WingmanEDC Manufacturer

NG VI said:
I would guess Bestech, the price point isn't right for Reate and I feel like WE would have been an interesting enough manufacturing partner for us to have heard about it by now.
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Hmmm interesting. I thought I heard someone on a YouTube review mention Reate but I can’t find it now.
 
I just realized I haven't actually looked at any recent WingmanEDC stuff, and the last one I saw was priced at just about $200, lemme go do my homework because Reate would have made the most sense to me given their designs and designers.

Ok yeah Reate does make sense, the MTNT Mach I was the one I was basing my first comment on. Which I would still guess is a Bestech build.
 
NG VI said:
I just realized I haven't actually looked at any recent WingmanEDC stuff, and the last one I saw was priced at just about $200, lemme go do my homework because Reate would have made the most sense to me given their designs and designers.

Ok yeah Reate does make sense, the MTNT Mach I was the one I was basing my first comment on. Which I would still guess is a Bestech build.
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Well I have a SPAR-K and Yurei which are in the $375-$425 range. I know they have cheaper G10 stuff as well.

Edit: Corrected pricing
 
Bestech, Reate, and WE are doing a lot of collaborations like this. However, the price point really varies with Wingman, so it makes me wonder if they are produced by two different companies, one for the $180 ish models and another for the $400+ ones. Reate generally doesn't make anything sub $200, so it really wouldn't make sense for them to produce those. On the other hand, WE and Bestech don't make much over $300, so to me it would imply two different manufacturers.
 
It feels more like Reate or WE, although I’m going to guess Reate. I wonder if WingmanEDC will tell me if I ask? I guess I’ll try.
 
Who makes the Wingman EDC/Tom Mayo knives that I’ve been seeing? Made in China by who? When stuff is made by Reate, I can usually find more information. But I can’t find anything online with these blades… Thanks.
 
sixplymaple said:
Who makes the Wingman EDC/Tom Mayo knives that I’ve been seeing? Made in China by who? When stuff is made by Reate, I can usually find more information. But I can’t find anything online with these blades… Thanks.
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I've noticed that various companies have started keeping it close to the chest who their Chinese OEMs are. I presume for contractual reasons, maybe?
 
Quiet said:
I've noticed that various companies have started keeping it close to the chest who their Chinese OEMs are. I presume for contractual reasons, maybe?
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From what I've seen and heard, the NDA language gets inserted into contracts when OEMs deal with newer, smaller makers, and especially when the retail price of the product is particularly low.
At this point, it's not particularly hard to figure out the OEM with a good degree of accuracy.
For example, Ferrum Forge didn't advertise who made the Mini Archbishop and Stinger (whether by choice or contractual obligation), but they're very clearly made by WE/Civivi.
 
King of the Cheese said:
Hmmm interesting. I thought I heard someone on a YouTube review mention Reate but I can’t find it now.
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I had heard it was Reate but it wasn't confirmed and now I can't remember where I heard it. 🤷‍♂️

I know, super helpful, right? Another thing is that occasionally, different products from the same company can be made by different manufacturers. Maybe send them an email and ask?
 
Quiet said:
I've noticed that various companies have started keeping it close to the chest who their Chinese OEMs are. I presume for contractual reasons, maybe?
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This isn't recent. Since the dawn of outsourcing, companies have kept quiet about who makes their stuff.

It's still a mystery for lots of companies but sometimes, information gets out. For instance, Sal confirmed that some of Spyderco's Chinese manufacturing was handled by Sanrenmu but not all of it. For instance, the Byrd line is still made by a mystery OEM. We also get hints, like the previously mentioned relationship between WE and Ferrum Forge, or some identical tooling between Kershaw and YangJiang Flyer Industrial (Harnds).

If anything, it seems like disclosing OEMs is the recent trend and I welcome it. Even if not advertised, I've asked and gotten answers from a few companies. One aspect of this might be companies like Reate, WE, Kizer, and Bestech earning more respect or acclaim in the community. So having a knife made by one of them versus Mystery OEM X or a controversial manufacturer like Ganzo could be a selling point.
 
Chronovore said:
This isn't recent. Since the dawn of outsourcing, companies have kept quiet about who makes their stuff.

It's still a mystery for lots of companies but sometimes, information gets out. For instance, Sal confirmed that some of Spyderco's Chinese manufacturing was handled by Sanrenmu but not all of it. For instance, the Byrd line is still made by a mystery OEM. We also get hints, like the previously mentioned relationship between WE and Ferrum Forge, or some identical tooling between Kershaw and YangJiang Flyer Industrial (Harnds).

If anything, it seems like disclosing OEMs is the recent trend and I welcome it. Even if not advertised, I've asked and gotten answers from a few companies. One aspect of this might be companies like Reate, WE, Kizer, and Bestech earning more respect or acclaim in the community. So having a knife made by one of them versus Mystery OEM X or a controversial manufacturer like Ganzo could be a selling point.
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I agree with you there. A couple weeks ago I saw a Boker Brad Zinker design and my first thought was "no way I'd pay $300 for a Boker", but then I saw that the OEM is Reate, so now it's on my possible future buys list.
 
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