Welcome, Guest
Johan van Deventer (b. 1969), better known as JD, is a talented knifemaker based in Bloemfontein, Central South Africa, where he lives with his wife Annamarie, his two sons (Adrian and Stefan), and his daughter, the youngest, Limé.
JD’s journey as an artist started in music, inspired by his mother, a devoted music teacher. From an early age, music was woven into his life. He began playing the violin at 7 years old and was part of the Central Free State Youth Symphony Orchestra through his school years, later performing with the professional Central Symphony Orchestra.
Classical music wasn’t his only passion, however. His love for rock and rock ballads led him to explore electric guitar, bass, and double bass during his high school years, playing in various local bands and eventually pursuing a professional career culminating in performing for over a year on the MSC Sinfonia cruise liner in 1998. Today, JD continues to perform with a group of classical musicians every other Monday on YouTube.
Beginning in 2018, JD’s three children were homeschooled, with his eldest son, Adrian, receiving his high school diploma in 2024. Teaching is led by JD’s wife, Annamarie, who holds a qualified teaching degree. Homeschooling is a significant commitment and not an easy choice, but it brought stability and flexibility to their family life, allowing them to support each other more effectively while pursuing their individual passions and responsibilities.
JD’s workshop is on a small farm on the outskirts of Bloemfontein. He completed his current workshop in 2019 and moved in just before the major lockdown in March 2020. There, his family embraces an idyllic life of small-scale farmers. They started with 12 chickens in a ground-level coop and added rabbits housed above them. This setup allowed rabbit waste to fall to the coop floor, where the chickens continuously turn and aerate it, creating nutrient-rich compost -- an organic gardener’s dream. The rabbits provide them with a source of non-GMO, homegrown meat, while the chickens supply fresh eggs.
Over the years, their two boys (Adrian and Stefan) have helped in Johan’s workshop and have even completed some knives on their own. Meanwhile, Limé collects and sells the eggs to regular customers. This lifestyle has not only enriched their family life but also taught their children valuable lessons about hard work, responsibility, and the rewards of self-sufficiency.
Like many successful knifemakers, JD developed his skills across a winding road of occupations. Spray painting and body repair were among his favorite courses during his time at technical high school. After completing his training with the South African Defense Force, JD earned his spray painting qualification two years later. For the next decade, he worked in the auto body industry spray painting and restoring cars. This was followed by 17 years running a used car dealership.
Van Deventer started making knives as a part time hobby in 2005, initially making his knives in a tiny room outside his house that he had converted into a workshop. In 2007, Johan proudly became a member of the Knifemakers’ Guild of Southern Africa and in 2008, he joined the Bloemfontein Knife Makers Club. In 2007, JD met renowned knifemaker Andre Thorburn, whose guidance helped shape his skills and approach to knifemaking. For several years JD and Andre shared hotel rooms while traveling to shows in the US. While sitting in the room after the busy day, they had ample time to share knifemaking ideas and talk about pros and cons of certain methods and the machinery. As his passion and skills grew, he was able to make the jump to become a full time knifemaker in 2012.
JD has won numerous awards including Best Art Folder (Bloemfontein Knife Show), Best Art Folder (Baobab Knife Show, 2013), Best Working Folder (Bloemfontein Knife Show), and Best Knife of Show (Bloemfontein Knife Show). In 2017, he was cited in Blade Magazine’s Hottest Makers’ Hottest Knives. His work has been published numerous times in Knives Annual and Blade Magazine.
Though he still occasionally makes fixed blades, JD specializes in high performance folding knives. He is inspired by the beauty of functional art and the intricacies of knife design. His commitment to craftsmanship is evident in each piece he creates. JD’s custom knives are made by hand. The pantograph and his manually controlled Swiss milling machines are his preferred tools. He prefers to use high quality cutlery steels for his hand ground blades such as damascus, M390, N690, CPM-154, Elmax, and ATS-34 to ensure excellent edge holding. He works with both high-quality synthetics such as carbon fiber and G-10 as well as natural materials such as exotic woods, ivory, and mammoth molar for the handles. Titanium is also often a popular choice since it provides strength while keeping the knife light and nimble. Many of his folders utilize the IKBS (Ikoma Korth Bearing System) pivot, providing some of the smoothest action found anywhere. While JD’s knives are built to be used, they could easily be cherished in any serious knife collection.
