Prometheus Design Werx

Glossary

All Terrain Brown
Is simply our updated color name for Coyote Brown. While this color has its roots in the USMC, it's real beginning was a color chip created for a well known upscale American clothing brand's home paint collection. We see our All Terrain Brown as the new standard "khaki" or "safari tan". A general purpose color that was originally developed to help hide the dust and dirt in clothes and uniforms, of far away lands while exploring and on campaigns. Our soft-goods and apparel made in this color are a nod to this pragmatism and utility. It is one of the colors for the modern day adventurer and explorer.

Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam
Latin for “I will find a way or make one.” Thought to have been first used (in Punic) by Carthaginian General Hannibal when bringing his troops and elephants over the Alps. Also later used by Seneca to Francis Bacon.

Billet
A bar or block of metal alloy suitable for machining and other reductive fabrication methods.

Böhler M390
Third generation powder metal technology from Böhler Uddeholm AG, a leading International Specialty Steel Company with a focus on High Performance Metals. M390 was developed for knife blades requiring good corrosion resistance and very high hardness for excellent wear resistance. Chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, and tungsten are added for superb sharpness and edge retention. It can be polished to an extremely high finish. Hardens and tempers to 60-62 HRC. An exceptional, best in class blade “steel.”

Böhler N690
Böhler's best conventionally produced stainless knife steel. Great value in a corrosion resistant knife steel with excellent edge holding capabilities. Additions of chromium and vanadium enhance edge holding capability, while cobalt and carbon help to retain high hardness. Hardens and tempers to 57-59 HRC and 60-62 HRC with deep freeze. For maximum toughness, harden and temper to 57-59 HRC. For maximum wear resistance, harden and temper to 60-62 HRC. An exceptional, conventional blade “steel.”

Bravo Zulu
An Allied naval signal via signal flags or voice meaning “Well Done.”

Carpenter CTS XHP
Carpenter CTS XHP alloy is powder metallurgy, air-hardening, high carbon, high chromium, corrosion-resistant alloy. It can be considered either a high hardness 440C stainless steel or a corrosion-resistant D2 tool steel. Carpenter CTS XHP can be used for specialty knives where the alloy's fine carbide distribution produces a keenly sharp cutting edge. The material can be easily ground to the thin profiles required for cutting tools. CTS XHP knife blades can be finely polished to high luster or produced with a uniform matte finish. Hardens to a minimum of 60 HRC.

Consilio Et Animis
Latin for “By courage and wisdom.” A sound mindset to have when encountering life’s challenges and adventures.

CORE-Line
PDW's line of products with a focus on the best in American manufacturing.

Crucible CPM S30V
CPM S30V by Crucible is a martensitic stainless steel designed to offer the best combination of toughness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. Its chemistry has been specially balanced to promote the formation of vanadium carbides which are harder and more effective than chromium carbides in providing wear resistance. High levels of Chromium along with Vanadium create a balance that is not usually found in other blade steels. Hardens and tempers to 62-64 HRC.

Crucible CPM S35VN
CPM S35VN is a martensitic stainless steel designed to offer improved toughness over CPM S30V. It is also easier to machine and polish than CPM S30V. Its chemistry has been rebalanced so that it forms some niobium carbides along with vanadium and chromium carbides. Substituting niobium carbides for some of the vanadium carbides makes CPM S35VN about 15-20% tougher than CPM S30V without any loss of wear resistance. CPM S35VN’s improved toughness gives it better resistance to edge chipping. Because both vanadium and niobium carbides are harder and more effective than chromium carbides in providing wear resistance, the CPM stainless blade steels offer improved edge retention over conventional high chromium steels. ALM hardness: 58-61RC.

DIY
“Do It Yourself.” Describes a culture, attitude and the know how of being able to personally handle and accomplish any number of tasks and scenarios. DIY includes self started projects, and tasks without the need or availability of external contracted services and people.

EDC
“Every Day Carry” refers to useful objects, tools, to sentimental items, an individual will have on their person as part of their daily carry.

FIY
“Fix it Yourself.” Describes a culture, attitude and the know how of being able to personally resolve or fix a machine, object, or situation in need of repair.

Fixed Blade
An edged tool or knife that has a fixed blade and handle without any moving parts. Typically housed in a sheath to safely store, carry, and protect the user from the blade.

Folder or Folding Knife
An edged tool or knife that has a pivot or other mechanism that allows the blade to fold or retract into a self containing handle.

G10
A specification for fiberglass laminate set with an epoxy resin under heat and pressure. It has an extremely low water absorption rate, non-conductive, machinable, and is available in a wide variety of colors. Outside of the electronics industry, G10 has proven to be a very durable attractive and popular handle material for edged tools of all kinds.

Investment Casting
An industrial process based on and also called lost-wax casting, and one of the oldest known metal-forming techniques. From 5,000 years ago, when beeswax formed the pattern, to today’s high-technology waxes, refractory materials, and specialist alloys. The castings allow the production of components with accuracy, repeatability, versatility, and integrity in a variety of metals and high-performance alloys. Lost-foam casting is a modern form of investment casting that eliminates certain steps in the process. Modern investment casting techniques allow for many intricate forms with undercuts, complex planes, and shapes that CNC mills can not achieve or accomplish more efficiently.

