Years after its debut in 2014, Anso has now unveiled a second-gen Monte Carlo that sees the best-selling model receive even more precise machining, along with all-titanium hardware throughout. Though for the most discerning of EDC aficionados that want something that’s truly unique - and don’t mind spending “a bit” more money - the Danish designer produces ultra-small batch, completely handworked custom knives - the most popular of which has long been the Monte Carlo. Producing knives since 1988, Jens Anso is a renowned designer and knifemaker that’s penned blades for a slew of big-name knife brands such as Kershaw, GiantMouse, Zero Tolerance, Spyderco, and Böker, just to name a few. What’s more, CRK also makes two additional versions of the Mnandi with equally-rare and precious handle materials: one with Bog Oak wood inlays in the early stages of fossilization and one with Macassar Ebony inlays made from stabilized wood - both of which also cost $450. And, as one might expect from a knife at this price point, this Chris Reeve model comes with an included 0.078” maintenance wrench, a bottle of CRK fluorinated grease lubricant, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and a G’Feller leather slip sheath. Its 2.74″ CPM S45VN blade features an easy-open thru-hole nail-nick opening and is mated to a framelocking titanium construction chassis that’s been decorated with inlays made from Box Elder Burl, an ultra-rare and precious type of Maple that’s world-renowned for its exquisite burls. Pronounced “mm-nun-dee” - a Zulu term essentially translating to “very nice” - Chris Reeve Knives’ Mnandi is a hand-crafted, hand-assembled, and hand-polished pocket knife of the extremely top-shelf variety. As mentioned, it’s hard to pin down exactly what a gentleman’s knife is and not everyone will agree, but we believe these factors do help clarify the somewhat murky category. Lastly - and most complicatedly - these blades need to have some measure of timelessness about them, whether that’s because they’re built from beautiful and rare materials, have iconic styling from a noteworthy designer, or otherwise. It’s not a requirement for gentleman’s knives to be completely free of accouterments, but they are mostly very simplistic - even to the point that they often don’t even feature locking mechanisms, relying instead on friction or slipjoint deployments. Similarly, Swiss Army Knives - while classic and iconic in their appearance and purpose - offer too much in the way of complications to fit into the category. For instance, a highly-tactical automatic switchblade with sci-fi styling would never qualify as a gentleman’s knife. Secondly, gentlemen’s knives are typically uncomplicated in regards to both their styling and functionality. But they most certainly need to be easily carried. There are some who might say that they’re intended as a fashion accessory first and little else, but we disagree - a knife is a purposeful instrument that should always be able to perform required cutting tasks. The most important of these is that gentleman’s knives are made to be easily and discreetly carried - necessitating a relatively slim and sleek format that can easily fit into a pocket, no matter how otherwise crowded. And while trying to pin it down definitely opens up the potential for debate, there are a few factors that are generally agreed upon. Unlike some other factors in the world of everyday carry, the idea of a “gentleman’s knife” is fairly ill-defined - even within the knife community itself.
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