Premium Jacaranda Wood Folding Pocket Knife - Compact, Durable & Sharp EDC Tool for Camping, Hiking & Everyday Carry (EDC)

The Puma "Pocket Friend", represents a folding knife pattern typical of Alsace and the surrounding area. Its not advertised as an "Alsatian" but it appears to be one of the very few knives still available in the pattern. Even fewer are available with a stainless steel blade of 3" - 3 1/8", and without a second bolster and/or decoration. A Grohman and a Maserin version are two that are.In France, the pattern is also known as the "Massu".It's wonderful that Puma, a German company, has kept the pattern available and at a very reasonable cost. Perhaps this reflects the fact that the form of the knife is as German as it is French, if not more so. This is no a surprise given the geography and history of the Alsace region.The blade is made in Germany of German steel and is very good. The design is, I believe, faithful in virtually all formal respects to the traditional "Alsace" but the piece is assembled in China which, of course, lowers the cost. The Jacaranda does a very good job of maintaining the appearance of old examples of Alsatian knives and is, happily, wood.The fitting together of the handle scales and the metal frame is not perfect on the one I bought but the knife is solidly built and the wood handles and the comfortable balance of the piece, mean it feels really good in the hand.It has a really lovely shape a bit like a truncated and simplified Laguiole and it's a practical little thing with good rich color and nice warm texture.Most importantly, the "Alsace"/"Massu"/"Pocket Friend" is elegant and comfortable in the way simple, practical, good old fashioned tools are.Even the modern Puma name, "Pocket Friend" has a charm and warmth that nicely expresses the nature of one's relationship with a pocket knife one likes.