MachineWise manufactures folding knives and balisongs in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 2021, the five-person team machines integral titanium handles, tests every blade's heat treatment, and hand-finishes each numbered knife before shipping. The company's primary folding knife models include the Sonora button lock and Mojave framelock, both using high-performance steels like CPM-20CV, S90V, and MagnaCut. MachineWise backs each product with an unconditional lifetime warranty and operates from a dedicated facility where all design, machining, and assembly happen in-house.
Sonora Button Lock Construction
The Sonora uses integral handle construction, meaning the entire frame is machined from a single piece of grade-5 titanium rather than assembled from multiple parts. This approach eliminates extra hardware; the knife requires only two screws plus the pivot assembly. The button lock mechanism provides secure blade lockup and allows quick one-handed deployment via thumb flipper. MachineWise tunes the bushing pivot system to 0.0008-inch tolerances, creating zero blade play while maintaining free-swinging action. The 3.35-inch drop point blade ships in MagnaCut (RC63), 20CV (RC61), S35VN (RC62), or S90V configurations. Measuring 7.95 inches open and weighing 3.5 ounces, the Sonora includes a reversible deep carry clip machined from titanium.
Mojave Framelock and Ceramic Bearings
The Mojave represents MachineWise's entry into framelock folders, using a two-slab titanium construction with separate backspacer rather than integral machining. This design showcases different handle textures across both scales—options include Turtle, Stars, Fine Step, and Smooth patterns milled directly into the titanium. The knife runs on ceramic ball bearings, specifically Skiff bearing assemblies, providing smooth flipping action. Available blade steels include 20CV and S90V with stonewash, lightwash, or tumbled finishes. Each Mojave receives multiple prototype iterations to refine lock face geometry and ensure reliable lockup during spine whack testing.
Balisong Platform and Blade Interchangeability
Before launching folding knives, MachineWise established itself in the balisong market with models like the Opus, Serif, and Maryn. These butterfly knives share the Maryn Platform, a standardized construction method allowing handles and blades to swap between models. The Opus features chanwich handle construction, a channel-sandwich hybrid, with S35VN tanto blades and adjustable weight systems. All MachineWise balisongs use titanium construction with bushing pivot systems and include both live blade and trainer options. The company's balisong expertise informed the tight tolerances and tuning methodology applied to their folding knife designs.
USA Manufacturing and Heat Treatment Testing
MachineWise machines all components in-house using CNC equipment, including screws and pivot hardware. Each blade undergoes Rockwell hardness testing after heat treatment—the measured RC value appears on the included "birthday card" documentation. Handle finishes include zirconium blasting (Zir Blast), various anodized colors, distressed effects, and fade patterns applied through multi-step processes. Texture patterns like Diamond, Streamline, and Fine Step get milled directly into handle surfaces. The company serializes every production knife, and some models feature brass or colored titanium bolsters as design accents. All knives ship with T15 hardware and receive individual quality inspection before packaging.
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