Work Sharp RMX Thumbstud Reverse Tanto | $150 | Available Now
Work Sharp arrived in the knife-making business last year, but the brand has been a fixture in EDC circles for decades as the maker of some of the most popular sharpeners on the market. That heritage comes with expectations: when a sharpening company finally makes its own knives, those knives had better be sharp, well-made, and built around a real design philosophy rather than just a catalog exercise. So far, so good — Work Sharp's first knives stood out because they were the only production folders we've seen that swap between automatic and manual deployment. The latest RMX takes a more conventional path, but it brings two long-requested features together for the first time on a single knife.
The Combo That Took a Year to Make It
Here's the backstory: the RMX series has previously appeared with both a thumbstud and a reverse tanto blade — just never on the same knife at the same time. Work Sharp's audience has been asking for exactly that combination since the platform launched, and the RMX Thumbstud Reverse Tanto finally delivers.
The new release pairs a 3.2-inch reverse tanto with Work Sharp's signature magnesium integral handle, all driven by the brand's signature button-lock deployment. The blade steel is CPM 3V — a powder metallurgy tool steel prized for toughness, wear resistance, and respectable edge retention. On a reverse tanto blade, where the geometry trades a little slicing performance for piercing capability and tip strength, CPM 3V is a thoughtful match: it's not the steel you'd want if you only ever needed razor edge retention, but it's exactly the steel you'd want if you wanted the knife to survive whatever you accidentally did with it.
Details Worth Noting
The deep finger choil and extended jimping — from the back of the spine to the front of the handle — are notable design choices. They make the RMX Reverse Tanto genuinely good at controlled cuts that require finesse, which is what the average EDC user actually does more often than they realize. It's the kind of blade where you stop thinking about it as a tool and start thinking about it as an extension of your hand.
The ambidextrous triangular thumbstud is drilled directly into the blade, which is rare on production folders and adds a touch of refinement to the look. The magnesium handle, finished in black or burnt bronze Cerakote, keeps the whole package at a featherweight 2.4 oz. That's light enough that you might genuinely forget you're carrying it, which is the highest praise any EDC folder can earn.
The reversible deep-carry pocket clip can be removed if you prefer to run a lanyard, and the carry footprint is unobtrusive in either configuration.
Specs at a Glance
Blade Steel: CPM 3V
Blade Length: 3.2″
Blade Style: Reverse tanto
Handle: One-piece magnesium, Cerakote finish (black or burnt bronze)
Lock: Button lock
Opening: Ambidextrous triangular thumbstud
Pocket Clip: Reversible deep-carry (removable)
Weight: 2.4 oz
Origin: USA (Ashland, Oregon)
Price: $150
The Verdict
The RMX line has always been technically interesting, but the early models didn't quite land as daily-carry essentials — they were conversation pieces more than go-to workhorses. The new Thumbstud Reverse Tanto version feels like the first model that could change that perception. The thumbstud adds everyday usability, the reverse tanto adds visual interest and real cutting performance, CPM 3V adds durability, and the sub-2.5 oz weight adds the rare combination of strength and carry comfort that's hard to find in this category. At $150, it's priced against serious competition from Benchmade, Kizer, and CJRB — but the magnesium handle and tool-steel pedigree give it an angle no one else in the bracket offers.