Deejo: Customized Pocket Knife

They say you can’t re-invent the wheel but how about the good old-fashioned pocket knife? Well that’s what Luc Foin and Stéphane Lebeau from France have managed to accomplish by bringing back the pocket knife but with a bespoke 21st century twist: Enter the Deejo! [Disclaimer: Please take extra care and be responsible when handling sharp instruments and use only for their intended purpose – otherwise you’ll have the iron fist of karma on your back!]

The Company

Luc and Stéphane have been purveyors of innovative tools through their company Baladéo, which specialised in hiking products for the the kitchen and outdoors for over twenty years. The knife was originally designed for hiking and camping enthusiasts, however its lightweight feel and sleek look saw its popularity grow as an everyday tool for the urban gentleman. Luc and Stephane envisioned the ideal pocket knife: easy to produce, customizable, of the highest quality, yet modern and light enough to sit in the pocket and so in 2013 the Deejo was conceived.

Design Your Own Stylish Pocket Knife

The brains behind the company have created an easy-to-use 3D interactive design website for the customer to literally build their own knife. When you enter the Deejo site, instantly a composite knife assembles before your eyes from which you can go about designing your very own. Using your mouse or trackpad, you can move the knife, while its suspended in the air, to look at it from every possible angle, including even opening and closing the blade, with the aim of ensuring that what you see will be what you get.

One of the highlights of shopping for this item is definitely the design process, not to mention the range of different customisable features. First off, the customer chooses the size of which there are three: 15g (total length 12.5 cm, 7 cm closed), 27g (16.5 cm, 9cm closed), and 37g (20.5 cm, 11 cm closed), and from three styles, mirror, grey titanium and black titanium. There are also a range of handle types to choose from, from the basic naked version to various wooden handles or smooth carbon fibre. There are also an assortment of coloured handles if prefer it more garish.

After the the size, style and handle have been chosen, the customer can sift through a variety of intricate tattoos that will be finely engraved on the outer blade. There are plenty of designs to choose from including: fine feather, shark, or the majestic Japanese dragon. Finally to add a truly personal touch, making your gentleman’s knife truly one of a kind, you may personalise it further by using the text box to add a name, title, or your preferred philosophical words of wisdom.

Presentation/Build

Deejo promise dispatch of the knife within 48 hours of ordering on confirmation of payment, a promise that was delivered along with the knife of our choosing and design. For the review we chose a black titanium 37g with carbon fibre handle, the Japanese dragon tattoo, and words that would offer any considerate philosopher or martial artist food for thought. It arrived in a sleek black case complete with care instructions, a lifetime guarantee and a black pull string pouch in which makers insist the knife should live when not in use.

Performance

The lightweight feel was a surprise; it’s practically weightless when sitting on my hand. The knife arrives razor sharp, and a quick shaving test on my face confirmed this. Be mindful of the pointed tip when opening it, this should be done with both hands. The liner lock mechanism ensures the open blade stays fixed in place, and locks back into the handle when closed. Safety is certainly paramount in the finished design, and for the responsible owner there wouldn’t be any risk of accident when handling.

Deejo market the knife for a variety of uses whether it’s to accompany a hiking expedition, or even as a sous chef’s favourite slicer and dicer. We decided to put these uses to the test, and as an avid cyclist, a pocket knife is an essential part of my tool kit.

When replacing an inner tube I use the old tube to line the tyre for extra protection. This means the air nozzle has to be removed and since inner tubes are made of thick rubber, cutting into them can be a hassle. In use, it’s not just the lightweight feel of the Deejo that surprises but also the sharpness and dexterity of the blade. The ergonomically curved handle rests in the hand as though tailored just for you, like a fitted glove. This makes for precision cutting enabling the wrist to move freely whilst keeping the blade in position. Cutting into the rubber proved to be as easy as a hot knife gliding in cold butter, and I was able to remove the nozzle with ease. Other uses include, as a camping tool, a sharpener – sketch artists prefer to sharpen their pencils with a knife for a finer point, and it makes easy work of cutting tough fruit and vegetables.

Summary

The Deejo has brought the once clunky pocket knife into nomadic chic fusing style with practical use. Aesthetically the knife is like training, you get out of it what you put into it, but it’s more than a sharp fashion accessory. The durable blade and ergonomic-like handle make sharpening, slicing, and cutting smooth and sleek. The customizable features, reasonable price, user-friendly website, and prompt shipping make Deejo a great gift for the adventurer, traveller, or urban gentleman in your life.

You can Enter Deejo’s website and also find out more about their range on their Facebook and Instagram pages. What handy tools do find indispensable and get your seal of approval; what other types of useful products would you like to see featured? Let us know in the comments below; Like, share and join in the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter & Instagram. (Books make great Christmas gifts for the action and martial arts aficionado in your life, you can also get your exclusive KFK t-shirts in time for Xmas whilst stocks last…Check this out if you’re a student and require college homework help online. Stay tuned to our FU-feed and subscribe for videos too!

Ramon Youseph

Ever since he first saw the great Bruce Lee in Enter The Dragon on the big screen whilst living in Iran, Ramon has been fascinated with martial arts, and at age 6 attended classes in Kan Zen Ryu Karate under Sensei Reza Pirasteh. When he moved to the UK, martial arts came calling in his early teens in the shape of the mysterious art of Ki Aikido which he studied for five years. Since then he has practiced Feng Shou Kung Fu, Lee Style Tai Chi, Taekwondo, Kickboxing before returning to Aikido, studying under Sensei Michael Narey. As well as Bruce Lee, Ramon is a big fan of martial arts actors Jackie Chan, Cynthia Rothrock, Jeff Wincott, Richard Norton and Tadashi Yamashita to name a few. Ramon is an aspiring writer and when he is not honing his craft he likes to go out running, hiking and is still trying to count to ten in Japanese.

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