Artisan Cutlery Tortoise Review: A Wild Design That Won Me Over

The Tortoise measures a listed 8.74 inches overall, with a 3.7-inch blade and a 5.04-inch closed handle. The blade stock is about 0.150 inch, and there is a pretty darn big slab of S35VN here.

Artisan calls the blade a wharncliffe. I can see a modified wharncliffe or a sheepsfoot-like shape in it, although that actual point gives it more of the wharncliffe character to my eye. Whatever name you settle on, it is a broad, aggressive-looking flat-ground blade.

The frame-lock handle is titanium, with right-hand, tip-up carry. At a listed 5.61 ounces, I actually consider it fairly light for this size of knife. You have to take in more than its length: the width and sheer amount of steel and titanium make it a lot of knife.

Dusty Rhodes designed this one. At $199.99, it sits at Artisan’s typical premium price. The knife steel guide covers S35VN’s broader characteristics; this review is about how this particular design feels and works for me.

First is another Dusty Rhodes design, the Artisan Cutlery Wizard. I still love the Wizard and consider it the best design to come through Artisan, which is saying something because I have had my own design made by the company. The Tortoise is substantially longer and broader beside it.

Then there is my Fragarach design. Once I line the knives up properly, the length difference is only around a quarter of an inch. My first placement made the gap look larger than it really was.

The Fragarach is already a fairly wide knife. The handles are not wildly different in width, but line the cutting edges up and the Tortoise’s blade is much, much broader. That is where its size really becomes obvious.

There are a couple of things I am not a big fan of, but overall the execution is really, really good. The blade feels nice and slicey, and I reported around 0.018 inch behind the edge.

It is an aggressive-looking design with a substantial titanium build. The blade shape reminds me of a CRKT Pilar dramatically enlarged. I have always liked that general shape, and it works visually here.

The ergonomics may be the bigger surprise. The arch where the blade and handle meet gives my thumb a really nice place to land, with useful jimping. There is plenty of room for my index finger below it.

In my normal forward grip, the curve also leaves enough space for my middle finger. It just feels really, really nice. I would not make the extremely far-forward grip my usual way of holding it.

If your hands are thicker or wider than average, I think this is one to pay attention to. The room in that grip could work extremely well for you.

The profile initially looked like a huge exclamation point to me. It has grown on me. The sculpted titanium, handle openings and sheer width make it a pretty darn good-looking knife in a very unconventional way.

The one part I am still working on liking is the blade cutout. For middle-finger flicking, I think it is too large. I have to be quite particular about where I place my finger and how I push.

The lower corner works best for me, but I still have to pay attention. A little wrist makes it easier. I prefer a clean middle-finger flick without needing much wrist, and this is not especially good at that for me.

Front flipping is a different story. It works surprisingly well. The contact point is high above the pivot, which gives me useful leverage to pull the blade back and open it.

Because it is a big knife, my thumb stretches farther around it and I feel that wider sweep. It is still easy and enjoyable. Reaching over the top works, too, although I need to come a little from the side to accommodate the size.

It has its own fidget factor. I would not call it a fidget beast, but it is smooth and enjoyable to deploy once I use the opening methods that suit it.

The large cutout is excellent for a slow roll. It gives my thumb plenty of room, rather like the ease of a Spyderco round hole. I can roll it out slowly or a little faster without a struggle.

So, deployment is really good through the front flipper or slow roll. The action overall is good. The weak spot for me is the particular middle-finger flick I normally like to use.

It is a good knife. A pretty darn good knife, actually. Fun, big, boisterous, out there and different. It slowly won me over, and I am a fan.

I am not saying I like it more than the Wizard, because I definitely do not. For this unusual design and the premium build quality I expect from Artisan, though, I think the company did a good job.

I also have to give credit to the detent. For a frame lock with a blade this big and heavy, it is about as good as I could want on my example. I am really impressed with how that part of the design works.

The blade falls shut nicely, too. I recommend the Tortoise for someone who likes the design and size. I had expected to dismiss it as simply another available knife, but I ended up genuinely liking it.

At the end of this review, my next step was to put it in my pocket the following day. It is a unique design I was looking forward to spending more time with.