In the first two parts of this series, I looked at the SENCUT Tauron and CIVIVI Slippy Sendy. At $46.50 and $62 respectively, both were affordable knives that performed well during several months in my EDC rotation. For Part 3, we’re making a much bigger jump in price with the WE Knife Essential Knight, which comes in north of $350.
Before going any further, I should point out that there are plenty of knives between those price points. SENCUT, CIVIVI and WE aren’t separated by hard price boundaries, and there’s some overlap in both pricing and materials.
I didn’t deliberately pick knives at evenly spaced price points for this series. In fact, I didn’t really look at the prices when making my selections. I picked one knife from each brand that caught my eye, then looked closer at the features and materials. I just happened to end up with two relatively inexpensive knives and one that was considerably more expensive.
The Essential Knight is a Jason Knight design featuring a Böhler M390 blade and titanium frame lock construction. It’s also quite a bit more expensive than what I normally carry, which made this one a little different from the other two knives in the series.
Premium Without Being Flashy
One of the things that initially drew me to the Essential Knight was its appearance. Despite being a high end knife, it’s actually pretty understated. The dark gray titanium handle has an unusual textured finish that almost looks aged or pitted. It’s a distinctive look without being flashy, and the texture provides some additional traction on what would otherwise be a smooth metal handle. WE describes it as an etched black finish, which is a pretty good description of the effect.
The green anodized pivot and screws provide a nice contrast against the dark titanium. They add just enough color to make things interesting without taking away from the knife’s relatively subdued appearance. I like knives with interesting designs, but I don’t necessarily want something that screams for attention. The Essential Knight manages to look different without going overboard.
The handle contours are comfortable, too. It’s a substantial knife that feels solid in my hand, but it’s not particularly heavy or cumbersome to carry. At 4.03 ounces, it’s only 0.19 ounce heavier than the SENCUT Tauron, despite being a little longer and having titanium construction. The shape fits my hand well, and the textured finish provides a secure grip without being overly aggressive.
Smooth Action and Solid Lockup
The Essential Knight uses a flipper for opening, and the action is exceptionally smooth. The blade rides on caged ceramic ball bearings and deploys easily with either hand. The pivot feels extremely refined. It’s fast too. It opens as fast as many autos I’ve used over the years.
Once open, the titanium frame lock engages solidly. There’s no noticeable blade play, and the lockup feels rock solid. Despite that, releasing the lock doesn’t require a struggle. Like most frame locks, it’s naturally oriented toward right handed use. That’s not an issue for me, but it’s something left handed users should keep in mind.
The pocket clip is another detail WE got right. It provides deep carry, holds the knife securely and still allows an easy draw. Just as importantly, it hasn’t chewed up the edges of my pockets. I’ve mentioned this in other reviews, but I think pocket clips are more important than they sometimes get credit for. A great knife with a lousy clip is a knife that may eventually stop getting carried. Fortunately, that isn’t a concern with the Essential Knight.
A Classic Blade With Premium Steel
I’m a fan of clip point blades, and the Essential Knight has a particularly nice example of the pattern. There’s plenty of belly for slicing and a useful point for more precise work. It’s a traditional blade shape that has stuck around for good reason.
The 3.6-inch blade is made from Böhler M390, a premium stainless steel known for its wear resistance, corrosion resistance and edge retention. WE gives it a satin finish, which is another feature I appreciate. I’ve never been a fan of highly polished blades. They can look impressive, but I prefer something that looks good while still being practical for everyday use.
The Essential Knight’s satin blade strikes that balance nicely. It’s attractive without looking like something I’m going to worry about scratching every time I open a cardboard box. Mine came with an excellent factory edge, and that edge has held up well through the time I’ve carried it. I’ve used it for the usual EDC chores, including opening packages, cutting tape and other routine tasks, and haven’t had any complaints about cutting performance.
I do have to qualify my observations about edge retention, though. Like most knife enthusiasts, I rotate through a lot of different knives. That means none of them gets the steady daily wear that someone carrying the same knife for months or years might put on a blade.
It’s probably one reason I don’t get quite as hung up on blade steels as some folks do. I appreciate good steel, but I generally don’t use any one knife long enough to really push its edge retention to the limit. Most of my knives need little more than an occasional touch-up. That doesn’t mean premium steel isn’t worthwhile. It just means that, for the way I use and carry knives, I don’t always see the full benefit of spending considerably more for it.
