some prefer sculpture, or perhaps paintings, but I prefer cold steel. The Varatas is from meets function, and looks good doing it. I've just learned about Jacob's work, and want to check out more of his designs.
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