Parallel- Crossbar lock (2.90" 154CM Blade & Titanium Handle) - A3502
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Inspired by the book Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos, the Ultra-Thin Vosteed Parallel is Yue’s latest Cross Bar Lock design.
The Ultra Thin Design - The Engineer’s Task
The ultra-thin blade design, measuring an impressive 0.28 inches/7.1mm handle thickness (or a staggering 4.4375E+32 Planck Lengths), is an engineering feat we set out to achieve. Weighing just 2.3oz/65g and boasting a blade length of 2.9 inches/74mm, the Parallel is the most pocket-friendly and carry-friendly knife in its class.
Materials from the Supernova - The Titanium Handle
As shown by the Chandra X-ray Observatory, titanium forms from the blast of supernovas. To make the Vosteed Parallel true to its inspiration, we used precision CNC to craft its handle from Grade 5 titanium. The material and exceptional machining work have created a perfect balance of strength, thickness, and tolerance.
From Turbine Engines to Your Hand - The 154CM Blade
154CM is a widely recognized and beloved knife steel. Originally developed as a bearing steel for gas turbine engines, 154CM steel offers a great combination of hardness, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and durability. Legendary knife maker Bob Loveless used and popularized 154cm steel in the knife world. The Vosteed Parallel features a 0.078” thick (2mm) 154CM blade, ensuring an exceptional slicing and cutting experience.
Design and Details
As Brian Greene said, "The skyscraper is but a physical realization of the information contained in the architect's design." A well-designed knife is the summation of ideas and information. To make the knife truly ambidextrous, we incorporated the time-honored cross-bar lock system and paired it with dual thumbstuds. To create a sleek and uptempo design, we removed unnecessary lines and curves, opting for a minimalistic wire clip. To ensure versatility and practicality, we chose a reversed tanto blade shape and added a clean, triangle-shaped lanyard hole.
Specifications:
Model Number:A3502
Model Name:Parallel
Blade Length:2.90" | 73.85 mm
Overall Length:7.04" | 178.90 mm
Blade Width:0.96" | 24.50 mm
Blade Thickness:0.079" | 2.00 mm
Blade Material:154CM
Blade Grind:Flat
Blade Style:Reverse Tanto
Blade Finish:Satin
Hardness:HRC 60±2
Handle Length:4.13" | 105.00 mm
Handle Width:0.92" | 23.40 mm
Handle Thickness:0.279" | 7.10 mm
Handle Material:Titanium
Color:Black
Weight:2.29 oz | 65.00 g
Opener:Thumb Stud
Lock Type:Crossbar Lock
Pivot Assembly:Caged Ceramic Ball Bearing
Pocket Clip:Reversible | Stainless Steel
Carry Position:Tip-up
Knife Type:Manual Folding
Backspacer Material:Aluminum
Backspacer Color:Orange
Thumbstud Material:Aluminum
Thumbstud Color:Orange
Designer:Yue
Customer Reviews
I agree that the spring is strong but I like it and it eventually gets better as it breaks in. You just have to get used to pulling the lock bar further back. I only have 2 vosteed knives, the parallel and the mini psyop and these two knives are way better value compared to the benchmade bugout knives in my opinion. The materials are higher quality and I do like the stronger springs. The blade does not swing open like the bugout and mini bugout. I live in NY and sometimes visit NYC and the fact that the blade can flyout on the bugouts when you swing it can be considered a gravity knife if a cop wanted it to. I already sold my bugout and will be selling my mini bugout and some of my we knives soon. I highly recommend getting the satin-gray version. It just looks really clean and premium. I wish the blade was elmax like my mini psyop and hope vosteed makes a line of thin knives like this with blades 3" or less. I'm very impressed by the fit and finish.
Love it. New favorite knife. I like it better than my Benchmade.
Jokes aside, I'd like to be an inch longer.
