At home, in the shop, and in the lab, I need a quick knife with a robust blade. But on the go, I prefer smaller gentleman’s knives as they’re lighter, more compact, and more discrete to use in public.
A few months ago Moki was an unfamiliar brand to me, but their made-in-Japan Ezo Red Fox seemed like a good model to get to know them by. It features a 2.5″ blade and wood-inlayed stainless steel handle.
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There are three things you need to know about the Moki Ezo Red Fox folding knife. It’s extremely well built, it’s crazy sharp, and it looks amazing.
The quince wood inlay is a bit darker in person than in the photos, but looks just as good.
The problem with small gentleman’s folding knives is that they have small handles. While this is still true with the Ezo Red Fox, I find the handle to be comfortable and well-shaped despite its size.
The Ezo has a full mirror-polished blade, which I found to be a nice touch. This makes the blade very difficult to photograph, but it is nonetheless appreciated on a knife that’s supposed to be as much about form as function.
The blade deploys smoothly with its large and easy-grab nail nick, and locks open via lockback mechanism. It is quite frankly one of the best manual-opening knives I have ever used.
As you can see, the Ezo Red Fox really is quite compact.
There is a small lanyard hole at the bottom of the knife, but I haven’t used it yet because the included sheath is just so darn good. Eventually I will be adding some paracord and a small bead or knot to make the knife a tad easier to pull from its sheath.
I suppose you could call this a leather pouch or sleeve, instead of sheath. Whatever you want to call it, the sheath looks and feels well-made.
It can be carried in your pocket or on your belt.
Conclusion
You might be surprised that I have so little to say about the Moki Ezo Red Fox pocket knife, but that’s because the knife seems to speak for itself. As I mentioned earlier in the review, the knife is extremely well built, crazy sharp, and it looks amazing. It deploys easily, handles light cutting and slicing tasks perfectly, and it won’t weigh you down.
The Ezo Red Fox is priced at $75-80.
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Specifications
| Moki Ezo Red Fox (MK-610J) | |
|---|---|
| Deployment | Nail Nick |
| Overall Length | 5.8″ Open 3.35″ Closed |
| Blade Length | 2.5″ |
| Weight | 1.3 oz. |
| Blade Material | AUS-8 |
| Blade Style | Straight Edge |
| Lock Style | Lockback |
| Handle Material | SUS410 Stainless w/ Quince Inlay |
| Pocket Clip? | No |
| Made in | Japan |
| Street Price | $76 |
The knife featured in this review was purchased at the full retail price from KnifeWorks.
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