Artisan Cutlery Revel Family Guide: Frame Lock vs Button Lock

The Artisan Cutlery Revel is a Ray Laconico design that has quietly grown into one of the most versatile families in the catalog: seven live editions built around a single 3.54-inch clip-point platform, sold in two very different lock personalities. On one side sit titanium frame locks that run from an $89.99 AR-RPM9 build to a 200-piece CPM MagnaCut limited edition at $249.99. On the other side sit budget-friendly button locks with FRN handles, starting at $44.99. Same blade, same bearings, same closed length; completely different feel, price and mechanism. Here is how to pick the right Revel for your own carry style.

Laconico Design Language, Production Prices

Ray Laconico is one of the most respected names in minimalist knife design, known for clean lines, gentle curves and handles that disappear in the hand. His collaborations with Artisan Cutlery have become a cornerstone of the catalog, from the organic Andromeda to the chess-inspired Gambit series, and the Revel carries the same signature restraint: nothing decorative, everything functional. Artisan's catalog credits Laconico on the Revel's titanium editions, and our survey of his Laconico collaborations with Artisan Cutlery shows how the same designer voice translates across different locks, blades and price points.

What makes the Revel interesting as a family is that it takes one Laconico blade and lets the lock and handle do the talking. Every Revel shares a flat-ground 3.54 in (90 mm) clip point with 0.13 in (3.2 mm) of stock, an 8.07 in (205 mm) overall length, a 4.53 in (115 mm) closed length, and a ceramic ball bearing pivot. The clip point gives you a fine, controllable tip for detail cuts with a generous belly for slicing, and 90 mm is a proven everyday-carry length: substantial in hand, unobtrusive in pocket.

One Platform, Two Lock Personalities

The Revel family splits cleanly on the locking mechanism:

• Frame lock editions use a titanium handle where one side of the frame flexes to lock the blade. They are the premium, collector-facing side of the family, with a titanium clip on the S90V and MagnaCut builds and weights of 107-113 g.
• Button lock editions use a push-button release mounted in the handle and a steel clip, with a glass-reinforced nylon (FRN) handle. They weigh 103-105 g and start far lower in price.

A button lock is a spring-loaded plunger that you press to release the blade; because the release sits in the middle of the handle rather than on one side, it works identically for left- and right-handed users. That ambidexterity plus the satisfying push-to-open, push-to-close action is why button locks have become so popular in the EDC community. The frame lock, by contrast, has been the default premium mechanism for decades: one integral piece of the titanium frame, no extra parts to wear out, and a rock-solid lock-up that collectors trust. We compare both mechanisms at length in our button lock vs crossbar lock vs liner lock article and our lock strength comparison, and the frame lock design itself is documented on Wikipedia.

The handle material tracks the lock: titanium on the frame locks, FRN on the button locks. FRN is a tough, lightweight glass-reinforced nylon that stands up to hard use, shrugs off solvents, and gives the button locks their 3.6-3.7 ounce weight, while the titanium editions bring a machined-metal feel and the premium hand-feel collectors expect. Our handle materials guide explains the trade-offs between these materials in depth.

The Steel Ladder: AR-RPM9, S90V and CPM MagnaCut

The Revel family covers three steels across its seven editions, which makes it a miniature course in modern blade metallurgy. AR-RPM9, Artisan's in-house powder metallurgy stainless at HRC 59-61, powers the entry frame lock and the value button locks; it balances edge retention, toughness and corrosion resistance at a price that keeps the knife accessible. S90V, Crucible's high-vanadium edge-retention specialist at HRC 60-62, appears on the flagship titanium frame lock and on the blue-handled button lock. At the top sits CPM MagnaCut, the Crucible powder steel designed around an unusual combination of edge retention, toughness and corrosion resistance, hardened to HRC 62-63 for the limited run. Our AR-RPM9 explainer and S90V guide cover the two workhorse steels, while the general theory behind powder metallurgy super-steels is explained on Wikipedia, and MagnaCut comes from Crucible Industries, the company behind most CPM alloys.

