- Demko AD20.5 Shark Cub · Clip Point2.75″ blade · 2.7 oz · ~1.03″ tall
Demko AD20.5 Shark Cub
The AD20.5 scaled down: 2.75" of blade against 3.125", 6.75" open against 7.75", and 2.7 oz against 3.6 on an aluminium handle rather than carbon fibre. The Shark-Lock and the CPM-20CV carry over intact, so this is the same knife in a size that disappears in a pocket.
- Blade
- 2.75″
- Weight
- 2.7 oz
- Steel
- CPM-20CV
- Price band
- Premium
Carrying a Shark-Lock every day without the full AD20.5's bulk
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Specifications
Manufacturer-published figures, cross-checked against demkoknives.com.
- Blade length
- 2.75″
- Cutting edge
- 2.5″
- Blade shape
- Clip Point
- Grind
- Flat
- Steel
- CPM-20CV
- Overall length
- 6.75″
- Weight
- 2.7 oz
- Lock
- Shark-Lock
- Deployment
- Manual
- Handle material
- Aluminum
- Country of origin
- Taiwan
Why a clip point
The front third of the spine is 'clipped' away in a concave sweep, dropping the point below the spine line and putting it out in front. That makes a finer, more controllable tip than a drop point — better for piercing, slightly weaker under load. The Buck 110 pattern is the archetype.
Every clip point here →About CPM-20CV
Crucible's answer to M390 and chemically near-identical to it. Superb edge retention and corrosion resistance, slow to sharpen.
1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other. All CPM-20CV knives
What owners say
Drawn from 271 owner discussions of the Demko AD20.5 Shark Cub since 2024. The opinions are theirs. The specifications above come from the maker.
What owners like
- The Shark-Lock action wins owners over: one titanium Slicer owner calls the action insanely smooth and the lockup rock solid, one Cyber Monday buyer rates its fidget factor 10 out of 10, and another owner calls it super fidgety and smooth.
- Ergonomics outrun the 2.75 in blade: one owner says it does not feel like a sub-3 in knife in use, another with extremely big hands calls it the smallest knife they have owned that still feels amazingly ergonomic, and its open handle is recommended over the AD20.5 as better for most hands.
- It carries thin: one black aluminum 20CV owner found it thinner than expected and compares it to a Quiet Carry Drift crossed with an AD20.5, and another owner says it disappears in the pocket where the bigger AD20 frame would not.
- Owners use it for daily work: one AUS10A owner strips ground wire coating, scrapes copper, opens boxes and slices sensors off door frames with a clip point Cub several times a day, and another made it a new work carry.
- Three blade shapes give real choice: one owner who has all three ranks the Slicer and clip point as favorites, another collected all three shapes across aluminum, Ultem and G10 scales, and a G10 owner calls the Shark Cub a great little slicer.
- The aftermarket transforms it: owners report Rockscale titanium scales that drop the liner and make the ergonomics night and day, Original Goat aluminum scales that replaced cracked Ultem, Skiff bearings and Lynch titanium deep carry clips.
- The factory clip on the G10 version carries deep, which one owner who paid $143 with a GovX discount in 2024 singles out as a welcome change for Demko.
What owners flag
- The shark fin bites fingers: several owners report a sore, nicked or bitten finger, one says the lock is painful to close, one says the knurling on a Stealth eats into their pointer finger, and the Cub's narrower body is described as gnarlier on the fingers at first than the full-size models.
- Lock spring tension is high: one owner calls the fin quite sharp and the spring strong on such a thin knife, one finds it almost impossible to work with gloves on, and another with a budget version names the hard pull-back as their only dislike.
- Lock rock turns up on some units: one owner returned a Stealth Slicer for up-and-down play and found the replacement bought direct from Demko still had a little, one new knife clicked when pressure went on the spine, and another found movement in the lock after cutting boxes.
