We Knife Banter Wharncliffe, the slightly "dark fashioned" all-rounder

The We Knife Banter knife has been designed by Ben Petersen, an American knife-maker whom we have already talked about when we presented the compact version of his EDC knife, the Baby Banter manufactured by We Knife's sister company Civivi.

The term "Wharncliffe" refers to a blade that has a straight cutting edge and a spine that curves downward in a gradual slope, tapering towards the tip. It is named after Lord Wharncliffe, owner of Joseph Rodgers & Son, one of the most important knife factories of the 19th century, based in Sheffield, England. Rodgers & Son produced fine multi-bladed pocket knives, many of which, referred to as "whittler knives", featured a blade with this profile, which proved to be very practical for making high-precision cuts in materials such as leather, cardboard and paper resting on a surface, and for carving wood. In practice, the Wharncliffe blade was the ancestor of modern hobby cutters, precisely because of the clean cut it was able to provide. Now that wood-carving is no longer such a popular activity, the Wharncliffe blade's rationality and ease of resharpening can be appreciated in everyday use cutting strings, opening packages and slicing the proverbial smoked sausage.

We Knife Banter Wharncliffe, a knife for everyday use

The version of the Banter we are presenting here has an aesthetic that used to be called "nocturnal", featuring a Wharncliffe-profiled blade with a black stonewashed finish  and black Micarta handle with a rather obvious texture. The mysterious and somewhat steampunk look of the knife is enhanced by the golden titanium blade thumb stud and the bronze-colored logo on the pivot pin. The blade is made from CPM S35VN steel and is 72.5 mm with a thickness of 2.5 mm, and its tip looks perfectly designed thanks to the meeting between the cutting edge straight line of the spine curved line. The workmanship is excellent as is the standard sharpening, which makes one forget about the blade's relatively short length. The black  stonewashed finish is very uniform and has a pleasing matte appearance that matches perfectly with the mottling created by the handle Micarta texture. Blade opening is done as usual on ceramic ball bearings and is extremely smooth, and the absence of the now ubiquitous flipper is not felt at all.

The handle is the same as the Banter model, so it is essential, medium-sized (it is 92 mm long) and comfortable to grip. The Micarta scales are mounted on stainless steel plates with lightening cuts; the lower one also serves as a locking element for the liner-lock mechanism. The only color option for this version is black, but this is, in my opinion, a sensible choice as it enhances the knife's unique shape. The clip is made of stainless steel, with a matte black finish, and mounted so that the knife can be carried  tip-up in a pocket. The clip can be swapped from side to side or removed by loosening a pair of screws.

We wrap-up this brief overview by promoting Ben Petersen's creature with flying colors: it is beautiful, rational and functional. What's more, it doesn't cost too much (which never hurts) as it can be found on offer for around 100 euros, which, considering the lush packaging in which it is sold (and to which We Knife and co. have accustomed us) is a really affordable figure. The knife can also be purchased directly on the We Knife website where many other interesting offers can be found.

We Knife Banter Wharncliffe specifications and price