Small blade, BIG functionality. The Oceanus Brass Bosun’s Edge is sharp, eye-catching and built to last. We set out to make a timeless utility tool that was both rich in history and classic in design. One that you would want to own and take with you on your day’s journey, either on the open ocean or the daily commute. The result is a solid brass knife that has achieved elegance through function.
A utility blade for everyday use. This is your essential companion. A rustproof, working knife, ready to go when you need it. It’s compact, flat, easy to carry and designed to fit nicely in your hand.
Inspired by rigger knives of years past, The Bosun’s Edge brings sea-worthy, rugged design and functionality to your modern lifestyle. Combined with the iconic bow-shackle, this knife is sure to spark conversation wherever you take it.
The screw-lock mechanism is reliable and intuitive. It holds the blade into place so it won’t slide open when you don’t intend for it to. It just works. There are no unnecessary buttons, springs or bulky handles to break. We removed designed out clutter so it won’t get in your way nothing can get in your way when slicing through your daily tasks.
Sharp and replaceable carbon steel blades make the Oceanus Brass Bosun’s Edge a tool you will pass down for generations. No more sharpening (unless you want to that is). The easily available hobby blade has excellent edge retention and can be found at most hardware stores. When dull, simply replace it with a new one.
The idea of exploring the open ocean is what gives the classic sailing knife a certain sense of mystery. You try to imagine who may have used it, where it may have gone or what it might have been through. Unlike any other knife, the sailing knife seems to embody adventure and daring at the core of its being.
So what is a sailing knife? It is a tool intended for use onboard a boat or ship with the main purpose of cutting line, untying knots or other daily tasks while at sea. In Days past, ofter a copper or brass shackle secured at the end of the hilt was used to attach the knife to a belt clip or lanyard. Perfect for easy access in time-sensitive situations and when working aloft.
Although many will argue the details, in our opinion, today’s modern sailing knives trace back their origins to the famous British Pattern 6353/1905 clasp knife. First introduced in 1905 for service use, that knife alone is probably what inspired all 19th-century rigging knives. Outmoded by different patterns, this model was used until the late 1930s, when more modern knifes started to gain traction.
Bosun, also known as boatswain is the deck department’s senior-most rank and is the individual responsible for the care of the rigging, cordage, anchors, sails, boats, flags and other stores. The bosun supervises the members of the deck department, and isn’t typically a watchkeeper, except on small crewed vessels. The rank of bosun is the oldest rank in the Royal Navy, and it can trace its origins back to 1040.
The bosun is well acquainted with the care and handling of lines and has expertise in knots, hitches, bends, whipping, and splices to perform tasks such as mooring a vessel. The best bosuns were able to integrate their seafarer skills into leading and engaging with deckhand crew members who often had different backgrounds, and who all relied on the Bosun to provide answers to their questions.
The #11 carbon steel hobby blade present in the Bosun’s Edge is tough and will stay sharp with daily use due to its great edge retention and corrosion-resistant material. Without worrying about getting chipped, dull bent or broken, you can use it for camping, fishing, sailing, as a work tool or most EDC tasks.
A dull blade can be more dangerous than a sharp one. Dull knives require more cutting pressure, thereby reducing control. When your blade is dull easily replace it with a sharp new one. These blades can be found worldwide at most hardware stores and online.
It is not only great at cutting, nipping or carving. Its pointy tip is useful for delicate puncturing and may be more useful than a blunt-tipped knife in the situation of survival at sea.
The Bosun’s Edge has been manufactured to thrive over decades of use, through all of the conditions you intend to throw it though. What was once a labor of love, is now a timeless utility instrument available for all, but we need your help to make this dream a reality.
Our products are steeply discounted off retail prices because we want to reward our very first customers. The opportunity to purchase a knife of this magnitude at this price is rare. With our finishing assembly, our master craftsmanship, the Bosun’s Edge, with your help, shall be accessible to all.
We stand behind the quality of our tools and the uniqueness and complexity of our hardware. Each piece has its own unique character that we hope will bring joy and nostalgia when put into action.
The Oceanus Brass Bosun’s Edge is currently spec’d to be as followed. As with any project not yet complete, these dimensions may change slightly over time as we optimize our manufacturing systems and the tool’s design:
Length (Without Bow-Shackle, closed): 65mm
Length (With Bow-Shackle, closed): 82mm
Length (Without Bow-Shackle, open): 87mm
Length (With Bow-Shackle, open): 104mm
Width (Without Bow-Shackle): 6mm
Width (With Bow-Shackle): 25mm
Weight: 45.5g (1.60 oz)
The versatility of the Bow-Shackle made it an indispensable tool on the seas, and it continues to impress today. Although the brass Bow-Shackle is the statement piece of the Bosun’s Edge, we have made it independently available through this Kickstarter campaign as a gift for backers at our $10 tier. Creativity is your only boundary when putting the Bow-Shackle to use.
