Overview & First Impressions
Olive wood is the quiet choice in a market full of carbon fibre. The Duoz BG65G pairs an acid-etched Damascus blade with it, and the result is a 54.5-gram folder that reads as furniture rather than tactical gear. Dimensions are Duoz standard: an 84.8 mm blade at 2.4 mm thick, 191.8 mm open, 107 mm closed. Ostap Hel drew the original outline, and the ceramic ball-bearing pivot and liner lock are unchanged. What you are buying here is a handle material that will change colour over a decade of use.
Materials & Construction
Olive wood is dense, oily and famously stable, which is why it has been used for kitchen tools for centuries. The natural oil content makes it more water-resistant than unstabilised walnut, and the grain is wild: waves, swirls and dark streaks that no laminate can imitate. On this knife the wood is finished matte, so it grips when dry and does not turn slick with sweat. The Damascus blade is the same layered billet as the rest of the family, etched to bring out the pattern and left uncoated on purpose.
Design & Details
The handle is a single straight run from pivot to butt with a shallow finger groove and no sharp transitions. There is no flipper on this variant, so the thumb stud is the only deployment method, and the detent is tuned light enough for a slow roll. The liner lock is accessible without moving your grip, and the clip is a deep-carry steel design. Everything about the shape is conservative, which is why the wood works: nothing competes with the grain.
Real-World Use
In the hand, olive wood is warmer than any synthetic and slightly tackier once it has warmed up. That makes the BG65G a good choice for cold-weather carry, where aluminium feels like holding a coin. It opens mail, breaks down boxes and handles food prep at a picnic without complaint. The Damascus will show a patina line where it meets cardboard, and the wood will darken at the edges of the palm. Both changes are the point, not a defect.
Ownership Notes
Treat the wood twice a year with a food-safe oil or a furniture wax, and keep the blade dry. Unlike G10, wood can absorb moisture through unsealed end grain, so do not leave the knife soaking. Among the folding knives in this range, the fit of the scales against the liners is the detail to check on arrival, and Bestech's tolerances here are consistently good. EdcMall can supply the red burl BG65H if you want the same knife with a louder grain. The comparison buyers actually make is against G10 and micarta, and here the wood wins on warmth while losing on abuse tolerance. Among Bestech knives it is the model that feels most like a traditional pocket knife, and the Damascus steel above the grain makes a pairing that synthetics cannot copy. For EDC knives that get looked at as often as they get used, that matters.
Who Is This For?
This suits people who already own the black folders and want something with a different texture in the hand. It is a good gift for a woodworker, a cook or anyone who appreciates natural materials. It is not the knife for a kayak, a salt marsh or a toolbox that lives in a shed. For a daily pocket knife in a temperate climate it is a pleasure.
Final Verdict
The BG65G is the more interesting of the two new Duoz variants precisely because it is less flashy. Olive wood ages into something better, and the Damascus gives the blade a surface worth looking at. Buy it if you want a folder that feels like an object rather than a tool. Just accept the small maintenance ritual that comes with natural material.
