Brand in Focus: WE Knife

For well over a decade, the factory behind WE Knife put its name on nothing. It built knives for other companies, some of the best known in the business, and learned along the way what separates a decent production folder from a really good one. When it finally launched a line of its own, it picked a two word motto that sounds confident and turns out to be a fair description: Made Better.

From the classroom to the factory floor

WE Knife Co., Ltd. was founded in 2000 by Joe Cheung, a middle school English teacher who left a safe job because knives interested him more. He started out in sales and went on to build a manufacturing business in Yangjiang, a city in Guangdong province known all over China for its cutlery trade. Today the company calls itself one of the largest Chinese manufacturers of quality knives and tools.

In 2014 Cheung decided contract work was no longer enough. According to the company, the first WE Knife line reached the market in 2016. Two sister brands followed, CIVIVI in 2018 for more affordable everyday knives (we covered it in our CIVIVI brand feature) and SENCUT in 2020 for the entry level. By 2023 WE had collected more than twenty industry awards, and the factory had doubled in size.

What makes a WE Knife a WE Knife

Scroll through the current range and a pattern shows up fast. Handles are mostly 6Al4V titanium, blades come in powder steels like CPM 20CV and Böhler M390, and many pivots run on caged ceramic ball bearings. Most models use a frame lock, but WE also builds button locks and crossbar locks, so you get a real say in how your knife opens and closes.

The other half of the story is the designer list. WE works with custom makers from the USA, Europe and Asia, and those collaborations have taken prizes at Blade Show, Blade Show West and SHOT Show. A nice detail for our customers in Austria: M390 is made by Böhler in Kapfenberg, Styria.

Nitro Mini: the award winner

Designed by Peter Carey, the Nitro Mini won Best Factory Folder and Factory Best in Show at Blade Show West 2022. It is a compact flipper with a 79.5 mm drop point blade in CPM 20CV, 3.2 mm thick, plus thumb studs if you prefer to open it slowly. This version sets a linen Micarta inlay into the titanium frame lock handle, which adds grip and takes the chill off the metal. 102 grams, ceramic bearings, titanium clip. CPM 20CV is Crucible's close cousin of M390, very wear resistant and properly stainless.

Banter 2: the easy way in

Ben Petersen's Banter is one of the simplest designs WE makes, and that is exactly why people like it. The original uses a liner lock. The Banter 2 moves to a crossbar lock you can release from either side of the handle, so left handers get the same knife as everyone else. 73 mm of CPM S35VN at 2.6 mm, a blue aluminium handle, titanium thumb studs, a ceramic bearing, a clip for left or right carry and 87 grams in total. Small enough for a jacket pocket, tough enough for the garage. More like it in our EDC knives.

Qubit: a button lock from the in-house team

The Qubit comes from WE's own design team. It opens with thumb studs and closes with a button lock, and WE fitted a small spring under the button so it has enough resistance that nothing releases by accident, while a light press still does the job. 81.3 mm CPM 20CV drop point, titanium handle and titanium clip, a flamed pivot cap as the only splash of colour, 86 grams. Clean lines, nothing to snag on.

Inmate: when you want more blade

Jerad Neeve's Inmate is the big one here. You get a 93.9 mm spear point in CPM 20CV with a hollow grind, opened either with the front flipper tab or through the thumb hole. It locks with a titanium frame lock and runs on ceramic bearings. At 117 grams and 21.3 cm open it is the largest of the five, and the one we would take along when the knife has proper work ahead of it.

Ryson: a German design on bronze washers

Sam Tran from Germany drew the Ryson, and it feels a little different from the rest of the lineup. The harpoon blade is Böhler M390, 84.5 mm long, hollow ground with a hand rubbed satin finish. Instead of bearings, the pivot runs on bronze washers, which gives a calmer and more traditional action. Thumb stud opening, titanium frame lock, titanium clip, 88 grams. A slim gentleman's folder with serious steel.

Where would we start?

Pick the Banter 2 if you want to find out whether WE suits you before moving to titanium. The Nitro Mini is the award winner in a pocket friendly size, the Qubit is for anyone who likes button locks, the Inmate gives you more blade, and the Ryson is our choice if you want M390 with a quiet, classic action.

Every WE Knife model we carry is in our WE Knife collection, or search for WE Knife to see them all at once. Still comparing brands? Browse our folding EDC knives.