A folding pocket knife with a brown blade and a white handle featuring three brown deer silhouettes, shown on a wooden surface. A ZeroAir logo appears in the lower left corner.

Vosteed Mini Nightshade Reindeer Knife Review

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Vosteed Mini Nightshade Reindeer Knife Review

The Vosteed Mini Nightshade Reindeer knife is a seasonal version of the Mini Nightshade. It has a Shilin cutter 2.6″ blade and a Reindeer-printed, G10 handles!

Official Specs

Here’s a link to the Vosteed Mini Nightshade knife – it’s not the reindeer version, though! Sorry about that. I think this one is a limited production and is distributed directly from Vosteed as a Christmas gift to reviewers. Thank you, Vosteed!!

Versions

There are many versions of the Vosteed Mini Nightshade. There’s this satin blade and G10 handle version, and some other blade finishes and other handle options. There’s titanium, too, in three finishes!

Price

The Vosteed Mini Nightshade titanium knife sells for $149, but some other variations are less costly.

Short Review

The Vosteed Mini Nightshade Reindeer knife shape is so specific – you’re either going to really want this knife and want to use it, or probably won’t care anything about it. I will say that the shape (and general ergonomics) aren’t really my preferred style, but I do greatly appreciate that Vosteed has released this mini version. I want a mini version of all knives! I want a micro version! Let’s get some 2″ knives going!

Anyway, the build quality of this Mini Nightshade is great (just like the bigger Nightshade, and just like the G10 version). Attention to detail is on point, and the knife functions perfectly. Furthermore, these reindeer print handles make for a fantastic seasonal carry!

Long Review

Package and Manual

A rectangular box with a pink and white design featuring snowflakes is shown on a wooden surface. A barcode sticker with text and a QR code is attached to the top of the box. The ZeroAir logo is in the lower left corner.

Vosteed has improved its packaging (in my opinion), but at the same time dropped the metal tin. That’s fine with me because if I were going to carry in something, I’d use the pouch (seen below) anyway.

What’s Included

A collection of Vosteed-branded items on a wooden surface, including a folding knife, stickers, leather cases, a support card, cleaning cloths, and a small raccoon figurine.

Here’s a better photo of the patch:

A hand holds a patch featuring a cartoon raccoon gripping an orange knife labeled VOSTEED. The background is blurred wood, and a ZEROAIR logo is at the bottom left.

  • Vosteed Mini Nightshade Reindeer knife
  • Hook and loop carry pouch
  • Polishing cloth
  • Raccoon sticker
  • Raccoon patch
  • Leather slip with 2 snaps
  • Informational cards

A white folding knife with a deer design is placed on an orange cloth, next to a cartoon raccoon sticker holding a knife labeled Vosteed. The background is wooden, and a Zeroair patch is in the lower left corner.

Separate from the Vosteed Mini Nightshade Reindeer knife, Vosteed included this little 3D keychain and wristlet. Man, this is neat! I don’t think it’s specific to the Mini Nightshade, so maybe you’ll be able to grab one of these little characters on the Vosteed website.

A Vosteed keychain featuring a cartoon raccoon figure and a brown strap with the Vosteed logo rests on a wooden surface, with a blurred folding knife and a Zeroair logo in the foreground.

A keychain with a brown and orange animal figure and a brown Vosteed-branded strap sits on a wooden surface, with a folding knife featuring a white handle and brown blade in the foreground. A ZeroAir logo appears in the corner.

Look

I can’t find a product page for this knife exactly so I’m just guessing that this G10. Anyway if feels like G10, but more importantly, the white G10 has a printed set of reindeer! It’s very cute, and timely for the Christmas season.

A folding pocket knife with a white handle featuring three brown jumping frog designs, resting on a wooden surface. The blade is partially visible, and hardware components are bronze-colored. A ZeroAir logo is in the lower left corner.

Vosteed sent a seasonal knife last year – a Gingerbread Raccoon Cub. The printing on this version is a little less intense, but still very cute!


A closed folding pocket knife with a white handle featuring orange deer graphics and a bronze-colored clip, resting on a wooden surface. The ZeroAir logo appears in the lower left corner.

Vosteed has co-opted some of their Copper Dune appointments for the Vosteed Mini Nightshade Reindeer knife. I happen to love the Copper Dune line, so this is a welcome choice for me. I usually say that the printing is upside down. That’s true when the knife is closed, but when the knife is open and in use, it’s right-side-up.

