The original S5 "Southern Star" was a collaboration between Michael Zieba and ABS Mastersmith Jason Knight of 'Forged in Fire' fame. It paired Jason's signature blade shape and grind lines with Michael's contoured, overbuilt handle and buttery smooth flipping action for a knife that was truly exceptional. The knife debuted at the ICCE International Custom Cutlery Exposition in Kansas City last October where it was honored with the prestigious reward of 'Best Tactical Folder.' This is the mini rendition of that awesome tactical folder and this might just be the most perfect knife Michael's ever made.
The S5 Mini Snake features a Chad Nichols San Mai Damascus blade with a bright polished finish. The compact contoured titanium handles have a very ergonomic shape and are nice and thick to provide you with rock solid lockup. The blade rockets out on caged bearings with unbelievable speed and locks up tightly while the frame lock is quite stiff yet still easy to disengage. The knife is fitted with thumb ramp jimping and a replaceable lockbar insert that doubles as an overtravel arrestor. The ergonomics, build quality, and design are top notch and the overall look of the entire knife is simply amazing. The highlight of this knife though is not readily apparent at first sight. It's a backspacer designed by jewelry maker VvILK, made of silver with the skull design and "memento mori" on the interior. We love the snakeskin machining pattern and subtle gunmetal gray finish, it makes for a perfect EDC knife with great grip and a unique eye-catching look.
