REVIEW — Titanium? Adamantium? Vanax? Mithril? These metals are known for their unique properties, strength, and beauty, yet only two are available to us mere mortals. The We Knife Hyperactive is one of those rare finds made almost entirely from Titanium and Vanax. I have one to review; read on to see what I think!
What is it?
The We Knife Hyperactive is one of the few knives by We that features a Vanax steel blade. The large blade combines four geometries and jimping to form a unique profile. In addition, the handle is made from titanium. The handle has polished titanium inlays that are flame-anodized to show off one of the beautiful properties of titanium. The same flame-anodizing treatment is given to the bushing around the pivot mechanism. The use of specialty metals does not stop there—We Knife lists the material of the pocket clip and the screws as titanium as well.
What’s included?
- We Knife Hyperactive knife
- polishing cloth
- storage pouch
- product use and warranty card
- specification sheet
- review invitation
- catalog sample
Tech specs
Model Number: WE23030-1
Model Name: Hyperactive
Overall Length: 8.71″ / 221.2mm
Width: 1.51″ / 38.4mm
Overall Height(Include Clip): 0.65″ / 16.4mm
Blade Length: 3.8″ / 96.5mm
Closed Length: 4.91″ / 124.7mm
Blade Thickness: 0.16″ / 4mm
Handle Thickness: 0.5″ / 12.6mm
Knife Weight: 5.4oz / 153g
Packing Dimension: 18.6*8.6*3.8cm
Total Weight After Packing: 11.64oz / 330g
Blade Material: Vanax
Blade Hardness: 59-61HRC
Blade Grind: Flat
Blade Finish: Polished Bead Blasted
Blade Type: Drop Point
Handle Material: 6AL4V Titanium
Handle Color/Finish: Polished Bead Blasted, Flamed
Back Spacer Material: 6AL4V Titanium
Back Spacer Color/Finish: Polished Bead Blasted
Pocket Clip: Tip-Up, L/R
Clip Material: 6AL4V Titanium
Clip Color/Finish: Polished Bead Blasted
Screws Material: 6AL4V Titanium
Pivot Cap Material: 6AL4V Titanium
Pivot Cap Color/Finish: Flamed
Pivot Assembly: Caged Ceramic Ball Bearing
Locking Mechanism: Frame Lock
Designer: WE KNIFE
Design and features
Unboxing
The We Knife comes in a black gift box with a brown cardboard sheath. The sheath is cut in an asymmetric parallelogram, giving the unboxing a sense of style and uniqueness.
The knife comes plastic-wrapped in a storage pouch. The storage pouch has two pockets so two knives can be stored in it. The inside of the pouch is a soft material lining. The remainder of the packaged items come in the box separately.
Design
When holding the knife for the first time, I was surprised to see its size. Even though I knew the closed length, overall length, and the blade length from the specifications, I was unprepared for the height of the drop tip blade. The length from the back of the blade to the cutting edge is about 1 3/8″. When closed the knife is about 1 1/2″ at its widest, not including the flipper. Though it is shorter than the 10″ Bowie knife he carried, Crocodile Dundee would probably approve of these dimensions. Yet, because it is a thin knife, it doesn’t feel awkward when held. The picture below is the Hyperactive next to the Vosteed Bellamy.
The first thing I noticed is that the action on the flipper requires a lot of torque. Then, as a lefty, I realized I was pushing against the exposed frame lock of the blade. This made it almost impossible to open.
Holding the knife without applying pressure by my thumb made it possible to open the knife easily.
Because the frame lock is on the knife’s right side, this is not an issue when holding it with the right hand because the index finger is busy using the flipper and not pressing against the lock. After I figured out how to open the knife I fell in love with the mechanics and solid operation. The movement is substantial but controlled. Once open, it feels like a full tang fixed blade; it is solid with no sway in the pivot.
The hole for the lock bearing to sink into can be seen while opening the knife (the black dot in the picture below), but no other mechanical features are observable on the blade.
The most important part of any knife is the blade and the We Knife Hyperactive provides a razor-sharp drop point with unique and intriguing geometries that make it unlike any other knife on the market. The tip is a nearly symmetrical drop point. The grind line from the belly of the blade continues up to a swedge that starts just behind the point and extends to about mid-blade. The swedge intersects with a second swedge extending to the blade’s base. About half of this swedge includes deeply grooved jimping. To complement the jimping there is a finger choil between the blade and the flipper.
