Slipjoint knives are reemerging in popularity across the knife market. Slipjoint knives are non-locking knives that are usually, but not always, opened with two hands and held open and closed with some sort of spring mechanism. Considering the skyrocketing demand for traditional slipjoints like those made by Great Eastern Cutlery to the myriad of modern knife brands bringing slipjoint designs to the market, it’s safe to say that the knife community has its eyes on these enigmatic non-locking knives.
What led me to my interest in Jack Wolf Knives?
Recently, at the 2021 GEC Rendezvous, I got the chance to meet the creator of Jack Wolf Knives, Ben Belkin. Ben is a member of several slipjoint focused Facebook groups I participate in, and I became aware of his upcoming brand through his postings there and on Instagram. Ben has designed a veritable brigade of models, all with traditional pattern inspirations but modern construction and materials. He attended Blade Show this year and garnered a lot of attention across social media, including with some of the larger online knife dealers like BladeHQ. Having been intrigued by some of the Jack Wolf patterns I saw Ben post online, I was glad to hear he’d be attending the Rendezvous, and looking forward to meeting him and getting to check out the prototype models in person.
What are my thoughts on the Jack Wolf Knives prototype knives?
Ben brought prototypes of the first batch of upcoming Jack Wolf Knives models to the Rendezvous. He said he got a lot of valuable feedback at Blade Show and was hoping to get more at the Rendezvous.
My first impression of the knives was that they looked how I expect high quality modern slipjoints to look, but with some unique design elements. The titanium bolsters are integral, meaning they are part of the same billet that also forms the liners. The covers, all micarta on these prototypes, are surprisingly thin. At the edges, I’d say they’re no more than 3mm thick, though they do seem to have some sculpting that should make them a little thicker in the center. Ben said that this thinness was to allow the liners to be thicker and allow for more threading for the attachment screws, and I imagine it also reduces the machining necessary to create the space for the cover material. The fitting of the covers was overall really finely done, with no major gaps that I noticed.
The action was really smooth on all models, with only one model having a bit lazy snap to closed (due to the design of the tang, which Ben was aware of and planned to fix) and the others having crisp action and solid pulls.
While I didn’t cut with any of them (obviously) the blades were ground to a nice thin high hollow grind that Ben said is either completely hand ground or at least hand finished. I had noticed that one model’s edge didn’t go all the way to the choil in a picture Ben posted previous to the Rendezvous, which he said would be corrected in production, but was happy to see that that was only the case on one of the prototypes.
I found all of the prototypes to be quite ergonomic and some, like the Vampire Jack and Venom Jack, deceptively so. I do think the Laid Back Jack, a swayback pattern, could have a more continual / gradual curve to the butt of the handle. That said, some vintage swaybacks do have a similarly abrupt upturn to the end of the handle.
Now, currently the Jack Wolf Knives site shows all models at $275. I’d be dishonest if I didn’t say that this is out of my normal price range for knives, especially slipjoints. It sits a bit above some of the popular modern slipjoints like the Benchmade Proper and LionSteel BestMan. However, I’m sure the integral build style increases production costs and they’re in the same price range as other similar knives from the same manufacturer.
By the way, these knives are made by Reate. Reate does OEM for several higher end knife brands, including the Peña production knives. I don’t personally have much, if any, experience with Reate made knives but I’ve heard good things about their manufacturing quality and consistency.
I think my main takeaway from checking out the Jack Wolf Knives prototypes was Ben’s genuine desire for feedback and willingness to consider the opinions of other slipjoint enthusiasts. I really appreciate that quality in a knife designer and company. Ben has already made some design improvements based upon feedback he has received, including on the below Vampire Jack. The prototypes I got to see were really nice knives, but I’m confident that Ben’s emphasis on improvement will ensure that the models that Jack Wolf Knives brings to market are the best possible versions.
What’s the story behind Jack Wolf Knives?
