WE Knives? Another high end Chinese company?

Joined
Jun 28, 2012
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672
Hey guys, I was browsing BladeHQ and saw on their front page a new Chinese company selling apparently high end knives for a good chunk of change. They look nice but has anybody had any experience with this company? They seemed to have jumped out of the blue and although the knife model I see them offering looks nice, I don't want to drop $300 for something unknown without more background info.

I searched up their website also and they seem legit.
 
Yeah, I saw that and did a :confused:
Reminds me of a Rike or Stedemon, I guess. Probably gonna be a while before enough people take that chance and purchase one and the reviews start rolling in.
Be an early adopter and grab one and let us know how you like it.
 
Looks like a superb knife to me.

[video=youtube;iNMf_8L1psY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNMf_8L1psY[/video]
 
I'd never heard of them prior to having the same experience you did, OP. That came as a real surprise given that I check Aliexpress and DHgate once a month or so to see what clones have been coming down the pipe and what new manufacturers have popped up.

I'll bet we will see a lot of new companies coming out of the woodwork like this, as the market is there and the machinery and parts are readily available. I'm all for variety and competition, so, this is promising in my eyes.

In before:
- "Chinese garbage"
- "Probably just a clone manufacturer repurposing their machines"
- "Slave labor"
- Other xenophobic / jingoistic BS.

There, I saved you trolls a bunch of time.
 
WeKnives started a presence on Instagram (mainly) about 6 months ago and has already generated a lot of interest on social media. Their first model (the 601, in several finish variations) is selling well and for good reason - the quality is very, very high. I have one and it faaaaaaaar surpassed my expectations in terms of fit, finish, operability, and initial quality. They are using 6Al4V Ti frames, S35VN blade steel with almost perfectly symmetrical grinds, and ceramic bearings and detents (the 601 has a multi-row ceramic bearing system)

They are starting to show several new upcoming models on Instagram and are planning/expected to make a big launch/splash at Blade here in June.

The 601 is in the hands of several reviewers, including EpicSnuggleBunny (his video review of the 601 went up on YouTube last night) and Jim Skelton. Both speak as highly of the knife as I do.
 
I have one as well, extremely impressed with mine. If it helps WE Knives has been doing OEM work and just started marketing stuff under their own name, hence the "out of nowhere" appearance.
 
I will try to pick one up when they come back in stock as I've seen the videos by previously mentioned YouTube reviewers as well. The blade shape on the 601 is killer and I love how it's sterile and they give you extra custom hardware. The downside seems to be the proprietary hardware though.
 
I will try to pick one up when they come back in stock as I've seen the videos by previously mentioned YouTube reviewers as well. The blade shape on the 601 is killer and I love how it's sterile and they give you extra custom hardware. The downside seems to be the proprietary hardware though.

I dislike proprietary hardware - *unless* it comes with a tool to handle it. The WeKnives come with a tool to service the knife and use the proprietary hardware. So you have no worries working with it in this case.
 
I dislike proprietary hardware - *unless* it comes with a tool to handle it. The WeKnives come with a tool to service the knife and use the proprietary hardware. So you have no worries working with it in this case.

True, but I still prefer simple hardware like flathead screws in case I lose the tool, and just for the sake of simplicity when I'm out traveling
 
I dislike proprietary hardware - *unless* it comes with a tool to handle it. The WeKnives come with a tool to service the knife and use the proprietary hardware. So you have no worries working with it in this case.

I wondered about that. I sort of sped through the video, but that little keychain thing appeared like it might be a tool for the screws. Glad to know they come with one. Other than the fact that I too dislike proprietary fasteners (not as big a deal with an included tool, I agree, but still bugs me), these knives look pretty sweet. :thumbup:
 
Aren't they the ones who really build QTRMSTR?

The evidence for that was a picture of one milling setup, I'm not sure how robust that is but it's more than possible. My 601 feels much higher quality than the QTRMSTR I've handled.
 
I'd wait on the newer / less-established Chinese knife makers. It's dizzying how they're coming out of the woodworks. I trust and have several knives from Reate and Kizer. I have tried two others that I was not happy about. Ergo, hesitant. Patience.
 
I'd wait on the newer / less-established Chinese knife makers. It's dizzying how they're coming out of the woodworks. I trust and have several knives from Reate and Kizer. I have tried two others that I was not happy about. Ergo, hesitant. Patience.

To each their own, but WeKnives is seriously legit. This 601 is definitely better than anything I've picked up by Kizer, and I every bit as good as anything I've handled by Reate (including the Steelcraft stuff)
 
To each their own, but WeKnives is seriously legit. This 601 is definitely better than anything I've picked up by Kizer, and I every bit as good as anything I've handled by Reate (including the Steelcraft stuff)

Interesting, does the package or anything indicate that we knives provides a warranty? Particularly the US?
 
Interesting, does the package or anything indicate that we knives provides a warranty? Particularly the US?

I didn't like the sharpening on the first 601 I got so I sent it back to Vlad, their US distributor and he promptly replaced it. They have a dedicated US rep, so I don't think there will be a problem. Also, whoever runs WE Knives IG is very proficient in English and would likely be able to help.
 
I looked at the video, very interesting knife, I wonder , how good is the blade, how easy or hard is it to sharpen, the grind at the tip could be very difficult to keep sharp, and over daily use how "marked up " or scratched will that blade become.
 
This is very interesting. Historically Chinese craftsmen were at the top of the industry. In a way I'm glad to see them back. On the other hand as a retired 19D I worry about a potential enemy. Will i buy one or two, yep.
 
I like this one. :cool:

13098982_516180815254079_763336757_n_zpsejujpugf.jpg
 
Well, these certainly have my attention! Too bad for the "special" pivot screw, though...
 
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