Brand Spotlight: Vero Engineering
When you hang out with guys who make and collect gear — or if you’re like us and spend a lot of time on Instagram ogling all the cool new gadgets you’d like to have — you’ll see a lot of unique designs and products.
But there’s always a question that hangs in the air: Will these new accessories work as well in person as they look online?
We jump through a lot of hoops here at NutSac to make sure that’s the case with each of our bags and accessories. As it turns out, Joseph Vero has had that same question on his mind for years, which is why we’ve been big fans of the knives and pocket tools that his company, Vero Engineering, designs and produces.
So we sat down with Joseph for an interview, hoping to pick his brain about the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes into making sure that every tool he makes has that “wow factor” that keeps people coming back to his now cult-status knives. What follows is a summary of the conversation and how it relates to the modern EDC ethos that we think our readers know and love.
How Vero Engineering Got Started
Joseph already had a background in mechanical engineering before he ever put pen to paper to design his first tools — but the story he shared of the inspiration for his first design, the Fulcrum, really gave us a good laugh. He said:
“I was sitting at a red light, waiting for it to turn green. As I was flicking my knife open and closed, I noticed that the action was off a little bit — and I wanted a tool that would let me tinker with my knife’s tuning while I was sitting at a red light!”
After that, he rushed back to the office with an idea in mind — turning a pry bar tool into a fully functional bit driver, complete with a magnetic bit holder and pocket clip for easy access. So he drew up a quick design at the office, and set out to make the Fulcrum.
Fast forward a few months, and Vero Engineering was on its way to becoming a fully-fledged design and production brand. Joseph and his wife were the sole two employees for a good while, doing all of their design and quality control testing on their own. Now, Joseph’s Dad also helps with some of the day-to-day operations as they seek to increase their ability to make more knives and tools without sacrificing any of the quality the brand’s come to be known for.
Vero’s EDC Philosophy
Seeing that he is a fellow gear nerd, I asked Joseph about his general philosophy of design for everyday carry tools. That’s probably best expressed through the attention to detail he puts into every one of his handmade and tuned knives:
“I touch every one of my knives. I want to make sure that every knife that goes out the door is something I want to own and use,” says Joseph, explaining also that there are “A lot of knife designers that have their knives produced for them start with a 2D drawing,” and that’s never going to feel entirely right in your three-dimensional hand.
It’s his obsessively detailed design and production process that allows Vero Engineering to make knives that consistently exceed people’s expectations — so much so that there’s currently a lengthy wait time to buy one of their blades. That includes a 3-dimensional design process, working with the manufacturer on production details, extensive testing of the production samples, a lengthy quality control phase, final hand-tuning, and careful packaging.
In short: Vero Engineering does everything in their power not to cut corners, so that you can end up with heritage-quality, buy it for life tools.
What’s Next for Vero Engineering
I went away from speaking with Joseph knowing that he’s as true of a fan of EDC as anyone you’re ever likely to meet. And while the brand is working on increasing their production to get more knives into the hands of people clamoring for them, Joseph also has a few new designs in the works.
The most interesting one for me was a fixed blade, Wharncliffe style knife — for everyday carry. That’s something of a rarity in a field dominated by flippers and folders, so I’ll be very curious to get my hand on one and test it out.
There’s also a drop point, thin blade version of their popular Impulse knife in the works. It’s destined to be a lightweight alternative that seems like a great fit for urban EDC, as it won’t disrupt the lines of your clothes as much if you’re carrying it in a pocket.
If you’re interested in grabbing one of Vero’s tools or knives, check out their online shop first — they’re doing their best to keep sufficient stock for everybody who wants to try one. But if you don’t have any luck finding what you’re looking for there, you’ll have to follow them on Instagram to keep up with their product drops as they’re available.
Visit Vero Engineering at: https://veroengineering.com
