William Henry Knives (High End): Worth It?

Well, I have handled several of the William Henry knives i was interested in and purchased one of the less expensive ones. For me, some of the knives are really quite beautiful and very well put together. Unique, actually. WH is quite smart and they do indicate which makers did what for each knife; who did the frame, who did the damascus blade, who did the bolsters etc., which to me is important. Very important, actually, to know who did what.
In my subjective opinion the knives i saw in fact were worth the money in terms of artistry, materials and workmanship and probably also market value and future market value ( the latter two mostly a guess on my part because I'm no expert ); but they were simply out of my price range, or at least my comfort level. Although that sounds like a contradiction, it isn't. I know Ferraris are worth the money for some people and probably hold value in the market, but not for me and my budget, for example.
Beautiful knives to be sure. But i got a smaller one as a nice gent's folder that i can carry around that won't shock the citizenry or the constabulary too much. I select which knife to carry based on where I'll be and this one will pass almost anywhere.
Anyway, I thought I'd follow up to let you know what my subjective conclusion was to my question.
 
In my opinion they are some of finest knives made. If i didnt just spend 1600$ on a custom Randy Doucette, a WH would have been it.
 
Are the higher end knives worth it TO ME? No. I am a big WH fan from way back. I've owned many of their knives, and yes, their craftmanship and quality is second to none. However, in the last few years, their high end knives have really become inflated (IMO again). They have gotten into the habit of slapping lots of ornate "stuff" on the knives and charging a lot of money. In many cases, I feel that the "stuff" doesn't really add to the knife and actually detracts. I do not buy the $1000+ WHs anymore. But, the sub-$1000 knives are still "worth it" for me to buy them. My opinion, YMMV.

- Mark
 
HJK said:
For me, some of the knives are really quite beautiful and very well put together.

In my subjective opinion the knives i saw in fact were worth the money in terms of artistry, materials and workmanship and probably also market value and future market value ( the latter two mostly a guess on my part because I'm no expert )

Anyway, I thought I'd follow up to let you know what my subjective conclusion was to my question.
Click to expand...

Sure sounds subjective to me. And, yes, I get it.:)
 
Never considered knives an investment. But in 2001 I bought 2 William Henry's. One was a limited run of 100. This knife was one of their very first limited runs, and was featured in Playboy. Sterling Silver handle slabs, Raindrop Damascus Blade from Mike Norris, titanium Liners and Sapphire Thumb stud. I paid $600.00 back then when it was new and recently saw one just like it on a well known dealers website being resold for $1450.00. I wish my investments did that well. LOL.....:D

Here is a picture of the knife with a ladder damascus pattern. Don't know how many of each
were made, just that they made 100 total. Saved me the trouble of getting mine out of the safe. :cool:
WH-T10-011-1.jpg
 
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HJK said:
... The difference is, in terms of quality, market value, artistry and history is quite objective....
Click to expand...

That I will never understand, even though I do love knives, addiction and what comes with it.

How can you objectively establish a measure of value for tolerances, type and quality of finish etc. Sure you can say that equipment to achieve such and such tolerances costs that much. But with time, progress in the manufacturing process will allow to achieve those same tolerances and much lower cost. Does this make that knife worth more or less? Also who measures those tolerances and establishes the quality grade?

As far as "History" goes and value associated with it, established markets etc ... it is just a bunch of purely subjective opinions. When you talk about money, silver, gold you also can say that their value is quite subjective, but that current value comes from millions of people. Even most kids know value of money, because they can figure out how much candy they can get with it, and how much house chores they need to do to get the money.
It the global market when you buy gold you are betting that it is worth at least that much or more, and at the same time somebody bids against you saying that it is worth less than that.
When it comes to knives, especially some less typical examples (like WH) you can say that people who buy them are betting they are worth it against all the others that choose not to buy them. Those others disagree and say that those knives are not worth the cost and they would rather spend money on something else. How many people make the decision to buy those expensive knives? Not many. In fact not many people even think about it. When you talk about art, "history" and collectibles that circle of people who establish the value getting smaller and smaller, that is why I totally agree with people that say that it is pointless to ask around if it is worth it or not, because you're the one who actually decides with your wallet, if it does.
99%+ of normal people will say that any knife over $50 is overpriced and they are more objective than that small circle of knifenuts that say that striderbenza is worth more than spyderbench.
 
I realize I am dredging up a four month old thread, but this is interesting to me and I'm sure it applies to other BF members out there.

I have never been an "expensive knife guy." Until this year, the most expensive folder I have ever bought was a Ritter Griptilian that was my EDC, and I still think it was worth every penny. But I now find myself the new owner of a William Henry Quest, and it puts that Ritter Grip to shame. I simply cannot believe how well constructed this knife is, relative to it's weight...it's like a freakin' light saber.

Are WH knives for everyone? No. But I consider myself reformed on the question of WH durability. I used to think that these "gentlemen's knives" were more jewelry than tool. Now I understand that although they can be prissy, there is some darn good knife design in there too.
 