Cruz Flipper with 3D Machined C-Tek and Black G10 (IKBS) |
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Cruz Flipper with 3D Machined Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Cruz Flipper with Burgundy Micarta and Silver Strike Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Cruz Flipper with Earth Brown Micarta and Silver Strike Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Cruz Flipper with OD Green G10 (IKBS) - M390 |
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Cruz Flipper with Textured Black G10 (IKBS) |
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Cruz Flipper with Textured Black G10 (IKBS) |
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Cruz Flipper with Textured Orange and Black G10 (IKBS) |
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Cruz Flipper with Textured Orange and Black G10 (IKBS) |
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Damascus Pinstripe Premium with Marble Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (IKBS) |
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Damascus Pinstripe with Antique Westinghouse Micarta and Timascus (IKBS) |
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EDC B with Stacked Carbon Fiber and G10 (IKBS) |
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EDC Bolster Lock with Carbon Fiber Inlays (IKBS) |
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EDC Bolster Lock with Marbled Carbon Fiber and Damasteel (IKBS) |
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EDC Bolster Lock with Marbled Carbon Fiber Inlays (IKBS) |
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EDC Framelock Front Flipper with Black G10 |
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EDC Framelock Front Flipper with Black G10 and Blue/Black Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber |
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EDC Framelock Front Flipper with Black G10 and Malachite |
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EDC Framelock Front Flipper with Black G10 and Mammoth Molar |
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EDC Framelock Front Flipper with Black G10 and Raffir |
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EDC Framelock Front Flipper with Carbon Fiber |
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EDC Framelock Front Flipper with Carbon Fiber |
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EDC Framelock Front Flipper with Ivory G10 and Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber |
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EDC Framelock Front Flipper with Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber |
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EDC Framelock Front Flipper with White G10 and Blue C-Tek |
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EDC Framelock with Black G-10 and Red and Black LSCF by JD Van Deventer |
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EDC Framelock with Black/Purple Camo G-10 |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Arctic Storm FatCarbon Inlays |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Arctic Storm FatCarbon Inlays |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Arctic Storm FatCarbon Inlays (IKBS) |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Black/Green Carbon Fiber Inlays (IKBS) |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Blue C-Tek Inlays (IKBS) |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Blue/Black Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Blue/White FatCarbon and SG2 Damascus San Mai (IKBS) |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Canvas Micarta Inlays (IKBS) |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Canvas Micarta Inlays (IKBS) |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with FatCarbon Inlays |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with FatCarbon Inlays |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with FatCarbon Inlays |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Green FatCarbon (IKBS) |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Jungle Wear FatCarbon Inlays |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber Inlays |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Marble Carbon Fiber Inlays |
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EDC Front Flipper Bolster Lock with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber Inlays |
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Gold Midi Flipper with Black and Blue Carbon Fiber (IKBS) - CTS-XHP |
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Gold Midi Flipper with Black and Yellow Carbon Fiber (IKBS) - CTS-XHP |
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Gold Midi Flipper with Blue Twill and Marble Carbon Fiber (IKBS) - M390 |
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Gold Midi Flipper with Carbon Fiber and Black Timascus (IKBS) |
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Gold Midi Flipper with Carbon Fiber and Orange G-10 (IKBS) - M390 |
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Gold Midi Flipper with Carbon Fiber and Orange G-10 (IKBS) - M390 |
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Gold Midi Flipper with Carbon Fiber and Timascus Pivot Collar (IKBS) - M390 |
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Gold Midi Flipper with Fluted Carbon Fiber (IKBS) - CTS-XHP |
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Gold Midi Flipper with Fluted Carbon Fiber (IKBS) - CTS-XHP |
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Gold Midi Flipper with Fluted Red Carbon Fiber (IKBS) - CTS-XHP |
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Gold Midi Flipper with Marble Carbon Fiber (IKBS) - CTS-XHP |
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Gold Midi Flipper with Marble Carbon Fiber and FatCarbon (IKBS) - M390 |
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Gold Midi Flipper with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber and Blackwood Carbon Fiber (IKBS) - M390 |
