Big Idea Design Ti Pocket Knife II Review

The world of knives continues to evolve and change to meet modern demands, inviting new designs and materials along the way. Perhaps coincidentally, a growing trend sees some great knives coming from brands that aren’t specifically knife manufacturers.

Where once customers only sought out and celebrated established knife brands, the industry now sees a movement toward brands that focus on more holistic lifestyles — like everyday carry, for example.

Take Big Idea Design, a company known as much for its bit drivers, pens, and watches as it is for its knives. This modern-day outfitter has created an entire line of EDC solutions, all of which have their merits. I was keen to learn more about how well these blades stack up, so I inquired about its latest, the Ti Pocket Knife II.

The brand sent over a test sample and in the weeks that followed, I found it to be a far cry from the original, which GearJunkie was critical of. After daily use and testing, I was happy to find that sometimes sequels are better.

In short: Just like the rest of its products, Big Idea Design created an effective, good-looking EDC solution with the Titanium Pocket Knife II. It’s an attractive option, particularly for those who take knives seriously, given its formidable price tag.

Big Idea Design Ti Pocket Knife II Review

Design & Features

Made from grade 5 titanium and featuring an ample M390 drop-point blade, the Ti Pocket Knife II is built from materials sought after in an EDC knife. Aiding in its appeal is an ambidextrous deep carry pocket clip and ceramic ball bearings around the pivot. Those bearings aid in the smooth, fast deployment action, which is activated by the inline flipper or thumb studs.

M390 steel is a brutish steel that begs for use. It excels in toughness, edge retention, ease of sharpening, and corrosion resistance. Where steel like MagnaCut may have stolen some of M390’s spotlight over the years, I prefer the latter because I believe it performs a lot better in demanding situations.

Common of knives with titanium frames or scales, the Ti II relies on a frame lock. What’s uncommon about this frame lock is that there’s no piece of steel screwed to it to bite into the blade and hold the lock in place.

Internet pundits have complained about the fact that the titanium-on-steel design can lead to lock failure. Where it’s certainly possible, it hasn’t happened throughout my day-to-day use of the knife, and I doubt it will happen at all.

First Impressions

I read Anthony Sculimbrene’s review of the original Ti Pocket Knife and, as scathing as I found it, I couldn’t disagree. The original Ti Pocket Knife is unrefined. Next to the Ti II, it’s like looking at two different brands of knives. That’s mostly due, in my opinion, to the lack of balance between the handle and the blade.

However, you can see where certain design characteristics were carried over from the original and baked into the sequel.

Overall, the Ti II is sleek. It looks good, feels good, and performs even better. I get some real Chavez Rendicion vibes from this knife. That’s due to the butt being a little more boxy than what we all may be accustomed to in knives today. And it works. In fact, it works really well in carry mode because it sits flat in any pocket you put it in.

It also works really well in hand because it’s a definitive stopping point. Your hand doesn’t feel like it needs to reach back for more control.

The original Ti Pocket Knife used hollow ground S35VN steel for its blade. S35VN is a terrific, widely used steel. However, I’ll take M390 over it any day. Due to its composition, M390 holds a better edge, ekes out a little more corrosion resistance, and is a tougher steel.

That said, it’s these properties that make it more expensive than S35VN. There are also claims that M390 is difficult to sharpen, but I’m going to chalk that up to user error. I’ve found that it takes very little effort to sharpen M390. If I had to compare the experience to other popular steels on the market, I would say it’s a lot like MagnaCut in that instance.

In the Field

In the weeks that I’ve had with the Ti II, I have been a busy boy. On my first day with it, I planted flowers and plants, and cut through soil bags, seed packets, and other packaging.

Days later, I was in the woods using the Ti II to lift up bits of bark and leaves to see if there were any morels growing on the forest floor. (For the first time in years, I got skunked on that desirable fungus.)

Alas, the experience was good, and I was ready to put that M390 to work in the mush. A year ago, I probably wouldn’t have reviewed the Ti II, and I would have missed out on an excellent experience. It has nothing to do with the brand or the original knife. I was dead set on knives with Micarta scales and wouldn’t hear a peep about titanium-handled knives.

Even today, I generally don’t like them. I find them slippery and less effective as a knife that has to meet various demands. But here we are, and this is probably my favorite pocket knife of the year (so far).

The titanium on the Ti II isn’t slippery, in fact it’s a bit grippy and gives you a firm hold. This, of course, is aided by both the ample choil and spine jimping. These features, along with the balanced size, keep your hand in place and help make the knife look damn good.

Aesthetically, the darkened titanium plays well with the brighter steel pivot, thumbstuds, and blade.

All in all, this knife slaps (as the kids would say). It feels good in my hand, wet or dry. It doesn’t shirk at hard work, and there have been zero issues with the frame lock. And it carries nicely. For a bigger knife, it slides into my pocket and virtually disappears, aside from the lanyard I put on it.

Conclusion: Who’s It For?

The Ti Folding Pocket Knife II is an improvement on the original that’s worth your time and money. Overall, I enjoy watching a brand take risks in order to evolve. Someone out there may love the original Ti Folding Pocket knife, but I happen to love this version. That said, the M390 on this knife is a better steel than the S35VN on the original.

All in all, Big Idea Design isn’t any more of a knife maker than it is a pen maker. It is a modern outfitter hellbent on EDC — with a heavy focus on titanium. And why not? Titanium is one of the toughest metals around. You can rely on it for eons, if you can make it that long.

That said, you can easily pass pass the Ti II onto your kids if you can stomach the investment today.