The founder of Ocaso, Ric Valdez, is a former Executive Vice President of Cold Steel Knives. After 20 years in the industry, he knew exactly what he wanted to make: knives that fit into daily life the same way a good watch or a well-made pen does. Something office-friendly, slim enough for a suit pocket, or riding along for eighteen holes. That idea became Ocaso.
It started with a friendship. Ric and Andrew Demko have known each other for over 20 years, a friendship built around knives. When Ric started Ocaso in 2022, Andrew designed the first knife.
The inspiration came from Ric's collection of fine pens. Andrew shaped a knife with the same slim lines and proportions, and a pocket clip that wraps around the handle like a pen clip, hiding the screw holes that allow it to be reversed. That knife became the Solstice.
It is still our best-selling knife, and its design carries through to the Lucent automatic. Four years later, the collaboration continued with the Regis, made by Andrew and John Demko at their shop in Wampum, Pennsylvania.
We have long-standing relationships with our production partners and work closely with them through every step of the design and production process. Every knife is inspected, tested, and shipped directly from our facility in Ojai, CA.
The Regis is made by Andrew and John Demko at their shop in Wampum, Pennsylvania, where Demko Knives is known for their innovative locking mechanisms and hands-on production. The Sevra is made in-house at Toor Knives in San Diego. Small U.S. shops handle our custom anodizing, engraving, and leather sheaths.
The Sovranto slipjoint and Damasteel Solstice are made by Coltellerie Maserin in Maniago, known as the City of Knives. The Maserin family has made knives there for more than 60 years, pairing traditional craftsmanship with modern technology.
The Solstice, Strategy, and Duo Desk Knife are made in Taiwan by experienced knifemakers with strict standards for engineering, fit and finish, and quality control.
The Charter is made by Reate, and the components for the Lucent are made by Bestech, then assembled in our Ojai facility. Both are known across the industry for tight tolerances and consistent fit and finish.
We're a small team, and every knife passes through our hands before it reaches yours. We build custom configurations, from blade swaps to anodized scales, assemble and test every Lucent Automatic, and service and repair knives for our customers.
If you need help, you'll talk to the people who work on your knife. Every email gets a personal reply from one of us, and if you'd rather talk it through, we'll call you back.
Want to learn more about our knives? Our catalog has details on all of our products, including full-scale photos of our knives. Submit your request and we'll mail you a free catalog (U.S. residents only).
