Wave Man
Pyromaniac
OK I don't usually do this, a vid before a written review but it is what it is. Overview vid of the 037, I will do the written review in the next few days
Overview WE 910 "037"
- Thread starter Wave Man
- Start date
Wave Man
Pyromaniac
Review WE 037
This knife was supplied to me by True Talon for review purposes (and will be going back after a few weeks), and as such I am allowed to light use, carry and generally evaluate the knife but do not take them apart and try not to mark them up. I also send them back as sharp as I received them.
here's a link to True Talon and the WE 037
https://www.truetalon.com/collections/we-knives/products/coming-soon-we-knives-910-037-m390-blade-titanium-handle
What the company says
WE Knives - 910 / 037 - M390 Blade and Titanium handle.
Designed By Kellen Bogardus
The WE Knife 910 / 037 is the result of 4 years of development in collaboration with the young talented Kellen Bogardus. The frame parts are held together with a special tab locked construction which makes it extremely strong. It is a big folding framelock, but for its size very lightweight. Full titanium frame, titanium hardware, ceramic bearings and a M390 blade.
Comes in a storage pouch with cleaning cloth.
Frame lock, ball bearing assisted action. Lock Insert.
SPECIFICATIONS
Knife Name: 037
Item #:910
Overall Length:9”(228.6mm)
Blade Length:4.07”(103mm)
Blade Thickness:0.14”(3.5mm) (but thins out pretty quickly, down to 1mm at the tip)
Blade Material: Bohler M390
Blade Hardness: HRC59-61
Blade Grind: Flat
satin finish
Handle Length:4.93”(125.6mm)
Handle Overall Thickness:0.53”(13.5mm)
Handle Material: 6AL4V Titanium
Pricing from True Talon is $385 (on special, usual price is $410)
WE 910/037 M390/ano'ed titanium frame lock flipper
The 037 was shipped to me in a box containing a propitiatory WE zippered plush lined case, some paperwork, with the knife encased in a plastic sleeve and microfiber cleaning cloth.
The WE 037 is built differently to other frame lock knives, and uses a unique construction which relocates the body screws to the spine of the handle and eliminates the need for a backspacer. This tab-locked construction allegedly gives the frame a lot of structural integrity and I have to say gives the handle a very clean look. The handle has been contoured and stonewash and then anodised (the knife comes in several colours) as well as extensively internally milled for weight relief. All edges on the knife's handle have been chamfered and the fit and finish on these knives is up to WE's usual excellent standard.
The handle has also had some inletting milled onto the show side which matches the inletted pocket clip on the lock side. Speaking of the pocket clip it is a milled affair set up right hand, tip up carry only and is secured by a single screw that comes in from the inside of the frame. Because the clip is inletted the knife doesn't stow easily and I found I had to use two hands to put it in the pocket, but once in it is quite deep carry with very little of the knife protruding from the pocket. This big knife rides well in pocket but does take up a bit of pocket real estate. I have heard from other reviewers that they think the flipper tab is a 'pocket peeker' (on the large size and interferes with other pocket contents) but I don't carry anything else in the pocket with my EDC knife so that wasn't an issue for me.
A lanyard attachment has also been included which is simply a post at the very end of the handle. All hardware (pivot, lock bar insert and two body screws) on the knife are Torx 8.
The lock has an integrated steel lockbar insert and over travel stop. Access to the lock has not been aided and I wish there had been a cut out for the pass through, and this is my only real complaint about the design choices made.
Lock up is around 40% (the full width of the lockbar insert), giving plenty of lock confidence.
The flipper tab has jimping and the knife functions as a light switch flipper. Flipping action is very good and the knife fires with authority and while the blade won't guillotin shut you can wiggle it shut.
The big 100mm blade is a drop point blade with a high flat grind (it does have a almost radiused spine with bevels cut on the very top of the spine) that features a usable finger choil. There is jimping on the thumb ramp. A very pleasing and practical satin finish has been applied to the blade. The blade is perfectly centered. There is zero blade play and no lock rock. There is almost no billboarding on the blade with only the makers mark on the lock side of the blade. The M390 mark is stamped on the top of the spine of the blade. WE seems to be wanting to almost hide the steel mark these days and the 037 follows this trend.
The knife performed very well slicing cardboard, and proved to be a good slicer (despite its 3.5mm spine thickness the flat grind did its job and thinned out the behind-the-edge geometry). I did find that cardboard tended to bunch a bit while cutting and many times the cutting medium 'fell' into the choil. Though if you choked up and use the finger choil this tendency disappeared.
The 037 fits my large hands well any I didn't find any hotspots during any of my cutting tests. The inletted pocket clip worked particularly well and melts into your grip when using the knife.
