EQ V2 CF

The one that started it all - redone from the ground up!

The Equilibrium and I have had a long friendship. Over four years ago, it was the design I started with and said to myself as I often talk to myself when designing – well, if there was only one concept you can try – what would it be? The new EQ is a commitment of sorts to a design concept. The first EQ had a very unique profile. Beautiful lines that complimented the extremely useful blade shape. This worked well when paired with a handle that almost mirrored the blade, yet provided excellent ergonomics. I was very happy with how the first EQ came out and to this date, I still am honored to have been able to share the idea with our community.

Time passed and I grew a bit, learned a few things, and started to get curious again. What would happen if I took the concept I first started with and revisited it? People loved the EQ and really enjoyed it for all its unique features – how can I re-think it and do it completely differently without having it lose its connection to the original? This was tough, but designing different is what we like to do!

Over the next few months I jotted things down about the EQ that I would have loved to see in a second version. Not an update, or a refresh, or some small tweaks, but a stand alone version that allowed for both models to coexist as part of any collection.

The first thing that came to me was size – the first EQ’s blade was an elegant beast at a slender yet long 3.9 inches. The new version had to be smaller – the perfect size to bring it down after tons of sketching was 3.5 inches. This would allow for the blade to be extraordinarily easy to edc and even carry in the same pocket with a phone and keys given its slender profile. The blade on the EQ V2 would need to be reworked in order to really bring out a different face to the blade. Adding in a stylized groove, hollow grinding the blade, completely redesigning the flipper, and lining up the swedge flush with its harpoon would make for a very different stance when the blade was open and a new feel when opening the blade.

But that wasn’t enough - I knew we had to do this one up in m390. A steel of which has many premium properties (hardness, corrosion resistance and toughness) that lends itself to being one of the best all around steels that can be found. I also knew that I wanted to do a backspacer – something that complemented the new profile. A tapered mill line (that's becoming a signature of sorts) with a floating backspacer was the perfect touch of class to add to the back end of the blade (sometimes you have to add class to the…well you get the picture). The clip had to be true to the original, yet shrunken down to flow with the new footprint of the overall design.

Lastly, and probably what I spend the most time on was refining the handle. The handle had to be perfect. The shape had to take the ergonomics from the first EQ and carry them out with precision to the new size. After a lot of 3D printing and prototyping, we landed it! It was very exciting to see the unique shape translate well to the newer size. This time around, I wanted to give the community more options. Two versions instead of one. The frame lock was a classic and it needed to be represented with new cutouts, relief cuts, and skeletonizing. It would feel like an entirely new creation. But to do something different with the other version was a challenge. There were so many directions it could go. I settled on a bolster lock as it would force me to do something new and challenging. How can I fit a bolster lock on a blade that is comprised of almost no straight lines? Back to the sketches I went to try to find something that fit. When I was done, I saw only one option that made sense to me. The bolster region would have to be a complete circle. This would mean that nearly the entire handle would be covered by the scale material – something that I never saw before. We had to do it! Making the bolster fit out of an integrated frame with a steel lock insert, lock bar cutout and skeletonization was a real challenge but the results were the lightest and slickest EQ yet. By approaching the two versions of the EQ V2 from very different angles the final product was two knives cut from the same cloth (pun intended) but with very different souls. As with the first EQ, I’m very excited to be sharing this one with our community.

If you made it this far or if you skipped down here because you didn’t want to read my life story – here are the specs! :)

Blade:

• M390 steel, 3.5in blade length stunningly hollow ground from .125in stock
• An all new profile for the primary grind and a new swedge style
• Two-tone ceramic bead blast with a hand sanded satin flat finish
• Symmetrical half depth speed groove for a very cool stance and lightened blade
• Newly designed flipper tab that adds not only to the symmetrical aesthetic – but also provides a lower profile and easier actuating motion
• The action on this one is so dialed in – it flips like a dream!

Handle CF:

• Integrated Bolster lock made of 6Al4V Aircraft Grade Titanium starting at a .2in and heavily contoured and milled down to .07in to allow for maximum weight reduction, balance and of course – more carbon fiber!
• Full bolster lock scales made of Carbon Fiber that jacket the frame like no other bolster lock does
• 4.9in long by 1.1in wide - making it the most compact EQ yet and near unnoticeable in the pocket!
• Machined thumb relief, hidden steel lock insert, integrated over travel stop, multi row ceramic bearings, and ceramic detent
• Both frames are fully scalloped from the inside to reduce the weight even further
• The action on this one is so dialed in – it’s a smooth stunner!

Hardware & Clip CF:

• 6Al4V Ti hardware, clip, and backspacer
• Custom HEA pivot with mirrored AEH on back with standard torx accommodations
• Blind screwed, newly sized clip to match the dimensions of the new handle
• Partially anodized hardware to draw in the eye to parts of the main parts of the design
• Blasted hardware on the Carbon Fiber as to not detract from the stunning qualities of the material
• Sick all new floating and rounded backspacer to really set off the design with a signature HEA tapered v milling down the back

It is my pleasure to be launching these two versions side by side. Every blade will come with the full HEA works in terms of packaging and presentation so be ready for some new stickers and a new fitted case. Every HEA model so far has been a very limited run – the EQ V2 is no different. There are only 150 of each version and as a new surprise and after lots of feedback, every blade will be shipping with a birthday card letting you know which number of the 150 your blade is!

The EQ V2 is finally here and I’m so glad to be sharing it with everyone.

Can’t thank you enough for the support,

Your neighborhood friendly Sam