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Gold Midi Premium Flipper with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber, Zirconium, and Black Timascus (IKBS) - M390 |
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Gold Midi Premium with Marbled Carbon Fiber, Zirconium, Titanium Damascus, and SG2 San Mai Damascus (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Black G10, Marble Carbon Fiber and Timascus Pivot Collar (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Blue Twill (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Blue/Silver Carbon Fiber and Zirconium Pivot Collar (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Carbon Fiber and Timascus Pivot Collar (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Carbon Fiber and Timascus Pivot Collar (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Carbon Fiber, Orange G10 and Zirconium Pivot Collar (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Copper Wire Carbon Fiber and Timascus Pivot Collar (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Fluted Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Green Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber and Mokume Pivot Collar (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber and Mokume Pivot Collar (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Marble Carbon Fiber and Timascus (Ceramic IKBS) - CPM-154 |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Red Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Red/Black Carbon Fiber, Zirconium, and Timascus Pivot Collar (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Shred Carbon Fiber and Titanium Pivot Collar (Ceramic IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber and Zirconium Pivot Collar (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini Flipper with Silver Twill (IKBS) |
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Gold Mini with Black G10 and Curly Maple Burl (IKBS) |
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Gold Standard Field Grade with Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber (Double Row IKBS) |
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Gold Standard Flipper with Black/Blue Carbon Fiber and White Timascus (Double Row IKBS) |
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Gold Standard Flipper with Blue Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber and White Timascus (Double Row IKBS) |
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Gold Standard Flipper with Carbon Fiber (Double Row IKBS) |
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Gold Standard Flipper with Carbon Fiber and Titanium (Double Row IKBS) |
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Gold Standard Flipper with Carbon Fiber and White Timascus (Double Row IKBS) |
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Gold Standard Flipper with Carbon Fiber and White Timascus (Double Row IKBS) - M390 |
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Gold Standard Flipper with Carbon Fiber and White Timascus (Double Row IKBS) - M390 |
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Gold Standard Flipper with Carbon Fiber and White Timascus (Double Row IKBS) - M390 - LEFT HANDED!! |
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Gold Standard Flipper with Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber |
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Gold Standard Flipper with Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber and Mokume (Double Row IKBS) |
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Gold Standard Flipper with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber and White Timascus (Double Row IKBS) |
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Gold Standard Flipper with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (Double Row IKBS) |
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Gold Standard Flipper with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (Double Row IKBS) |
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Gold Standard Full Dress Flipper with Damascus, Zirconium, and Titanium Damascus (Dual Row Ceramic IKBS) |
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Gold Standard Full Dress Flipper with Marbled Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (Double Row IKBS) |
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Gold Standard Full Dress with Carbon Fiber, Zirconium, and Titanium Damascus (Double Row IKBS) |
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Gold Standard with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber and Damascus (Double Row IKBS) |
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Iridium Bolster Lock Flipper with Titanium and Blue Dark Matter FatCarbon |
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Iridium Bolster Lock Flipper with Titanium and Thunderstorm Kevlar (IKBS) - CTS-XHP |
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Iridium Flipper - Blacked Out |
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Iridium Flipper with Entropic Finished Titanium Inlays (IKBS) - CTS-XHP |
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Iridium Flipper with Entropic Finished Titanium Inlays (IKBS) - CTS-XHP |
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Iridium Framelock Flipper with Marble Carbon Fiber and Titanium (IKBS) - ATS-34 |
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Iridium Framelock Flipper with Vintage Micarta and Titanium (IKBS) - ATS-34 |
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JN Flipper with Orange G10 |
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JN Flipper with Orange G10 |
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Kenpachi Flipper Tanto with Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Kenpachi Flipper Tanto with Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Kenpachi Flipper Tanto with Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Kenpachi Flipper Tanto with Orange G-10 and Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Kenpachi Flipper Tanto with Orange G-10 and Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Kenpachi Flipper Tanto with Red and Black Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Kenpachi Flipper Tanto with Yellow G-10 and Silver Twill (IKBS) |
