Dachs Knives Charon Mini Folding Drop Point Lock Knife (N690) with Glass Breaker

The Dachs Knives Charon MINI is a compact folding knife from Czech makers Dachs Knives, combining Böhler N690 stainless steel, titanium, Micarta and an AXIS-style axle lock in a genuinely useful everyday package.
 
It may be called the Charon MINI, but there is nothing particularly toy-like about it. At 80 mm, the drop-point blade is large enough for proper everyday work while the 111 mm closed length keeps the knife compact enough to disappear into a pocket. 
 
Dachs Knives
Dachs Knives comes from the small Czech village of Jílovice, around 17 kilometres northeast of Hradec Králové. It is the sort of place you would expect to find a pub, a few houses and quite a lot of peace and quiet, rather than a workshop producing high-end knives and traditionally made Japanese-style swords.
 
Brothers Radim and Kamil Dachs built their skills largely through self-teaching. When they started, there were few formal resources available for the specialist work they wanted to undertake, so they worked from the literature they could find, advice from experienced people and plenty of trial and error. That approach eventually took them into some seriously specialised territory, including Japanese-style sword making.
 
Their work became good enough that they were reportedly advised by Japanese specialists to mark their swords because their quality could potentially be confused with Japanese-made examples. That led to the Tanuki branding used on some of their work.
 
Tanuki is a canid from Japan, known as a raccoon dog. The name also ties neatly back to Dachs, the German word for badger, giving the brand an interesting connection between the brothers' Czech/Germanic name and the Japanese craftsmanship that influenced their work.
 
So while the Charon MINI is very much a modern folding knife, it comes from a workshop with considerably more traditional blade-making experience behind it than you might expect.
 
Charon MINI
The Charon MINI is the smaller evolution of the original fixed-blade Charon design, a model that has found use with Czech police forces.
 
Named after Charon, the ferryman of Greek mythology who carries the souls of the dead across the rivers Styx and Acheron, the name is perhaps a little dramatic for something that will probably spend most of its life opening parcels and cutting bits of string. The knife itself is considerably more practical.
 
The 80 mm drop-point blade is made from Böhler N690 stainless steel and finished with a matte Stonewash treatment. N690 is a high-quality stainless tool steel with good corrosion resistance, edge retention and toughness, making it well suited to an everyday folding knife that is expected to actually be used.
 
The flat grind provides a straightforward, useful cutting geometry, while the rounded grooves machined into the spine provide a comfortable thumb position. This gives you additional control when applying pressure through the blade for more deliberate cutting.
 
Smooth Operation
The Charon MINI uses axial bearings at the pivot, allowing the blade to open and close smoothly. Combined with the ambidextrous thumb studs, this gives the knife a very natural manual opening action.
 
The axle-style lock provides secure blade retention while allowing the knife to be operated from either side. The dual-sided thumb studs and lock design make the Charon MINI suitable for both right- and left-handed users.
 
Titanium, Micarta and Dachs Grip
The handle combines titanium and Micarta, giving the Charon MINI a mixture of rigidity, low weight and grip.
 
Dachs also uses its distinctive Obsidian non-slip grip pattern on the titanioum part of the grip, designed to provide secure purchase when the handle is wet, sweaty or being used with gloves. It is a useful feature on a knife intended for outdoor use, rather than just something added for visual effect.
 
The handle has a black and Stonewash appearance which works particularly well with the Stonewash blade, giving the knife a deliberately understated, well-used look from new.
At 150 g, it has enough weight to feel substantial without becoming unnecessarily bulky.
 
Integrated Glass Breaker
At the rear of the handle is an integrated glass breaker.
 
This gives the Charon MINI an additional emergency-use function, particularly useful for situations where breaking vehicle glass may be necessary. It is integrated into the handle rather than being a separate accessory, so it doesn't require carrying anything extra.
 
Obviously, this is an emergency feature rather than something we'd recommend testing on the windows of your house because you've run out of things to smash.
 
A Compact Workhorse
The Charon MINI is designed to cover a surprisingly broad range of uses. Opening packaging, cutting cord, general outdoor work, fishing, hunting-related tasks and everyday utility jobs are all well within its remit.
 
The combination of N690 steel, titanium, Micarta, smooth-running bearings and a locking blade gives it considerably more substance than many compact folding knives.
 
Key Features
Compact folding everyday carry knife
80 mm Böhler N690 stainless steel blade
Drop-point blade profile
Stonewash blade finish
Flat grind
Smooth-running axial bearings
AXIS-style axle locking mechanism
Ambidextrous thumb studs
Suitable for right- and left-handed users
Titanium and Micarta handle construction
Dachs Obsidian non-slip grip pattern
Integrated glass breaker
Compact 111 mm closed length
Made in the Czech Republic
 
Specifications
Model: Charon MINI
Overall Length: 195 mm
Closed Length: 111 mm
Blade Length: 80 mm
Blade Material: Böhler N690 Stainless Steel
Blade Style: Drop Point
Grind: Flat
Blade Finish: Stonewash
Blade Construction: Folding
Lock Type: Axle Lock
Pivot: Axial Bearings
Handle Material: Titanium / Micarta
Handle Colour: Black / Stonewashed
Glass Breaker: Integrated
Weight: 150 g
Country of Manufacture: Czech Republic
 
UK Knife Law
The Charon MINI uses a locking blade, so it is not a UK everyday-carry knife in the same way as a small non-locking folding knife.
 
UK knife laws apply to the possession and carrying of this product. In particular, carrying a locking knife in public is subject to different restrictions from carrying a qualifying non-locking folding pocketknife, and there are additional restrictions on carrying knives in certain locations.
The buyer is responsible for ensuring they understand and comply with the current UK legislation and have a lawful reason for possessing or carrying the knife.