Artisan Cutlery Boa and Voltaic: Two Bolster Lock Knives Worth a Look

Introduction

Every so often a production knife comes along that genuinely captures a custom maker’s design language. The Artisan Cutlery Boa, a collaboration with Jonathan Shaw of Triple Strike Knives, does exactly that. Shaw started making custom knives as a teenager, and this production version brings his distinctive style to a much wider audience. Alongside it, the Artisan Cutlery Voltaic is a bolster lock dress knife that has quietly earned a permanent spot in a rotation that usually favors far more expensive blades.

Both knives share a love of the bolster lock mechanism and careful, tasteful design, but they serve very different purposes and price points. Here is how they compare.

Artisan Cutlery Boa: The Designer Collaboration

The Boa is the headline act. Having handled Shaw’s customs, the production version clearly captures his design style: the distinctive flipper tab, deeply contoured handles, and cutouts that line up across different grip positions in a way most knives with similar detailing simply do not. The handle melds into the hand, and the fit and finish are described as fantastic.

It is currently available at a discounted rate through its Kickstarter campaign, which is worth considering if you want one. There is a real chance demand could outstrip supply, since this is a more premium offering from Artisan Cutlery and the brand has sold out of similar releases before. If you are interested, backing early is safer than waiting for general availability.

Design Details and Handling

The Boa offers an unusual number of ways to open it: a front flipper, thumb studs, a reverse flick, and more, making it a genuinely fun, fidgety knife to handle. The flipper tab on top was improved over Shaw’s earlier designs to be as aggressive as his custom versions, with no slipping in use.

Steel choice is a strong point. The standard version runs S35VN, which is a sensible and appreciated choice over alternatives like M390 for this class of knife. An ultra-premium version exists with a Timascus handle, an S90V blade, and polish, but the more attainable configurations are the sweet spot. Even the pocket clip is custom and matches Shaw’s personal design language.

Variants range in price, and the least expensive version, with titanium handles and a Micarta inlay, may well be the best. The Micarta inlay adds grip that all-titanium knives often lack, while letting you enjoy the titanium frame without constantly handling bare metal. The all-titanium version looks great with its finish but is the least practical of the bunch in terms of grip.

Artisan Cutlery Voltaic: The Sub-$80 Dress Knife

Before the Boa, the Voltaic already claimed a spot as a favorite sub-$80 dress knife. It shares the bolster lock design language that makes both of these knives so satisfying to use, with excellent fit and finish for the price. It is the kind of knife that competes with far more expensive options on feel alone.

If the choice were between the two, the Boa would win purely on execution and design ambition. But the Voltaic remains a remarkable value and a smart pick if your budget is tighter or you want a refined, understated folder without the premium price tag.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The Boa does not currently come in a left-handed version, since the design would require a complete orientation change. There is hope that if demand justifies a second run, left-handed variants and additional swappable inserts could follow. The Micarta inlay design suggests a future of interchangeable inserts, and this is a knife worth buying multiple inserts for.

Branding on the Boa is minimal and tasteful: Shaw’s Triple Strike emblem sits near the handle, with just a small detail behind the thumb stud on the swedge. Everything else stays clean.

Buying Advice

If you are shopping for a premium-feeling knife under $200, the Boa is a genuine consideration that is hard to match for uniqueness in its range. Back it on Kickstarter rather than waiting, because availability after the campaign is uncertain. Pick the Micarta inlay version if grip and value matter most to you, or the ultra-premium Timascus and S90V configuration if you want maximum visual flair.

If your budget is under $80 instead, the Voltaic delivers a dress knife experience that routinely outperforms its price bracket.

Conclusion

The Boa is a standout collaboration that translates a young custom maker’s distinctive design into an attainable production knife, with contoured ergonomics, multiple opening methods, and a well-chosen S35VN blade. The Voltaic proves the same design sensibility scales down to a budget-friendly dress knife. Together they show why bolster lock designs have such a devoted following, and the Boa in particular is worth acting on quickly before it sells out.