Superior Shape for an Outdoor Folder: Vosteed Shilin Review

Unlike knife blade steel, there’s rarely a new knife blade shape. But there are little-known shapes that never really caught on.

One of those is the Shilin blade shape. For the life of me, the only reason I can see it not being more popular is that it originated from a small village in Taiwan more than 150 years ago. However, the Shilin Cutter marks the fourth Shilin-style knife from Vosteed, preceded by the Nightshade, Mini Nightshade, and Morel. All four struggle to remain in stock due to high demand.

In a market where drop point, sheepsfoot, wharncliffe, tanto, and clip point blades dominate, the Shilin shape has finally found its worth in the 21st century. This owes in part to Vosteed’s commitment to it, but also, I think, to consumers’ desire to find “the next big thing.” 

Even after 2 months of carrying it around, this knife still excites me. The Shilin cutter creates the kind of ergonomic experience that urges you to explore the many applications it can tackle. Where the flipper deployment and proprietary Vanchor lock represent peak features of the knife, the overall fit and feel of the knife, as a whole, make it a winner.

In short: Vosteed’s Shilin Cutter is an unconventional, high-functioning EDC folding knife that outperforms the traditionally lauded, staple blade shapes. Though, at a glance, the Shinlin Cutter may look unconventional, its robust blade and excellent ergonomics make it better adapted to a wider variety of tasks than more conventional (and popular) knives.

Vosteed Shilin Cutter

Design & Features

Originally designed to be a knife used in the garden, on the farm, and other agriculturally specific settings, Shilin-style knives have an elongated arch that starts at the butt of the knife and crests over the midpoint of the blade’s spine.

The blade itself is oriented like a spear point, with its centrally located tip. However, the massive belly is unique in that if it didn’t have a tip, it could be a putty knife or a flattened spoon.

For the Shilin Cutter, Vosteed found a balance between materials and aesthetics that aids in the overall function and appeal of the knife. Available in 10 different variants, this version boasts stonewashed 154CM steel and green G10 handle scales.

154CM could be considered an inspiration for MagnaCut. It has a great balance between strength and toughness, excellent corrosion resistance and edge retention, and is easy to resharpen. In this fat format, it was an excellent choice. The G10 scales match that strength and toughness, and provide a grip in a variety of conditions.

For a lock, Vosteed went with its patent-pending Vanchor lock. This mechanism uses magnets and a steel block, which ties into the pivot and is activated by a button. I first had the chance to experience the Vanchor lock when Vosteed launched it on the Ankylo folder. I enjoyed how significant and reliable it was on that knife, and I feel the same with the Shilin Cutter.

With this mechanism, you not only get a strong lock-up, but also zero blade wobble to boot. When you pair this with the front flipper, traditional flipper, and thumb stud, you’re left with a knife that’s just as fun to fidget with as it is to use. The knife can also be deployed with a slight press of the Vanchor lock button, but that’s just showing off. 

First Impressions

To really admire the Shilin Cutter, you need to break it up into three pieces. At least that’s how it presented itself to me when I first took it out of the box and played around with it for a while. In fact, since I’ve started testing the knife out and taking notes on it, I continue to find myself propping it up on a table and visually tracing its precision contours, piece by piece.

As I noted, the bulbous blade shape makes up one part. The second part is the pivot, and behind that is the third part, the ellipsis that makes up the bulk of the handle.

The marriage of those latter two parts makes a flawless double wave in the belly that includes the choil. I believe this flowing design enhances the capabilities of the blade and, therefore, of the Shilin Cutter as a whole. 

The great juxtaposition of textures and colors aside, this knife has all the bits and pieces to be one of the highest-functioning folding knives I’ve ever had the pleasure of using and testing.

In the Field

I am forever foraging and harvesting. Though I have been known to carry around specialty knives for those tasks, including Vosteed’s own Griffin, having a general-purpose EDC knife capable of tackling those tasks efficiently is more appealing to me.

What’s more, the Shilin blade shape is great for spreading jams, jellies, butters, hummus, and even soft cheese. It may sound bougie, but that’s important — especially if you like to steer clear of freeze-dried envelope foods on your outdoor adventures. 

The Shilin Cutter made harvesting fresh tomatoes and wild raspberries more efficient. This allowed me to bring in more produce in less time, which was a blessing in 100-degree heat with peak humidity and with two daughters patiently waiting for snacks.

It feels like this knife was meant for cutting and slicing fruits and vegetables. As it’s designed to be a gardening tool, none of this should be a surprise. But I don’t want to pigeon-hole it as a culinary knife. It’s a lot more than that.

With its flowing shape, the Shilin Cutter will outperform other blade shapes in slicing, carving, skinning, cutting, and shaping. It moves with you as an extension of your hand, albeit a wicked sharp one. This makes the knife an equally impressive utility knife. 

With all of these capabilities combined, this knife, as I assumed, is one of the highest-functioning folding knives I have ever used. 

Conclusion: Who’s It For?

The Shilin Cutter marks the third Vosteed knife I have reviewed, and I can’t help but applaud how well the brand designs and executes its knives.

I grew up in a world where the best blade shape for an outdoor knife was a drop point. As I have delved deeper into the world of knives and become more enculturated, I now put the Shilin blade above the drop point in terms of function and adaptability. But only on a folder. I still think that a drop-point blade ranks higher (if not the highest) on a fixed-blade knife. 

Between the materials, size, and overall shape of the Shilin Cutter, I think it would make an excellent choice for someone looking for a broad-spectrum EDC folding knife. The Venchor lock and G10 handle scales make the knife reliable and safe, while the 154CM blade makes it adaptable to a variety of tasks and environments.

Not to be punny, but this is a really well-rounded knife.