I Was Wrong About WE Knives

[Lee D]

you can trash the many skilled us knife makers if you wish.

Where in this thread is this happening?

 

[allenC]

I don’t think you’re following the tone of the thread... we aren’t buying WE for the price.

I dispute this claim.

If an American knife maker made a knife identical to a WE knife, but the American one costs 400.00 dollars, while the WE costs 200.00 dollars, which one would you buy?
Remember, they are both identical other than the price...would you pay double for the American made knife?

If you still choose the WE knife, then YES, you are buying because of price.

 

[Monofletch]

I am not buying for “price”- I like the quality and craftsmanship I get with a WE product. I have owned probably 30 new WE Knives (including Civivi) and every one has be absolutely perfect out of the box.
I am not badmouthing any US makers. I own several American made Spydercos and Benchmades.... even a Victorinox or two.

 

[slyraven]

Xenophobic trolls were bound to come out from under the bridge. There's nothing you can say to them to convince them that people != government, that includes China. I've tried.

Fact of the matter is that Reate, WE and other Chinese knife makers have shifted the landscape and have had a tremendous impact on the industry and hobby, for the better. At the bare minimum, they've lit a fire under the US manufacturers to improve quality and lower prices.

xenophobic? typical logical fallacy.

the op asked for similar quality knives at the same price point. i explained why that is not a fair comparison and a difficult thing to do.

i NEVER questioned the quality of the product nor that its bad to buy them.

 

[Makael]

No WE for ME. Never have and never will support communism.

 

[soc_monki]

Also, I have to say I have 2 Civivis (Baklash and Plethiros) and they are exceptional and very reasonably priced. I'm thinking of offloading the plethiros though, only because where my index finger sits is a hot spot and I don't use or carry it because of that. The Baklash is staying though, it's an awesome knife, with great ergos, good blade steel, and an awesome, very thin hollow grind. It's made to cut things and the 9cr18mov is a great steel. I wish civivi would use 9cr more, and other companies would drop 8cr in favor of 9cr and Civivis heat treat.

I honestly want to buy more civivis (like the incite... Man that's a handsome blade!) or the rustic gent (if they made one buck 110 size!) but the political thing is keeping me from it unfortunately.

 

[Hackenslash]

Happy weekend, all!

For the longest time, I always got annoyed when people talked about WE Knives. I mean, who would spend over a hundred bucks on a Chinese product? I saw a sale over at BHQ and pulled the trigger (with the encouragement of some alcohol to be totally honest) on a WE 617.

I feel like this knife is the highest quality knife I own, and definitely not the most expensive. I love the contoured G10 handles and titanium hardware. Disclaimer for south paws- this knife is tip up only, right hand only carry so I can see where that would be an issue for some. If you're a tip down carrier, you may not be right in the head but that's my opinion! Other than that, talk about a smooth action, those ceramic ball bearings are like butter.

My only real cons is that I don't love the blade shape, that "harpoon" shape is a bit tacticool/mall ninja for me personally and the liner lock is a bit thin for such a meaty knife so I wouldn't call this hard use.

Politics aside, I love this knife and wish there were Stateside manufacturers making this quality in this price range- any suggestions that I'm not aware of are welcome because I'd rather keep my cash close to home!

That's all
Jason

I’ve enjoyed many WE knives, although I haven’t bought many of their latest designs.

You might also check out CIVIVI, which is WE’s budget line.

WE got off to a rough start with many knife enthusiasts. The proprietary hardware was a no-starter for many, although I was OK with it as they gave you a tool.

Many of their early designs had overly thick bladestock; they didn’t perform the basic knife task of cutting well. Newer designs have reversed that trend. Reate still struggles with this.

The value WE brings is still decent, although as their prices have gone up, they’re more in the range of a domestic mid-tech. TRM, FF, Protech can offer similar quality at a competitive price while keeping your knife dollars in the USA. There are viable options if that’s your preference.

One of the best thing about WE are the number of knives they’ve brought to market, not only under their label but through collaboration with western designers and manufacturers. It’s really hard to slam WE from the “China knifes bad!” standpoint when you consider this fact.

The revenue that WE (and other makers like WE) generate for small shops and burgeoning designers is significant. With them out of the picture it might actually hurt diversity in the domestic knife industry.

