The Sanctum Keeper: the sheath that becomes a handle

The Sanctum Keeper is a sleeve sheath for the Overlord fixed blade. Carried, it covers the blade. Flip it end for end, drop the knife back in, and it becomes the handle.

This design was a slow burn and I'm very happy with the result. The Keeper is a sheath when you carry it and a handle when you use it. One part with two uses. That's the Keeper, a sleeve-sheath for the Overlord. Keeper is still a working name, so here's how I got to it, and if you're interested in suggesting a name for it, head here to drop your name suggestion in the comments.

The question I keep getting

People see the Hard Bar and say some version of this: "This is cool. But imagine if the titanium pry bar became the handle. Now THAT would be cool."

I love hearing feedback, and I've thought long and hard about how to design exactly that. Simply put, doing it in titanium is hard. 

The Keeper is a step in that direction. It isn't a pry bar. But the Overlord still has its mini pry bar on the end, which also makes for a good scraper. Pair the two and you keep most of what the Hard Bar does, in a lighter, simpler and more compact carry.

A slow burn

I design something new every few days, and not just knives. I catalogue all of it, so there's always something to draw from.

Often I'll design four related tools, and the fifth one unlocks something. Those five might be spread over six months. That's why I don't publish right away. Show a design too early and other people's opinions start to steer it. I'd rather let it refine.

The Keeper was one of those. Countless handle designs, and this is the one that finally nailed it.

The Ah-Ha moment

The breakthrough came when I was playing with a pen. Pull the cap off the tip, push it onto the back, and the pen gets longer in your hand. So I took advantage of the integral spring to achieve that with my knife, but with a handle that locks in place better than a simple friction fit. Short when you carry it, long when you use it.

How it works

Most sheaths do one job, then sit on the bench while you work. Until you can't find them.

The Keeper has two jobs.

When you carry it, it's the sheath. Drop the Overlord in from the opposite side of the sleeve and it clicks into place, positioned perfectly to bulk up the handle for a better hand feel. There are two precisely placed locating detents inside the sheath to ensure the knife drops into its exact position every time.

Slide it in one end when it's not in use, then flip it around to the other side to get to work.

One version has a pocket clip built into the side, with a slot that holds tweezers.

There's one more trick. When the knife is sheathed, the spring allows a little play. Rock the knife up and down and, in theory, it strips a wire. That's what the two small holes on the front are for.

For now, the Keeper is 3D printed. I'm working out how to make one in titanium, but I'm not convinced it needs to be titanium yet. Some of the more advanced forms of 3D printing will suit it perfectly well.

The name

The first working title was Sleeve or Shandle. It said what the part does but it didn't have a story behind it. Here's where I'm at now:

• Keeper. It keeps the knife. In a lock, the keeper is the part the latch clicks into, which is the click you hear when the Overlord seats. And a keep is the inner stronghold of a castle, which sits well next to Sanctum and Overlord.

Nothing like a little lore behind a design right?

Where to buy

The Keeper and the Overlord are in stock and ready to ship. Shop now on our website by clicking here.