Overview & First Impressions
M398 is one of the most wear-resistant stainless steels available to knife makers, and the Kriya BT2606D wraps it in a titanium frame with a machined ripple pattern finished in dark bead-blasted stonewash. At 181 millimetres overall with a 3 millimetre blade stock, this is a full-size frame lock folder built for people who value longevity over novelty. Among Bestech knives it is the most uncompromising expression of the current design language.
Build Quality & Materials
M398 sits at the extreme end of the powder metallurgy spectrum, with enough vanadium carbide volume to hold an edge almost indefinitely in abrasive materials. In practice that means a knife that stays sharp through months of cardboard, rope and packaging rather than weeks. The titanium handle is machined from solid stock with a ripple pattern that provides grip without a single sharp edge, and the dark bead-blasted finish hides handling marks. The frame lock bar is cut from the same titanium and carbidised at the contact face for wear resistance.
Design & Craftsmanship
Proportions are deliberate: 181 millimetres open, 104.1 millimetres closed, which puts the Kriya in the large but carryable bracket. The blade is a versatile drop point with a full flat grind, and deployment is handled by a flipper tab that sits flush when open. Detent strength is firm enough that the blade will not creep open in a pocket, and the lock engages with a positive, quiet click. Every surface has been considered rather than merely produced.
Performance & Real-World Use
In daily use M398 is a genuinely different experience, because the edge simply does not degrade the way a conventional stainless does. That advantage comes with a caveat: high-vanadium steel is slow to sharpen, so it rewards owners who maintain it with a hone rather than waiting for the edge to fail. The ripple-textured handle stays secure with gloves, and the titanium frame means the knife feels warm rather than cold in the hand after a few minutes of use.
Carry & Ownership Notes
The deep-carry clip keeps the Kriya low in a pocket, and the titanium construction keeps the weight reasonable for a knife of this length. Threads are clean and the pivot takes adjustment without developing play, which is the standard the whole Bestech Kriya series is built to. Because M398 resists abrasion so effectively, most owners will find they sharpen once a season rather than once a month. EdcMall stocks the full trims of this folding knives platform.
Who Is This For?
Buy this if you want maximum edge life and a titanium frame that will still look right in a decade. Skip it if you prefer a steel you can sharpen on any stone in five minutes, because M398 demands proper abrasives.
Final Verdict
The BT2606D is not a compromise knife. M398 and titanium put it at the top of the Kriya range, and the rippled frame keeps it from looking like everyone else's folder. Buy it once and stop thinking about knives for a while.
