The Artisan Cutlery Holm lineup in one paragraph
The Artisan Cutlery Holm (1875) is a 3.10-inch wharncliffe folder with a button lock and an unusual extra for a production knife: a manual safety switch next to the button. Artisan sells the platform in two distinct tiers — the 1875P in budget AR-RPM9 stainless with wood, G10, and acrylic handles at $56.99, and the 1875 in premium S90V with steel-and-micarta, copper-and-wood, titanium, and titanium-plus-fat-carbon versions ranging from $109.99 to $199.99. That combination of a wharncliffe blade, a button lock with a safety, and handle materials that run from red wood to fat carbon makes the Holm one of the more characterful folders in Artisan's catalog right now — and it has not gotten a fraction of the attention of the brand's drop-point models.
Specs that stay the same across the family
Before we break down the tiers, here is what every Holm shares:
| Spec | Artisan Cutlery Holm 1875 / 1875P |
|---|---|
| Blade length | 3.10 in / 78.7 mm |
| Overall length | 7.27 in / 184.7 mm |
| Closed length | 4.2 in / 106 mm |
| Blade style | Wharncliffe, flat grind, 0.10 in / 2.5 mm stock |
| Lock | Button lock with safety switch |
| Pivot | Ceramic ball bearings |
| Blade finish | Stonewashed (S90V); stonewashed or black PVD (AR-RPM9) |
The wharncliffe is the Holm's identity. A wharncliffe blade has a straight edge that runs all the way to the tip with no belly, which makes it one of the most controllable shapes for slicing and detail work — the edge meets the cutting surface flat, so you get the full length of the blade working for you. It is the shape box cutters and utility blades borrow, and it is brilliant for opening mail, breaking down cardboard, trimming cord, and any task where you want precision instead of reach. Our blade shape guide goes deeper into when wharncliffes beat drop points.
The button lock with a safety switch
Button locks are one of the most convenient mechanisms on the market — press the button and the blade swings free, close it, and it locks again. What makes the Holm different is the safety switch: a small sliding switch that disables the button until you slide it off. On a knife carried loose in a pocket or bag, that is a genuine peace-of-mind feature — accidental button presses are the one real weakness of the mechanism, and the Holm simply gives you a way to switch that risk off. If you are not familiar with how button locks work, our button lock explainer walks through the mechanism, and our lock strength comparison puts it in context against frame, liner, and crossbar locks.
The rest of the action is standard good news: the blade rides on ceramic ball bearings, deployment is a smooth push of the button plus a flick of the wrist or thumb, and the wharncliffe's straight edge makes closing feel predictable.
Budget tier: Holm 1875P in AR-RPM9 at $56.99
The 1875P is the value entry point for the Holm platform, and it is the version that shows off the family's personality. All 1875P versions share the same wharncliffe in AR-RPM9, heat-treated to 59-61 HRC, with a flat grind and a stonewashed or black PVD finish depending on the colorway. The handle is a PVD-coated steel frame with an inlay — which is why the versions are named after their scale materials:
- Red wood edition — stonewashed steel with a rose wood inlay, the warmest-looking Holm.
- Black gold G10 edition — black PVD steel with a black-and-gold G10 inlay.
- Rose gold edition — rose gold PVD steel with an ebony inlay.
- Black G10/wood edition — the two-tone G10-and-wood take.
- Acrylic editions — blue and white acrylic colorways, with more acrylic colors rotating through in batches.
Every one of these is $56.99, which puts the Holm 1875P in direct competition with the button-lock Artisan Revel and similar budget folders. The honest caveat on the steel: AR-RPM9 is a budget stainless that sits close to 9Cr18MoV in composition. Metallurgist Larrin Thomas's independent testing concluded the steel is spray-formed rather than true powder metallurgy, with performance in the same neighborhood as 440C-class steels — his full AR-RPM9 investigation is worth a read. Treat it as a solid, corrosion-resistant budget stainless that sharpens easily, and you will not be disappointed. We also compared it against the alternatives in our best AR-RPM9 knives roundup.
Premium tier: Holm 1875 in S90V, $109.99 to $199.99
Step up to the 1875 and the Holm becomes a different knife. The blade is the same wharncliffe geometry but in CPM-S90V, heat-treated to 60-62 HRC — one of the highest-wear stainless steels in production, and the steel metallurgist Larrin Thomas singles out as his favorite in the high-edge-retention category in his ratings article. S90V holds an edge for a very long time between sharpenings, at the cost of being more work to sharpen when you finally need to — our S35VN vs S90V comparison and premium steel face-off lay out the trade-offs.
