Often regarded as one of the top budget knives, the Penguin has gone through countless iterations. We collaborated with QSP to go with a black tie look for our waddling Wharncliffe – combining the practical elements of the original with top shelf materials like marbled carbon fiber scales and S35VN blade steel.

Traditionally a linerlock knife, we upgraded to a titanium framelock for this edition: reliable, sturdy locking mechanism and dead center blade without any play (even after hours of flicking or weeks of use). All the elements of the fidgeting favorite penguin remain, including dual thumb stud openers, and ceramic ball bearing for smooth snappy action.

Rounding out the Penguin is full hardware upgrades with Anodized Titanium stand-offs, stop pin, screws, pivot screw, lock bar, and deep carry clip – all matching the clip side full Ti silver scales. A lightweight, formidable folder that checks all the boxes.

Perfectly centered, flat grind S35VN wharncliffe blade with thumb stud openers on both sides for snappy, easy deployment of the blade. A substantial upgrade over D2, S35VN is a sweet spot for steel hardness, ease of maintenance, and corrosion resistance. Jimping on the spine of the blade for better grip when cutting or carrying. QSP logo proudly engraved on the show side of the blade, with discreet engraving of S35VN on clip side. Available in both Satin or Stonewashed finishes.

Developed by Crucible Industries (one of the leading manufacturers of specialty steels for the cutlery industry) and Chris Reeve (arguably the most famous knifemaker in the world), S35VN is perhaps the most balanced blade steel ever created in terms of all-around performance. It’s made through a process of Crucible Particle Metallurgy (CPM), which results in near perfect consistency in the distribution of carbides. Compared to conventional melting practices, the CPM process produces a steel characterized by superior dimensional stability, grindability, and toughness.