STORY AND PHOTOS BY REUBEN BOLIEU
- FIRST IMPRESSIONS
A row of glass-topped display cases can feel like a jewelry store—until you realize the stones are mosaic-patterned Damascus and the silver is titanium hardware that locks up with a satisfying thunk. That was my introduction to Noblie Custom Knives, an outfit that treats edged tools the way a luthier treats Stradivari violins. From pocketable flippers to mantle-worthy art daggers, every piece broadcasts the same message: steel is just a canvas—let’s paint.
- WHY DAMASCUS, MOSAIC & M398?
Noblie’s catalog swings from classic patternwelded Damascus to Bohler’s M398 powdersteel powerhouse—and now to showstopping mosaic Damascus and Dragonskin Damascus billets. Mosaic Damascus hits 59–60 HRC while weaving nickelrich layers into artgrade geometry, giving cutting bite without sacrificing the ripple showpiece look. Dragonskin, forged by Bertie Rietveld, pushes hardness to 62 HRC and etches cobaltblue scales that look like a Smaug cosplay on steel. M398, meanwhile, packs vanadium and carbon so densely that a 62–63 HRC edge can whittle hardwood long after lesser stainless taps out.
- THE TEST BLADES
- 1. STING SERIES M398 POCKET
SPECS
- Blade: 3.31 in. Bohler M398, 0.13 in. spine, cryotreated 62–63 HRC
- Handle / Frame / Clip: Grade5 titanium with deep laser engraving
- Bearings: ceramic on tungstencarbide washers
- Weight: 4.09 oz
- Dimensions: 7.80 in. OAL, 4.49 in. closed
- Extras: TORXT20 pivot tool, Glide oil, certificate & cotton gloves
FIELD NOTES
The Sting flips open like a bank vault door driven by a Formula E motor—smooth, silent, instantaneous. Bite into zipties, cardboard, even a length of ¾in. sisal rope: the edge barely blinks. After a weekend of EDC abuse the factory polish still shaved. The engraved Ti scales supply traction without shredding pockets, and at under 4.1 oz the knife hides like a money clip.
- 2. MOSAIC DAMASCUS STEEL FIGHTER
SPECS
- Blade: 5.71 in. Mosaic Damascus, hiddentang, 0.16 in. spine, 59–60 HRC
- Handle: Arizona ironwood & mammoth molar with titanium guard
- Overall length: 11.22 in.; Width: 1.14 in. at belly
- TakeDown construction with dedicated screwdriver
- Sheath: vegetabletanned leather; presentation wood case included
FIELD NOTES
True to its “takedown” pedigree, the Fighter strips down in under a minute—handy when camp grime works into the guard. The mosaic blade balances forward but not noseheavy; swing cuts on hazel saplings felt guided, not forced. Ironwood warms in winter gloves while the mammoth inlay catches campfire light like quartz. Edge retention matched my highcarbon hunters through three deer, and the leather sheath molded to my belt after two days’ rain ride.
- 3. DRAGONSKIN DAMASCUS POCKET FOLDER
SPECS
- Blade: 4.13 in. Dragonskin Damascus by Bertie Rietveld, 62 HRC
- Scales / Frame / Clip: crystallized titanium over Grade5 Ti liners
- Bearings: ceramic with detent; ceramiccoated lockbar insert
- Overall length: 9.45 in.; Weight: 5.3 oz
- Accessories: certificate, gloves, wood box
FIELD NOTES
Flick the flipper and the blade arcs out in a sapphireandnavy shimmer that made passersby think I was palming an opal. The ceramic bearings feel hydraulic, and the Dragonskin pattern hides microwear—two days of processing summer fruit left zero patina. The crystallized Ti scales catch porchlight rainbows yet shrug pocket lint. Lockup is bankvault tight, and that 62 HRC edge still paperslices after batonning kindling for the fire pit.
- FIT, FINISH & EXTRAS
From hiddenstep filework to mirrorpolished shoulders, Noblie’s QC is obsessive. Every knife ships in a veneered presentation box with white cotton gloves—yes, gloves—plus a waxsealed certificate that would make your mortgage paperwork jealous. Worldwide insured shipping turns up on your porch in about five days.
- CARRY & ERGONOMICS
- Pocket Life – Deepcarry clips ride low; sculpted backspacers spare your hand when digging for keys.
- Camp Chores – The Mosaic Fighter batons thumbthick hazel without chipping, yet its fine point butterflies garlic like a santoku.
- Maintenance – M398 and Dragonskin shrug at corrosion; mosaic Damascus wants a wipe of mineral oil or Renessance Wax after river duty—oldschool steel, oldschool care.
- THE VERDICT
Noblie isn’t chasing bargain hunters; it’s courting collectors who want blades that slice and start conversations. The Sting M398 remains a modern rideordie EDC. The Mosaic Damascus Fighter bridges battlefield lineage and gallery swagger. The Dragonskin Folder? It’s pocket jewelry that’ll still open feed sacks when nobody’s looking.
BOTTOM LINE: From steel selection to velvetlined box, Noblie knifes the line between workshop and gallery—and sticks the landing.