The practical differences matter more than the marketing. AR-RPM9 is friendly: easy to sharpen on any stone, tough in daily abuse, and stainless enough for pocket carry anywhere. S90V extends sharpness by a wide margin but needs harder abrasives when it finally dulls. MagnaCut, the newest steel in the family, was engineered specifically to escape the usual stainless-steel compromise, delivering near-tool-steel toughness with genuine corrosion resistance; it is the steel most likely to make an enthusiast pause before choosing any other version. For a deeper dive into how steels balance edge retention, toughness and sharpenability, Science of Sharp has the most rigorous testing available.

Every Revel Edition at a Glance

All seven current Revel editions share the 90 mm clip point, flat grind, ceramic bearing pivot and the same 8.07 in / 4.53 in footprint. What changes is the lock, the steel, the handle and the price:

Edition	Lock	Blade	Handle	Weight	Price
1867T-AR	Frame lock	AR-RPM9, HRC 59-61, sand polish	Titanium	113 g / 3.99 oz	$89.99
1867G-GY	Frame lock	S90V, HRC 60-62, sand blasted	TC4 titanium	107 g / 3.77 oz	$199.90
1867G-PGY	Frame lock	CPM MagnaCut, HRC 62-63, sand polish (limited to 200)	TC4 titanium	107 g / 3.77 oz	$249.99
1867P-BBK	Button lock	AR-RPM9, HRC 59-61, black PVD stonewash	Black FRN	105 g / 3.70 oz	$44.99
1867P-BBN	Button lock	AR-RPM9, HRC 59-61, black PVD stonewash	Brown FRN	105 g / 3.70 oz	$44.99
1867P-MG	Button lock	AR-RPM9, HRC 59-61, stonewash	Mint green FRN	105 g / 3.70 oz	$44.99
1867G-BU	Button lock	S90V, HRC 60-62, stonewash	Blue FRN	103 g / 3.63 oz	$89.99

Inventory moves fast on the titanium editions; at the time of writing the 1867T-AR frame lock was in stock while the S90V and MagnaCut titanium editions were sold out, and the button locks were widely available. The two $44.99 button locks sit at the value end of the whole Artisan folding knife lineup while keeping the full Revel geometry and bearing action, which makes them a remarkably low-cost way into a designer collaboration.

Frame Lock or Button Lock: Which Revel Fits You?

Ask yourself how you open and close a knife during a normal day, then match that to the two sides of the family:

• If you want a premium titanium carry with a classic, secure frame lock and the option of super-steel, the 1867T-AR at $89.99 is the value pick, and the S90V and MagnaCut editions are the collector targets.
• If you open and close one-handed constantly, want ambidextrous operation, and prefer a lighter, tougher handle you do not need to baby, the button locks are the practical choice.
• If you carry in varied weather or near water, the MagnaCut and S90V steels shrug off corrosion far better than most non-stainless options; CPM MagnaCut was designed specifically around corrosion resistance plus toughness.
• If budget is the deciding factor, the three AR-RPM9 button locks and the AR-RPM9 frame lock deliver the same 90 mm blade and bearing pivot for $44.99-$89.99.
• If you simply like bright handle colors, the button locks come in black, brown and mint green on the AR-RPM9 editions, with the S90V blue edition as the colorway upgrade.

Why the MagnaCut Limited Edition Matters

The 1867G-PGY is the crown of the Revel family: a 200-piece run of CPM MagnaCut at HRC 62-63 on a TC4 titanium frame lock, sand-polished and priced at $249.99 against a $333.33 reference value. Limited drops like this are where Artisan collectors pay attention, and our guide to Artisan limited editions explains why finite runs, special steels and designer collaborations hold their value in this market. A 200-piece run of MagnaCut on a Laconico titanium platform is exactly the combination that tends to appreciate after the run sells out, so if the steel or the collector angle appeals to you, it is worth checking the listing directly rather than waiting.

For most buyers, though, the more interesting story is at the bottom of the range: getting a genuine designer collaboration with a 90 mm clip point, ceramic bearings and a choice of two lock systems for $44.99-$89.99 is an unusual value in the EDC market, and it is the reason the Revel family deserves a second look even if you have never owned a Laconico design before. Whichever side of the family you land on, the takeaway is the same: Artisan has built one blade geometry, engineered two honest mechanisms around it, and priced the result so that the deciding factor is your carry style rather than your budget.

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Find your favorite version of the Revel and the rest of the Laconico lineup in the Artisan Cutlery folding knife collection, designed for reliable everyday carry.