- The Ultem-scaled version has had cracking scales: one owner's smoke Ultem scales cracked almost immediately and Demko offered to replace the knife, another swapped to aluminum to be rid of cracked Ultem, and over-tightening the scale screws is a known way to crack it.
- Not everyone takes to it: one titanium Slicer owner found no detent to speak of and a lock to fight the whole way on deployment, and another sold their Cub, calling the action mushy and the thumb position on the spine jimping awkward.
- Parts do not all interchange: the cheaper versions use contoured scales and a different pivot from the premium ones, so scales cannot be swapped between them, and Original Goat's carbon scales were listed for the Ultem and G10 versions only.
- One modder says the handle wastes about a quarter inch of potential blade length, and plans a cut-down AD20.5 of about the same overall length that will have a longer blade.
A 2.75 in blade at 2.7 oz puts the Demko Shark-Lock in a size one owner says disappears in the pocket. One owner with extremely big hands calls it the smallest knife they have owned that still feels amazingly ergonomic, another uses an AUS10A clip point several times a day on wire, boxes and plastic, and a black aluminum 20CV owner found it thinner than expected.
The shark fin is the complaint that keeps coming back. The Cub's lock bar is narrower than on the full-size Demkos and the spring is strong, so owners describe sore and nicked fingers, trouble with gloves, and a lock that one owner found painful to close. Some owners file or round the fin, and one cut half a loop off the spring and filed new jimping. A few report lock rock, including a Stealth Slicer that went back and whose replacement still had a little play, and one owner's Ultem scales cracked almost immediately. Rockscale titanium and Original Goat aluminum scales are the common fix for feel.
The AD20.5 is the rival it is weighed against most, with one shopper in 2026 seeing the AUS10A Cub at about $90 against $130 to $140 for the AD20.5 on sale. Shoppers also cross-shop the Civivi Vision FG, the Spyderco PM2 and the Kershaw Bel Air, and one owner who loves the Cub says it does not hold a candle to their Compadre. An owner who sold a Cub went on to the AD20S Compact and found its action snappier.
Does the Shark Cub's lock bite your finger?
Often at first. Owners describe sore fingers after a day of fidgeting, nicks, and a fin that digs in, and one notes the Cub is skinnier than the full-size Demkos, which makes it harsher. Owners who fixed it knocked down the fin's edges with a fine stone, opened up the area around the fin, or, in one case, shortened the spring and filed new jimping.
Is lock play normal on the Shark Cub?
Some owners report it. One returned a Stealth Slicer for up-and-down play and the replacement still had a little, though they own four other Cubs without the problem, and one new Cub clicked when pressure went on the spine. One owner who took a Cub apart repeatedly says there is a fine line between pivot tension that removes play and tension that ruins the action.
Shark Cub or AD20.5?
One AD20.5 owner with slim medium hands is drawn to the Cub's smaller blade and more open grip, and the Cub is recommended over the AD20.5 as better for most hands for the same reason. Against that, the Cub's lock bar is narrower and harder on fingers, and one modder says its handle wastes about a quarter inch of blade. In 2026 one shopper saw the AUS10A Cub at about $90 against $130 to $140 for the AD20.5 on sale.
Is the budget AUS10A version worth it?
Owners of it report being happy with it. One says the AUS10A has held up better than expected and the GRN scales are comfortable, another found it slices better than expected, and one collector with over 40 knives counts the AUS10A Slicer among their two most carried. The cheaper version uses a different pivot and contoured scales, so premium scales will not swap onto it.
Which aftermarket scales do owners fit?
Rockscale Design titanium scales come up repeatedly, and owners like that they remove the liner and keep the relief cut for the lock. Original Goat aluminum scales are the other common choice, both times to replace cracked Ultem, and one owner liked how much thicker they are. Check which version you have first, since pivot size and scale fit differ between versions.
Features
- Shark-Lock
- Flat grind
- Made in Taiwan
- Stainless blade
