Tuch Knives Umpqua — Best of Show Automatic, TACC 2026
One hundred and thirty American makers brought work to the inaugural Ancient City Continental exposition in Orlando. This knife took Best of Show Automatic.
A show award is a judgement made by people who handle hundreds of knives a year and have no stake in the sale. That is worth more than any description we could write.
The Tuch Knives Umpqua is a dual-action scale release automatic in vintage Bakelite, completed September 2026 and bought directly from the maker at the show. Browse more collector automatic knives currently in stock.
William Tuch, and a Line Back to Butch Vallotton
William Tuch made his first knife in the fall of 2005. He came from the metals supply and fabrication trade, so the machinery held no mystery for him. What he needed was someone who understood automatics.
He found Butch Vallotton. Tuch has said Vallotton’s guidance was instrumental in how fast he learned the trade, and he spent hours building dual actions and side-opening automatics under that instruction. Vallotton designed the Microtech Chameleon we also carry — the same dual-action lineage, one generation earlier.
Tuch later sought out Tim Herman, who taught him carving and a great deal else. Today he works in Portland, Oregon alongside his son Eric. The father-and-son figure on the wax seal and the contact card is the shop’s own mark. See more from this maker on the Tuch Knives brand page.
The Patented Scale Release
Most automatics announce themselves. A button breaks the handle, or a lever sits proud of the scale, and anyone who knows knives reads it across a table.
Tuch Knives describes itself as creator of the patented dual action scale release automatic mechanism, and that is what fires this knife. The scale itself is the release. Nothing sits on top of the handle, so the profile runs unbroken from pivot to butt, interrupted only by the clip recess and three screws.
Consequently the Umpqua reads as a gentleman’s folder until it opens. That restraint is a large part of why an automatic won a category judged against 129 other American makers.
How It Actually Feels
Dual action means two ways in. The automatic function works, though the release currently takes deliberate pressure rather than a light touch. New springs commonly stiffen this way and free up with cycling.
The manual action is the surprise. This knife opens better by hand than most dedicated manual folders — the detent breaks clean, the blade runs out with no drag and centres square between the liners. Learn more about assessing action in our guide on how to choose a custom knife.
Tuch Knives Umpqua Materials — Vintage Bakelite, RWL34, and Zirconium
Bakelite was the first fully synthetic plastic, patented in 1907 and gone from general production decades ago. What survives comes out of old stock, old radios, old jewellery. A maker working in it is cutting into a finite supply, and the turquoise with white swirl on this piece cannot be reordered.
Tuch carried the material through the hardware rather than stopping at the scales. The thumb stud takes a Bakelite insert. So does the pivot collar. Both read as small turquoise eyes against dark metal.
RWL34 is a Damasteel powder metallurgy stainless, clean-running and well regarded for edge stability in custom folders. The blade wears a hand-finished satin. The pocket clip is zirconium, let into a milled recess so it sits nearly flush. Read more in our knife knowledge section.
Condition and What’s Included with This Tuch Knives Umpqua
New from the maker, bought at his table in Orlando. The Bakelite is unmarked, the satin blade carries its original finish, and the edge is untouched since it left the bench.
One honest note. The scale release is stiff and needs a firm, deliberate press to fire. It works, and it is not a fault so much as a new spring that has not been cycled in. Anyone buying this to carry should know it, and anyone buying it to keep will likely never use that function anyway. Our approach is set out under our standards.
- Tuch Knives Umpqua dual-action scale release automatic folder
- TACC Inaugural Knife Exposition award plaque, Best of Show Automatic
- Hand-signed Certificate of Authenticity, dated 09/2026, with embossed Tuch Knives Portland OR seal
- Wax-sealed envelope bearing the father-and-son mark in gold
- Maker-supplied black leather pocket slip
- Zippered soft storage pouch
- Tuch Knives decal and contact card
The certificate records model, blade steel, handle material and completion date in the maker’s own hand. See our approach to provenance.
Tuch Knives Umpqua Specifications
We measured the dimensions and weight in house. Model, blade steel, handle material and completion date come from the maker’s signed certificate.
- Overall length, open: 8 inches
- Blade length: 4 inches
- Cutting edge: 3.75 inches
- Closed length: 4 inches
- Blade steel: RWL34
- Blade finish: Hand-finished satin
- Lock type: Liner lock
- Action: Dual action — patented scale release automatic, plus manual thumb stud
- Handle material: Vintage Bakelite, turquoise with white swirl
- Thumb stud and pivot: Matching Bakelite inserts
- Pocket clip: Zirconium, inlet flush to the scale
- Spine: Signed Tuch between stippled liners
- Lanyard hole: None
- Weight: 4.6 ounces
- Completed: September 2026
- Country of origin: United States
- Condition: New from the maker
- SKU: 00192-TUCH-UMPQUA-DA-BAKELITE-20260901
No document records blade thickness or hardness, so we do not state them. Browse more knives direct from the maker.
Video Description
This is the Tuch Knives Umpqua, a dual-action automatic completed in September 2026. William and Eric Tuch build these by hand in Portland, Oregon. William learned automatic knifemaking under Butch Vallotton. The knife took Best of Show Automatic at the inaugural Ancient City Continental exposition in Orlando. It measures eight inches open on a four inch RWL34 blade.
The scales are vintage Bakelite in turquoise, and the thumb stud and pivot carry the same material. A zirconium pocket clip sits let into the clip-side scale. Tuch signs the spine between stippled liners. The blade locks on a liner lock and fires through his patented scale release. Closed length is four inches and the knife weighs 4.6 ounces.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the TACC show?
Does the award plaque come with the knife?
No. Knife show awards are entered by the maker and the plaque stays with him. Bill Tuch keeps this one. What transfers with the knife is the fact that this is the piece he entered and the piece that won its category.
The Ancient City Continental Knife Exposition, held at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando on 4 and 5 September 2026. It is an American-made-only show. This was the inaugural year, and roughly 130 makers exhibited.
What is a scale release automatic?
The handle scale itself acts as the release rather than a button or lever mounted on it. Tuch Knives describes itself as creator of the patented dual action scale release mechanism, which keeps the handle profile unbroken.
What does dual action mean?
The knife opens two ways. You can thumb it open manually, or fire it automatically through the scale release. Both routes use the same blade and the same liner lock.
Is the stiff release a defect?
No. The mechanism fires. The spring is new and has not been cycled, so the release needs deliberate pressure rather than a light press. We describe it because a buyer should know before ordering, not after.
Why is vintage Bakelite hard to find?
Nobody makes it anymore. Bakelite was patented in 1907 and phased out of general production decades ago, so a maker working in it is cutting into old stock. Each piece has its own swirl, and it cannot be matched.
Does it come with paperwork?
Yes. A hand-signed Certificate of Authenticity recording model, blade steel, handle material and completion date, with an embossed Tuch Knives Portland seal, plus a wax-sealed envelope and the award plaque.
Buy This Tuch Knives Umpqua
We inspect every knife in hand and describe it as we find it, stiff release included. This Tuch Knives Umpqua carries a signed certificate and a material that extremely rare and difficult to source. See more on the Tuch Knives brand page, or sell your collection to us.
Automatic Knife Legal Notice
This is an automatic knife. Laws governing purchase, possession, and carry vary by state, county, and municipality.
The buyer must know and follow the laws that apply where they live before ordering. We do not give legal advice. For current state-by-state information, consult the American Knife and Tool Institute.
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