Ultralight Urban EDC: ‘Fellhoelter Frikky’ Review

[leadin]Small, light and simple, this knife uses friction in the place of a locking mechanism and is perfect for urban everyday carry.[/leadin]

The Fellhoelter Frikky ($160) couples a 1 7/8″ blade with a bottle opener in a sleek design. It takes up virtually no space in a pocket, making for an always-there knife that won’t get in your way.

We tested this model, available exclusively at KnifeArt.com, and found it a useful companion, albeit far too small for serious food prep or camp tasks. Read on for the complete review.

Fellhoelter Design

Brian Fellhoelter is something of a design polymath. He has designed and made, mostly by hand, a very well-received pen, pencil, flashlight, and many different knives. His clean, rugged aesthetic and fastidious attention to detail produce amazing gear, and his compact version of the Triple Aught Design Dauntless is one of my favorite knives ever made.

Unfortunately, the design brilliance comes at a very high price. Getting a Fellhoelter knife in your pocket usually sets you back $750 to $1000.

But his Frikky knife, reviewed here, bucks that high-price trend at about $160.

Simplicity In ‘Friction Folder’

This is a simple, small, and useful tool. It is a folding knife that lacks a lock, using an extra long tang (you keep your thumb on this extension to keep it open) and friction to hold the blade in place.

When closed, that same long tang forms the top of an effective bottle opener.

As a small EDC knife, a backup blade, or something that drops comfortably into the top pocket of a shirt, the Frikky is a great option. It’s not something you could tackle fire prep with, but as an urban EDC it’s solid.

The knife runs a small (under 2″) wharncliffe blade. The handle scales are liner-less G10. I got one to review from KnifeArt.com, where it is available for $160.

The Frikky model here is an exclusive “arctic gray” model with a stonewashed finish. It weighs in at around 0.8 ounces.

Superb Knife Finish

Overall, the fit and finish on the knife is superb, as it is with all Fellhoelter products. The grind is exceptional, even with crisp grind lines and visually perfect plunge lines.

The knife is sturdy despite the tiny size. The G10 is coarse, but not shreddy. The knife feels comfortable in the hand, even when opening sturdy cardboard boxes and other medium-duty packages.

I wouldn’t push the knife beyond something like light whittling, but in its intended role, I never felt like it would fail. The bottle opener is superb, an almost-effortless one pull opener.

The only real drawback I can find is that as an urban or light duty EDC, it is a little too small to help with food prep.

You can peel an apple all day long thanks to the superb edge and great steel that the knife came with, but it would have to be a very small apple for you to split it into wedges.

If you want something to drop in a pair of slacks and accompany you to the bar after work the Frikky is hard to beat. And it’s very unlikely you’ll find another Fellhoelter blade approaching its modest $160 price tag.