The Knife that Disappears (until you need it)
You know how most utility knives end up being more hassle than help? They’re either too bulky to carry comfortably, have screws that require an additional tool to change the blade, or made from plastic that just feels cheap. We were looking for something straightforward: one that fits in your pocket without a thought and is there when you need it.
When nothing quite hit the mark, we decided to make our own. And that’s how Aerocrafted kicked off, with the Sideslip Utility Knife as our first design challenge.
ONLY THE PARTS THAT MATTER
Just two parts and a blade. No screws to lose. No screwdriver needed. Pop the blade out with your fingers, flip it for a clean edge, or swap it for a fresh one.
It has positive detents that give a solid click when you open or close it. And here’s a subtle but important detail: when you’re cutting, the pressure of your hand naturally pushes down on the spring section of the frame. That locks the blade in place even more securely, preventing accidental retraction in use.
It’s the kind of design that makes sense once you hold it—not overthought, just right.
6Al-4V TITANIUM OR 7075 ALUMINUM: THE SPRING IN THE FRAME
Here’s where it gets interesting: the frame isn’t static. It's engineered to flex like a spring. Every time you slide the blade in or out, a thin section bends slightly and snaps back. The material is what makes that reliable.
- 6Al-4V Titanium: Known for its use in high-performance aerospace structures, it is incredibly strong for its weight and won’t corrode. Titanium also has great fatigue properties allowing us to use it as a flexure/spring without concern of permeant deformation. Comes in at 0.46 oz with a blade.
- 7075 Aluminum: While many consumer products are made from 6061 aluminum, we chose 7075-T6 for its far superior strength. Its yield strength is around 73 ksi; nearly double the ~40 ksi of 6061-T6. Because stiffness is similar across aluminums, this higher strength means 7075 can flex almost twice as far without permanently deforming, snapping back to its original shape every time. These properties are why it’s trusted in highly loaded aircraft parts like flight controls and landing gear. And in the Sideslip, it delivers all that reliability in a package that’s even lighter, weighing in at 0.31 oz with a blade.
We spent as much time solving for how to machine thin parts as we did on the design itself. Custom fixtures, optimized tooling, and a lot of trial and error. It would’ve been easier to just add more pieces and screw them together, but that’s never been our approach.
SMALL DETAILS, BIG DIFFERENCE
Another example of design by reduction: we call it the Blade Saver Bump. Instead of adding a bulky blade carrier, we engineered the frame so that the unused middle section of the blade rides against a small bump. This keeps the important edges sharper for longer and lets us preserve the knife’s low part count.
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE
It’s thin enough for a coin pocket, with a smooth slide that feels natural. You forget it’s even there, until you reach for it.
WHY CARRY IT
Think about the everyday stuff: cutting tape, opening boxes, slicing through zip ties or foam, dealing with stubborn packaging. The Sideslip handles it all without making a big deal out of it.
TRY IT YOURSELF
The Sideslip isn’t trying to be flashy. It’s the right materials shaped the right way, with the same practical mindset we use for airplane parts: light, strong, reliable, and made in the USA. If you’re curious, give it a shot. Restocks are in, and it’s the one that started everything for us.
Precision machined in San Luis Obispo, CA—bridging aerospace roots with everyday tools.