The Sharpest Addition a Man Can Make to His Wardrobe

Never bring a knife to a gunfight.

Instead, bring it somewhere with a little more class.

And make it one of these: Jho Knives, creators of exquisitely designed, extremely small-batch knives.

Sharp? Hey, they call ‘em Gentleman Slashers for a reason.

Here’s how to get your hands on one (this is the hard part): the brand will post a new blade or re-release on the site’s Instagram. At that point, you navigate to the site as quickly as possible and claim one. They’re usually gone ASAP (and occasionally re-released, if you’re lucky).

If you do get one, you’re in for a treat. Every model rocks a decidedly clean design, where function begets form.

“I prefer to call myself a knife designer,” Jho founder Jefferson Ho tells us. “Knifemakers are craftsmen: they spend many years honing their skill, ultimately they want to make grail knives, perfectly crafted or over-engineered knives only a small percent of collectors can afford. We focus more on user experience and functionality.”

The GS-1, the brand’s flagship (aka the Gentleman Slasher mentioned above) was inspired by a straight razor. It’s a square blade with an angular handle built from steel and titanium. It’s hailed as “ a small handsome flipper for the discerning gentleman.”

Available in black/satin, grey, each knife includes a knife case, T6 and T8 screwdriver and extra Teflon washers.

Jho also makes a chisel-grind card blade that fits in your wallet (“able to slice through a corner off an inch-thick book easily”) and, coming back soon, the Nug micro knife for home projects and stealthy self-defense.

So these are cool, but do you need a knife? Depends on who you are.

“I realized there are two types of knife collectors,” says Ho. “There are ones who love tactical knives — anything aggressive looking or tough enough to chop down a small tree. And there are ones who prefer knives that are more refined and less Liberace. I think I appeal to them more. I design knives I would carry, I live in the city and I travel light. I don’t really want to risk getting tased, so something small and functional is good.”

Meet your guide

Kirk Miller

Kirk Miller is InsideHook’s Senior Lifestyle Editor (and longest-serving resident). He writes a lot about whisk(e)y, cocktails, consumer goods and artificial intelligence.