Oknife AION Review: Class, Muscle, Precision

A big and boisterous fixed blade in a Kydex sheath with a ferro rod dangling gracefully from its lanyard hole is a a great example of the quintessential “outdoors knife.” However, a growing chunk of the mainstream knives today fall into what the “Everyday Carry” (EDC) category. This generally includes smaller fixed blades and folding knives that may be suited for the backcountry, but are elegant enough to tag along wherever you go — without sticking out like a sore thumb.

What’s more, the EDC world encompasses more than just knives. It includes other bits and pieces that you can carry along for daily tasks and challenges: knives, pens, watches, and — notably — flashlights. Of the lighting brands that have risen through the EDC ranks, perhaps none have had the impact that Olight has. Its blend of tactical, functional, durable, and accessible has won the brand a cult following.

In fact, it’s become such a staple in the EDC community that one of Olight’s flashlights inspired the latest knife form its sister brand: the Oknife AION. There aren’t many knives that draw inspiration from a flashlight. So this is a watershed moment in the EDC world, as far as I am concerned.

The fact that its Kickstarter campaign has surpassed $200,000 — 40 times higher than its $5,000 goal — attests to that.

In short: The Oknife AION is just as desirable as the Arkfeld Ultra flashlight that inspired it. The flipper folder is a gentleman’s knife that, based on its build and materials, will do fine tucked into the pocket of a suit coat. But it has the construction and design to take on the rigors of a long weekend camping trip. It’s not a true bushcraft knife, but as an all-around EDC with looks to kill, it’s an attractive folder.

First: The Arkfeld Flashlight

I can’t talk about the AION knife without first addressing its inspiration, the Arkfeld Ultra 3-in-1 EDC Flashlight. In fact, the name AION stands for Arkfeld Inspired Oknife Novelty.

In 2022, Olight introduced the Arkfeld flashlight. It was a slim, rectangular flashlight with a 6061 aluminum casing and a belt clip. It emitted up to 1,000 lumens of white light and had a Class 1 green laser pointer as well. To switch between modes, the flashlight featured a simple dial selector with a button to activate the light type, as well as switch through lumen settings when using the standard white light.

In 2024, Olight launched the Arkfeld Ultra with a proprietary case material, OAL. This material is an aerospace-grade aluminum alloy. It’s just as light as traditional aluminum, but it’s much stronger and more abrasion-resistant. This latest model is the inspiration for the AION.

Oknife AION Review

The version of the AION that I tested is the AION Ultra Bomber limited edition variant. This knife is essentially the Olive Green model, made with OAL handle scales and DLC-Coated Nitro-V steel. Through the Kickstarter campaign, and once the AION officially launches, it will be available in the following combinations:

• Hand-rubbed DLC-coated M390 steel with Damascus Zirconium handle scales
• Hand-rubbed M390 steel with TC4 titanium handle scales

Design & Features

The Oknife AION is a long and slender gentleman’s flipper folder encased in the brand’s proprietary OAL. OAL has proven to be both lightweight and durable, and is incredibly resilient to scratches and chipping. This allows for anything it’s used on to look newer, longer.

For blade steel, this version of the AION has Nitro-V stainless steel. Nitro-V is based on AEB-L steel and ranks high in the corrosion resistance and edge retention department. It is also very tough; however, this toughness does not make it hard to resharpen.

Regarding the edge on the blade, it’s sticky and slicy. You can feel it momentarily grip as it maneuvers through material for a satisfying slicing experience.

Knife designer Ostap Hel paid extra attention to keeping the lines of the AION clean and flowing, tapering in all directions — much like the Arfield Ultra.

This leads to a swell behind the pivot, and puts your thumb and index finger in a great position for quick and effective deployment. Hel also hid the pivot screw so as not to disturb the design. (I think that’s cocky, and I like it.) In doing so, Hel assumes the pivot will never need adjusting. But don’t worry, if it actually does, you just need to remove the four screws at each edge of the knife handle to get to it.

Rounding out the AION is an exposed liner lock that plays well with the flipper mechanism and its supporting cast of ball bearings. The blade engages and can be disengaged with little effort.

First Impressions

First and foremost, I rarely test or review limited editions of any knife. I am not complaining about the fact that Oknife sent me one of the 500 Bomber edition AIONs — it’s wicked cool. But it is the same as the production olive green version.

At only an inch tall, the AION knife itself is sleek, even with its 8.19-inch total length. The OAL material keeps the knife light, but it doesn’t feel light; it feels durable. This knife is strong, durable, and discreet. I think that’s partly due to the pivot being hidden and the fact that there’s no thumb stud, which allows the blade to sink almost entirely into the handle.

The action on the knife is fast and determined. The flipper requires very little force to get that 3.5-inch full-bellied drop-point blade to swing into action and lock up nice and tight.

I am not a fan of long, slender knives. I like my knives short and stout. However, the AION has me rethinking my position on the matter. It’s giving off some heavy Lucas Burnley/Boker Kwaiken and Kaizen vibes, both of which are also excellent gentleman’s knives.

In the Field

Some might consider the AION too long to be discreet, but because it’s 0.78 inches tall (1 full inch with the flipper tab), it tucks nicely into the corner of your pocket. And considering it weighs only 3.32 ounces, I would consider this knife to have incredible balance between size and weight.

But you’ll be hard-pressed to get it to balance on your finger at the pivot; you’ll find that at the trailing edge of the relief for the lock cutout. This puts more weight toward the back of the handle, which allows you to tuck the knife in your palm and go to work.

Does that mean the AION is unbalanced? Yes, totally. This is what you want in a knife designed to handle a variety of tasks with precision. Consider it a magic wand with a razor-sharp edge, if you will. You can carve and slice in a variety of motions, fluidly, without having to come up off the material when you change directions.

I found this incredibly beneficial in making shapes in construction paper and cardboard for a beginning-of-the-school-year assignment for my daughter. That’s a task I would have generally relegated to an X-ACTO knife, but didn’t need to. It also took on carving up a mango as if I was being graded on it.

Conclusion: Who’s It For?

The Oknife AION isn’t the kind of knife that shows up in the middle of the woods or out on a whitewater rafting adventure, but it could. With its OAL casing, stainless steel frame, and Nitro-V steel, you could do a lot worse than this knife.

Instead, this is a geek’s knife — for an enthusiast or one who values aesthetic first, with muscle just in case. Maybe someone working at the C-Suite level who spends more time in cell range, but secretly hopes adventure will come their way.

That’s not a bad thing — far from it. After all, the idea behind a gentleman’s knife is that it can be worn within the confines of society but will take on all heck if it must.