BladeReviews

WE Knife Co. (or “WE Knives”) is a relatively new manufacturer from China. Technically that isn’t true as, they produced OEM knives for other brands for years, but WE Knives has recently garnered attention from knife collectors under their own brand. This is thanks to a combination of precision machining, high end materials, and a …

It has taken me a long time to “get” full size multi-tools. I don’t think I am alone with this. They sound great in theory, but they are so big and bulky that for the average person they are more trouble to EDC than they are worth. Sure they come with belt sheathes, but lets …

My Leatherman Micra review sparked some pretty excellent responses in the comments section. Great points were made about how much utility is packed into some of Leatherman’s smallest offerings, and how it’s sometimes more acceptable to whip out a multi-tool than a pocket knife. Knives will always be my first love (and main focal point …

Shopping on Amazon for knives is a dangerous endeavor. Not only can you find a nearly endless variety of blades, but your account also has a nasty habit of learning your interests. You might not notice it at first. A simple suggestion, “I noticed you like Spyderco. Have you heard of Benchmade?” and suddenly your …

When I was just starting out with collecting knives I was not super keen on spending money on knife maintenance stuff. I was into sharpeners and knife sharpening, but could never justify more than my Sharpmaker. This may have been a blessing in disguise as I can maintain my edges just fine with this setup, …

I have lusted after the Pohl Force Mike One for years. I wanted one ever since Andrew acquired and reviewed his in 2013. For the uninitiated, Pohl Force is a tactical knife company owned by Dietmar Pohl, a long time knife collector, knife designer, knife enthusiast, and author of books on knives. I have met …

Few of us have the money to shell out hundreds of dollars for every knife we think we might like. We have to cull the herd. Maybe we splash out for a promising ‘Maybe’ every once in a while, but 80% of the time we go for the sure thing. Most of the knives I …

It has been a while since I have visited Kershaw’s value offerings. The Injection 3.0, the Emerson Collabs, and the Strobe (reviewed by Grayson), are nice knives for the money, but I think each model left the reviewer asking for a little more. Admittedly, these knives are all in the $20-30 range. It’s hard to …

I was excited when Cold Steel announced the Pro-Lite. I like good knives, and I like cheap knives, and the Pro-Lite looked like it might check both boxes. And while there’s definitely a lot to say about Cold Steel’s behavior in the last few years, it’s nice to see a genuinely interesting budget knife from …

No history of the folding pocket knife is complete without the Buck 110 Folding Hunter. It is arguably the first modern folder, in ethos if not in design. “Buck knife” is now a catch-all term for a certain style of blade, and the 110 is responsible for that. More than other knife besides the Swiss …

Anyone who knows me knows I am passionate about keeping my blades sharp. I am constantly looking for the best tools and techniques for putting a killer edge on a piece of steel and maintaining that edge. I have used several different sharpening systems from table stones and rods to guided-angle sharpeners. The one type …

It’s no secret that I think the creative team at Benchmade has been adrift for the past few years. This is perhaps best evidenced by the fact that the company’s most exciting new offerings are actually re-issues of old models: the 940-1 and 551-1. These rockstar designs are interspersed among more puzzling offerings like the …

It’s a question I (and others) have been asking a lot lately: Where is the middle? The Budget Knife has had its day: the Tenacious, the Cryo, the Skyline, the RAT-1, the Drifter; value was the byword of the industry, and knifemakers were showing some serious creativity and finesse working under the restrictive parameters of …

I have a bit of a love affair going on with slipjoint knives. Part of the reason for that is – if I may be frank – that the framelock flipper is a pretty stale form right now. Don’t get me wrong, many blades of that stripe are beautiful, functional, and deserving of praise, but …