I ordered this when released and it arrived quickly. I've been a big fan of Vosteed since Day One, generally, and also of the Benchmade Narrows (at least everything about it except the horrific price). My hope was that the Parallel would serve as a substitute for the Mini Narrows set for release at the end of September '24. At 1/5 the price, the Parallel certainly fits the bill. It's size and blade shape are perfect if you're looking for a super slim, lightweight, ambi EDC. You will, however, have to live with a very tight axis lock. The "detent" is too strong and the blade takes abnormal pressure to close all the way. I don't know if it is the spring pressure or a slightly-off geometry of the blade tang. It's liveable once you're used to it, but nowhere near as smooth-operating as other Axis-lock knives on the market. I say this half-jokingly, half-seriously: It's the one Axis lock with the "walk and talk" feel of a slipjoint. All-in-all, it's okay for the price. At least you know it'll never open accidentally.
This knife really appealed to me from the first time I saw the specs. I also loved the blade profile and overall design esthetics. Unfortunately, out of the box, mine was pretty much unusable. The action was gritty. The blade of this cross bar lock knife had to be opened with two hands. It felt like the omega spring was three times stronger than it needed to be. When closing, the action acted more like a strong slip joint knife with a hard half stop. I had a choice of either sending it back or fixing it. I’ve been repairing and modding knives for over 20 years so the choice was easy. After cleaning and removing several burrs which were causing the gritty feel, I adjusted the springs to my liking. She’s awesome now and my favorite EDC folder. The Parallel is a fantastic design built from high-end materials. A great value at $129.00, but at that price, are we expected to fix it to make it useable? Every other Vosteed I own (and I owned over two dozen) has been perfect. I know you can do better 🤨
Customer Reviews
I agree that the spring is strong but I like it and it eventually gets better as it breaks in. You just have to get used to pulling the lock bar further back. I only have 2 vosteed knives, the parallel and the mini psyop and these two knives are way better value compared to the benchmade bugout knives in my opinion. The materials are higher quality and I do like the stronger springs. The blade does not swing open like the bugout and mini bugout. I live in NY and sometimes visit NYC and the fact that the blade can flyout on the bugouts when you swing it can be considered a gravity knife if a cop wanted it to. I already sold my bugout and will be selling my mini bugout and some of my we knives soon. I highly recommend getting the satin-gray version. It just looks really clean and premium. I wish the blade was elmax like my mini psyop and hope vosteed makes a line of thin knives like this with blades 3" or less. I'm very impressed by the fit and finish.
Love it. New favorite knife. I like it better than my Benchmade.
Jokes aside, I'd like to be an inch longer.
I ordered this when released and it arrived quickly. I've been a big fan of Vosteed since Day One, generally, and also of the Benchmade Narrows (at least everything about it except the horrific price). My hope was that the Parallel would serve as a substitute for the Mini Narrows set for release at the end of September '24. At 1/5 the price, the Parallel certainly fits the bill. It's size and blade shape are perfect if you're looking for a super slim, lightweight, ambi EDC. You will, however, have to live with a very tight axis lock. The "detent" is too strong and the blade takes abnormal pressure to close all the way. I don't know if it is the spring pressure or a slightly-off geometry of the blade tang. It's liveable once you're used to it, but nowhere near as smooth-operating as other Axis-lock knives on the market. I say this half-jokingly, half-seriously: It's the one Axis lock with the "walk and talk" feel of a slipjoint. All-in-all, it's okay for the price. At least you know it'll never open accidentally.
This knife really appealed to me from the first time I saw the specs. I also loved the blade profile and overall design esthetics. Unfortunately, out of the box, mine was pretty much unusable. The action was gritty. The blade of this cross bar lock knife had to be opened with two hands. It felt like the omega spring was three times stronger than it needed to be. When closing, the action acted more like a strong slip joint knife with a hard half stop. I had a choice of either sending it back or fixing it. I’ve been repairing and modding knives for over 20 years so the choice was easy. After cleaning and removing several burrs which were causing the gritty feel, I adjusted the springs to my liking. She’s awesome now and my favorite EDC folder. The Parallel is a fantastic design built from high-end materials. A great value at $129.00, but at that price, are we expected to fix it to make it useable? Every other Vosteed I own (and I owned over two dozen) has been perfect. I know you can do better 🤨