Not talked about too much here,William Henry.

T

Todd21969

Joined
Apr 23, 2013
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So yesterday the better half dragged me off to a local Casino. While she was in a clothing shop (as usual) I noticed a William Henry display case in a higher end watch shop.

After finally getting a sales person to take me seriously ( try it in carpenter jeans, Carharrt t-shirt, Mossy Oak cap :( ) I got to fondle a few.

The one that really got my attention is the B-30 Saturn. Rather plain and utilitarian compared to the others but it is more my taste.

Anyone here own and carry one? Any user input?
 
I've collected and carried them for about 14 yrs now. nuff said..............too pricey for most folks on these forums imo...............
 
I've been carrying them for a number of years also. Their EDC models aren't too terribly expensive. Mike
 
I honestly think they will come back in favor. Everything seems to come and go in popularity. Right now we are neck deep in tactical folders and thin dressy knives are a out. I have to give W.H. Credit as they havent reduced themselves to g10 and acid washes blades. Im not saying those are bad things as i prefer both. Im just saying they havent made an effort to reinvent themselves to stay relevant as times change. They stuck true to themselves which i respect. They very well could have pulled a metallica and sold out every time they sense a market shift.
 
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PURPLEDC said:
I honestly think they will come back in favor. Everything seems to come and go in popularity. Right now we are neck deep in tacticle folders and thin dressy knives are a out. I have to give W.H. Credit as they havent reduced themselves to g10 and acid washes blades. Im not saying those are bad things as i prefer both. Im just saying they havent made an effort to reinvent themselves to stay relevant as times change. They stuck true to themselves which i respect. They very well could have pulled a metallica and sold out every time they sense a market shift.
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Couldn't have said it better myself. Perfect example at the end also.
 
PURPLEDC said:
They very well could have pulled a metallica and sold out every time they sense a market shift.
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lol..... More of a Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Ozzy guy myself.

The knife itself was very well made. Button lock is neat ( don't have one). Price doesn't bother me, after all it is about equal to a large Seb and I am bored with Ti framelocks.Also I am a Spyderco guy but don't own a knife with ZDP-189.

Just wondering if any other members actually carry and use theirs. And if any problems develop over time.
 
Todd21969 said:
lol..... More of a Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Ozzy guy myself.

The knife itself was very well made. Button lock is neat ( don't have one). Price doesn't bother me, after all it is about equal to a large Seb and I am bored with Ti framelocks.Also I am a Spyderco guy but don't own a knife with ZDP-189.

Just wondering if any other members actually carry and use theirs. And if any problems develop over time.
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Entry price on the edc like is on par with those. But they go up drastically.

The only lock type I've ever had wear out over time was a button lock (auto). I wouldn't trust a button lock to harder uses. That said, WH is not a hard use knife. It would excel at the market its intended for though. I do want to add one to my collection, just haven't found the right one. Used? Think same market as mnandi.

As far as music, I am with you. Old Metallica also. You can't deny they did sell out to a more modern, money making style. Lars said himself: "sellout? Yeah, we sell out arenas, stadiums and every other venue we play". True but their sound isn't the same.
 
I bought a William Henry Spearpoint liner lock in redwood burl back around the early 2000 time frame. Picked it up at BLADE with the intent it would be my fancy church/suit pocketknife. Think I paid around $275 for it, including the little leather pocket sheath. Think I carried it once or twice, maybe cut a piece of paper to check the edge. Pretty much has sat in storage since. It's a nice knife just never really bonded with it. Probably should sell it someday.

I've handled some of the newer ones. Very nice, with cool embellishments, but way out of my price range for jewelry that happens to cut stuff. Definitely fills a niche in the knife world.
 
Todd21969 said:
lol..... More of a Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Ozzy guy myself.

The knife itself was very well made. Button lock is neat ( don't have one). Price doesn't bother me, after all it is about equal to a large Seb and I am bored with Ti framelocks.Also I am a Spyderco guy but don't own a knife with ZDP-189.

