This is the Steel Will Apostate 1108 folding knife. I think it is safe to put the tactical moniker here as well. It is a monster of a folding knife, with a closed length just shy of 5.5”. I’ll tell you what, though, it will take all you can throw at it and keep looking for more.

I was curious so I looked up the definition of “apostate.” An apostate is someone who has renounced or walked away from a religious or political belief system. I found several reference to Islam, specifically the punishments meted out for those who commit apostasy – typically death. So, maybe a synonym for apostate could be infidel? Interesting.

Specs
Overall length: 9.61”
Blade length: 4.13”
Folded length: 5.48”
Blade thickness: 0.16”
Weight: 6.17oz
Steel: S35VN
Handle: G10 and titanium

Performance
The Apostate 1108 is a serious folding knife. There is absolutely no wiggle to the blade whatsoever, even after pounding it into logs and such. The handle is large and feels solid in the hand, though it is very light due to the G10 and titanium material. Fully opened, the center of gravity is right at the middle of the knife.

The clip is a couple of inches long and secures the knife in the pocket quite well. It can be moved to the other side of the knife or just removed entirely, of course.

Shaving a featherstick posed no problem. This knife was hair popping sharp out of the box. I also sliced up some thick corrugated cardboard with ease. And it still shaves hair after that.

The blade flips out easily, owing to the ceramic ball bearings as well as the aforementioned balance of the knife. The action was just the tiniest bit stiff when first out of the box but it loosened up quickly after some use. For those who prefer thumb studs, they are present on both sides of the blade. The action isn’t as fast as some of my other folders but this is also a larger blade than those other knives.

The liner lock is tight and durable. It snaps into place easily and has a bit of texture to make it easy to unlock. The lock covers just about half of the blade’s thickness so there’s little danger of it slipping.

The blade is powder coated and has a drop point profile. The point is needle sharp and penetrates easily. The spine is squared off and I was easily able to throw sparks from a ferro rod. The edge of the spine could be a bit sharper, though, for this purpose. Still, it’ll do the job if needed. I did notice, though, that scraping the ferro rod removed a bit of the powder coating on the knife. Not a huge deal to me but something worth noting.

There is jimping at the thumb rest, something I always appreciate. The flipper also has ridges on it, providing great texture for opening the knife.

The butt has a lanyard attachment point, which is nice. I don’t use a lanyard with my folding knives but I know others who do. The butt is also shaped with an angle, for bludgeoning if needed. This is truly a combat oriented folding knife, when all is said and done.

Comfort
I have fairly large hands and loved the feel of the Apostate. It never felt lost in my grip. Despite the size, it is actually fairly light at a little over 6 ounces. This made it easy to use for long periods of time with no hand fatigue. The pocket clip is shaped such that it doesn’t dig into your hand while using the knife, which is something a few other manufacturers overlook. When open, the flipper turns into a nice little blade guard. Due to doing something reckless and just plain dumb when I was younger, I appreciate blade guards on knives.

Verdict
I really like the Steel Will Apostate 1108 folding knife. It is large enough to tackle just about any typical knife chore you can imagine, including being a self-defense weapon. Even with the large size, it is light enough that it isn’t a boat anchor in your pocket. The knife opens and closes smoothly with no catches or hesitation. If you’re in need of a durable large folding knife, you’ve found a great option with the Apostate.

Purchase info
You can find the Steel Will Apostate 1108 here on Amazon for just under $150.00. Yep, that’s an expensive folding knife, no argument there. But, this isn’t a cheaply made Pakistan knife, either. This is a knife you could truly bet your life on with confidence.