Affordable, Customizable Cult Favorite: Flytanium BEEF Review

Among outdoor tools, knives offer the widest range of choices — intimidating for some, opportunity for others. If you rely on a knife every day, having one tailored to your needs is a real advantage.

Flytanium, a Blade HQ brand originally known for its titanium aftermarket scales, began making its own knives in 2021. Since then, the brand has found a niche with the real EDC faithful. I’m one of them. It’s a habit that guarantees I’m never without a pen, lighter, or knife.

Last December, Flytanium launched the BEEF: a full-size folding knife marketed as nothing fancy, just gets the job done. At $60 with a no-questions-asked warranty (usually reserved for pricier brands), it’s already appealing. But the BEEF can also be customized beyond compare. Blade steel, hardware, scales, pivot bearings — you can turn the BEEF into a knife that’s uniquely yours.

In short: The Flytanium BEEF is a choose-your-own-adventure knife for those who choose their own adventures. Out of the box, this $60 knife is great for everyday use, indoors and outdoors. However, for those who like a knife that can meet more rigorous demands, or those who want to mix up unique color combos, Flytanium offers customizable parts and upgrades.

Flytanium BEEF Knife Review

Design and Features: Overall

The Flytanium BEEF is a large EDC folding knife with a variety of options. You can upgrade or replace almost everything on the knife (more on this below).

Some folks might find it too big, but I find the size of the BEEF aids in its versatility. Its 3.5-inch modified drop point blade — available in 14C28N, D2, and S90V — is great for slicing, cutting, shaving, drawing, piercing, and chopping.

Additionally, the BEEF also carries nested steel liners, G10 handle scales, and pivot bearings. These aid in both the structure and overall function of the knife. 

G10 scales would have been ample enough to keep the foundation of the BEEF strong and dependable. However, the addition of steel liners conveys the message that this knife is ready for hard use in any conditions.

Finally, for a lock, Flytanium went with the always-reliable crossbar lock. Not only has this lock mechanism proven to be one of the strongest, if not the strongest, but it also aids in the overall ease of use.

BEEF (Stock)

Off the shelf, the BEEF comes stock with a 14C28N blade, as well as everything I mentioned in the overall description above. 14C28 is a budget steel great for everyday life. It is primarily known for its corrosion resistance, ease of sharpening, and decent toughness.

The pivot bearings on the stock BEEF are stainless steel ball bearings pressed into a polymer cage. This improves the overall operation of the knife and increases its fidget factor. For $60, this is a fantastic knife for most users.

BEEF (Modified)

In terms of modifications for the BEEF, the sky is the limit. That being the case, I upgraded the blade steel to S90V and the stock pivot bearings to Skiff bearings. I left everything else stock.

S90V is a premium stainless steel that far exceeds 14C28N in everything except ease of resharpening. For that, you’re going to need to go a little zen with your favorite stone, sharpener, or sharpening system.

Additionally, I upgraded the pivot bearings to Skiff Rocket Glide Bearings. These suckers are smooth as silk. Instead of stainless steel bearings and a polymer cage, these are ceramic bearings pressed into a solid phosphor bronze cage. These pivot bearings will last longer and do not require any additional lubrication.

Initial Reaction

I sat on the BEEF for a little while before considering testing and reviewing it. Eventually, the pictures I saw in different knife groups, along with the overall reaction from the people who had purchased one, convinced me that I should get one. I went with the Dark Moss version with the stonewashed blade.

A huge fan of D2, I really wanted to get my hands on that blade to swap out the stock 14C28N blade with, but Flytanium was out of stock. They decided to send me the S90V blade along with the Skiff Bearings instead.

First and foremost: yes, this is a large folding knife for EDC. However, if you’re someone who spends a lot of time in the outdoors, as I do, larger folding knives tend to prove their worth early on in your adventures out there. I will say that this is especially true in the colder months, when you may have to chip away at ice or scrape away snow to get at good material for a tinder bundle.

Off the bat, I loved the opening and closing action on the blade. As of late, there have been some issues with crossbar locks from different brands. Out of the box, they tend to hang up and are hard to open and close when actuating the crossbar. That wasn’t the case with the BEEF. In fact, everything from the machining to the overall build was beyond impressive for a $60 knife.

Out in the Field / Upgrades

I was so impressed with the stock bearings and 14C28N blade that I didn’t update the BEEF for the first week of working with it. 14C28N can be sticky sharp; the kind of sharp that causes stitches to happen.

Where I didn’t run into a situation where I shed any blood, I can attest that the blade was incredibly sharp. It pressed through cordage and rope clean and smooth. No slicing needed — just a push down from the spine. No fraying at all.

However, I could hear that S90V blade and those Skiff bearings calling my name on the wind. So, I went into the workshop and made the swap. The breakdown of the BEEF and putting it back together is fairly easy.

The scales screw into the steel liners with T8 screws, and then the liners are pinned in place for tool-free disassembly and reassembly. The whole process took me 15 minutes.

Worth the Upgrades?

Honestly, I didn’t see much of a difference between the two bearing styles. The overall benefit of the Skiff bearings is that they don’t need lubrication. As a firm believer in the less need for maintenance the better, I see the value in making the upgrade overall.

That said, upgrading the blade to S90V is something I’ll highly recommend for anyone who puts a lot of demand on their knives. Where I like how 14C28N performs on a regular basis, S90V is built for war. It’s tough as nails, and the modified drop-point blade shape, coupled with the premium steel, allowed for smooth and efficient hole boring and piercing.

All in all, in the 3 weeks that I carried and used this knife, I can tell you that most of you will be happy enough with the 14C28N blade. Spend the $60 and brag to all your buddies how it’s an absolute steal. It’s you hardcore users and abusers that should consider spending the extra $79 to upgrade to the S90V.

Additionally, if you plan on getting your BEEF dirty and gritty, the $13 for the Skiff bearings will be well worth it. That puts you at around $150 for a premium folding knife built for all conditions.

In Conclusion

Even with tariffs wreaking havoc on foreign goods, we’re still seeing a plethora of knives coming from other parts of the world that make your eyes go wide with how affordable they are. This folding knife is a great example of that. From stock materials and build to the numerous ways it can be upgraded, your base price always remains $60.

For that $60, you not only get a reliable and adaptable knife ripe for outdoor mischief, but you also get a well-rounded warranty to back it up. That being the case, I think users of all levels will find it hard to break the BEEF. It’s strong and resilient.

Overall, anyone looking for an over-the-top workhorse in a folder will find themselves very happy with the BEEF. It’s great in the outdoors for work and play, but it will fit in just fine for whatever you have planned for your indoor adventures as well.