Hard Bar Batch 2: everything that changed
Batch 2 of the Hard Bar is in production and ships this coming January. It went through two rounds of samples and nine design changes before I signed off. Here's a deep dive into every change, the one feature that didn't make it, and why the extra wait time will be worth it.
Firstly, every Hard Bar comes with the Overlord knife. Pre-orders made now lock in today's price, which goes up when the new stock lands. Your support on the Hard bar enables me to continue to bring new products to life, so I can't stop thanking you all for your interest and patience. The Hard Bar become public in 2025, but I'm committed to continuously improving the design. See the Hard Bar
I pushed for Christmas
I wanted Batch 2 in your hands for Christmas, or even earlier, but it's delayed a bit longer.
I could have shipped sooner by running the exact Batch 1 design again, but shipping this improved version will be worth the wait for a few different reasons.
Tighter fit, one maker
I've consolidated production partners: knife and pry-sheath. One maker means one standard, and fewer places for a part to drift out of spec. But the trade-off is longer production times, which was also a lesson for me.
Most fixed blades come with a Kydex or leather sheath, which can be finished off by heat-formed or fabricating it to each knife at the end; the parts can be made at the same time. Titanium doesn't form to easy and my tolerances are nice and low, so the Hard Bar's parts are finished in sequence so that they can be held to a certain quality level, have next to zero rattle, a smooth action, and a set draw force.
The nine changes
Here's the full list. Most may never notice, but packaged all together it makes an significant difference:
- A stronger pry tip, I optimized the dimensions.
- A wider pry-sheath, which sets me up to introduce new features on future batches.
- An internal channel at the base of the sheath. Some Batch 1 knives fit the sheath so perfectly that drawing them created suction. Not every one, but enough that I took notice. The fit was tighter than it needed to be. The channel breaks the suction and doubles the clearance at the sharp edge, so it reduces rubbing even further.
- An enlarged carabiner hole at the tip, now an 8 mm opening that fits 5/16" and M5 nuts and bolts.
- More pocket clip clearance, so it grips your pants slightly better.
- Improved choil geometry on the knife.
- Six new carbon fiber inlay colorways.
- A revised microfiber sleeve that fits better and stays on.
- Updated packaging.
A channel in the base
Some Batch 1 knives fit so tight you could feel suction when you drew them. It felt cool. It also added retention you don't need.
Batch 2 has a channel machined into the base of the pry-sheath. It breaks the suction, so the draw is smoother, and the sharp edge rubs less on the sheath. No extra parts.
The liner that didn't make it
I announced a liner for the base of the sheath. On the first samples, it came loose, so I'm continuing to find a fix.
My rule now: any critical new feature gets six months of real use before it reaches you. The liner keeps developing in the background. The redesigned sheath walls leave room for it, and the new channel gets a similar result today with no extra parts.
The carabiner hole is now a wrench
The hole at the tip of the pry bar was mostly there for a carabiner. Batch 2 opens it up to an 8 mm hex, so now it's also a wrench. It fits M5 nuts and M5 hex bolts, and 5/16" hex: #6 nuts and most hose clamp screws. One opening covers metric and imperial.
Batch 1 fit an M4 nut, but M5 is more common. It still takes a carabiner, and it stays symmetrical, so the bar doesn't have any structural weak points. Despite opening this hole up, the overall structure has been beefed up.
New inlay colors
Batch 2 adds six new carbon fiber inlay colors alongside the original Ultem and black carbon fiber: Dark Matter Glow, Uni-Copper, Space Coral, Mars Valley, Green and White Storm. Dark Matter and Uni-Copper are the early favorites. You can compare every colorway side by side on the Hard Bar page, with a new comparison tool I created.
New packaging and sleeve
Pressed paper, with a fitted microfiber sleeve that protects the Hard Bar when it's not in use.
The sleeve is being revised too. It fits better and stays on. The Batch 1 sleeve slid off, which still keeps me up at night.
Ships in January
Batch 2 ships in January. Pre-orders lock in today's price, and the price will soon be going up. Accessories are discounted when a Hard Bar is in your cart. Pre-order the Hard Bar
I'll post production updates every week, here and in the email. Subscribe here