Italy-based Lionsteel takes full credit for the Q4ttro, a MagnaCut-bladed beauty that (technically) deploys four different ways.
Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more
What do CRKT and Spyderco have in common? Well, names that recall animals, for once thing.
But that’s not all. Both brands also sell knives produced in collaboration with a third beast-evoking brand, Lionsteel.
This Maniago, Italy-based outfit has crafted some heavy hitters for its American friends. (“Eccezionale” is Italian for exceptional, in case you were curious.)
For CRKT, the most recent is the Richard Rogers-designed Persian Frame Lock, which won Best Factory Imported Knife at Blade Show West last fall.
For Spyderco, it’s the new Sebenza-channeling Slym, which GP’s own Sean Tirman wrote about just a few days back.
It should come as no surprise, then, that Lionsteel produces some pretty impressive knives solely under its own name as well.
Case in point, the upcoming Q4ttro, which boasts a bellissimo design matched only by its premium materials.
Pride of Italia
There are six variants of the Q4ttro, with prices varying based on the ergonomic handle treatments.
These progress from burlap micarta and black G10 to carbon fiber and, at the top of the line, Titanium 6AI4V with Fatcarbon inlays.
Every Q4ttro packs a 3.31-inch satin-finished drop-point blade made of CPM MagnaCut steel, renowned for its blend of toughness, corrosion resistance and edge retention.
Beyond that element, however, they have much in common, including a slick design by Michele Pensato (the man behind literally dozens of Lionsteel knives).
Each knife also features a titanium pocket clip and basically the best blade steel you can get.
That’s right, every Q4ttro packs a 3.31-inch satin-finished drop-point blade made of CPM MagnaCut steel, renowned for its blend of toughness, corrosion resistance and edge retention.
That means it’s beyond qualified to tackle any everyday cutting or slicing task you can throw at it.
Boasting a lightweight frame lock and ReF (removable flipper) system, the Q4ttro pivots on ceramic ball bearings for super smooth and reliable deployment.
Speaking of which, in case you were wondering about the name, it refers to just how many deployments this knife features: back flipper tab, front flipper, nail nick and “two hands.”
We kinda feel like the Italians are stretching a bit with that fourth method, but we’re kind of inclined to let it slide.
After all, unpronounceable as it is, Q4ttro still sounds better than 3re, does it not?
Availability and pricing
The Lionsteel Q4ttro will be available for purchase February 10th in six different varieties at a starting price of roughly $280.
Lionsteel Q4ttro