If you have been following JTT for a while, you’ll know that the Mini Nightshade isn’t just one of my favorite Vosteed designs, it is one of my favorite knives. The Nightshade, with its unique and useful Shilin Cutter shape, is what put Vosteed on my radar and I have been carrying one version or another of this knife for a while now. Now, I have my mitts on one of the most premium versions to date.
Specs
Blade Length: 2.60″ | 66.04 mm
Overall Length: 6.32″ | 160.53 mm
Blade Width: 1.13″ | 28.70 mm
Blade Thickness: 0.098″ | 2.49 mm
Blade Material: S35VN
Blade Grind: Flat
Blade Style: Shilin Cutter
Hardness: HRC 60±2
Handle Length: 3.71″ | 94.33 mm
Handle Width: 0.89″ | 22.60 mm
Handle Thickness: 0.437″ | 11.10 mm
Handle Material: Titanium
Weight: 2.59 oz | 73.40 g
Opener: Thumb Stud
Lock Type: Crossbar Lock
Pivot Assembly: Caged Ceramic Ball Bearing
Pocket Clip: Reversible | Stainless Steel
Carry Position: Tip-up
Observations from Use
To me, the Mini Nightshade is all about performance and the performance is all about that blade! Do you want a knife that gives you easy access to a fine, useable tip? It does. Do you want thin blade stock that tapers to a thin, incredibly sharp and slicey edge via a full flat grind? It does. Do you want a shape that holds the material in the cut and has plenty of belly? It does.
These knives CUT!
They also manage to pack that performance into a very compact package. The Mini Nightshade is small enough to pull fifth pocket duty but large enough for a medium size hand to get all four fingers on the grip. It also happens to be a very slim design. It’s a Goldilocks size.
I also want to point out the weight. These knives are incredibly lightweight due to the partial liners and thin blade stock. This is the heaviest version yet and it is still well under 3 ounces at 2.6 ounces. Saying that “you’ll forget you are carrying it is a cliche”, but I genuinely have.
This is also the most premium version of this knife to date. It features sculpted titanium scales that are radiused for comfort and have a very attractive scalloped texture pattern. Vosteed also went premium with the blade steel. CPM S35VN is a great choice here as it can take a fine edge and has solid toughness to support the thin cutting geometry. It’s a great premium, powdered metallurgy option for this knife. While it isn’t a heavy knife by any stretch, it has a solid heft in the hand for such a compact knife.
Wrap Up
This is my favorite version of one of my favorite knives. The most important thing a knife must do is cut… and Vosteed goes all out with cutting performance on these knives. Secondly, you want a knife that is easy to live with and this is definitely that with it’s slim, lightweight design.
See full specs and all available colors: Vosteed.com
See all of the Nightshade family on the Vosteed Amazon Store with 20% off options: Amazon.com
Previous reviews of the Mini Nightshade including more budget-oriented options: Mini Nightshade Reviews on JTT
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