The S90V Holm is offered in four handle configurations:
| Version | Handle | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1875G-ODG | Stonewashed steel with micarta inlay | 88 g / 3.1 oz | $109.99 (batch runs) |
| 1875-COWD | Copper with rose wood inlay | 131 g / 4.62 oz | $149.99 |
| 1875G-GY | Titanium | 93 g / 3.28 oz | $198.99 |
| 1875G-FCTX / FCMV | Titanium with fat carbon inlay | 85 g / 3.0 oz | $199.99 |
The titanium versions are where the Holm starts to feel genuinely premium. The plain titanium edition at $198.99 is the clean, professional version, while the titanium-and-fat-carbon editions at $199.99 swap in a marbled carbon-fiber inlay and drop the weight to 85 grams — the lightest Holm of all. Fat carbon is one of the more striking handle materials around; we covered the full material landscape in our handle materials guide.
The copper and rose wood edition at $149.99 is the character pick, but know what you are signing up for: at 131 grams it is by far the heaviest Holm, because copper is dense. It also develops a natural patina over time as the copper reacts with skin oils and moisture — a feature if you like a knife that records your carry history, a nuisance if you want it looking factory-new forever. Our copper patina care guide covers how to maintain (or strip) that finish. The steel-and-micarta version (1875G-ODG) sits between the tiers at $109.99 and tends to sell in batches — it was out of stock at the time of writing.
Copper, titanium, or fat carbon: how the handle changes the knife
The Holm is a good case study in how much the handle material matters. All four S90V versions have the identical blade and mechanism, but they feel completely different in the hand: the titanium Holm is a light, neutral carry at 93 grams, the fat-carbon version is barely there at 85 grams, and the copper Holm is a hefty 131-gram statement piece that anchors itself in your pocket. Pick the handle based on how you will carry it, not just how it looks. If weight and pocket presence are your main concern, our weight vs size guide has the full framework.
Who should carry a Holm?
The Holm is for people who actually use the tip of their knife. The wharncliffe geometry rewards detail cutting — opening packages, cutting tape, trimming wick, scoring material — and the button lock with its safety switch makes it one of the safest knives to carry loose in a pocket or a bag. At $56.99, the 1875P is a low-risk way to discover whether a wharncliffe suits your carry style; at $198.99 to $199.99, the titanium S90V versions are a legitimate premium EDC with a genuinely uncommon mechanism. It also works well as a desk-friendly office knife — non-threatening, precise, and quiet — which we discuss more in our best office EDC knives guide. If you want to see where the Holm fits in the broader lineup, our Artisan Cutlery price-tier guide sorts the whole catalog by budget.
FAQ
What is the Artisan Cutlery Holm?
The Holm (1875) is Artisan Cutlery's wharncliffe button-lock folder with a manual safety switch. It is sold in two tiers: the 1875P in AR-RPM9 with wood, G10, and acrylic handles at $56.99, and the 1875 in S90V with steel, copper-and-wood, titanium, and titanium-and-fat-carbon handles from $109.99 to $199.99.
Is the Holm a good EDC knife?
Yes, for slicing-oriented carry. The 3.10-inch wharncliffe is excellent for precise everyday cutting, the button lock with safety switch is pocket-safe, and the ceramic bearing pivot gives smooth deployment. The S90V versions add serious edge retention for a long-lasting working edge.
What steel does the Holm use?
The 1875P uses AR-RPM9 at 59-61 HRC, a budget stainless close to 9Cr18MoV-class performance. The 1875 uses CPM-S90V at 60-62 HRC, a high-wear powder-metallurgy steel that holds an edge much longer but is harder to sharpen.
What is the safety switch on the Holm?
The Holm pairs its button lock with a small sliding safety switch that disables the button until you slide it off — an uncommon feature on a production folder that prevents accidental opening when the knife is carried loose in a pocket or bag.
Which Holm should I buy?
For budget buyers, the $56.99 1875P in red wood or rose gold is the character pick. For a premium everyday carry, the titanium S90V Holm at $198.99 is the balanced choice; the fat-carbon version at $199.99 is the lightest; and the copper-and-wood version at $149.99 is the heaviest, patina-friendly option.
Where can I buy the Artisan Cutlery Holm?
Artisan Cutlery's own store carries the current in-stock variants — S90V titanium Holm and 1875P red wood edition, among others. The steel-and-micarta edition appears in batch runs and was out of stock at the time of writing.