Review WE Minitor 801C

Gary W. Graley

Gary W. Graley

“Imagination is more important than knowledge"
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Mar 2, 1999
Messages
26,334
Welcome to my latest and maybe final folder purchase :) ok you can laugh, I know, but, this is very close....

It is the WE Minitor 801 model, mine is the Titanium coloured scales with carbon fiber textured inserts and M390 dual tone black stone wash blade.

Blade is approximately 3 3/8" long and an overall length of approximately 7 7/8"
Blade thickness is 3.9mm and the behind the edge thickness is about .017" so she cuts very well ! The grind is a well done flat grind, if you pinch the blade and slide your fingers down from the spine to the edge, it almost feels like zero bevel, it's ground just that good.
Also the blade spine is uniquely radius'd and is also black, adding yet one more nice angle to view this lovely blade ;)

801_overall_size by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

While closed the knife is approximately 1.35" at it's widest point, and the reach from the spine to the guard area is approximately .888"
Handle thickness is approximately .57" thick and if you include the clip it measures at .68".

801_closed_size by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

The blade rides on ceramic bearings and mine flips open very quickly and locks up solid. The lockbar has a steel insert that also doubles as an overtravel limit as well, nice touch. Also WE did a good job on texturing the bevel of the lockbar release area, makes it more secure to release the lock with that done.

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr


The lanyard hole is generous so you could slip in some premade lanyards if you didn't want to make your own, I like that they kept the lanyard hole below the thickness of the handle so that the lanyard doesn't increase the thickness of the handle.

Hardware on this is Torx which I am sure will please most everyone, getting away from the custom star fittings used on their other models.

I do not have a scale to weigh this but BladeHQ, where I picked this up, records it's weight at 4.57 oz.

A VERY nice knife and I highly recommend it, I chose this particular version so that if, heaven forbids, the scales get scratched, the Ti would heal itself and not be as apparent at first glance, where the bronze or blue one would show that scratch forever. Which has me thinking of getting a Safe Queen of the bronze one...but they are not inexpensive, but for what you are getting, I think it is priced about right.

Here are a few more images;

IMG_7103 by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

IMG_7104 by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

IMG_7105 by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

The carbon fiber is nicely textured!

IMG_7111 by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

IMG_4847 by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

If you have the opportunity to get to BladeHQ I would recommend stopping by and checking one of these out!

G2
 
Last edited:
Nice quick overview, G2. Your pics are great!

I find the textured CF inlays VERY appealing. I hope you post back with a long term follow up. I’m curious to see how the blade coating looks after use. Something tells me this is a knife that will look AMAZING covered with wear marks and “hard use patina.”
 
Thanks, I think it should hold up pretty well, depending of course the material I push it through, so far just a few boxes is the extent, which it did great of course. I almost got the plainer looking blade, but, that dual tone is just too hard to pass up !
G2
 
Wow...you just put this knife on my radar! I have a bunch of WEs and while I don't love them, I like them. This model looks like they've raised the bar. Thanks as always for your awesome pictures and observations!
 
Of course, leave it to me to not take a close up of the before, but, you can see how the sharp point of the start of the edge is on the photos above, being that pointed it catches on material too easily and can actually cause harm depending on the situation, one of the reasons I prefer no open space like that, just edge all the way to the guard. But by taking my sharpening stones I radius'd the sharp point down so now when material falls down into that area, it rides up and onto the blades edge, less hanging/catching now. I remember a VERY long time ago, I visited a custom knife maker up in Cortland NY by the name of Tom Cute, he said I could stop by and visit and I brought a few knives I had made for him to look over. First thing he asked about was the sharpening notch...why did I do that? I shrugged and said dunno, just thought it was suppose to be there. He said, don't do that, and proceeded to explain the reasons for not having that catch there and it made sense to me and has stuck all the years. I am guessing he must have passed away by now, as he was old when I met him, but I am a very bad judge of age.
Dave Ferry aka horsewright on the forums, told me once that the reason he started doing more of a ramp up on his edges was a cowboy was almost pulled into danger when his knife hung up on a rope he was trying to cut in an emergency. So with all that preamble here is how this knife now looks after I radius'd the starting area and a small video of the knife cutting through some strong workshop paper towels, trying to get it to hang up but the material now rides up onto the blade and down the edge.

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr


G2
 
Great review Gary, iv'e been waiting on this release for what seems like forever ( since Skelton reviewed it ) month's and month's ago.

The knife ticks ALL the boxes for me EXCEPT price. I was just disappointed to see an almost 300.00 price tag, I guess I'll just wait to see if it comes down in price like some other We models have in the past.

Something under 250.00 and I'd be all over it, too many other options for less money. Glad you like the knife.

PS. glad they did away with the multi-grind on the prototype!
 
Last edited:
I agree that it is a lot of money but got one while I could and the extra spent now feels worth the price, if they drop the price I would look hard at a bronze one :)
G2
 
Was looking to see what the definition of Minitor was, didn't find a lot but this tidbit;

Latin definition for: minitor, minitari, minitatus

minitor, minitari, minitatus

verb
  • conjugation: 1st conjugation
  • voice: deponent
Definitions:
  1. constitute a danger/threat
  2. hold out as a threat
  3. threaten (to), use threats
G2
 
Gary thanks for not only tutoring us on the finer points of a knife, but also on meanings for words. I had wondered if minitor was a bad spelling mistake for a minotaur.
I like your explanation about the notch and the sharp edge. Like how you have reprofiled it.
I am also liking the bronze colour titanium.
I am with sechip on .$250 being a good pricepoint .
Excellent review and pictures.
 
You are welcome Raj, for now the urge to get a second one has waned a bit;)
G2
 
Almost a month since getting this and it is still in favour, that's a great sign, for me at least as I go through knives so quickly but this one has all the ear marks of being the knife I've searched for such a long time. I had the Steel Will Tenet as a secondary carry for those jobs I didn't want to press this into, but have since shipped that to a friend and now carry this one as my main EDC.
While I may get another folder, a smaller folder with a thin edge, I still feel this one is my right front pocket one for the foreseeable future.

G2
 
Strange you say that, as I was staring at a bronze version just tonight and if I had the funds, it might have been on it's way, but, one really is enough, really...I'm pretty sure ;)

I think you will be very pleased with it !
G2
 
Pleased I am, was expecting Reate type quality and I believe it certainly is up to snuff. Great detent and action.

T83plulh.jpg
 
Last edited:
not wen, but now ;) looks good, glad it was to your liking too, I like that they ground the blade down as thin as they did also.

G2
 
Well, after some thoughtful moments and emails from a friend, I decided that I was right, this very well may be THE knife, for the time being, she's back in pocket :)
G2
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top