ISO 9000 and 9001
ISO is the “International Standards for Organization” founded in 1947, based in Geneva, Switzerland, developed and published the set of standards that govern an effective quality assurance system for industries involved in manufacturing and service. “9000” covers the fundamentals of systems for quality management, and the eight principles which the set of standards is based upon. “9001” covers the requirements that companies need to fulfill wishing to meet the ISO standards.

Lanyard
Typically a loop of tied cordage attached to a variety of tools such as pocket knives as a method to secure the object to the person and prevent accidental loss. Lanyards can also serve a secondary purpose as a decorative element to a supporting source of material for FIY and survival applications.

Letterpress
Letterpress includes several forms of relief printing with printing presses, such as wood engravings, photo-etched zinc "cuts" (plates), and linoleum blocks, which can be used alongside metal type, or wood type, in a single operation, as well as stereotypes and electrotypes of type and blocks. Letterpress printing was the normal form of printing text from its invention by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century until the 19th century and remained in wide use for books and other uses until the second half of the 20th century. Letterpress printing remained the primary way to print and distribute information until the 20th century, when offset printing was developed, which largely supplanted its role in printing books and newspapers. More recently, letterpress printing has seen a revival in an artisanal form.

Micarta
Is a laminated product made by bonding layers of paper or cloth under heat and pressure with resin to create molded shapes that are designed for knife handles and other applications.

Memento Mori
Latin for “Remember that you will die.” An icon and symbol often represented as a human skull in art. A phrase thought to have been originally used by the Romans to remind us that we are all mortal and stay grounded. As such, live and enjoy life for today, keep it real, and remember what matters most, as we will all die someday "tomorrow."

OPT
“One Piece Tool” typically compact and pocketable tools made from one piece of material from billet metal alloys and other substances, without any or many moving parts or components.

Paracord or 550 Paracord
A type of nylon cordage or rope with a woven sheath and a core of typically 5 strands, originally used as suspension lines in American military parachutes during WWII. The “550” designates that a single line has a breaking strength of 550 lbs. Paracord is an essential with literally 1001 uses.

Pocket Clip
A piece of metal, typically folded or machined billet that is attached to a variety of pocketable tools from folding knives, flashlights, pens and more. A pocket clip allows items such a tool to be clipped on the the pocket of a pair of pants or belt.

PRO-Line
PDW's line of products featuring the best and most advanced technical manufacturing the world has to offer.

PVC
PDW uses a non-toxic rubber like material known as bio based “PVC,” a corn based alternative that removes the toxic element phthalate and in turn has created a benign alternative. The “PVC” used in our products is medical grade, phthalate-free, and is also used in human heart catheters.

Slotted Button
This type of button has been in use by the Canadian military for garments because of its high tensile strength. The dual slots in the button uses flat lace or a strip of webbing to create a much more solid anchor to the base fabric compared to traditional button designs which require thread.

Sit Vis Nobiscum
Latin for “May the Force be with you.”

Strikeback™
PDW's proprietary design feature found as an option on our fixed blade knife models and tools that assists in the guiding and striking of ferrocerium rods when making fires. This precision CNC designed compound bevel and arc detail features two contoured striking edges and found on the blade spine. A Strikeback feature eliminates the need to scrape ferro rods on the actual blade cutting edge.

Titanium 6AL-4V
Also know as “Grade 5” is a type of titanium alloy used widely in aerospace to biomedical applications. It is comprised of 6% aluminium, 4% vanadium, 0.25% (maximum) iron, 0.2% (maximum) oxygen, and the balance titanium. Titanium 6AL-4V is considerably stronger than commercially pure titanium, heat treatable, and an excellent combination of strength, corrosion resistance, weld, and fabricability.

Titanium Grade 2
One of the four commercially pure titanium grades, Grade 2 titanium is unalloyed, has superior corrosion resistance and  good ductility, which allows for cold formability. This titanium has strong weldability properties and frequently used in biomedical and aerospace applications.

Titanium Grade 38
Also known as "ATI 425 Alloy" is used in aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and recreation purposes. Grade 38 is comprised of 4% aluminum, 2.5% vanadium, and 1.5% iron. This grade was developed in the 1990s for uses in armor plating. The corrosion resistance of the ATI 425 Alloy to saltwater environments also makes it a candidate for marine-related applications.

TPU
A non-toxic, durable material known as Thermoplastic Polyurethane. It is well known for a resistance to oil, grease, and abrasion.

Universal Field Gray
Is a color PDW developed to address all the things Wolf Gray was not. The latter seeming often a bit too light of a gray shade, and also in dusk and dawn lighting conditions, appeared lavender. Our gray color standard is darker, and warmer and looked great dyed into the 500D Cordura® and supporting pack trims. It is equally at home in the wilderness to the urban, and avoids the cast of lavender at dusk and dawn. Universal Field Gray is easily paired with most other colors and a great option for those who prefer something outside of the family of browns and tans. It has a less military vibe to it and ideal for international travel.

Virtute Vera
Latin for “Conquer with True Courage” or colloquially as “True Grit.” The adopted company motto for Prometheus Design Werx.

scroll btn