Forged in collaboration: A modern EDC blade that balances precision and restraint
Social Media Collaboration
Modern-day blades can be intimidating—many on the market today feel overly aggressive and, at times, not all that functional. I’ve long dreamed of creating an everyday carry (EDC) blade that’s brutally effective yet streamlined in its aesthetic.
Mak (short for Makenna Ryan) and I connected on Instagram and quickly became fans of each other’s work. By day, he’s an engineer, but in his off-hours, he’s found a real passion for hand-fabricating blades.
// Credits: Design -- Jacob Ballard, Fabrication -- Makenna Ryan //
“Jacob brings a refined eye and thoughtful approach—our partnership was seamless and a pleasure throughout.”
— Mak Ryan, Engineer and Fabricator
Mak and I downselected our top ideas post-ideation, refined them visually, and advanced the strongest to initial prototypes.
Cardboard prototypes clarified hand feel and helped refine subtle angles in real time.
Prototyping helped finalize the design, which was then rendered to guide fabrication.
Finally, a full-scale set of orthographics was created for print and fabrication handoff.
Check out the clean jimping detail and drilled holes for Mak’s custom G10 handle scales—sharp work all around.
