It’s hard to beat these four GiantMouse ACEs. GiantMouse always seems to be raising the ante when it comes to the folders in its ACE line.

Preference in knives is a very personal matter and tastes vary widely. That’s why there are so many knife companies and so many models. GiantMouse is just one of those companies that seems to be reading my mind when it comes to what I look for in a blade. It sells lots of knives, so I’m not alone in my fondness of the company.

EARLIER WORK WITH GIANTMOUSE ACE FOLDERS

I now own eight GiantMouse knives. Six of them are folders. I reviewed the Nimbus V2 early last year and absolutely loved that knife. But then I got a chance to test the Corta, and I liked that even more. The two were similar in size; each had a blade about 3 inches long, although the Corta was a bit pointier and was made of Bohler M390 Microclean rather than the Elmax of the Nimbus V2. Both came with Micarta scales that provided some grippy texture without being abrasive.

The ACE Jutland is the author’s pick when he needs a bit more blade than his usual carry knives, especially when wandering the woods.  GiantMouse Photo

Aside from the steel, another difference was that the Nimbus V2 opened with one hand via an oblong hole in the blade, whereas the Corta was a flipper. This is where personal preference pushed me toward the Corta. I find I’m more sure-handed (with either hand) with a flipper mechanism than a blade hole or thumb studs, especially when I’m in a hurry or under stress.

The ACE Atelier is a solid, classy knife that won’t shy away from tough jobs.  GiantMouse Photo

And the best flippers for me are the ones where there’s a bit of resistance in the beginning. That resistance prevents from the blade from partially opening in my pocket and allows the blade to fly open very fast when that initial resistance is overcome.

NEWER MODELS 

Using the Corta as my new standard in what I want an everyday carry folder to be, I set out to take a close look at some other GiantMouse knives in the company’s ACE production line.

JUTLAND

While I like the size of the Corta, sometimes I want a slightly larger blade. GiantMouse introduced the Jutland to the ACE line last fall. Based on the limited run GM8, the Jutland features a 3.35-inch clip-point blade of Elmax steel with a satin finish. A long, gently contoured swedge runs most of the length of the blade spine, and the tip of the blade comes to a fine point. The rest of the spine is well rounded with some jimping.

“Somehow, GiantMouse designers Jens Ansø and Jesper Voxnaes have managed to create knives that instill a simple elegance into working blades.”

The Jutland is named for the low-lying peninsula in Western Denmark, and I think it makes a good woods knife. The folks at GiantMouse must have had that in mind, too, as one initial model featured orange G10 handle scales. Mine has green canvas Micarta scales.

The Jutland features a blade hole and flipper for one-handed opening and has a reversible wire pocket clip.  Author Photo

You can open the Jutland with one hand by using either the blade hole or the flipper that I favor. The ball-bearing pivot helps the blade to glide open. Any onlooker would guess that it’s an assisted opener, but it’s not. The steel liner lock is simple, secure, and easy to operate.

The Atelier features a brass backspacer with lanyard hole.  Author Photo

A wire pocket clip is reversible and configured for tip-up carry. The steel backspacer is rounded for comfort and contains the lanyard hole. There’s some jimping on that backspacer along with some on the blade spine and flipper.

ATELIER

The Atelier is as classy as it is useful. GiantMouse introduced it to the ACE line earlier this year. It’s named after the art-deco bar located inside of the Grand Hotel in Nuremberg, Germany. It is a smaller version of the ACE Grand, named for that same hotel.

The Atelier’s titanium handle scales are textured to enhance the gripping surface. The pocket clip is reversible.  Author Photo

The Atelier features a 2.875-inch clip-point blade of Elmax steel with a satin finish. While the Clyde and Sonoma V2 highlighted here come with sleek, narrow blades in the vicinity of 0.75 inch wide, the Atelier measures more than an inch at its widest point, about the same as the Jutland, but because it’s shorter, the Atelier blade appears more stubby. It opens via an elongated blade hole.

The Sonoma has a brass backspacer, too, although it’s a bit shorter than on the Atelier or Clyde.  Author Photo

The Clyde features a brass backspacer and a matching brass thumb stud.  GiantMouse Photo

My model has textured titanium handle scales. The Atelier is available with green canvas Micarta scales, too. This is a solid-feeling, top-quality knife in every detail. The blade opens smoothly with its ball-bearing pivot, and the liner locks it into place with a definitive “click.” A nice touch is the brass backspacer that includes a lanyard hole. The handle scales are cut out around the lanyard hole. It’s a nice look. The wire pocket clip is reversible and is positioned for tip-up carry.

SONOMA V2

The original Sonoma featured a frame lock integral with the titanium frame. The Sonoma V2 features a liner lock and rounded canvas Micarta handle scales. The name is a reference to Sonoma County, California, just north of where GiantMouse had its original headquarters in Marin County.

The ACE Sonoma V2 is a sleek knife with a narrow drop-point blade and fast-action flipper. Author Photo

The Sonoma V2 is a long, narrow knife. It measures 4.5 inches closed and 8 inches open. The 3.4-inch blade of Elmax steel has a slight drop to it leading to the tip. It comes with a satin finish. The spine is rounded and smooth with the exception of a half-inch of jimping.

The author previously tested the GiantMouse ACE Nimbus V2 (top) and the Corta that first solidified his appreciation of this company’s products.  Author Photo

The Sonoma V2’s blade opens smoothly along the ball-bearing pivot. The flipper on the blade tang is sized just big enough to accomplish sure-handed, fumble-free blade opening without being unnecessarily obtrusive.

