Ocaso’s founder, Ric Valdez, began his career in the knife industry at Cold Steel Knives, working nearly 20 years to expand the brand’s reach and eventually moving into the role of Executive Vice President. Throughout his years in the industry, Ric has collected knives and gentleman’s accessories that fit his personal style and preferences. After Cold Steel was sold to GSM Outdoors in 2020, Ric began his own venture, starting Ocaso with the goal of making pocket knives and everyday carry accessories that reflect his individual style – sophisticated, modern, minimalist, and made with premium materials. 

Our knives are designed in the U.S. and crafted by our trusted manufacturers in Taiwan and Italy. We have long-standing relationships with our production partners and work closely with them through every step of the design and production process. They are experienced knife makers with strict engineering, fit and finish, and quality control policies. From prototype to production, we ensure that every knife is carefully inspected to meet our quality standards.

Damascus: Damascus is a premium pattern-welded steel recognizable for its distinctive wavy design. Our knives feature 120-layer stainless martensitic Damascus (comprised of N690 and Nitro-B steel) produced in Germany using the traditional fire-welding process, resulting in a premium blade with high edge retention and sharpness. Our knives with Damascus steel have a Rockwell Hardness of 60-61.

CPM S35VN: Crucible Particle Metal (CPM) S35VN is a USA made, high-end stainless steel that provides an excellent balance between toughness, corrosion resistance, and edge-retention. It is recognized as a premium steel due to its durability and remarkable wear resistance. Our knives with S35VN steel have a Rockwell Hardness of 60-61.

K110 (D2): We use premium Bohler K110 (D2) steel in our knives. It offers high wear resistance along with good hardness and toughness, making it an excellent steel for everyday carry pocket knives. Our knives with D2 steel have a Rockwell Hardness of 59-60.

AUS-10A: We use high-quality Japanese made AUS-10A stainless steel in our knives. Due to its high carbon content, AUS-10A is considered the strongest steel type within the AUS-series. It provides excellent corrosion-resistance, durability, and ease of sharpening. Our knives with AUS-10A steel have a Rockwell Hardness of 59-60.

Yes, the Damascus used in our knives comes from the Balbach factory in Germany, who have been producing highly regarded Damascus steel for over 50 years. The particular Damascus used in our knives is comprised of two steels (Nitro B and N690) which are combined in 120-layers.

Use a T6 torx bit to unscrew the clip. Then a pin punch can be used to remove the back pin. Once the back pin is out, the pocket clip will slide out of the front facing channel. Reverse the process on the opposite side of the handle to accommodate a left-handed carry.

Our factory edge angles are 15 – 18 degrees.

We stand behind our products 100%. All Ocaso knives carry a limited lifetime warranty. We warrant that our knives are free of defects in workmanship and materials. If one of our knives ever breaks or fails because of a material or manufacturing defect, we’ll repair or replace the knife. This warranty does not cover normal wear and tear, damage, breakage or failure caused by misuse, lack of normal maintenance, or disassembly. If you have a warranty issue or concern with your knife, reach out to us and we will make it right. Email us at info@ocasoknives.com or call us at (805) 500-8043.

We are not open to the public at this time. If you are in Ojai and are interested in seeing our products, American Flags and Cutlery in downtown Ventura (15 miles from Ojai) carries our entire line of knives.

View our Where To Buy page for a list of online retailers, U.S. dealers and international distributors. Orders placed through our website can be shipped worldwide. For more information on shipping options, click here. If you need additional assistance finding a dealer in your area please send us a message through our contact page, or email us at info@ocasoknives.com.

Visit our dealer information page here for our Dealer Program requirements.

We make every effort to ship orders the same day they are placed. If we receive your order after 12:00 pm PST it will be shipped the following day. You will receive an email notification with a tracking number once your order has shipped. For more information on shipping and returns, click here.

You have 60 days from receipt of your order to request a return. We accept returns for knives and accessories if they are in the original, unused condition. You can view the full details of our return policy here.

Yes, our Affiliate Program is managed through ShareASale. We offer a 10% commission and 30-day cookies. Learn more about our Affiliate Program here.

Yes. We offer a 25% discount to all U.S. active, reserve, and retired U.S. Military, Police, Fire, EMS, and government personnel. Once you add an item to your cart, at checkout you will see a button to sign in with GovX to receive your discount code. If you don't already have a GovX account, you will be prompted to create one.