Ocaso Knives was founded in 2022 by Ric Valdez, the former Executive Vice President of Cold Steel. Valdez has over 20 years of experience in the knife industry, including time spent collecting knives and gentleman's accessories. He started Ocaso with the goal of creating high-quality production knives that can be used in the office or outdoors.
Valdez's belief that the knife you choose to carry every day defines the essence of who you are and what you believe in led him to start Ocaso.

Ocaso (oh-kah-soh) means “sunset” in Spanish. Ocaso is based in the Ojai Valley in Southern California, in an area that is legendary for “pink moments,” a period just before sunset when the mountain ranges framing the valley take on a brief pink glow.

I appreciate knife companies that not only do in house designs but work with other knife makers to create some beautiful blades. When I think of collaborations, I immediately think of Columbia River Knife and a Tool. Founded by two guys in '94 that use to work at Kershaw, they have shaken up with industry time and time again. CRKT's commitment to design, craftsmanship, and functionality show in their incredible library of products. Over the decades they've released a dizzying array of knives and tools, and it's allowed the average Joe to enjoy incredible designs at an affordable price.

The folks at Vosteed are always working on new designs, and they have some clever names to go with them. The latest one they've released is called the Corsair. The name didn't click at first and I had to go a Google search to jog my memory what the name means, Corsair is another name for a pirate or privateer. Unfortunately this knife didn't come with any booty, but it does cut like a cutlass. Let's take a look at the new Corsair.

Rive is a fairly new company who's trying to assert themselves in a very competitive industry. Rive's mission statement is to make tools that are innovative with cutting edge components. On their site they say, "Inspired by the renegades, rebels, and rogues." That's cute considering today we're checking out the companies only offering at the moment, the Rogue Mini.

Andrew Demko has been a knife maker since the 80's and his passion for engineering and attention to detail got the attention of Cold Steel. Working with Cold Steel, Andrew designed some of the most innovative, strongest locking mechanisms in the industry. The legendary Tri-Ad Lock, the Scorpion Lock, and most recently, The Shark-Lock. Since the purchase of Cold Steel, Andrew has grown his business to include his brother John Demko. Demko Knives has been on the scene since 2021 and it's making waves with its production version of the famous AD20.