You will note I didn't mention keenness, the knife arrived from the factory shaving sharp. The cutting I did didn't seem to affect keenness all that much and it only took a few passes on the SharpMaker and a stropping to make it shave again after my cutting tests. I would also mention that the satin finish worked very well and even after my cutting tests there was little to no residue (from the sticky tape and cardboard) left on the blade and it only took a quick rinse in some water to remove what was there. Along with the WE Bishop's stonewash finishes this is one of the best finishes I have seen so far in this regard after testing dozens of knives.
showing the inletted pocket clip
and the unique tab lock construction
This knife was supplied to me by True Talon for review purposes (and will be going back after a few weeks), and as such I am allowed to light use, carry and generally evaluate the knife but do not take them apart and try not to mark them up. I also send them back as sharp as I received them.
here's a link to True Talon and the WE 037
https://www.truetalon.com/collections/we-knives/products/coming-soon-we-knives-910-037-m390-blade-titanium-handle
What the company says
WE Knives - 910 / 037 - M390 Blade and Titanium handle.
Designed By Kellen Bogardus
The WE Knife 910 / 037 is the result of 4 years of development in collaboration with the young talented Kellen Bogardus. The frame parts are held together with a special tab locked construction which makes it extremely strong. It is a big folding framelock, but for its size very lightweight. Full titanium frame, titanium hardware, ceramic bearings and a M390 blade.
Comes in a storage pouch with cleaning cloth.
Frame lock, ball bearing assisted action. Lock Insert.
SPECIFICATIONS
Knife Name: 037
Item #:910
Overall Length:9”(228.6mm)
Blade Length:4.07”(103mm)
Blade Thickness:0.14”(3.5mm) (but thins out pretty quickly, down to 1mm at the tip)
Blade Material: Bohler M390
Blade Hardness: HRC59-61
Blade Grind: Flat
satin finish
Handle Length:4.93”(125.6mm)
Handle Overall Thickness:0.53”(13.5mm)
Handle Material: 6AL4V Titanium
Pricing from True Talon is $385 (on special, usual price is $410)
WE 910/037 M390/ano'ed titanium frame lock flipper
The 037 was shipped to me in a box containing a propitiatory WE zippered plush lined case, some paperwork, with the knife encased in a plastic sleeve and microfiber cleaning cloth.
The WE 037 is built differently to other frame lock knives, and uses a unique construction which relocates the body screws to the spine of the handle and eliminates the need for a backspacer. This tab-locked construction allegedly gives the frame a lot of structural integrity and I have to say gives the handle a very clean look. The handle has been contoured and stonewash and then anodised (the knife comes in several colours) as well as extensively internally milled for weight relief. All edges on the knife's handle have been chamfered and the fit and finish on these knives is up to WE's usual excellent standard.
The handle has also had some inletting milled onto the show side which matches the inletted pocket clip on the lock side. Speaking of the pocket clip it is a milled affair set up right hand, tip up carry only and is secured by a single screw that comes in from the inside of the frame. Because the clip is inletted the knife doesn't stow easily and I found I had to use two hands to put it in the pocket, but once in it is quite deep carry with very little of the knife protruding from the pocket. This big knife rides well in pocket but does take up a bit of pocket real estate. I have heard from other reviewers that they think the flipper tab is a 'pocket peeker' (on the large size and interferes with other pocket contents) but I don't carry anything else in the pocket with my EDC knife so that wasn't an issue for me.
A lanyard attachment has also been included which is simply a post at the very end of the handle. All hardware (pivot, lock bar insert and two body screws) on the knife are Torx 8.
The lock has an integrated steel lockbar insert and over travel stop. Access to the lock has not been aided and I wish there had been a cut out for the pass through, and this is my only real complaint about the design choices made.
Lock up is around 40% (the full width of the lockbar insert), giving plenty of lock confidence.
The flipper tab has jimping and the knife functions as a light switch flipper. Flipping action is very good and the knife fires with authority and while the blade won't guillotin shut you can wiggle it shut.
The big 100mm blade is a drop point blade with a high flat grind (it does have a almost radiused spine with bevels cut on the very top of the spine) that features a usable finger choil. There is jimping on the thumb ramp. A very pleasing and practical satin finish has been applied to the blade. The blade is perfectly centered. There is zero blade play and no lock rock. There is almost no billboarding on the blade with only the makers mark on the lock side of the blade. The M390 mark is stamped on the top of the spine of the blade. WE seems to be wanting to almost hide the steel mark these days and the 037 follows this trend.
The knife performed very well slicing cardboard, and proved to be a good slicer (despite its 3.5mm spine thickness the flat grind did its job and thinned out the behind-the-edge geometry). I did find that cardboard tended to bunch a bit while cutting and many times the cutting medium 'fell' into the choil. Though if you choked up and use the finger choil this tendency disappeared.
