Quark Tool

A utility knife that takes minimalism to a new vanishing point.

Jun 01, 2017

Project update 1 of 13

Thanks and Some FAQs

Hello early Quark supporters!

Blake here. First of all (and I know I say this a lot), THANK YOU to everyone for your incredible support! Alex and I are thrilled to see that others find the Quark as useful as we do and are looking forward to shipping out our first orders. We have a few more steps to take and part of that is having discussions with our early backers.

So in our first update, we’d like to address some of the more common questions and comments that our backers have thrown at us. Lets begin!

Is the Quark really TSA friendly?

The Quark frame itself, minus the blade, should provide no problems for air travel. We (both Alex and I) have traveled to numerous states and countries with the Quark — again, sans blade — with no problems. I have had simple nail clippers confiscated in the past, so I fully expect razor blades to be a big NO-NO in airport security. So toss the blade, it’s ten cents after all, and pick up a new one at your destination.

The reason we think the Quark is far more travel-friendly than other small pocket knives is because you will actually keep 95% of it if you forget to leave it at home! If you forget to leave your pocket knife at home, you’ll probably lose it for good. But with the Quark you just toss the blade. (Disclaimer: I have no idea what runs through a TSA agent’s head and in the end they can confiscate your socks or arrest you for smelling funny. Always use your best judgement!)

What is the total weight of the Quark?

Roughly 10 grams without a blade. Blades are around 2-5 grams. The frame weight may change slightly on the final delivered product. But when I say slightly, I mean barely even registrable.

Are you working on other similar blade-based products?

Absolutely! We have an obsession with very fine & high precision utility blade tools. We have a few projects already underway and since our Quark launch, these projects have only become fueled by more obsession! If you have blade requests, ideas, or any other suggestions on this front feel free to give us a shout.

Can you tell me about the 420 steel choice?

The 420 steel was chosen for its versatility, namely its ability to conform to our needs while undergoing multiple different manufacturing processes. This material is perfect as a foundational product before moving into other less proven (for this design) and more expensive materials.

What can you tell me about the manufacturing process?

The manufacturing process is quite deceivingly complex for such a small object. And… total honesty moment… we weren’t sure it could be done within an affordable price range. We did not feel this product was going to work at a $50+ price tag, so Alex had to go contrarian and quickly started working on the outskirts of today’s typical manufacturing processes. This is a very long topic and one that holds many proprietary data points, so we wont be able to delve into all of it quite yet. But all of the components to produce the Quark are very interrelated / interdependent… the design, manufacturing, QA, & materials. And luckily for me, Alex is very well versed and experienced on all fronts! (I can see him blushing now.)

Do you have plans to make a Quark out of [insert favorite metal here, most likely titanium]?

Hell yes! After a few iterations and an increase in volume, we will be able to work with other materials and metals such as titanium, special coatings, and others. More on this later!

Does the knife feature single-hand quick open and close?

The product can definitely be opened and closed single handed. The catch is, that it is very much based on personal preference and takes a little practice. After a couple days of having it in your pocket, you figure out the best way to use it and it becomes automatic. I find it especially easy when attached to a key chain.

We originally set out to create the Quark for ourselves and our own day-to-day use (where is my knife?!?!?). But friends and family loved it and so we decided to show it to the rest of the world in hopes that others would find it useful and valuable too. Based on your feedback and questions, it is clear that you do! We are all-in on the Quark and will be posting updates regularly as we progress through the campaign.

That’s all for now. If you feel like we missed your question please hit us up right away!

Thanks again!
Alex and Blake


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