Sao Tools, a Chinese handmade pocket knife brand, today announced the official launch of "Soory" — a brand-new titanium-handle pocket knife co-developed with 17EDC, a workshop renowned for its precision handle modifications. Combining high-precision modern titanium machining with hand assembly and finishing, the product went through months of prototyping and refinement before reaching the market.
A Crossover Collaboration, Each Side at Its Best
According to the announcement, 17EDC has long specialized in precision modification of popular knife handles, with proprietary know-how across a range of surface treatments. For "Soory," Kaka — 17EDC's lead craftsman — oversaw the full production of the titanium handles, while Max Sao, founder of Sao Tools, handled hand assembly and polishing. The two teams worked closely from design data to physical prototypes, merging modern precision manufacturing with the warmth of handcraft to create a pocket knife with a distinctly unique character.
Obsessive Attention to Detail, Down to the Millimeter
Throughout development, the team pursued detail relentlessly: from engineering the screw protrusion height — designed to protect the handle and minimize scratches from daily use — to repeated data adjustments across multiple prototypes. Design drawings released with the announcement show tolerance specifications down to the 0.7 mm level, with screws specially selected for the build.
Steel Liner Design for Protection and Smoothness
Structurally, "Soory" employs a full-length steel liner plate on the interior. The design not only effectively shields the titanium handle's inner wall during spring movement and blade deployment, but also features an oil reservoir groove near the pivot area to maximize lubrication of the rotating mechanism — improving both deployment smoothness and long-term durability.
Closing Remarks
According to Max Sao, given the high cost of high-precision titanium machining, the team did everything possible to compress margins while maintaining quality, striving to keep the price as low as possible. "These months of work represent our entire journey — all just to get every detail right," he noted. With the titanium version now launched, a bone-handle edition of the "Soory" line is also expected to follow.
