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When Anthony "TJ" Marfione Jr. and Jessica Marfione launched Heretic Knives in 2016, the knife community took notice. Building on the Marfione family's decades of manufacturing experience, Heretic carved out its own identity in a market dominated by established players. Made in the USA, they're putting out some of the tightest-tolerance production knives available today.
Let's be honest – everyone claims to make "quality" knives. What Heretic actually does is maintain tolerances measured in thousandths of an inch on production runs. Every knife gets hand-tuned before it ships. You know that perfect detent feel when everything just clicks right? That's not an accident. That's someone at Heretic actually giving a damn about the knife in your pocket.
Their CNC work is clean, and they're not afraid to push design boundaries that other companies won't touch. While everyone else is playing it safe with another drop-point flipper, Heretic's releasing the Hydra with its distinctive recurve or the Manticore with that aggressive tanto profile.
Heretic runs legitimate steel – CPM-20CV on most production models, with CPM-MagnaCut showing up on newer releases and special runs. If you're still debating S30V vs S35VN, MagnaCut makes that conversation irrelevant. Corrosion resistance of LC200N with the edge stability you actually want.
Handle materials include:
6061-T6 aluminum with actual grip texture (not just pretty milling)
Carbon fiber on lighter builds
Titanium for those who track pivot wear in spreadsheets
DLC and Cerakote finishes that actually hold up to pocket carry
The Manticore, Hydra, Cleric, and Medusa aren't just model names to memorize – each represents a different approach to deployment and ergonomics. The Medusa Jr. disappears in your pocket. The Colossus doesn't.
Some guys baby their Heretics. Others actually use them. The knives hold up either way. Whether you're cutting breakdown cardboard all day, slicing 550 cord, or just opening Amazon packages, the edge geometry works. The deployment is consistent at 10 uses or 1,000.
Current production lineup includes:
EDC-focused builds: Medusa Jr., Pariah, Martyr
Full-sized options: Colossus, Nephilim, Manticore
Manual folders: Wraith V4, Pariah, Medusa (yes, Heretic makes manuals)
DLT exclusives: Usually gone within hours of dropping
Here's the thing about Heretic – they don't flood the market. Production runs are intentionally limited. When new models drop, they actually sell out. Not "marketing sold out" where they magically find more inventory next week. Actually gone.
DLT Trading gets regular allocations plus exclusive colorways and configurations. If you want something specific, get on the notification list. Instagram flexing doesn't reserve inventory.
Lifetime warranty for original owner on manufacturing defects. They'll take care of you if something's actually wrong. User error isn't covered, but they'll still fix it for a reasonable fee.
Different approaches to similar problems. Microtech has an established reputation and wider availability. Heretic offers unique designs and smaller production runs. Plenty of collectors run both. Action feel is subjective – handle both if you can.
Small batch production by design. They'd rather maintain their tolerance standards than pump out volume. Each knife gets individual attention during assembly. That takes time.
Check the secondary market. Discontinued models and special runs typically trade above retail. Not investment advice, but the data's there. Regular production models hold steady around 80-90% of retail if you keep the box and docs.
Heretic doesn't announce far in advance. Follow their social media and sign up for DLT's newsletter. When drops happen, you've got minutes to hours, not days. The knife community moves fast on Heretics.
Every Heretic knife is manufactured in the USA. From initial design through final assembly, each knife is American-made. This isn't assembled-in-USA from imported parts – it's actual American manufacturing.
Bottom line: Heretic makes solid USA-made knives with tight tolerances and interesting designs. They're not trying to be everything to everyone. If you get their approach, you'll probably appreciate their knives. Here at DLT, we love them.
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