The Folding Knife King Arthur Would Have Carried: Pro-Tech x Peace Neighbor ‘Avalon’ Review

When I was young, I went through a brief fascination with Arthurian legends. While it’s been a bit since I last cracked open The Once and Future King, I recognized the Avalon name right off. For the uninitiated, Avalon was the mystical island where the sword of legend, Excalibur, was created.

I don’t know that I’d go so far as to say the new Avalon folding knife from Pro-Tech and Peace Neighbor is a magical blade; it isn’t quite capable of cleaving armor or stone. It is, however, a formidable addition to an EDC lineup.

In short: The Avalon manual folder is a collaboration between Pro-Tech Knives and Peace Neighbor. It was designed by Shawn Ashmore, and then tweaked by the Pro-Tech team. It’s comparable in size to the Buck 110 Folding Hunter but is less than half the weight. The Avalon has a smooth action and is quite ergonomic. Though its $300 price tag is a significant investment, it’s a knife that will stick around for the long haul.

Pro-Tech Avalon Review

Real talk? It took me a bit to warm up to the Avalon. It’s a bit larger than I normally carry for a folding knife. In fact, I routinely carry pocket fixed blades that have a shorter overall length than the Avalon. But, man, when it finally clicked, the attraction was incredible and it hasn’t let up since.

Peace Neighbor is a new-ish lifestyle EDC company founded by actor Shawn Ashmore. He comes by his interest in knives honestly. While on set several years ago, his character was supposed to pry open a file cabinet with a knife. The prop team handed Ashmore a Microtech for the scene and he claims he was smitten, since becoming a full-fledged knife nerd — even going from collector to designer.

So he reached out to Pro-Tech Knives to collaborate on the Avalon, due to the stellar quality of the brand’s wares.

First Impressions

This is a big knife. It’s considerably longer than photos suggest. For those who are familiar with the classic Buck 110 Folding Hunter, 8.625 inches from end to end, the Avalon outstrips even that, stretching 9.25 inches long. The handle alone is 5.25 inches long!

Before you get scared away, let me assure you, it doesn’t carry like a huge knife. For starters, it weighs only 3.69 ounces, confirmed. I’ve had folders half this size that weigh more, and it’s substantially lighter than most folding knives of comparable size. It’s also fairly slim, just a quarter-inch wide across the back of the handle. All in all, it doesn’t take up quite as much real estate in the pocket as it feels like it should at first blush.

Interestingly, the size was initially sort of a mistake. When I spoke with Ashmore about the design and background of the Avalon, he said that when he’d sent over his drawing of the knife, the illustration was a bit larger than what the knife was intended to be. But Pro-Tech took it to be at a 1:1 scale and created the prototype to match. Later, the brand discovered the error, but found the knife actually worked out quite well at that size.

Design

The Avalon has dual thumb studs, and the blade swings open fast. The studs have some texturing that helps them easily catch on your thumb. When you disengage the button lock, the blade falls closed with zero hesitation. When closed, the blade is perfectly centered in the handle. The lock is robust, allowing for zero wiggle once engaged.

This knife arrived incredibly sharp. The blade has a keen edge from the needle tip all the way down. This wasn’t exactly a surprise, given Pro-Tech’s reputation for high-quality knives. The aluminum handle is textured for a positive grip, but not ridiculously so. It’s comfortably tactile and feels good in hand.

MagnaCut takes and holds a great edge, which is why it’s the knife industry’s current darling. Couple that with an ergonomic handle design and silky smooth action, and the Avalon is a great addition to the EDC lineup.

All in all, it’s a fairly simple knife, without a ton of bells and whistles. But that’s part of the appeal. The more complicated a knife gets, the more things that can go wrong during the build or when in use.

Putting It Through the Paces

I’ve had the Avalon for a few weeks. The knife rode in my pocket running errands around town, went on a few hikes, and worked on chores around the house. It was also flicked open and shut countless times while I worked at my desk.

I can’t get over how smooth the open and close action is on the Avalon. It feels absolutely frictionless. When you disengage the lock, the slightest nudge or movement folds the blade closed.

During a rummage sale last weekend, the Avalon saw heavy use as we brought everything out of storage to display on the driveway. I also used it to open a few toys for my granddaughter, and it made short work of those aggravating blister packs.

After using it for a few weeks, I put it through some more formal sorts of tests. The goal with this part of the evaluation isn’t really to see if the blade will cut, but rather how the knife handles while doing the cutting.

Out of curiosity, I picked up a toothpick and started whittling it. I was able to make a halfway decent feather stick, which was pretty impressive given the amount of cardboard and such the blade had already cut at that point.

Next up was some nylon webbed belt material. I picked up a roll of this about a year ago specifically for knife reviews. The Avalon sliced through the belt repeatedly without any issues. There were a few cuts that left some frayed material behind, but nothing that concerned me.

Then came the leather test. I used long pull cuts and the leather parted easily. I was watching for snags, where the blade might catch on the material rather than cut, but there were none.

Finally, I started cutting through a thick piece of sisal rope. This stuff is nasty, which is the point. Not unexpectedly, I had to do some sawing to get through it, but the knife showed no signs of abuse.

Paracord also posed no trouble. I was able to cut through four pieces of it at once without issue. Nipping those pieces smaller and smaller with a push cut was equally easy.

At every step, the Avalon was a dream to work with, despite my initial misgivings about the size and length of the knife. It’s light and well-balanced, lending itself well to extended use. The only concern I would have is that in some workplace settings, Human Resources might want to see the knife.

Who Needs This Knife?

The Avalon is the type of EDC knife that is at home in an urban environment as well as out in the sticks. The blade is a little thin for any sort of prying or similar heavy-duty tasks. Then again, folding knives — even most knives in general — aren’t well-suited to that sort of work anyway.

With a $300 price tag, this isn’t a casual purchase for a lot of people. But it’s a knife that will last quite a long time with just a little care and maintenance. I could easily see the Avalon being passed down to the next generation after several years of regular use. I don’t know about you, but I like that in a knife.