A folding pocket knife with a brown blade and a white handle featuring three brown deer illustrations is displayed on a wooden surface. A ZeroAir logo is visible in the bottom left corner.

When the knife is open, the reindeer fly!

Who knows what a Shilin Cutter is? I didn’t until handling the bigger Nightshade a while back. I couldn’t find a ton of information on those, but I did find this one that was once for sale at arizonacustomknives.com.  Based on that one, I’d say this one by Vosteed is a very nice modern production of the Shilin Cutter.

A folding pocket knife with a copper-colored blade and white handle, featuring reindeer designs and bronze hardware, rests on a wooden surface. The ZeroAir logo is visible in the bottom left corner.

Per the design language, this knife has a bow from tip to tail. Apparently, this is great for slicing.

A folding pocket knife with a brown blade and a white handle featuring three brown deer silhouettes, shown on a wooden surface. A ZeroAir logo appears in the lower left corner.

Vosteed describes the Shilin blade shape as “leaf-shaped,” and I’d say that’s quite accurate.

Open / Close / Lock

Unlike the Vosteed Nightshade Lt knife (which is a liner lock knife), the Mini Nightshade Reindeer knife is described as a “crossbar lock.” Opening it requires the use of this crossbar (or another option, see below). In the photo below, I’m pulling the crossbar back to release the blade.
A hand holding a folding pocket knife with a white handle, thumb positioned on the knife’s opening mechanism, in front of a blurred wooden background. A ZeroAir logo appears in the lower left corner.

Here’s a better shot of the crossbar lock.
A hand holding a folding pocket knife with a white handle featuring brown images of running deer; the blade is partially visible, and the background is a wooden surface. A ZEROAIR logo is in the bottom left corner.
Basically, that means “Axis” lock, and since the Axis lock is off-patent (I think), this is an allowed usage of the locking style. I happen to be a HUGE fan of Axis locks, so this is good for me.

A hand holding a folding knife with a tan blade and a white handle featuring a deer head design, against a wooden background. The knife is partially open and the ZeroAir logo is visible in the image.
Actuating this crossbar lock effectively will allow you to flip the knife open and also drop it shut. It’s a very good mechanism! Below I’m holding the mechanism open and the blade is swinging freely.

A hand holding a folding pocket knife with a partially opened blade. The handle is light-colored with decorative engravings, and the blade is matte brown. A ZeroAir logo is visible in the bottom left corner.

Build and Feel

The build and feel of this Vosteed Mini Nightshade Reindeer knife are great. I like the G10 (or whatever material it is), though I know it’ll get dirty very quickly.

A folding pocket knife with a white handle featuring orange deer silhouettes is resting on a wooden surface. The blade is partially unfolded, and a ZeroAir logo is visible on the lower left.

There’s a matching (or “matching” – it’s a brown, maybe not the same brown exactly that seen elsewhere on the knife) backspacer.

A close-up side view of a folding knife with a white handle, copper-colored ridged backspacer, and a brown metal pocket clip on a wooden surface. A logo with the text ZEROAIR is visible in the bottom left corner.

The pivot is accessible for tweaking only on one side.

A hand holding a folding pocket knife with a white handle decorated with brown reindeer designs. The knife is partially open, and the background is a blurred wooden surface.

There’s very minimal branding.

A close-up of a person holding a folding knife with a light-colored handle and a partially open blade labeled “Vosteed.” The knife features a button lock mechanism and an engraved logo on the handle.

The liner only goes part of the way down these handles. This is a small knife, though, so the handle material keeps the knife rigid enough.

A folding pocket knife with a partially open blade lies on a wooden surface under focused lighting. The logo ZEROAIR is visible in the bottom left corner of the image.

The metal parts you can see above are really parts of the crossbar lock you can see below. Below you can see the dual thumbstuds, too.

A close-up view of a persons hand holding a folding knife with a white handle, showing the locking mechanism and metal blade. The background is a wooden surface with a Zeroair logo visible in the corner.

