Review Request: William Henry Spectrum

H

hybr1d

Joined
Oct 27, 2000
Messages
270
Hey everyone, I've been getting back into knives again and the William Henry Spectrum caught my eye, especially with the rayskin inlay :D .

Even though William Henry is known for its quality, I was wondering if anyone who has actually handled it can give their opinion or feedback on the knife? (e.g. worth the price? comparative to such and such knife?)

Thanks in advance!
 
i used to be a wh fan till i acually owned one...as i do with all my new knives i give them their initial cleaning as soon as i get it. well as i went to clean the liner lock it was loaded with metal shaving, so i took a business card and kept running it down between lock and the liner and it kept coming up with material, so i went to take it back but the store i bought it at wouldnt take it back because of their no refunds policy. so i called wh and a little old lady answered the phone and had no idea what i was talking about but wanted me to send it in for a looksee.....well to make a long story short i just was tired of dealing with it so i sold it...now i found the chris reeve sebenza and im happy as a clam...you just cant go wrong with a sebenza they come thru 100% perfect. If you do buy a wh look it over in bright light for a few min before you buy it.
 
EiNLaNZeR - while Dr. Sharp appears to be the exception, most forumites, including myself have had only positive experiences with WH knives.

The Spectrum model is discontinued, probably because the locking system "MATTLOCK" while somewhat innovative, really wasn't that great, IMO.

I had a couple of the Icon series (same as the Spectrum by with a titanium frame rather than aluminum) knives, but did not find the lock to be very easy to operate. Also, since they have no clip, and they are pretty long knives, you really need to use their clip cases. YMMV, but I have never found the clip cases to be ideal for me, as the leather is too hard and the fit is very tight - the case often draws off my pocket along with the knife.

You might consider the newer Westcliff or Quest models - shorter blades, but the buttonlock design is superior to the MATTLOCK.

If you decide on a Spectrum, look on Ebay, they were showing up there with great frequency at very inexpensive prices.
 
I've had a Spectrum (with pearl inlays) since I picked it up from Nordic Knive's table at last November's NYCKS. I got it new for a really good price. (Too good to pass up :rolleyes: )

Firstly, it's not a liner lock--but rather a thumb-stud-operated lockback. Some have not liked the Mattlock, as Architect stated, but it is solid and reliable, as far as I can tell.

The overall QC and fit, finish, etc. is outstanding and up the William Henry standards in every respect.

Mine has only seen some light use so I can't vouch for edge-holding ability.

If you can find one for a good price, I'd go for it. If not, Architect had some other excellent suggestions.

Good luck. :)
 
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