Overview & First Impressions
The Nogard is the most decorated knife in this batch. It runs 7.99 inches open with a Damasteel blade and a red copper titanium frame carrying a Timascus inlay. Eight variants split between Damasteel and M390 blades, with inlays ranging from canvas micarta to marble carbon fiber. This is a knife built to be looked at, and the specification makes clear that looking good was not an afterthought.
Materials & Construction
Two blade families share the frame. The Damasteel versions use a pattern welded stainless that is genuinely corrosion resistant rather than a carbon Damascus, so the pattern comes without the rust worry. The M390 versions bring high vanadium wear resistance instead of pattern. Bestech knives finishes the titanium frame in red copper and sets a Timascus inlay flush into the handle, which is the detail that makes the knife read as a custom piece.
Design & Details
The Nogard's frame lock is integral and the lock bar relief follows the handle's curve, so the mechanism disappears into the design rather than interrupting it. The blade has a long, sweeping profile with a high flat grind, and the handle tapers toward a pointed butt. Among folding knives that mix Damascus steel with titanium, the Nogard is unusual for keeping the hardware minimal so the materials do the talking.
Real-World Use
This is a knife that gets carried on occasions rather than every day, and it acquits itself well when it does. The blade slices cleanly, the frame lock is solid, and the weight in hand feels deliberate. The copper titanium will develop a patina with handling, which is part of the appeal. We inspected a Nogard at EdcMall and the inlay fit was flush with no visible gap at the frame edge.
Ownership Notes
Care is mostly about the blade. Wipe the Damasteel after use and avoid abrasive polish, which erases the etch that reveals the pattern; keep it dry and lightly oiled in storage. The copper titanium frame will darken where you grip it, and some owners polish it back while others let it age. Timascus is titanium, so it needs no protection, but it does show fingerprints and the odd smudge that wipes away with a microfibre cloth.
Who Is This For?
Buy it as a collector's knife, a milestone purchase, or a gift for someone who already has every working folder they need. It suits people who appreciate pattern welded steel and material craft. Skip it if you want a knife for dirty jobs; the M390 variant is the practical choice of the eight, and even that one deserves better than a toolbox.
Final Verdict
The Nogard is the showpiece of this batch and it earns the role. Damasteel or M390, red copper titanium, Timascus inlay and a clean frame lock make it a knife that justifies a display stand. Buy it because you want something beautiful that still cuts; the M390 version will work for its living, the Damasteel version will be admired for it.
