Are these Ultem scales a hero in a half shell? Perhaps. But don’t splinter your options here. Pick your favorite turtle-- we all know Rafael is the best-- and carry these limited edition Lander Scales with turtle power. Add the small-shop manufacturing that Jeff Halopoff does in his garage, and you have yourself a cowabunga collector’s piece. Righteous.
Specs:
• Made in California, USA
• Material: Ultem
• Machined in small batches by Jeff of Halopoff Designs-- a long-time behind-the-scenes maker in the knife industry
What is Ultem for pocket knives?
It's plastic, folks. But don't let that dissuade you from loving or hating this divisive material. This is a high strength plastic with excellent high service temperature properties. Meaning, if you're going through Hell, take this knife, as the handle will retain its form longer in the heat. It's translucent (its coolest feature for knife use, no doubt) and resistant to hot water and steam. So, you can throw it in a steam autoclave and it should come out OK. It's often used in circuit boards, eyeglasses, and airplane parts-- sweet stuff that requires a lightweight, strong material. Real talk though: Ultem is cool on knife scales because it's visually interesting. The reality is if your knife has to withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees, you've got other, more pressing problems like imminent death.
As humans, we're crows. We like shiny objects. And Ultem is a super cool shiny object for pocket knife scales. No shame in that.
