This Gorgeous Italian-Made Knife Is a Trionfo of Materials and Machining

It takes a supreme level of precision milling and expert craftsmanship to make LionSteel’s dreamy Twain Damascus a reality.

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published May 21, 2025

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I’ve never been to Maniago, Italy, but by all indications, it is a true knifemaking hotbed.

Not unlike Portland, Oregon (home to Benchmade, CRKT, Gerber, Leatherman, The James Brand and more), this small northeastern town boasts a bevy of bona fide brands.

lionsteel twain damascus hero — The new Twain Damascus is available with three different colors of titanium frame: grey, brown and blue.

The most renowned include Viper, FOX Knives, Mercury and LionSteel, which together form the MKM (Maniago Knife Makers) collective.

Just as it takes stress to make a diamond, I can only imagine the pressure of so much nearby competition helps this town collectively produce so many sharp-edged gems.

Mastering the art of understatement, LionSteel itself calls the Twain “a challenging project to create.” How could a double-integral button-lock knife not be?

Even so, the latest to emerge is a singular achievement whose materials are rivaled only by machining. It’s LionSteel’s Twain Damascus, and it’s positively dazzling even before you know what goes into its creation.

If you milled it…

Let’s start with the juiciest part — this knife’s unique construction process, which enabled it to take home a Manufacturing Quality Award at last summer’s Blade Show.

Mastering the art of understatement, LionSteel itself calls the Twain “a challenging project to create.”

lionsteel twain damascus pivot detail — The Twain’s button-lock mechanism makes the knife incredibly easy to deploy and retract with one hand.

How could a double-integral button-lock knife not be? What does “double-integral” even mean?

It refers to the fact that both the titanium frame and the carbon-fiber handle are milled from solid blocks of the core material — and is its truly standout quality.

lionsteel twain damascus handle detail — This angle shows just how perfectly the milled carbon fiber wraps around the milled titanium.

The highest level of precision is required to make these two pieces synch up, so that both the form and the function is smooth and seamless.

I suppose once you’ve done that, adding a button-lock that doubles the deployment options and delivers fully one-handed operation is a piece o’ panettone.

Spicy ingredients

Subsequent to its Blade Show honors, the Twain made its debut with MagnaCut steel and a variety of handle options.

While those knives are excellent (and still available), LionSteel’s latest treatment is even more luxurious.

lionsteel twain damascus blade detail — There’s a reason Damascus has endured for literally millennia: its looks and performance are both fantastic.

Now the 3.15-inch drop-point blade is made of a Chad Nichols “scrambled” Damascus.

In addition to more than 2,000 years of history and that lovely ripple, this material carries a potent combo of edge retention and toughness.

Making up the rest of the Twain’s 7.28-inch length and 3.03-ounce weight is the aforementioned titanium frame partially wrapped in a carbon-fiber handle.

lionsteel twain damascus pocket clip detail — Even the little cutout for the top of the pocket clip to slot into is worthy of admiration.

In addition to the button-lock, the blade can be deployed via a thumb slot — and pocketed with a steel clip.

It’s not reversible, but given the Twain’s veritable fiesta of outstanding elements, let’s just let that slide, shall we?

Availability and pricing

The LionSteel Twain Damascus is available now with grey, brown and blue titanium frames for €480, roughly $544.

LionSteel Twain Damascus

$544 at LionSteel

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.