If you have been around the knife world at all in the past 31 years, you’re aware of the sway the Sebenza has on the knife market. It is the benchmark by which all other high-end production folders are judged. Its simple shape and strong titanium framelock have appealed to knife knuts from the very beginning.
As a result, lots of brands have tried their hands at making a titanium framelock in their own style in hopes they’ll hit the same target the Sebenza does. Artisan calls its take on the icon the Satyr — and it is quite good. Its refined simplicity plays the same notes as the Sebenza, but it offers enough difference to make it a knife worth considering if you are in the market.
In short: Artisan Cutlery Satyr is a large, thin blade with a simple shape and stellar execution.
- Steel: S90V
- Grind: Partial flat grind
- Lock: Frame lock
- Blade length: 3.35"
- OAL: 7.76"
- Weight: 3.85 oz.
- Price: $200
- Country of origin: China
Pros
- Excellent slicing ability
- Clean, refined look
- Nicely machined handle for good grip
- Very good all-around steel
Cons
- A bit larger than you need for EDC
- Some might find the finger flick deployment awkward
Artisan Cutlery Satyr Knife Review
First Impressions
The first thing you notice when you get the Satyr in hand is just how clean it is. Two wide chamfers run along the handle within the middle portion of the blade covered. Very fine diagonal lines grace the handles as well. The hits are subtle, but quite grippy.
After that, you notice just how tall this blade is. A lot of knives live in this size range, 3.25-3.35 inches of blade length, but few are this tall. The blade on the Satyr is more than an inch wide, making the overall footprint of the knife feel like a Hershey bar — thin but very wide.
These two things set the tone for the rest of the blade. Good or bad, this knife is very nicely made with unusual dimensions.
Design & Materials
More than a decade ago, one of the first YouTube knife reviewers, Nutnfancy, talked about the importance of knives weighing less than 4 ounces. Over the years, I have found this threshold to be a good one. Knives under this weight seem manageable, while knives over it seem unnecessarily bulky.
On the weekends in jeans or during the week in slacks, even with the extra width, the Satyr carries well. In jeans, it basically disappears, and though in slacks, it’s noticeable but not obtrusive.
Deployment proved a bit tricky. You can, of course, slowly open it with your thumb like any other knife. But the Satyr is really designed to be flicked open with your middle finger. It is a bit tricky, but once you have the muscle memory, this method works exceptionally well — fast but secure.
I have been finger-flicking Spydercos and other knives for years, so I was used to the action. But if this is your first finger flick-opening knife, it will feel like a bit of finger yoga for sure.
The blade itself is S90V, an exceptionally hard-wearing steel that retains lots of corrosion resistance. Along with MagnaCut and M390, S90V sits at the top of the steel charts (circa 2024). The marketing claims that the blade is “sandblasted,” but it just looks like a foggy satin finish.
The clip here is also worth mentioning. It is a sculpted titanium clip with a “blind” attachment, meaning the clip is screwed into place with the screw head accessible only when the knife is disassembled. Not only is the clip nicely made, but it’s also low profile and stays out of the way when using the Satyr.
Use
In use, the Satyr is very capable. Thanks to the tall blade and a thin grind, it is a bit slicier than its Idaho-made inspiration. Over and over again, I was impressed by just how good a cutter this knife was. It tackled some heavy cardboard with ferocious aggression; it cut apples, cheese, and salami like a kitchen knife; and it handles marking tasks and fire prep work with ease.
The combination of high wear-resistant steel and superb grind make the Satyr a stellar EDC knife, especially if you have bigger hands. Additionally, the fine diagonal striations not only look nice, but they aksi provide good positive grip without being overly aggressive.
Conclusion
If the Satyr the Artisan’s swing at the Sebenza, it’s a competitive offering. It’s refined enough to utter in the same breath as the Sebenza, but different enough to merit consideration on its own.
I found it a bit large, as I prefer blades under 3 inches, but given its size and extra capabilities over a 3-inch knife, I found the carry trade-offs worthwhile given the increase in performance.
If you have large handles or prefer a larger EDC, the Satyr is an excellent choice. And it costs more than $200 less than the Sebenza with a steel that is roughly equal to — or better than — what the Sebenza has right now.