The 037 fits my large hands well any I didn't find any hotspots during any of my cutting tests. The inletted pocket clip worked particularly well and melts into your grip when using the knife.
You will note I didn't mention keenness, the knife arrived from the factory shaving sharp. The cutting I did didn't seem to affect keenness all that much and it only took a few passes on the SharpMaker and a stropping to make it shave again after my cutting tests. I would also mention that the satin finish worked very well and even after my cutting tests there was little to no residue (from the sticky tape and cardboard) left on the blade and it only took a quick rinse in some water to remove what was there. Along with the WE Bishop's stonewash finishes this is one of the best finishes I have seen so far in this regard after testing dozens of knives.
showing the inletted pocket clip
and the unique tab lock construction
Last edited:
Wave Man
Pyromaniac
Conclusion
I really like the 037, fits my hand very well, is really light for its size and performed very well. The 037 is a big, good looking knife with an unusual build that ticks all my boxes for an EDC knife, M390 blade steel, snappy firing action, frame lock flipper, jimping on the flipper tab, lanyard attachment, a bit of bling.
I will say the tab-lock construction is probably just a different way of doing things and doesn't 'solve' an existing problem, though it does give the handle a very clean look.
I will definitely be looking at buying one down the track a bit.
Pro's size, light for its size (achieves a 1oz/1" blade length ratio), flipping action
Con's have to use two hands to stow knife, for some it might be too big (large 4" knife), lock access (would have loved to see a cut out for the pass through)
1-5 star system 1 star poor/fail 2 star below average 3 star average 4 above average 5 star excellent
Hands on/Ergos 5 stars (for me, and my XXL sized hands)
Materials/Features 5 stars
Build Quality/Fit and Finish 5 stars
Value/Price point 4.5 stars
Aesthetics 5 stars
Overall rating (average of all above) 4.9 stars
For full disclosure I would also add I have XXL hands, and that must play in to my review process, and the readers should keep that in mind when reading my reviews and recommendations.
Lastly I ONLY use folding knives for light cutting duties, so I will not do 'hard use' cutting tasks with any folder, that's what I have fixed blades for, so cutting tests consisted of cutting paper, cardboard, packaging, paracord, some food prep (again, not a task I use folders for for the most part) and other duties a stay-at-home-dad would use a cutting tool for around the house.
Last edited:
Wave Man
Pyromaniac
and I am adding pics of my actual WE037, I bought the Bronze version with the rubbed satin blade. The pics don't really do the knife's finish justice as the finish looks a lot "dirtier" than in real life. IRL the bronze finish looks a lot better IMO, and I would say it is 'antiqued bronze' if I had to describe its finish/colouration. It does look a bit 'dirty' still, but the finish is really growing on me.
This was a useful exercise now that I think about it (as in buying another knife rather than just going with the review knife sample) as it gives me the opportunity to see how much difference there is between samples. Tony from True Talon does not hand pick my sample for review, as they always turn up in their original packaging and unopened (I often have to cut sticky tape off the boxes to gain access to the knife so I know they have not been opened since they left the factory)
I am happy to report the two samples were almost exactly the same in regards to action (both are 'snappy' and wiggable shut), lock up is exactly the same (full length of the lock bar insert), out-of-box sharpness (both came reasonably sharp, shaving sharp and both benefited from a strop which only increased their keenness a little bit), fit and finish and overall feel. Speaks to WE's ability at quality control.
This was a useful exercise now that I think about it (as in buying another knife rather than just going with the review knife sample) as it gives me the opportunity to see how much difference there is between samples. Tony from True Talon does not hand pick my sample for review, as they always turn up in their original packaging and unopened (I often have to cut sticky tape off the boxes to gain access to the knife so I know they have not been opened since they left the factory)
I am happy to report the two samples were almost exactly the same in regards to action (both are 'snappy' and wiggable shut), lock up is exactly the same (full length of the lock bar insert), out-of-box sharpness (both came reasonably sharp, shaving sharp and both benefited from a strop which only increased their keenness a little bit), fit and finish and overall feel. Speaks to WE's ability at quality control.
Wave Man
Pyromaniac
and a vid showing my WE037
Re the pass through - it's weird why they do that. Why do they do a cut out both sides essentially cancelling out any pass through? The only thing I can think of is that it is not even pretending to be a pass through, but contoured for your index or 2nd finger. I would have gone level one side, pass through on the opposite side.
Wave Man
Pyromaniac
exactly mate, I have no idea why some companies do not give thought to the pass through. The 037 isn't too bad even though it has no cut out for the pass through but I have found some knives (Maxace Amber II is a perfect example) desperately need a cut out as it is very difficult to access the lock properly.