The Bow-Shackle makes for a helpful attachment point. There’s really no excuse for losing your Bosun’s Edge. You can easily attach it to your backpack, sailing jacket or any outdoor equipment.
With our design roots in Boston, our company draws creative inspiration from the hub of America’s rich nautical history. In developing our product, our original prototypes and inspiration came from the old shipyards of East Boston.
The nautically-inspired Bosun’s Edge harkens back to a time of adventure on open seas, its durability a testament to the harsh demands of that bygone era. Our hardware is tied to the art and science of sailing and exploration. We’ve spent five months refining the Bosun’s Edge into its final, perfectly balanced form.
Inspired by nautical-grade hardware, the Bosun’s Edge is Oceanus’s signature utility instrument. Its unique rich color and practical beauty are perfect for everyday use, travel, or adventure.
We launched Oceanus Brass because we wanted to share our nautically inspired knife with the world and turn an idea into action. A project that was both challenging and rewarding, the Oceanus Brass Bosun’s Edge is something we are very proud to share with you. We hope to encourage others to try their hand at something new just as we did, to build something of their own, to go through that exploration process of learning and bringing inspiration to fruition. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the many relationships we’ve built along the way with industrial designers and manufacturers who helped us push the boundaries of what we were told was possible.
Since launching our first product, the Oceanus Brass – Bow Shackle Pen, we are so proud to have been embraced by the ocean-loving community. Below are a few of our favorite excerpts of what the experts are saying about our products;
Life In The Slow Lane | Blog: “It’s a beautiful pen and we’ll enjoy having it on our boat, and it’ll make a wonderful heirloom to pass down to our grandson one day. Maybe he’ll even have a special boat to keep it on.”
My2Fish | Blog: “The solid brass construction is nearly indestructible, so for the cost of pen ink refill every couple of years, this pen will likely last forever.”
Sailing Britican | Blog: “In the past, I’ve been known to tape string to the end of a pen or tie string around a cap but it inevitably fails when someone gives a little tug and off my pen goes. In other words, my efforts to prevent other pen thieves have failed miserably…but not with my bow-shackle pen! I have it attached to my nav station book rail.”
Dinghy Dreams | Blog: “Even though I’m ink rich right now I keep navigating back to the same one, my shackle pen by Oceanus Brass. Nautically inspired and handcrafted by a small start-up company in Boston, Mass., this pen is nearly impossible to lose as it has a shackle to attach to logbooks, dry bags, or wherever you see fit aboard your vessel. As I’ve been route planning for my upcoming voyage this pen has been seeing much use and it writes just as smoothly as the day it came out of the box.
To keep up the momentum, please share the campaign on social media and or tell your friends, co-workers, and neighbors about us! We are so excited to start making your Oceanus Brass Bosun’s Edge!
These are targeted milestones for us to hit as a community. If we do hit these goals, each and every backer benefits! We’ll send out the item from the corresponding tier with each Bosun’s Edge, depending on where we finish. Below is the breakdown of stretch goals:
Reward shipping fee will be charged during the fulfillment phase via our website. It will be $3 domestic and $5 international.
BUYING: You must be sure and certify that you are 18+ of age and you are able to legally purchase and own an item and will use it responsibly.
This is our 13th Kickstarter campaign! For once, there are really limited risks here. We offer you a simple tool, which has already been mostly developed. Remember, we built this knife for our own use first. Through previous engagements, our Master Craftswoman has worked with many of our prospective manufacturers in the past. As well as being produced on a smaller scale, this is the simplest product many of our team members have ever worked on, and this fact has allowed us to focus on build quality. We are confident and passionate about delivering quality goods. We have spent months designing and prototyping our products, executing pre-production runs to ensure we can meet our high standard. We have internally funded the design and production of our signature brass hardware. Our resources and team are based here in the United States, primarily on the East Coast, so we do not foresee any issues with our ability to deliver your new Oceanus Brass Bosun’s Edge upon successful funding of our project. We will keep you up-to-date on the progress of production and let you know of any issues impacting our ability to promptly deliver your new Oceanus products, including steps we are taking to get back on track. We always try our best to manufacture locally but always weigh any benefits against manufacturing overseas especially when doing so results in delay avoidance or quality consistency. We stand ready to resolve any challenges to make sure you have a positive experience with our service and product!