The handle tapers toward the end and includes a brass backspacer with jimping and an exposed lanyard hole. The wire pocket clip is positioned for tip-up carry, and it’s reversible.

CLYDE DENIM

The Clyde Denim is a very different folder from the others. In a world of endless drop-point and clip blades, the Clyde goes its own way with a narrow, upswept trailing-point blade that measures 3 inches long. It’s crafted of 20CV steel. The blade opens over a bronze washer pivot via a single brass thumb stud on the left side of the blade. Rather than poking out, that thumb stud nestles in a cutout on the Clyde’s left handle scale.

“The knives in the GiantMouse ACE line all come with excellent, sharp edges…These knives are well designed, and finely crafted with excellent materials.”

The Jutland has been offered with Orange G10 handle scales that outdoorsmen have found to be a popular feature.  GiantMouse Photo

GiantMouse first introduced the Clyde in 2019. The knife was named after the Clyde Common, a bar in the Ace Hotel in the Pearl district of Portland. The latest model features blue denim Micarta scales and was introduced toward the end of 2022. It’s also been offered with a brass handle.

The Sonoma’s Micarta handle scales are attractive, durable, and provide just the right amount of gripping texture. Author Photo

The Clyde weighs 2.7 ounces and measures 3.94 inches closed. It carries very well in the pocket. It has a more sharply angled frame than the others mentioned here, and that down-turned angle allows the Clyde to fit perfectly in the palm. The blue denim Micarta scales have a nice, soft texture that’s as comfortable as your favorite pair of faded jeans.

Complementing the brass thumb stud is a brass backspacer with exposed lanyard hole that’s nearly triangular in shape. The wire pocket clip is placed for tip-up, right-side carry only.

PERFECT BLEND

Somehow, GiantMouse designers Jens Ansø and Jesper Voxnaes have managed to create knives that instill a simple elegance into working blades. While I still love my Corta, I’d be proud and would feel equally prepared when carrying any of these others.

The author’s Atelier has titanium scales, but the knife is available with green canvas Micarta scales (shown) as well. GiantMouse Photo

This ACE Clyde is a very distinctive model with its denim Micarta handle scales and upswept trailing-point blade.  GiantMouse Photo

The knives in the GiantMouse ACE line all come with excellent, sharp edges and are made with steel that tends to stay that way. These knives are well designed, and finely crafted with excellent materials.

EVEN MORE FROM GIANTMOUSE

GiantMouse has an impressive lineup of products for a small company that was conceived only as far back as 2015. That’s when Danish knife designers Jens Ansø and Jesper Voxnaes got together with American entrepreneur Jim Wirth with the idea of forming a small company that allowed them complete autonomy in how their knife designs were produced.

The company offers limited runs of premium folders in its GiantMouse line, and once those are sold out, they’re gone forever. The company’s ACE regular production line offers similarly styled folding knives priced a bit less, but with quality, in my opinion, far above many other knife producers. All of the knives are designed by Ansø and Voxnaes. The manufacturing is done to their exacting standards, mostly in Maniago, Italy, with some being made by Reate Knives in China.

Other notable folders in the ACE lineup include the Grand, the Biblio, the awesome-looking Nazca, the small Nibbler, and the slip-joint Farley. The company offers some excellent fixed blades as well.

SPECS

Model: GiantMouse ACE Jutland

Overall Length: 8.15 inches
Blade Length: 3.35 inches
Blade Steel: Elmax steel with satin finish
Blade Thickness: 0.132 inch
Handle Length: 4.8 inches
Handle Material: Green canvas Micarta or orange G10
Lock Mechanism: Liner lock
Weight: 3.9 ounces (Micarta); 4.2 ounces (G10)
Origin: Maniago, Italy
Other: Ball-bearing pivot, reversible wire pocket clip

MSRP: $195

SPECS

Model: GiantMouse ACE Atelier

Overall Length: 6.81 inches
Blade Length: 2.875 inches
Blade Steel: Elmax with satin finish
Blade Thickness: 0.127 inch
Handle Length: 4 inches
Handle Material: Titanium or green canvas Micarta
Lock Mechanism: Liner lock
Weight: 4.2 ounces (titanium); 3.3 ounces (Micarta)
Origin: Maniago, Italy
Other: Ball-bearing pivot, reversible wire pocket clip

MSRP: $285 (titanium), $215 (green canvas Micarta)

SPECS

Model: GiantMouse ACE Sonoma V2

Overall Length: 8 inches
Blade Length: 3.4 inches
Blade Steel: Elmax with satin finish
Blade Thickness: 0.138 inch
Handle Length: 4.5 inches
Handle Material: Green canvas Micarta
Lock Mechanism: Liner lock
Weight: 3 ounces
Origin: Reate Knives, China
Other: Brass backspacer, ball-bearing pivot, metal wire pocket clip

MSRP: $195

SPECS

Model: GiantMouse ACE Clyde Denim

Overall Length: 6.97 inches
Blade Length: 3 inches
Blade Steel: 20CV with satin finish
Blade Thickness: 0.118 inch
Handle Length: 3.94 inches
Handle Material: Denim Micarta
Lock Mechanism: Liner lock
Weight: 2.7 ounces
Origin: Maniago, Italy
Other: Bronze washer pivot, wire pocket clip

MSRP: $175

SOURCE

GiantMouse Knives
www.GiantMouse.com

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