I haven't actually handled the WH knives, so I probably shouldn't respond. However, in the past, some of their less expensive models were made by Moki.
Moki knives are well made and an Aries I have is worth every penny I spent on it. The price of the Moki is perhaps less than 1/2 that of the least
expensive WH.
Whether the knives are worth the $ depends on you. A Spyderco or Moki will probably cut as well, and edge retention could be just as good. You are
paying for the design of the WH. You can get good knives for less, but that is not why someone will by a custom or a WH.
You can get some nice customs for the price of the WH models. That is the issue for me.
 
Their newer knives are absolutely without a question some of the best looking folders I've ever seen. Their collab with TAD is to this day one of my favorites, simple and quality construction with an artful spin. Doesn't hurt that they have ZDP-189 san mai blades either ;)
 
I have a WH Titan. It was the first high dollar knife I ever bought. As far as quality, I would say they are as well made as most high end custom makers. When I bought the knife I knew very little about the company and actually assumed it was a handmade custom knife. I have never seen a knife that opens as smoothly as this knife. Fit and finish are perfect. I've only carried this knife once, on my wedding day, and all it did was open some envelopes. I would not get one for EDC, but I think they are worth having if you like beautiful knives.

I'm curious to try one of their EDC knives. I also don't care for the really fancy models they sell.
 
Old thread but a good discussion on William Henry Knives. I am knew to knive collecting. Use to Gerber, Kabar and later Randall. I am interested in WH EDC for nicer carry. Are there any places that have good prices or used ones up for sale?

Thanks,

jim
 
Check out my collection below and you will find 4 high end WH knives. I also own CRKs, Hinderers, and a custom Michael Raymond. The WH's are the equal of any in quality. They use the highest quality steels (ZDP-189) in their damascus blades and high end finishes such as mammoth, ironwood, silver, etc. And integrated titanium frames/bolsters. They are tough, much tougher thn you would think, but they look good too. I tend toward the less ornate ones, but I really am impressed with the damascus blades. Rather than a single maker, they use several top craftsman working on designs by Matt Conable.

As far as investment, you would probably not get your money back in resale; they are a niche market. But if you want a small (3" or smaller) very high quality knife that will fit in your watch pocket (although some have clips), they are money.
 
In my experience (owned and sold 3 of them):

They are absolutely drop dead gorgeous and flawlessly finished.
Grinds are excellent and the edges are fantastic.
Inlays and damascus are second to none.
They have probably the smoothest operation of any knife I handled (even more so than a CRK if I might say).
They are TERRIBLE investments if that's what one is looking for. They are slow movers and they will not go for what one paid for (not even close).

I found them somewhat lacking in the soul department and ultimately that's why I let them go. They were all stunningly beautiful and flawless, but I cannot explain why I felt this.

All that said, they can be used without a concern. WH has excellent customer service and they stand behind their product.
 
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I don't consider knives, guns, or camera lenses to be investments. It does make me more comfortable collecting all three things to know that, for the most part, they hold their value pretty well if cared for, but I'm not piling them up for a rainy day.

As far as WH knives go, I'll admit that some of them are over the top, when it comes to the decoration, but every single one of them that I've handled has been just about perfect, fit and finish wise.

Their low-end, the E6 and E10 surprised me as well. They're stronger than you think they are the first time you handle them, and the thin blade and high hollow grind on my E10 outperforms my other carry knives pretty easily at slicing. I love my Southard, my Benchmade 710, my Military etc.--but the E10's geometry gives it a huge edge. The surprising part is that a knife that thin and light can feel as sturdy as it does.

If you want to invest, though, buy bonds or index funds, or maybe some low-priced property.
 
I was lucky, I bought a William Henry when they first came out, it was a T10-P Lancet, pain pearl scales, titanium liners with an ATS34 blade, paid $125 for it, it was definitely worth the money, as for the $1000+ knives I couldn't say.

Owning a first edition before they became so expensive because of the components puts a WH in my hands at a reasonable price, I don't even know how many were made, I never see any on the secondary market.
 
I EDC a W/H B-15 Titan Quest. The blade is 3 1/8" long with a laminate construction. The core is ZDP-189 at 67 HRC, and the bread in the sandwich is SS ladder Damascus. The handle is 6/4 Titanium that has had some of the underside milled out to yield a curb weight of 55gm. The hardware is gold plated, the thumbstud and lock button have zircons. I added a pocket clip so I can carry the thing in the placket of my shirt. The knife looks great and works even better. My only complaint: I like a longer blade.
 
I purchased four or five of them in the late 90's just because they seemed to be of high quality, worked well and were easy and comfortable to carry. They are certainly not "tactical" folders, but they are a pleasure to carry and handle. I don't know what they could be sold for now, and I have no intention of selling them, but they are presently selling for 4 to 5 times what I paid for them back then. That doesn't make them "investments" of course, and holding any quality item for 15 years will likely increase its value, but I'm still happy I bought them when I did. They certainly have aged well, far better than I have.
 
My William Henry knives are the sharpest knives out of the box I've ever encountered. Their fit and finish is exemplary by any standard. I don't own any of their heavily embellished models because that's not what appeals to me about them. Of course, there's only one way to find out whether they're worth it. Buy one, stick it in your pocket, and use it for awhile.
 
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