Psst. Wanna see something crazy? How about a traditional EDC drop-point that can morph into a defensive push dagger? One minute, you are opening your latest shipment from Amazon with a regular folding knife, and the next minute, BAM! you’re wielding a push dagger. That is just normal everyday life for the Alkaid from Rike Knife and Forever Steel. And you thought Transformers were cool.
The Rike Knife Alkaid
I’ll admit I am a fan of simplicity—keep it simple, stupid. However, I also like impressive feats of engineering, like the CRKT Provoke or the latest from Rike Knife and Forever Steel—the Alkaid. The creative thinking involved in making knives like these work is nothing short of genius.
To be honest, there are a lot of moving parts to the Alkaid. So, it’s hard to figure out where to even start. The knife opens via a fairly standard thumb stud design, bringing it to its full 6.53-inch overall length.
Once open, the knife is held in lockup via a unique locking mechanism involving a spring bar running along the spine of the blade. The bar is inset into the spine via a cut-out notch two-thirds down the blade. This bar travels back to the grip and has a pin that drops into a notch, creating tension to lock the blade. To close the knife, lift up the thumb stud—releasing the spring bar—and fold the blade closed.
The 2.83-inch blade is constructed of premium M390 steel, which offers good corrosion resistance and excellent edge retention. At under 3 inches, the drop point blade is legal in most jurisdictions.
The handle is constructed of TC4 titanium, which gives it a great look and keeps it resistant to corrosion. Likewise, the titanium construction helps reduce the knife’s overall weight, considering how much is going on. Due to all of the linkage mechanisms that go into making the Alkaid a morphing blade, there are a lot of parts involved. This adds to the overall weight.
Due to the mechanical nature of the Alkaid, it is fairly stout in the hand. However, I have not discovered any hot spots or discomfort during use—it’s surprisingly comfortable.
More Than Meets the Eye
As mentioned, the Alkaid is a morphing design that delivers two different knives in one platform. Looking into the handle of the knife reveals a series of intricate linkage mechanisms that work together to achieve the transformation. These mechanisms ride on robust, heavy-duty TC4 titanium screws and pivots to ensure solid operation.
To transform the Alkaid from a standard EDC to a push dagger, press the button on the side of the handle. The button acts as a crossbar lock that holds the knife in its EDC configuration. Depressing the button releases the crossbar, allowing the handle to collapse into the push dagger configuration.
One thing I have noticed is that in the push dagger configuration, my middle finger pushes on the button. This could release the knife and allow it to collapse back onto your fingers. For this reason, Rike and Forever Steel included a locking mechanism on the back of the spine. This allows you to lock the knife into either configuration, standard EDC or push dagger.
The lock is easy to engage with one hand. However, it is fairly difficult to disengage, preventing accidental disengagement.
Due to the nature of the design, I would not put it in the hard-use category, as there are many moving parts. However, it is constructed of high-quality, premium materials, so I wouldn’t hesitate to make it a daily user.
Likewise, the blade lock isn’t as solid as I would like for use in the push dagger configuration. There is the potential that the blade could unlock with enough force and fold over onto your finger. For this reason, I wouldn’t punch anything with it. I think it is more to demonstrate the possibilities than it is intended for actual use. A secondary lock could easily correct this.
Testing the Alkaid
Since this is a high-end knife, I didn’t put it through my typical hard testing. However, I still feel that it is important to test the performance of any knife. So, I performed some cutting and slicing tests to check the edge performance and edge retention.
I started by slicing up some corrugated cardboard because it is really hard on an edge. This is due to the glues and other materials used in its construction. I made all of my cuts against the grain of the cardboard, and it sliced easily through everything. I even got some very long, smooth slices.
Next, I performed a press test through a half-inch climbing rope multiple times throughout the entire edge. For this test, I placed the edge onto the rope and simply pressed it through the rope without slicing. The Alkaid easily pressed all the way through. There were only a couple of times I had to slice the last remaining thin fibers.
Then, I moved on to a press test through heavy-duty sisal rope, which is very hard on an edge. As with the climbing rope, the Alkaid handled the sisal rope with aplomb.
Then, I sliced through a brand-new, heavy-duty nylon military gun belt. It is very thick and can be hard to cut through cleanly due to the fibrous nature of the weave. However, the Alkaid slid right through with no resistance or issue.
Finally, to see how the edge held up to my testing, I sliced some paper. Although it wasn’t quite as smooth as it was when it was brand new, it sliced the paper cleanly. There were the occasional catches here and there, but for the most part, it handled the job smoothly.
Throughout all of the testing, the Alkaid remained very comfortable.
Making Knives Fun Again
I am sure it’s clear at this point that this is a high-end knife intended for knife enthusiasts and collectors. It is not a first knife or hard-use knife that you would take on a construction site or tactical mission. However, it is really cool for what it is—a piece of functional artistic engineering.
With that said, I have carried it for a while now and it performs very well and gets a lot of looks. However, although the pocket clip is very sturdy and looks great, it is very tight and hard to clip into the pocket. I wear 5.11 Tactical Defender Flex jeans with nylon reinforcement for knives. So, I had to pull up on the pocket clip to get it over the nylon reinforcement in my pocket.
The Alkaid includes a small proprietary tool for adjusting the pivot and moving the pocket clip to the other side. This can also be used to disassemble the knife, but I don’t think I would recommend it. There is a lot going on.
The design is very stylish and has a bit of a futuristic aesthetic. Not to belabor the point, but it has an almost Transformers-esque style. Likewise, available in grey/blue anodized, black, or stonewash grey, it will fit into any lifestyle and look great.
There is a fine line between “gimmicky” and “feat of engineering,” and the Alkaid falls squarely in the latter category. It has a cool gimmick, but it does it with solid construction and a usable form factor. Although it is expensive, at $525, the Rike Knife/Forever Steel Alkaid is well worth considering.
Not to mention, it is a lot of fun to play with (don’t play with knives, kids), like an adult fidget spinner. It’s almost mesmerizing.
For more information, please visit KetuoUSA.com.
Rike Knife Alkaid Specs
| Blade Material | M390 |
| Blade Angle | >60° |
| Overall Length | 6.53 inches |
| Handle Length | 3.77 inches |
| Blade Length | 2.83 inches |
| Handle Material | TC4 Titanium |
| Screws | TC4 Titanium |
| Finishing | Stonewash & Anodizing |
| Weight | 5.1 ounces |
| Color | Grey/Blue Ano, Black, Stonewash Grey |
| MSRP | $525.00 |
