Hey everyone, David C. Andersen here coming at you from the KnifeCenter, and today it's
time for us to take a look at our favorite high end EDC pocket knives from WE Knife company
that you can get right now in 2020, let's check them out.
Now there's a lot of imported knife companies out there these days.
And while I like to buy American wherever I can, the days when made in China meant not
very good are long gone, and we knife company is one of the manufacturers that's proving.
Now they used to do OEM work for other companies but now they're turning out knives of their
own designs and they've quickly made a name for themselves by producing solid blades that
are right up there with some of the best production companies anywhere.
And we're going to start with a model that kind of put them on the map for a lot of people,
and I include myself in that statement, this Double Helix model was the first knife that
I ever saw from WE knife company.
It's definitely a head turning design because of the way they've done this handle, and it
really shows what their factories can be capable of.
Now this knife features a crossbar style lock, but instead of having internal springs, we
get these externally visible springs that anchor at the back end of the titanium handle.
You can even see them move as you actuate that lock bar, that's not the only thing that
differentiates their version of this lock from other crossbar locks like the axis lock,
but something that's unique to WE's version is that it actually holds the blade closed
until you pull that lock bar back.
You can pull on that blade all you want but it's not going to come open unintentionally,
it actually locks the blade closed, as well as open.
That makes it a great safety feature when you're carrying it in your pocket or if you
have it free floating in a bag somewhere.
Now the blade itself is S 35 vn is to tone on this particular one, but there are a few
different finishes and handle colors available in this particular one is priced at 285 right
now.
As cool as that knife is it is a little bit of an outlier in WE's lineup because of course
they are more well known for their titanium frame lock flippers that style is all the
rage these days and has been for a number of years, and one of their releases that lives
in that format from earlier this year that's really caught my eye is the Scoppio priced
around 260 right now.
What I like about this knife is it's not ostentatious, it's got a nice, clean profile.
And if they weren't careful that could come off as simple but the refinement is definitely
there, and the compound grinds on this blade mix things up just a little bit enough so
that it's not a plain looking design.
Those compound grinds don't get in the way of the functionality either because that shape
of that blade is excellent and high performance thanks to the use of CPM 20 cv blade steel,
you got a nice continuous curve to the edge itself, and a very usable point for every
day to day tasks. and the flipping action on this knife is great.
As with most of the knives and WE's lineup.
You've got ball bearings in the pivot for very smooth action.
And what sets this knife apart from a lot of the other titanium frame lock flippers
these days is the handle itself which kind of mimics the look of an integral folder.
We do have two sides.
This is not a single piece of metal, but there's no outside screws holding it together so that
the clean lines of the design are maintained as much as possible.
If you want a flipper with a bit more attitude we've got the malice, which is a collaboration
with Ferrum Forge, if you're familiar with their style you'll definitely recognize that
immediately with this knife.
And these start right around 275 bucks right now, the spec list has all of WE Knives' Greatest
Hits you got a titanium frame ball bearing pivot for the flipper.
And in this case we've got m 390 steel and about three and a half inches of reach, and
a nice flat grind.
You can get it with a satin finish on the handle, or the cool flame titanium on this
one I'm holding.
But the best part about this knife is the comfort.
The handles are nice and broad and they're curved over and radius very nicely so that
it's very easy to use, even under heavy strain, and it really lets you put that wide and powerful
blade to use, then when you're done powering through your cuts you can choke up on the
full size finger choil right there for a bit more fine control.
Switching gears a little bit we've got the Angst, a Justin Lundqvist design, starting
at about 140.
And unlike the larger Mallis this knife is ultralight and agile can weigh as little as
1.8 ounces depending on which version you pick, and the blade itself has got the precision
to backup the Agile handling of the knife itself.
We've got a dagger profile which of course is great for piercing, and they've even got
some milled grooves here at the thumb pad area to add some grip when you're doing that.
But it's great at more than just that, that shape also creates a really efficient cross
section when you're slicing through material.
It is single edge though so you're not gonna have to worry about that when you're maneuvering
the steel, which is in this case s 35 v when it flips open just as well as the frame locks
here but we've got a liner lock on this particular design, and it's nested into the G 10 or carbon
fiber handles depending on which you choose, and that gives it a really premium feel that
premium treatment continues with the handles, not only do you get a premium look because
of that but they've got a nice radius to these handles too so just like that mallus they're
very comfortable in the hand and you can really push it hard when you need to.
Now in addition to your garden variety titanium frame lock flipper.
I mentioned integrals earlier and WE Knife really has become known for executing integral
frame models, very well.
This knife, the dragon may not have been their first integral I'm not actually sure if it
was or not, but this is definitely the one that got them recognized I think the reason
it stands apart, are the heavily milled dragon scales that cover each side of the knife.
The precision is top notch and you can even see that pattern continues seamlessly onto
the lock bar insert here at the end of the lock bar itself.