Anyway, the Asian OEM knife market probably isn’t going away and WE is one of the best of this new group of knife producers.

 

[Monofletch]

I’ve enjoyed many WE knives, although I haven’t bought many of their latest designs.

You might also check out CIVIVI, which is WE’s budget line.

WE got off to a rough start with many knife enthusiasts. The proprietary hardware was a no-starter for many, although I was OK with it as they gave you a tool.

Many of their early designs had overly thick bladestock; they didn’t perform the basic knife task of cutting well. Newer designs have reversed that trend. Reate still struggles with this.

The value WE brings is still decent, although as their prices have gone up, they’re more in the range of a domestic mid-tech. TRM, FF, Protech can offer similar quality at a competitive price while keeping your knife dollars in the USA. There are viable options if that’s your preference.

One of the best thing about WE are the number of knives they’ve brought to market, not only under their label but through collaboration with western designers and manufacturers. It’s really hard to slam WE from the “China knifes bad!” standpoint when you consider this fact.

The revenue that WE (and other makers like WE) generate for small shops and burgeoning designers is significant. With them out of the picture it might actually hurt diversity in the domestic knife industry.

Anyway, the Asian OEM knife market probably isn’t going away and WE is one of the best of this new group of knife producers.

Great post.

 

[King of the Cheese]

the op clearly said he would like USA recommended knives with the same price range and quality.

if he was praising WE knives like many others I would have merely agreed abd moved on.

there isnt anything wrong about his question but i wanted to inform him of why that is not possible for the most part

you can trash the many skilled us knife makers if you wish. thats your prerogative and i wont touch upon that

You’re being inflammatory. I’m not trashing US makers, I own plenty of US knives... stating that there is something to LEARN from WE’s operating model doesn’t mean I’m “anti American”. I’m tired of having to return knives to bladehq and knifecenter because they’re missing a washer, screw, or suffering serious lockstick. WE doesn’t have that problem. So yes, I prefer to get the knife I paid for, in a condition that is ready to use.

 

[King of the Cheese]

3rd hand info is not accepted in US courts for a very good reason.

I heard it from a friend, who heard it from a friend, who heard it from a friend....is not evidence or proof.

Okay, well we all are going off of what we know. Many of us cannot afford to travel the world touring factories and interviewing CEOs as to their labor practices. So maybe we can stick to what we know, and avoid demands to prove negatives... I.e. broadbrush statements about WE using slave labor that you haven’t proved.

 

[GIRLYmann]

never bought these "premium" oriental brands.
probably won't unless the prices are adjusted
to realistic levels which allow for equal buying opportunity
to all improvished knife loving workers of the world.
also, do not be brainwahed into thinking that
premium brands is what you need.
it's exceedingly diabolical to see products that
makes a free man loose sense of financial priorities.
likewise, something terribly devious about things that appear
too good to be true, all out to exploit human
weaknesses through enticement.

 

[Blackf77t]

There are plenty of good US knife options over $100 - Chris Reeves, Zero Tolerance, Spyderco, etc. Unlike some products, it takes very little effort to tell the company and where it is produced. If you open to US products that are produced in another country, you can go down to $20. I can't see buying from a non US company.

Its also important to keep in mind, if you live in China you either wouldn't be able to read this thread or you and your family could be tortured or killed for doing so.

 

[KingMC]

This is a knife discussion subforum, stop discussing politics here. A knife’s country of manufacture is apolitical but as soon as you start discussing the country and it’s government/policies that make it political. We have a different sub forum for political discussion; stop doing it here.

 

[Monofletch]

never bought these "premium" oriental brands.
probably won't unless the prices are adjusted
to realistic levels which allow for equal buying opportunity
to all improvished knife loving workers of the world.
also, do not be brainwahed into thinking that
premium brands is what you need.
it's exceedingly diabolical to see products that
makes a free man loose sense of financial priorities.
likewise, something terribly devious about things that appear
too good to be true, all out to exploit human
weaknesses through enticement.

Off topic - supporting Bladeforums with a basic paid membership. Even a $10 BASIC membership makes a difference.

WE supports Bladeforums. They have a sub forum and WE is very active and quick to respond in threads.

