White Fang — the high art of knifemaking by Emmanuel Esposito
Presenting to you the first of the first — the prototype of the legendary White Fang model by Emmanuel Esposito.
A master of the Italian Knife Guild, Emmanuel Esposito worked on this knife for over five years. He unveiled the first prototype with a Back Lock system at the Boston Knife Show in 2010. And although the community received the model with great enthusiasm, the Italian decided to refine the design further. In 2015, at the Art Knife Invitational, Emmanuel presented the final version with his proprietary C-Lock system. This masterpiece is what you see before you.
Despite the name — White Fang — the fang itself is black. Emmanuel Esposito rarely works with damascus steel, but when he does, the results exceed all expectations. The white pattern of the dark damascus accentuates the predatory Tanto profile, whose spine curves in the finest tradition of a Trailing-Point. This hybrid of two shapes makes the knife versatile — equally effective for straight cuts and piercing motions.
The lock button on the handle — part of the proprietary C-Lock system, which secures the blade in both open and closed positions — is also crafted from damascus. The knife's mechanics are entirely Esposito's own inventions. Beyond the lock, the Maestro also patented the unique deployment system of the White Fang, whose flip action is remarkably smooth and allows the blade to fully disappear into the handle.
The White Fang's handle is a masterpiece of applied art, executed with jewel-like precision. Inlays of custom mokume, forged by the talented German smith Johannes Ebner, rest in the carbon fiber like patches of sunlight. The shimmer of the composite is echoed by titanium hardware with gold anodizing. The picture is completed by the hand-rubbed satin finish of the cool titanium scales.
The Emmanuel Esposito White Fang is a dress knife — its fit and finish would make jewelers envious, and its mechanics, watchmakers.