But despite that texture This is still a nice comfortable knife you can see the spine there,
as it wraps around the back is perfectly smooth, and it really does feel good in the hand locks
in quite nicely without being so aggressive that it's going to cause heavy blistering
on this knife we've got an M 390 blade, and it also features an element that you see on
a bunch of different models in WE's lineup, where the sharpened edge near the tip gets
a little bit thicker for more strength, but it's still razor sharp all along the edge
that blade length comes in at about three and a half inches here as well.
And like most of their models you can get a number of different handle and blade finish
combinations.
This knife definitely flips open just as well as the non integral flippers.
Thanks for very similar pivot construction.
This one even opens easily two handed as well, thanks to the swedge that runs along the length
of the blade.
You can open it like that, or it even works well as a thumb opener if you pinch the blade
cut out and rotate it open that way.
And just as an impressive in their integral lineup is the Synergy 2, which starts at 329.
Now the original synergy knife was actually a speed tech design by Jim O'Young and it
was first released in 1999.
It was actually the first 3d machined integral handled folder, and it really set the template
that some companies still can't pull off these days.
We knife company however can pull it off and their version is fantastic.
Of course, a few things have changed from the original, which was aluminum and use a
button lock and thumb stud for opening, whereas this is as you'd expect a titanium frame lock
flipper.
They've also added the Tonto blade option which I've got here, in addition to also keeping
the original trailing point blade profile.
And you can get it an M 390 or the awesome looking damaged steel that I've got on this
one.
What I love most though and you're probably sensing a theme by now, is the contouring
which you can see from above.
We've got a really nice hand conforming shape, and that signature wrap around from the integral
construction, even more so than the malice from earlier this is a greatly comfortable
design, and you could of course get it with or without in lays in a few different configurations,
the most innovative integral they make right now though is the Arrakis designed by Elijah
Isham, and this model is sort of their master thesis in engineering and construction and
they start at 330.
In this case we have what I like to call a split integral design that's more impressive,
the more you actually look at it.
I chose the titanium and carbon fiber version here, although there are a few other variants,
but I picked this one so that you can try and see the two different parts and how they
interact just a little bit better, the titanium portion still wraps around the spine.
As you can see, but it only happens here at the back, you essentially have two arms that
extend forward to either side of the pivot, with a piece of carbon fiber on each side
that sort of acts like a bridge and connects to the titanium structure at the back, and
terminates here at the front, near the stop pin for the blade.
It's very cool in person definitely really nice to look at, but it is I find kind of
hard to describe so hopefully it comes across in the pictures what's going on here.
Now they've kept a skeletonized look to the handle so you can kind of appreciate the mechanics
of what's going on.
And that aesthetic carries through to the blade itself, which in the open position,
makes it look almost like a leaping sand worm from its namesake planet of Dune.
The good looks, combined with high performance steel M 390 or damaged steel again, which,
when you put it all together it's definitely a statement piece first and foremost, but
it's still useful knife when you actually need to cut something.
Now I saved my personal favorites for last and there's two knives I want to show you
now.
The first is the Deacon which starts at 253.
It is a framework flipper but we've got a pair of carbon fiber overlays, that kind of
create a bolstered look, and this gold anodized version is the best looking one to my eyes,
the size and style here is just right for a gentleman's knife.
We've got a three and a quarter inch blade with a highly usable drop point shape flat
ground from M 390.
It's got a fine satin finish and even a nicely crown spine.
That's going to make it one very nice to look at, and also very comfortable when you go
to use it.
We've got just enough handling to get a good grip on the knife, even with my slightly larger
than average hands, without it being too large in the pocket when it's folded up.
And again, like a lot of the picks that I chose for this list, you've got a great contour
to the handles themselves instead of them being flat.
So the comfort is there in spades when you need it.
It's just an overall extremely satisfying knife to operate craftsmanship is top notch
and the style, I think is undeniable.
Finally, probably my absolute favorite in the lineup is the Kitefin which was released
earlier this year.
It is the perfect gentleman's knife for less than 160 bucks to titanium frame lock flipper
and you can get it with various titanium or carbon fiber fronts, but in my opinion the
carbon fiber is the way to go.
It keeps the weight way down the knife is barely over two ounces, and they're contoured
as opposed to the titanium which is left flat, so the carbon fiber is even more comfortable.
The three and a quarter inch blade is nice and thin with a hollow grind in a very thin
edge cuts very well, and the edge should last thanks to the S 35 vn steel, and the pocket
clip is almost completely deep carry and thanks to some different finishes there and some
drilled and chamfered holes.
It feels fully integrated as part of the design and not just an afterthought.
This is one of those knives that didn't jump off the page for me when I saw pictures, but
that's because it really has to be held in the hand to be fully appreciated.
I can tell you it's something special and as of right now, off of this table.
This would be the knife that I put in my pocket.
Alright, that's all I've got to show you today, we'd love to hear what you thought of these
cool knives, make sure to let us know down in the comments if you want to get your hands
on one of these cool knives, we'll make sure to leave links in the description to take
you over to knifecenter.com.
And while you're over there make sure you sign up for a knife rewards program, if you're
gonna buy one of these cool knives, you might as well earn some free money to spend on your
next one.
I'm David C. Andersen from the KnifeCenter, make sure to like and subscribe if you haven't
already.
See you next time.