As interesting as the prototype knives were, I was even more eager to hear about the story behind Jack Wolf Knives. Apparently, it all began with Ben being a collector of Enrique Peña custom slipjoints. Over the years a friendship was sparked, and when Enrique decided to start a line of production knives he asked Ben for his help due to his experience as an entrepreneur. The project ended up being a huge success, as I’m sure many readers who enjoy slipjoints and traditional knives will know considering the popularity of the Peña X series, and Enrique offered Ben his help if ever needed.
Fast forward a bit, and Ben decides he would like to design his own brand of modern slipjoints. Ben’s experience with digital design goes back to his high school drafting classes, which were particularly robust due to his growing up in proximity to the automobile industry in Michigan. So he came into this venture with the ability to create digital models of knives, but without the knowledge on how to actually design knives. That’s where Enrique came in, providing invaluable guidance on the particulars of knife design. From talking with Ben, I can glean that Enrique has dialed in the drafting process to a level that allows for many designs to be created based on a common set of core design characteristics.
Using that knowledge Ben created several different models, currently including prototyped examples of the: Vampire Jack, Low Drag Jack, Sharp Shooter Jack, K9 Jack, Venom Jack, Laid Back Jack, and Little Bro Jack (with several more designs already on the way). All of these designs are influenced by long standing traditional patterns, just with screw construction and titanium and micarta (rather than the traditional steel and bone or wood). I was interested to know how he decided on which patterns to bring to Jack Wolf Knives, and he said that it was influenced by what patterns are popular from other brands (e.g. the GEC #47 Viper), what patterns other companies hadn’t done much of (e.g. coffin jacks, like the Vampire Jack), and simply what patterns he prefers for himself.
Aside from the knives, one of the things that sets Jack Wolf Knives apart so far is the unique branding Ben has built. Each knife has a corresponding tube art. Yes, they come in tubes like some other brands, and Ben even put thought and care into making sure they are high quality with embossed screw tops. The art for each knife relates to the model name and involves the character “Jack Wolf” in a recognizably comic book like art style. The art is actually done by a comic book artist who has worked for Marvel, Sean Tiffany (Instagram, website). Ben said he looked hard to find an artist that matched his vision for the brand but who he could trust to leave to their own style and artistic vision, and that he landed with just that. In fact, the idea to have the “Jack Wolf” character across all the art originated with the artist.
I think these details like the tubes and art are important, because when someone buys a slipjoint in this price range they’re not just buying the knife but also the story and accessories that go with it. Jack Wolf Knives comes to the market with a story, and a palpable excitement from its leader, that will only help its chances of success.
My favorite of the art so far, for the Low Drag Jack 
Low Drag Jack and Laid Back Jack Tubes 
Low Drag Jack info sheet
What does the future hold for Jack Wolf Knives?
Ben previously hoped to have knives available for purchase by Q4 2021, but recently got disappointing news that the manufacturer received a massive order that will now delay production on Jack Wolf Knives into 2022. While I think this news initially took some air out of Ben’s sails, he plans to use the additional time to improve the business overall: design new models, get more artwork done, explore distribution options, and hone the overall business and marketing model.
Once production does start he hopes to keep a consistent production schedule that can be communicated to customers in advance. He also plans to use a direct to consumer sales approach, but is open to selling through dealers also. Particularly, he mentioned the possibility of creating exclusive variants to be sold through dealers, though I think that was just a seed of an idea.
While Ben has certainly jumped into this venture head first in a competitive market, I think his enthusiasm will take him far. Talking with him at the Rendezvous I got the sense that Jack Wolf Knives comes from a place of genuine passion as a traditional knife aficionado. Ben has said that he doesn’t want to just release a few knives; rather he wants to start and maintain an established knife company.
As for now, none of the knives are available but he does have branded merchandise that can be purchased at this link. I, for one, am looking forward to watching Jack Wolf Knives grow and am excited to see the knives come to fruition!