A Knight at Oktoberfest
The Essential Knight has been part of my regular EDC rotation for the past several months. I’ve carried it at work, off duty and while traveling. Most of its use has been pretty typical pocketknife stuff, but it also accompanied me on a recent trip to Put-in-Bay, Ohio.
I had a couple of other knives along for that trip, including the UCO Hannegan and ESEE Belt Knife. Those saw more use in the woods and around the cabin, while the Essential Knight was what I carried during travel and around town. It also got pressed into service for some food preparation, including slicing meat and cheese for a charcuterie tray.
Its most memorable appearance came during the Oktoberfest celebration. I ordered schnitzel and was provided with a plastic knife that literally couldn’t cut it. Fortunately, I had the Essential Knight in my pocket. It made short work of the schnitzel and ended up sitting proudly on the table like a high-end steak knife. I doubt that’s the sort of cutting test WE had in mind when designing the Essential Knight, but it certainly worked.
Getting Past the Price Tag
I’ll admit that I was a little hesitant to start carrying the Essential Knight. Most of the knives I carry are under $200, and I’m frequently perfectly happy with knives costing less than $100. Moving up to something over $350 is a pretty significant jump for me.
At first, I found myself being a little more careful with it than I normally would. I didn’t want to scratch it up or damage an expensive knife. Eventually, though, I got over that. I don’t believe in safe queens. If I have a knife, I want to use it, and once I started carrying the Essential Knight regularly, I stopped thinking so much about what it cost and just treated it like any other good pocketknife.
And that’s really what it is. It’s a very well-made knife that happens to use premium materials and carry a premium price tag. It still needs to open boxes, cut things and handle the same everyday chores as the less expensive knives in my rotation. I’m glad I got past the temptation to baby it, because I enjoyed carrying it a lot more once I did.
What Does Spending More Actually Get You?
That brings us back to the question that started this series. What do you actually get as you move from SENCUT to CIVIVI to WE?
After spending the past several months carrying knives from all three brands, one thing that stands out is how consistently well made they are. I don’t want to suggest that the $46.50 Tauron is the equal of the Essential Knight, but I also can’t say that I found some dramatic difference in basic fit and finish. All three were very well executed.
What changes as you move up the line is primarily the materials, design and level of refinement. You get more options in blade steels, handle materials and construction, along with designs that may be more elaborate or simply more appealing to your tastes.
And I don’t think aesthetics should be overlooked. Once you get beyond basic working knives, looks matter. A knife still needs to function well, but there’s nothing wrong with paying more for a design that catches your eye. That’s part of the appeal of collecting and carrying knives in the first place.
That’s how I picked the three knives for this series. I chose designs that interested me rather than trying to find three knives at particular price points. All three ended up being good choices, even though they were quite different from one another.
There are plenty of folks who won’t spend more than $50 on a pocketknife, either because of their budget or because they simply don’t see a reason to. Others are comfortable spending $100 or $200 for better materials and features. Once you get into premium knives, there’s a whole other level of buyers who appreciate particular designers, materials and craftsmanship.
Personally, I generally fall somewhere in the middle. I appreciate the Essential Knight, and I can see why someone would be willing to spend the money on it. At the same time, I don’t feel like I’m missing out when I drop a $50 knife into my pocket.
I think that’s one of the strengths of the SENCUT, CIVIVI and WE lineup. You can decide what materials, features and designs appeal to you, figure out what you’re comfortable spending, and find a well-made knife somewhere in the family.
The Essential Knight is an excellent example of what WE offers at the premium end. It’s attractive without being flashy, comfortable to carry, exceptionally smooth in operation and solidly built. More importantly, it’s a knife I enjoyed using once I stopped worrying about the price.
Whether it’s worth spending over $350 on a pocketknife is something each person has to decide for themselves. I can’t say that it cuts seven times better than the Tauron. But I can say that it’s a very nice knife, and that after carrying all three, I have a better appreciation for what WE is doing across its brands.
Specifications: WE Knife Essential Knight
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- Designer: Jason Knight
- Overall length: 8.54 inches
- Blade length: 3.6 inches
- Closed length: 4.94 inches
- Blade thickness: 0.13 inch
- Blade steel: Böhler M390
- Blade profile: Clip point
- Blade grind: Flat
- Blade finish: Satin
- Handle: 6AL4V titanium, etched black finish
- Handle thickness: 0.48 inch
- Lock: Titanium frame lock
- Pivot: Caged ceramic ball bearings
- Pocket clip: Titanium, right-side tip-up
- Weight: 4.03 ounces
- MSRP: $351.70