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Kenpachi Flipper with Carved Copper (IKBS) |
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Kenpachi Flipper with Green G10 and Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Kenpachi Flipper with Red and Black Carbon Fiber and Orange G10 - M390 |
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Kenpachi with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (IKBS) |
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Little Bit Front Flipper with Black and Blue Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Little Bit Front Flipper with Black and Blue Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Little Bit Front Flipper with Carbon Fiber and G10 (IKBS) |
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Little Bit Front Flipper with Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber and Red G10 (IKBS) |
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Little Bit Front Flipper with Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (IKBS) |
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Little Bit Front Flipper with Red/Black Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber and Zirconium |
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Neck Knife with Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber |
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Palladium Flipper with Carbon Fiber and Black Timascus (IKBS) - M390 |
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Palladium Flipper with Fluted Carbon Fiber (IKBS) - M390 |
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Palladium Flipper with Marble Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (IKBS) - M390 |
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Palladium Flipper with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (IKBS) |
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Pinstripe Field Lux with Red/Black Carbon Fiber |
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Pinstripe Field Lux with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Pinstripe Field Lux with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Pinstripe Flipper - Premium with Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (IKBS) |
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Pinstripe Flipper - Premium with Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (IKBS) |
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Pinstripe Flipper - Premium with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (IKBS) |
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Pinstripe Flipper with Black and Grey G10 |
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Pinstripe Flipper with Black/Red Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Pinstripe Flipper with Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Pinstripe Flipper with G10 |
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Pinstripe Flipper with Grey G10 |
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Pinstripe Flipper with Ivory G10 |
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Pinstripe Flipper with Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber |
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Pinstripe Flipper with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber |
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Pinstripe with Antique Westinghouse Micarta and Timascus (IKBS) |
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Pinstripe with Blue Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (IKBS) |
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Pinstripe with Canvas Micarta and Zirconium (IKBS) |
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Pinstripe with Damascus, Silver Strike Carbon Fiber, and Zirconium (IKBS) |
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Pinstripe with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (IKBS) |
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Pinstripe with Star Strike Carbon Fiber and Zirconium (IKBS) |
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Silver Dress Front Flipper with Westinghouse Micarta and Black Timascus (IKBS) |
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Silver Flipper Premium - LEFT HANDED (Two sets of Scales!) - SG2 San Mai Stainless Damascus |
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Silver Front Flipper with Black and Blue Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Silver Front Flipper with Burgundy Canvas Micarta and Thunderstorm Kevlar (IKBS) |
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Silver Front Flipper with Copper Wire Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Silver Front Flipper with Fluted Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Silver Front Flipper with Fluted Carbon Fiber (IKBS) - 12C27 |
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Silver Front Flipper with Fluted Carbon Fiber (IKBS) - CPM-154 |
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Silver Front Flipper with Lightning Strike Carbon Fiber (IKBS) - CPM-154 |
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Silver Front Flipper with Marble and Silver Strike Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Silver Front Flipper with Red and Black Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Silver Front Flipper with Silver Strike Carbon Fiber (IKBS) |
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Titanium EDC Framelock Front Flipper (IKBS) |
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Titanium EDC Framelock Front Flipper (IKBS) |
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Titanium EDC Framelock Front Flipper (IKBS) |
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Titanium EDC Framelock Front Flipper (IKBS) |
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Titanium EDC Framelock Front Flipper (IKBS) |
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Wharnecliffe with Grey G10 |
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