Just wondering if any other members actually carry and use theirs. And if any problems develop over time.
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That is a tough call. I know people have carried and used them. I have heard sporadic issues with minor fit and finish but nothing alarming. But most of them that have been used and carried arent often used hard and put away wet. To me they are gentleman's knife. If you use it with that in mind I doubt any issue will be had. And they seem to have a good warranty.
 
The price point is quite a bit on the steep side for me and the styling is a bit foppish even for me.
 
rodblder said:
I've collected and carried them for about 14 yrs now. nuff said..............too pricey for most folks on these forums imo...............
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Price is a part of it, but it's more to do with value, style, and practicality. There's manufacturers like Rockstead, Shirogorov and Direware, and plenty of midtech and semi-custom knives -- Todd Begg, Kirby Lambert, Anthony Marfione -- that are just as expensive or more expensive, and still very popular. There's quite a few people on Bladeforums who rarely spend less than 1200$ on their knives. I know of one BF member in particular who has a very nice William Henry -- apparently it was a gift -- that served as his gateway to a crazy (in a good way) collection, in which the WH is probably the least impressive knife, kept for sentimental reasons.

They make some beautiful little knives. They also have a line of less expensive models (<400$) that I've heard a couple people speak highly of. For me, they're too small, and I can get knives I like far more for the same price. Some are very nice and stylish, while others cross the line, looking gaudy and overstated. It's like they're designed to scream out -- "Look at me! I'm shiny and expensive! The guy who owns me has money!" There's classier ways to get the point across, if you feel you must. I've heard of issues relating to quality control (usually blade-play and centering), that may or may not be fair; every maker has a couple reports like that in its history. But given the fact that most of the higher-end WH's are probably amongst the most lightly used knives on the market, they've got less reason for showing a bit of wear.

This is an example of why many stay away -- it's jewelry with a blade (not that there's anything wrong with that ;)). 1700$
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This one's very nice, with the Aztec engravings -- it's also full of 24K gold and selling for 3000$. Again, Jewelry.
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I love Mokume, and William Henry do a great job on their Mokume knives. This one's down right cheap (in comparison), avail. now for 689$.
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Never used or owned one but I'll put in my unsolicited 2 cents. What makes crk and marfione's knives great, for example, are they are great designs, great engineering; great micro-architecture involving a couple slabs of steel and a sharpened piece in between. In terms of my preference, however, WH is good but not great. The adage, "You can put make-up on a pig but it is still a pig" I think applies. Because WH seem to be such good knives the adage applies only very slightly. Great designs are timeless. The gaudy glitzy stuff is as fleeting as a breeze... But to be sure, I sure do enjoy a good breeze...
 
Some of those designs give me epilepsy and Ive been playing videogames since I can remember.
 
William Henry Spearpoint ‘Independence’

b12-indipendence-2.jpg

b12-indipendence-3.jpg


William Henry Spearpoint ‘Independence’ features a mesmerizing stainless steel frame, hand-engraved in Italy by the master artisans of Bottega Incisioni. The beautiful hand-forged blade is heat-blued carbon 'Flag' damascus steel; the one-hand button lock and the thumb stud are set with rubies.

A remarkable design that gives you an instrument with a full-size secure grip, and a versatile deep-belly blade, the Spearpoint epitomizes William Henry’s core philosophy – that superlative function deserves to be elevated to superlative art.

The ‘Independence’ features hand-forged metals, and hundreds of hours of microscopic hand-engraving which are the hallmark of William Henry's most exclusive creations; a timeless heirloom to be proudly worn and used for a lifetime before being handed-down to another generation.


william-henry-b12-atlas-spearpoint-folding-knife-8.jpg


I have the B12 Atlas and it's a great EDC. 3" super-sharp blade of ZDP-189 laminate and weighs just over 2 ounces. I use mine quite a bit so managed to get a backup.
 
Jurgs18 said:
Never used or owned one but I'll put in my unsolicited 2 cents. What makes crk and marfione's knives great, for example, are they are great designs, great engineering; great micro-architecture involving a couple slabs of steel and a sharpened piece in between. In terms of my preference, however, WH is good but not great. The adage, "You can put make-up on a pig but it is still a pig" I think applies. Because WH seem to be such good knives the adage applies only very slightly. Great designs are timeless. The gaudy glitzy stuff is as fleeting as a breeze... But to be sure, I sure do enjoy a good breeze...
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Good post :thumbup:

I'm a big 'less is more' kind of guy, so it's no surprise that I find many William Henry designs give me vertigo. IMO, they often cram so many nice design features into a single piece that the detail is lost. Too many ingredients can spoil a meal, too many notes will transform music into noise. YMMV.

