Artisan Cutlery Arion Family Guide: AR-RPM9 to 20CV and Damascus

The Artisan Cutlery Arion is the quiet overachiever of the brand's lineup — a low-profile, thumb-hole folder with a blade that is surprisingly wide for its handle, and a configuration list that is wider still. Today the Arion ATZ-1843 series covers eight active builds and four different blade steels, from a $59.99 carbon fiber folder on Artisan's budget AR-RPM9 powder steel to $399.75 titanium builds in CPM 20CV, S35VN, and Damascus.

That spread creates real confusion for shoppers: two knives that look nearly identical in photos can sit three hundred dollars apart on the price tag. This family guide breaks the Arion lineup into its actual tiers — what steel each one uses, what the handle is made of, how the lock differs, and which build makes sense for your budget and carry style.

What the Arion Is

The Arion is a mid-large folder built around a simple idea: a wide drop-point blade with real cutting authority, carried in a slim, unassuming handle. Artisan's own description calls it 'not a small knife, but a simple, non-threatening one' — the blade is actually wider than the handle scales, so opening the knife delivers what the brand describes as a surprisingly big bite. Deployment is by thumb hole — a long, elegant opening cutout rather than a flipper tab — riding on Artisan's ceramic ball bearing pivot, which keeps the action smooth despite the broad blade.

That combination of a non-tactical silhouette and serious blade presence makes the Arion a natural fit for office carry and everyday cutting chores, and the same design carries a titanium pocket clip and a hidden lanyard hole across most versions. From there, the family splits into two mechanical branches and four steel tiers.

The Arion Lineup at a Glance

Model	Blade steel	Handle	Lock	Blade length	Price
1843P	AR-RPM9 (black PVD)	Carbon fiber	Liner lock	3.75 in	$59.99
1843G	S35VN	Micarta + titanium	Frame lock	3.81 in	$199.99
1843G	S35VN	Titanium	Frame lock	3.81 in	$199.99
1843G	CPM 20CV	Titanium	Steel-capped frame lock	3.81 in	$199.99
1843G	S35VN	Titanium + fat carbon	Frame lock	3.81 in	$237.49
1843G	CPM 20CV	Marbled carbon fiber + titanium	Steel-capped frame lock	3.81 in	$399.75
1843GD	Damascus	Marbled carbon fiber	Liner lock	3.81 in	$399.75

Budget Tier: The AR-RPM9 Carbon Fiber Arion (1843P)

The entry point to the family is the 1843P, a carbon fiber folder on AR-RPM9 — Artisan Cutlery's own powder metallurgy stainless, developed as a budget steel that sharpens easily, resists corrosion well, and holds an edge far beyond what its price suggests. Our AR-RPM9 steel guide explains the alloy in depth, and the budget steel comparison shows how it lines up against D2 and 14C28N.

On this build the blade gets a black PVD coating over a 3.75-inch drop point, the carbon fiber handle keeps weight down, and the knife locks up with a liner lock. At 8.375 inches overall, it carries the same full-size presence as the rest of the family at roughly a third of the price. If you want the Arion silhouette and opening action without spending premium-tier money, this is the one.

Premium Tier: S35VN Titanium and Micarta Builds (1843G)

The step up to the 1843G series is a step into full premium construction: S35VN blade steel on a titanium frame lock. S35VN is a powder metallurgy stainless from Crucible Industries that has become the default premium EDC steel for good reason — strong edge retention, real toughness, and true stainless behavior in a balanced package. Our S35VN guide and the Crucible Industries background cover the alloy family.

The G-tier geometry is consistent across dressings: a 3.81-inch (97 mm) drop point, a thin 0.13-inch (3.2 mm) flat grind, and a blade hardened to HRC 59-61. What changes is the handle. The most tactile versions pair a micarta front scale — in burgundy or olive drab — with a textured titanium back scale and frame lock; micarta's aging and grip characteristics are covered in our micarta guide, and titanium maintenance in our titanium care article. A full titanium version swaps in textured titanium on both sides, and a fourth dressing adds a fat carbon fiber inlay — the sculpted, flowing composite covered in our fat carbon guide — at $237.49.