The most striking aspect of the blade design is the grind. The blade can be divided into three sections of about equal length. The tip section has a compound grind to the tip. The grind marks are all camouflaged by the bead blasting and polishing, but it can be felt by tracing the profile of the ground edge with the thumb and index finger. Here’s where things get interesting: About 1 1/8″ up from the finger choil is a spine that continues from the blade to the flat side of the blade. The spine is not as thick as the blade; it still tapers down from the flat to the blade edge, but it does create a noticeable bump on the ground edge of the blade. Why do this? The thickness may add rigidity, but the most compelling reason is that it looks unique and striking. Just behind the grind termination is a small laser-etched label of the blade material “VANAX”.
The pivot end of the blade handle has four intersecting chamfers that complement the blade geometry. The top chamber, along the back of the handle, is about as long as the swedge with the jimping, and stylistically marries the blade to the handle. The remainder of the rear of the blade is filleted to provide maximum comfort while gripping. The back spacer has jimping on it to match the details on the blade and incorporates a lanyard hole that is half in the spacer and half in the blade steel. This detail makes the three pieces combine to form a single unit.
The pocket clip is reversible and may be unscrewed and replaced on the reverse side. The details of the pocket clip, normally not a significant part of any knife design, cannot be overlooked on the Hyperactive. The chamfers on the pocket clip exactly parallel the geometries on the blade. What a fantastic little detail!
The pivot is surrounded by a pivot cap that is flame anodized titanium. The pivot cap resembles the bezel setting of a jewel and makes the pivot look like a jewel. Becuase of the reflections and glint the pivot cap produces, under certain lighting conditions, the cap can cause an optical illusion that makes the convex pivot appear concave.
On the frame lock side, the blade is engraved with the WE logo, stylized as three vertical and three horizontal lines. The opposite side shows three machined grooves. Each machining point is fully radiused. It looks like the WE logo is done before the bead blasting but the machined grooves are done afterwards.
The We Knife Hyperactive comes in four styles:
- Polished bead-blasted blade with a polished bead-blasted handle with a flame-anodized titanium insert
- Polished grey blade with a polished grey orange peel textured handle finish and a lava flow carbon fiber inlay
- Black stonewashed satin flat blade with a blue/black handle and an artic storm carbon fiber inlay
- Black stonewashed bevel/black brushed flat blade with bronze/black flamed handle with a flame-anodized titanium insert
This review is for the first style above, and although it is the most vanilla of the bunch, I think it lets the design geometries stand out without being overshadowed by the metal treatments. However, even as it is the most reserved design, the flame treatment of the titanium insert is astounding. The artisans who have customized this blade have captured lightning in a bottle. I especially like how the browns and oranges dominate in diffuse lighting, but the whites, purples, and blues are more obvious under bright lighting. The shape mirrors the unique profile of the handle and the entire circumference is chamfered and fits perfectly into the recesses of the handle.
The lock has three deep recesses allowing the titanium to flex from the locked to unlocked positions. The surface pressed to unlock the blade is grooved to provide grip. This is another little detail that proves that WE thought of everything.
Performance
This knife is sharp as heck. Please be careful with it!
The knife’s balance is superb. The lightweight handle is a terrific match for the mass of the steel in this spare-no-expense design.
I love how you can place the index finger opposite the lock and hold the handle, but the knife can also be held with the middle finger opposite the lock and the index finger in the choil. This grip positions the blade directly below the thumb for extreme control and precision.
Final thoughts
At nearly $500, the We Hyperactive is an expensive knife. The premium materials come with a premium price tag. Like a hypercar automobile, this knife may not be your “daily driver” but will certainly bring the owner joy in appreciation of the craftsmanship, capabilities, and beauty of this piece. This knife is worthy of an heirloom, and with corrosion-resistant and high-durability materials used throughout the design, this knife is sure to last for generations.
What I like about the WEKNIFE Hyperactive knife
- Style
- Unique Materials
- Razor sharp blade
What needs to be improved?
- Nothing
