For the last several years, Ben Petersen has been pretty busy. Before running EDC knife brand Knafs full time, he designed noteworthy cutting tools for other brands. Most notably, he designed the Civivi Baby Banter 6.
However, that stout cutting tool didn’t quench his thirst for small folders. So, he returned to the drawing board and, a few years later, crafted the insanely affordable Knafs Lander 5 — what could be one of the best starter knives of all time.
The first cut
It’s no coincidence that I dubbed the Knafs Lander 5 a starter knife. That was Petersen’s entire intent. He wanted to create the ultimate “first knife” — a cutting tool folks new to EDC might start their collection (read: obsession) with.
This goal was born of Petersen’s personal history with EDC knives — he spent his teens in the Boy Scouts, acquiring scars (and skills) from Swiss Army Knives. However, with 14 years of knifemaking under his belt, he was finally ready to craft a knife design for kids like him.
But that isn’t as simple as sketching a pocketknife design. It required consideration and planning. Petersen had to craft a design that stood up to punishment, boasted worthwhile materials and mechanisms, and (most importantly) was affordable and approachable.