However, William Henry does turn out some more simplified designs from time to time. These are the ones that appeal to me personally. I found a B-12 Atlas for around $450 and was willing to bite the bullet. Good lookin' knife, well-built, top notch materials, excellent performance. It's the only WH knife I've ever handled, so I'm hardly in a position to comment on their typical quality, but I feel I paid a fair price for what I got. No regrets. My Atlas is a keeper. It's also a user and hasn't let me down in the slightest.

atlas02_zpsswb2q2cl.jpg


I don't think William Henry will ever win any awards in the 'value-for-dollar' category... not with manufacturers like Klotzli, Mcusta, CRK, Moki, et al, offering as good or better build quality for the same price or less. IMO, WH is luxury class all the way, and they've never pretended to be anything else. It's what makes them unique as a cutler. But value disclaimer aside, how much would it cost to have an expert jeweler to pimp/bedazzle, say, a Kershaw Blur or a Buck 110 to the same level as a William Henry? By way of comparison, that would be putting lipstick on a pig, imo. ;):D

Anyway, that's my rambling... :)

-Brett
 
timberweasel said:
Good post :thumbup:

I'm a big 'less is more' kind of guy, so it's no surprise that I find many William Henry designs give me vertigo. IMO, they often cram so many nice design features into a single piece that the detail is lost. Too many ingredients can spoil a meal, too many notes will transform music into noise. YMMV.

However, William Henry does turn out some more simplified designs from time to time. These are the ones that appeal to me personally. I found a B-12 Atlas for around $450 and was willing to bite the bullet. Good lookin' knife, well-built, top notch materials, excellent performance. It's the only WH knife I've ever handled, so I'm hardly in a position to comment on their typical quality, but I feel I paid a fair price for what I got. No regrets. My Atlas is a keeper. It's also a user and hasn't let me down in the slightest.

atlas02_zpsswb2q2cl.jpg


I don't think William Henry will ever win any awards in the 'value-for-dollar' category... not with manufacturers like Klotzli, Mcusta, CRK, Moki, et al, offering as good or better build quality for the same price or less. IMO, WH is luxury class all the way, and they've never pretended to be anything else. It's what makes them unique as a cutler. But value disclaimer aside, how much would it cost to have an expert jeweler to pimp/bedazzle, say, a Kershaw Blur or a Buck 110 to the same level as a William Henry? By way of comparison, that would be putting lipstick on a pig, imo. ;):D

Anyway, that's my rambling... :)

-Brett
Click to expand...

The Atlas is very nice. The simplicity of it appeals to me. Unpretentious. Little distraction from the fact that it is a cutting tool.

....YMMV... I like that, very kind true words...
 
William Henry's often borderline the term "Art Knife"; something that isn't discussed around here often. That said, WH fills a large void in the market for reasonably priced art knives that not only look nice, but are well-crafted too.

Me? I love art knives, and often times I see customs selling for $10,000+. A WH with gold inlays, mosaic damascus, engravings, etc for $5,000 and under is pretty reasonable if you consider the going prices for many custom art knives.

From what I've heard, their standard models tend to be very well-made also.
 
I did have several...sold one and gifted the other...looks like that B12 Atlas...to one of my sons. It was not very expensive...maybe $400 or so on sale at a jewelry store that was moving locations...
It was a ZDP blade and sharp as all get-out...
 
I have two, one liner lock and one button lock. Great knives. My Tracker is as well built and as much a classic design as a sebenza...yes I own a sebenza :) I use both hard, in the kitchen as well, they get put up "wet". No problem ever. My ZDP blade is simply amazing, hand honed at the factory and holds an edge better than any steel I have used.

My are not fancy, but if I had the money...

Well built button locks are very good designs. That is one of the reasons they are used in military stock switchblades.
 
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