CKF vs WE vs Reate...Who you got and why?

Hope you took no offense from my post......none whatsoever meant!
I was really surprised because the edges on the ones I bought new were actually excellent.
Very cool that you shrugged it off and just dealt with it!!
I just looked at some of WE's offerings at lower prices and they look very good.
How do you like it since you put your edge on it???
Thanks!
Joe

jbmonkey said:
not mine. wouldnt cut paper. seriously. easy fix though. since i can rebevel and sharpen.
Click to expand...
 
I have several Reates and tried several WEs.

Reate has really cool designs and good action overall. For the price, I do have some concerns about their quality control - I've gotten uneven grinds, stripped screws, etc. on various knives. It sucks on a $100+ Benchmade, but is borderline unacceptable on a $400+ Reate. I've been selling off most of my Reate-made knives, although the Future is incredible (despite the uneven grind mine has)

WEs overall are pretty cool - they have some nice collab designs and do great work with anodization. However, I hate their proprietary hardware. The tool they give isn't great - I don't know why they don't just make it compatible with standard hex drivers. Their screws also seem to strip easily. I've heard they're planning on moving away from custom hardware, and will hold off doing so until they do change - although I do have the WE/Ferrum collab on order from Massdrop.

Ultimately I think both have cool designs, but are charging too much given the level of quality they offer - especially since I'm sure their labor costs are considerably lower than, say, Benchmade or Zero Tolerance. Their prices are also pretty close to mid-techs, or even customs, from companies like Olamic, which have better QC and great customer service in case issues do come up.

I want to try a CKF but haven't had a chance to yet. Always too late when interesting models drop.
 
Both of my WE knives (716 & 705) came sharp from the factory. Not an issue for me if they came dull because all knives get reprofiled with my Wicked Edge sharpening system.

So far, WE knives have the best fit and finish of any knife I've ever purchased. These include Spyderco, Benchmade, GEC, CRK Sebenza 21, Olamic Wayfarer 247, Southern Grind and ZT.

The WE 617 is incredibly well made especially for the price. The tolerances of the machining on the 705 is impressive. The action and smoothness is as near perfection as I've found.
 
One of my 702's had a wonky edge but was still really sharp. But my other 702 and 708 came with perfect edges and screaming sharp. Then i bought a couple 704cf and he edges were straight but very dull. They also had assembly scratches where the carbon inlays scratched through the anodizing. But just like any conpany i hink hiccups happen and if you afe picky like me you gotta try a coupke sometimes before you find your goldie locks knife. And I find that happens with me with most brands.
 
jill jackson said:
I only bought one WE Knife to check out, a 702 and it's just as sharp as my ZTs , Reates, CKF and anything else. The bevels are outstanding. Strange you have two that both are poor.

2a8fehl.jpg
Click to expand...
This picture makes me want a 702, lol.
 
Hackenslash said:
This picture makes me want a 702, lol.
Click to expand...
It seems super solid to me, just like any integral handle imparts that feeling. It's a slim handle , but about an oz. more than the 0452 ZT. (Because of the solid handle) The ZT flips fine, but a lot more violently because the detent is strong and it breaks open slamming the blade out. The 702 flips super easy and smooth. The ZT has a more secure grip though, mainly because the handle is bigger and shaped a bit better for gripping.
 
I have flippers from all three: 11 made by Reate (including 3 of Todd Begg Steelcraft), 5 from CKF and 1 from WE (one plus if you can count the spinner).

Reate has the better quality but CKF and WE are not far behind.

Reate and CKF have better flipper action.

WE is the value leader.

None of them have made a 3" blade flipper that speaks to me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mo2
Hackenslash said:
I've got a fairly wide spectrum of knives from all three manufacturers:

CKF:
MORRF 1,Gratch

Reate:
Hills, District 9 (the original version with District 9 branding), Horizon A, Horizon B, Horizon CF, Wave, Valkyrie 1, Mini Bodega, Kwaiken, Remedy, Warrior 1

WE Knife:
601, 604, 605, 606, 615, 616, 704

In terms of overall quality I'd put CKF and Reate ahead of WE by just a little nudge. Every CKF and Reate I own are great flippers whereas I've had a little variability in the WEs in terms of flipping. My 605 has almost a too strong detent and my 704 is a little weak. Nothing to the point of a Hinderer, but these two WEs can be a little technique dependent while the CKF and Reate flip great using any kind of approach. All three brands have great fit and finish with top notch materials. The "katana" style complex tip that WE uses on a bunch of their blades is a beauty.

I like the limited run nature of CKF. If you see something you like, better grab it because once they're gone, they're gone. Lately, many of their designs haven't appealed to me and (IMO) they no longer represent a very good value. That's probably why the two knives I have are older models. I think the MORRF 1 might be the best flipper I own. I really love that little knife! I've never had to use service or support, but its my impression that it's basically non-existent for CKF in any convenient form.

Reates are a beautiful, precision made knife. Reate tolerances might rival a Chris Reeve. IF you can still find a Hills in the $170 range, it's one of the best values in the knife world. Like CKF, I haven't been in love with most of the newer designs by Reate. The Future and the K series strike me as a little bit like art knives with all the Timascus and Mokuti. Ever since the Horizon D (Ti and CF), Reate hasn't been a very good value either. Reate was one of the first to co-op with known designers and I think this really cemented them as a member of the knife enthusiast community. David Deng does a great job taking care of his customers, but Reate unfortunately doesn't offer convenient support or warranty service. I think everyone should own at least one Reate as part of their collection.

WE Knife is, comparatively, the new kid on the block. What they've put out in the relatively short span of WE as a knife entity is amazing. They seem willing to take more risks and offer some color combinations that frankly can be a little off-putting to some people. They continue to use proprietary hardware, but each knife comes with a tool to deal with it. I'm not crazy, happy about the "star" fastener, but I can live with it since they provide a tool free of charge. Also, that stylized hardware is part of the design of their knives so that justifies it a bit. Right now, WE Knife is the best value of the bunch and as more vendors pick them up many prices have inched down. They don't enforce MAP (as far as I know), so you can get some smoking deals on some excellent knives if you look around. If you're on the fence about a WE, I can say without reservations to jump on in!

Maxace, Stedemon, Kizer and some of the others are all a notch down in quality and performance, but still great knives!

If you were looking to rank these three in relation to some common brands, I'd put them into three tiers:
Tier 1: CKF, Reate, Rike
Tier 2: WE, ZT, Taichung Spyderco
Tier 3: Maxace, Stedemon, Kizer, Benchmade, US Spyderco

For some models I might even pull Benchmade out of Tier 3 and dump it into a Tier 4...

Anyway, sorry to be so long. I think about knives way toooooo much, lol.
Click to expand...


No, that was awesome. I learned alot there.
Thanks for the post !
 
I agree with what the majority here have said. I enjoy my CKF, reate and WE made knives. rike is another good one to look at also. maxace is new to me. not sold on all the ugly designs and the prices for them are retarded high, I don't see buying one over the others mentioned here.

I'd go (very close gap between all of these)
Reate #1
CKF #2
WE #3
Rike #4
ZT #5 (and I love and own many ZT's)

benchmade, keizer, steadmond etc dont even register on this list. to many issues for me. I don't compare spyderco to these because I feel they are much more different knives (tho one of my favorite brands).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top