 

[Thunderpants]

Writing this on my Chinese made keyboard at my Chinese made iMac, I have to admit for some reason I try to avoid Chinese made knives. The Spyderco Tenacious would probably be mine if it didn't have "CHINA" written in giant letters near the pivot.
In the 200 dollar/Euro range there are so many great Italian knives, made in Italy, that I haven't yet seen any reason to try the expensive Chinese brands. One thing I have noticed is Chinese manufacturers pump out billions of really ugly knives in the hope that someone likes one of them. For me the design is pretty much the deciding factor, so long as the blade isn't garbage. If I see a Chinese knife that makes me fall in love with it I'll buy it, but that'll probably only happen when Lionsteel's "Molletta" moves to China. And I don't think he's going any time soon.

 

[King of the Cheese]

I dispute this claim.

If an American knife maker made a knife identical to a WE knife, but the American one costs 400.00 dollars, while the WE costs 200.00 dollars, which one would you buy?
Remember, they are both identical other than the price...would you pay double for the American made knife?

If you still choose the WE knife, then YES, you are buying because of price.

And I dispute your insistence that the only reason I buy WE knives is the price. Know how I know? Because I’m the one buying the knife, for reasons I’ve outlined. Quality... design... fit and finish. You can’t broadbrush this all under “cost”. American companies don’t make the knives that WE makes, and as I've also stated here, WE isn’t making dirt cheap knives. $250 is a lot of money for a knife. We aren’t talking about $35 knives here.

 

[Quapukulu]

As long as a company properly credits/honors the intellectual property and design of the maker, their products should get a fair shot competing against any other legitimate company.

On the top of my head, companies like WE & Reate, have properly credited and produced many forum favorites like Begg Steelcraft, Laconico Keen, Boos, Ferrum Forge, Bull ShamWEri, Terzuola, Tashi Bharucha, Isham and by extension most items from Massdrop/Drop. Many of these designers/makers are American, and it makes me happy that I can contribute to the livelihood of my countrymen when I buy the above models. Everything is a contractor/subcontractor relationship. A Taichung Spyderco, designed in Golden, will still contribute to the Colorado economy. Likewise, WE making some knives for Mr. Laconico still puts money in American pockets. Having a production version meant that I wouldn't have to wait for a custom, and guaranteed that some of my money went to Mr. Laconico. I would gladly compare these products, in price and quality, with anything from Seki, Solingen, Golden, Maniago, Thiers, etc.

Using politics or past tragedies to exclude a specific country of origin is inconsistent at best. The Cold War went on for decades, yet we have threads dedicated to Shiros, Cheburkovs, CKF, Manly, etc. The U.S. and Japan fought in WWII, but we love our Rocksteads, Moki's, Seki Spyderco's, Al Mars, etc. South Africa has had history of racial segregation, but we can appreciate the work of Thorburn, Gareth Bull, Trevor Burger and many more.

I have only ever owned 2 WE knives and held a dozen, and decided that they don't fit my tastes. I am definitely a Spyderco or traditional man myself. There are also many distasteful companies (counterfeiters and companies who lie about manufacturing location), but I haven't seen evidence that companies like WE or Reate are amongst them. There should be no shame in giving them a chance whenever you need a nice knife.

 

[BJJKK]

The people != the government, true, but the Chinese government is communist and as a result pretty much owns all the businesses in China. So every dollar spent is a dollar going to a communist regime.

I'm not xenophobic, and I have nothing against the Chinese people at all, but their government needs to go away. Just my opinion.

This not true at all. I have client (I am a CPA) that has a manufacturing division in China. They pay a corporation tax to China. That is it. They also pay their workers a competitive wage even by USA standards.
The company also repatriate the profits every few years. That gets taxed by the USA on repatriation, not by China. So, in short you are wrong...

 

[BJJKK]

I know that China supposedly has allowed some businesses to privatize, but they still have to pay taxes, which I'm sure are high. Still goes to the government.

The tax rates are not similar to corporate tax rates in the USA

 

[bflying]

These WE's cost more than most ZT's, but fit/finish and actions, are absolutely spectacular. I can no longer afford to splurge on such niceties, so they will most likely stay in my possession as long as possible.

Even the private label WE made knives on my shelf have been pretty perfect.

And my only (so far) Civivi is pretty darn sweet too.

Now will admit that the baby kukri is more toy than knife to me. But makes a very cool letter opener.

And even though it was my cheapest WE Knife, presentation from the factory was just as spectacular.