A Major Trade Show’s Most Intriguing New Knife Is Driving People Nuts

Appearing at SHOT Show, Artisan Cutlery’s “properly apocalyptic looking” Butcherling prototype is one sharp-edged Rorschach test.

artisan cutlery x task knives butcherling macro

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published January 23, 2025

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Remember when cheeky Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan duct-taped a banana to a wall and called it art?

I can’t help thinking about that stunt while beholding Artisan Cutlery’s latest pocket knife, the Butcherling.

artisan cutlery x task knives butcherling hero — From this angle you can clearly see the three distinct, seemingly at odds with each other blade grinds.

Created in collaboration with Task Knives and appearing at SHOT Show in Las Vegas this week, the prototype differs from the banana in that it’s a bit less famous and a bit more durable.

The similarity, however, lies in just how crazy it is driving some folks.

Triple frontier

So what exactly is this thing? It’s hard to tell just by looking at it, or by reading AC’s Instagram caption, which reads: ” ‘Oh what a day, what a lovely day!’ Introducing our newest designer @tasknives bringing us just a little taste of the apocalypse with the Butcherling! Come check it out at @shotshow.”

While the post is clearly referencing war boy Nux’s most memorable line from George Miller’s 2015 dystopian action masterpiece, Mad Max: Fury Road, it’s a bit light on details.

The third deployment method is a bit bonkers. You dig your pinky into that hole near the blade’s tip and give it a firm flick. I am sure that has been done before, but I am equally sure I’ve never seen it.

Thankfully, Knife Center’s own David C. Andersen stopped by the booth to take a closer look at the knife, which he indeed describes as “properly apocalyptic looking.”

The most notable feature, he points out, is the brutalist blade, which is highlighted by “triple compound grinds” that appear to be more aesthetic than functional.

These include a hollow ground tip, a flat ground toward the middle and a hollow ground heel.

Andersen says the blade is S35VN while acknowledging that it is just a prototype and could change. In photos, however, you can see AR-RPM9 printed on the blade.

artisan cutlery x task knives butcherling — That right, the little hole near the tip of the blade is intended to aid with “pinky deployment.”

That’s Artisan Cutlery’s own commissioned, proprietary steel, a higher-quality powder version of what you find in many Victorinox knives.

These two steels are not that different, but we would not be surprised to see the latter in the production version of the knife, as it appears in the vast majority of AC’s products.

The Butcherling boasts titanium handles with multi-level milling and a unique pocket clip Andersen refers to as a “flying bridge.” It employs a sturdy, reliable crossbar lock.

Perhaps even more intriguing than these unusual features is one of the three deployment methods. The first two are pretty standard: pulling the crossbar’s tabs and flicking the wrist or using the ambidextrous thumb studs.

The third method, meanwhile, is a bit bonkers. You dig your pinky into that hole near the blade’s tip and give it a firm flick. I am sure that has been done before, but I am equally sure I’ve never seen it.

artisan cutlery x task knives butcherling blacked out off side — Not a fan of silver? Relax, the Butcherling also rocks this cheery black-on-black-on-black treatment.

As someone who generally roots for anarchy, however, what I personally love about the Butcherling is how worked up some knife nerds are getting over it.

Just looking at the comments on various Instagram posts, I can divide them into three camps: 1. Wide-eyed admiration; 2. Anchorman style “I’m not even mad, that’s amazing” bemusement; 3. General disgust.

My favorite line from each camp, with honorable mention to the various folks likening it to a bad AI prompt, are:

“A very daring design, takes real bravery to forge your own path like this.”

“Hot cheezus that’s fugly!!! I’m impressed…or something😂”

“Wow…i just threw up on my cat.”

No matter how you feel about the Butcherling, no one can deny the feats of engineering required to bring it to life. And just like with that banana, its value is really in the eye of the beholder.

Though I will still be shocked if anyone shells out $6.2 million for one, and then eats it.