Overview & First Impressions
Jade G10 is a polarising material. Half the people who see it think it looks like a lollipop, and the other half think it looks like a knife that knows it is a knife. The Fermi T1122 wears it well, partly because the shape underneath is old-fashioned: a recurved blade, a liner lock, a simple handle with a finger groove. Designed with Burchtree, built to be carried, priced so you can buy two and not think about it.
Materials & Construction
14C28N with a stonewash finish, and there is no shame in that steel at this price. It is a nitrogen-alloyed stainless with excellent corrosion resistance, a fine grain structure that takes a very sharp edge, and enough toughness that it will not chip on a staple. It will not out-hold S35VN on abrasive material, and it will sharpen in two minutes on a rod, which for most buyers is the better trade. Jade G10 scales, stainless liners, a liner lock.
Design & Details
The recurve is the point of the knife. It pulls rope, cord and shrink wrap into the edge instead of sliding along it, and it gives you a bellied section for rocking through onions. The handle has a shallow finger groove at the front and a flat section behind it that sits comfortably against the palm. The flipper is small and the detent is light, so it opens with a push rather than a snap. The jade G10 is polished but not slick.
Real-World Use
This is a knife for people who cut soft material all day: plastic film, tape, cardboard, cord, food. The recurve is genuinely better than a straight edge on anything that needs to be pulled into the cut, and 14C28N means you can bring the edge back with a rod at the end of the day. It is light enough to clip to a waistband, and the liner lock is easy to close one handed. It is a good knife for a job that involves a lot of small cuts.
Ownership Notes
14C28N is the most user-friendly steel in this batch, so buy a cheap ceramic rod and use it weekly. Wipe the blade after acidic food because the stonewash will stain before it rusts. A recurve needs a rod or a narrow stone, not a wide bench stone, or you will flatten the belly and lose the shape. Keep the liner lock face clean and add a drop of oil at the pivot twice a year. Jade G10 does not fade, it just collects scratches you will stop noticing. Budget folding knives live or die on the grind, and the EDC knives that get carried every day are almost never the expensive ones, which is the argument for a recurve in 14C28N.
Who Is This For?
Buy it as a first serious knife, a work knife you can afford to lose, or a cheap introduction to a recurve. It suits warehouse staff, delivery drivers, gardeners and anyone who wants a knife that sharpens easily. Skip it if you want premium steel, if jade is not your colour, or if you need a four inch blade for food prep.
Final Verdict
The Fermi is honest value: 14C28N, a recurve that actually earns its shape, and a handle that looks like nothing else in the drawer. It is not the knife you show people, it is the one you reach for. Tenable knives have been quietly good at this price point for a while, and EdcMall stocks both the jade and white G10 versions.