Size

Blade Length: 2.60″ | 66.04
Overall Length: 6.31″ | 160.37
Blade Width: 1.13″ | 28.28
Blade Thickness: 0.098″ | 2.49
Handle Length: 3.71″ | 94.33
Handle Width: 0.89″ | 22.6
Handle Thickness: 0.42″ | 10.57
Weight: 1.80 oz | 51.00 g

Here’s the Vosteed Mini Nightshade Reindeer knife beside another of my favorites – the Civivi Elementum. If you want to see a bunch more photos of that knife, check out my post about the Civivi Elementum here.

Here’s the knife in hand:

A hand holding a folding knife with a white handle featuring images of three brown reindeer. The background is blurred wood, and a ZeroAir watermark is visible in the lower left corner.

Below you can see the Vosteed Raccoon Cub knife with the venerable Convoy S2+. The version you see below is a custom Convoy S2+ host that’s been laser-engraved by GadgetConnections.com. I did a full post on an engraved orange host right here! Or go straight to GadgetConnections.com to buy your Convoy S2+ now!

A folding pocket knife with a deer design on the handle, a black flashlight with a patterned grip, and a wrapped flashlight labeled “ZEROAIR” are placed on a wooden surface. A Zeroair logo sticker is nearby.

Also in the photo above, my Standard Reference Material (SRM) flashlight is the Hanko Machine Works Trident, an 18350 light. While I have not reviewed or tested the Gunner Grip version seen here, I have tested a Hanko Machine Works Trident Total Tesseract in brass. I love the Trident, and it’s a striking contrast to the inexpensive Convoy S2+, another great SRM.

Steel / Cut / Oats

The Vosteed Mini Nightshade Reindeer knife uses 14C28N steel.
A close-up of a person holding a folding knife with a tan blade and a white handle featuring a small red design. The blade is marked “14C28N.” A ZeroAir logo is visible in the bottom left corner.

I think 14C28N is a change, as the other Mini Nightshades I have use S35VN steel.

This blade is also coated, of course!

A hand holding an open folding knife with a tan blade and white handle featuring a deer graphic, shown against a blurred wooden background.

The spine is rounded off, and not suitable for striking a flint (not that you would, just saying this is not the knife for that task.)

A hand is holding a folding knife with the blade open, viewed from the side. The background is blurred wood. The logo ZEROAIR is in the lower left corner.

Retention

As stated above, the pocket clip is a nice, deep carry clip. The clip is held in place by two “over/under” TORX screws (around T6, I think). The clip can not be moved to any other position but what you see below. That probably means the knife will be backward for you southpaws out there!

Close-up of a folding knife handle with a white and brown gecko design, a bronze-colored pocket clip, and visible screws, resting on a wooden surface. A ZeroAir logo is in the lower left corner.

The pocket clip is not inset into the handle. It was on the titanium version!

Close-up side view of a folding pocket knife with a white handle, copper-colored accents, and a metal pocket clip, resting on a wooden surface. A ZeroAir logo appears in the bottom left corner.

The clip can go on either side of the knife, but only on the tip-end, for tip-down carry.

A close-up of a white knife handle featuring two illustrated brown reindeer and several holes for screws. The ZeroAir logo is visible in the lower left corner.

Vosteed includes this little slip. I like it! I am not sure I’ve ever had a slip before, and I really have no idea how to use those two accessory snaps. Somehow on a belt, I would guess. Let me know in the comments!

A brown leather pouch with a dragon logo holds a multitool, flanked by two matching leather straps with snaps. The items are arranged on a wooden surface. A patch reading ZEROAIR is in the lower left corner.

The little stretchy bit is perfect for a custom Bic Clic Stic pen!

A brown leather pouch holding a multitool and a red pen is placed on a wooden surface. Two leather keychain straps with metal snaps and a ZeroAir logo sticker are also visible.

And there’s the pouch, too. It’s a nice pouch!

A hand holds open a black fabric pouch with a hook-and-loop closure, revealing a silver multitool or folding knife inside. The pouch is on a wooden surface, with a ZeroAir logo in the lower left corner.

Conclusion

The Vosteed Mini Nightshade Reindeer knife has great build quality, and more importantly, is a fun seasonal carry! These G10 versions are very reasonably priced (even if you can’t directly purchase the Reindeer version). The small nature of this Mini version is absolutely wonderful and quite usable. It’s also thin (a fact I didn’t point to much above), so it sits very nicely in a pocket. Go grab one!

Notes

  • This knife was provided by Vosteed for review. I was not paid to write this review.
  • This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
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