• Best for: buyers who want a premium daily folder with character in the handle
• Burgundy micarta + titanium and ODG micarta + titanium: $199.99
• Full titanium: $199.99
• Titanium + fat carbon inlay: $237.49

Steel Upgrade: The CPM 20CV Arion

For the same $199.99 as the S35VN builds, Artisan also offers the Arion on CPM 20CV — a high-chromium powder stainless that sits alongside M390 and CTS-204P at the top of the production super-steel tier. Our earlier Arion 20CV review covers this exact knife in detail; the short version is that 20CV trades some sharpenability for markedly better edge retention and corrosion resistance than S35VN. The 20CV steel guide breaks down the alloy, and the knife steel overview places it in context.

The 20CV Arion runs a black blade against a black titanium handle and frame, secured by a steel-capped titanium frame lock — the steel insert protecting the lock face from wear over thousands of openings. A marbled carbon fiber dressing pushes the same knife to $399.75, pairing the super-steel blade with one of the most visually striking handle materials in the catalog.

The Damascus Flagship: 1843GD

The top of the Arion family is the 1843GD, which replaces the monosteel blade with a pattern-welded Damascus drop point. Damascus steel is made by forge-welding and folding alternating steel layers, then acid-etching to expose the pattern — every blade emerges with a one-of-one grain. The Damascus steel article explains the metallurgy, and our Damascus buyer's guide covers how the material behaves as a cutting edge.

At $399.75 the GD matches the marbled carbon fiber Arion for price but takes a different mechanical route: the listing specs it with a liner lock rather than the G-series frame lock, with the same 3.81-inch blade geometry, HRC 60-62 hardness, 8.62-inch (219 mm) overall length, and 4.92-inch (125 mm) closed length, all on the family's ceramic bearing pivot. It is the Arion for buyers who want the low-profile design dressed in handmade material.

Ergonomics: The Wide-Blade Surprise

The Arion's defining trick is visible only when the blade opens. Because the drop point is wider than the handle scales, the knife presents a broad cutting platform with real slicing authority — Artisan describes the moment as a pleasant surprise, and it changes how the folder feels in use. The thumb hole sits high on the blade where a thumb naturally lands, so opening is one smooth motion on the ceramic bearing pivot, with jimping along the spine on several versions to keep the thumb planted during heavy cuts. Around the pocket, the design stays deliberately anonymous: slim scales, a low-profile titanium clip, and a hidden lanyard hole keep the Arion discreet until it is called to work.

The thin 0.13-inch (3.2 mm) flat grind is worth calling out too, because it is the reason the Arion cuts so well despite its mid-large size. A thin blade behind a good edge geometry slides through cardboard, cord, and food packaging with far less effort than the knife's width suggests — which is exactly the point of a low-profile folder that is 'not a small knife.'

Sharpening and Edge Notes by Tier

Each steel tier in the Arion family asks a slightly different question at the sharpening bench. The AR-RPM9 1843P is the easiest to maintain — the alloy responds quickly to conventional stones and even a basic ceramic rod, which is a large part of its appeal as a budget EDC steel (see our AR-RPM9 guide for the full picture). The S35VN builds at HRC 59-61 sharpen readily on medium-to-fine stones and hold that edge through weeks of daily carry. The CPM 20CV versions and the Damascus 1843GD are the demanding ones: 20CV's high wear resistance means longer edge life but slower sharpening — diamond abrasives and patience are the standard answer — while the Damascus blade at HRC 60-62 needs the same care you would give any pattern-welded steel, keeping the etch intact and avoiding aggressive belt work. If you want the theory behind these trade-offs, the Science of Sharp archive is the best public resource on edge behavior, and the knife steel overview explains where each alloy sits in the broader landscape.

Which Arion Should You Buy?

1. Budget first Arion: the 1843P at $59.99 — same full-size presence, AR-RPM9 ease, carbon fiber lightness.
2. Balanced premium EDC: the S35VN 1843G at $199.99 — micarta for grip and character, or full titanium for durability.
3. Maximum edge retention: the 20CV builds at $199.99 (titanium) or $399.75 (marbled carbon fiber).
4. Collector's piece: the Damascus 1843GD at $399.75, or the marbled carbon 20CV if you prefer super-steel performance over pattern.

The Arion family is a reminder that 'premium' and 'loud' do not have to travel together. Whatever tier you choose, you get the same wide-bladed, thumb-hole design language, the same ceramic bearing action, and a folder that disappears into a pocket until the moment you need a serious cutting tool.

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Find your ideal Arion configuration and the rest of the folder lineup in the Artisan Cutlery collection — premium EDC knives built for reliable everyday carry.