A Prolific EDC Brand Puts a Premium, Pocket-Friendly Spin on the Grandfather of All Fighting Knives

We Knife keeps dropping hit after hit. However, even among its ever-growing catalog, this multi-deploying cutting tool is pretty special.

Black folding knife blade with a matte finish and a textured handle on dark wooden surface.

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By Sean Tirman

Published October 28, 2025

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Updated October 28, 2025

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Jason Knight of Knight Force Studios usually trades in big, beefy, intimidating bladed tools. However, it turns out the South Carolina native’s exceptional knife design skills also translate beautifully into more pocket-friendly formats.

Or at least that’s what you will likely gather from this collaborative release, the We Knife Essential Knight, which puts a contemporary spin on America’s original fighting knife, the Bowie.

Folding knife with a silver blade and textured black handle on dark wooden charcoal background. — This knife combines iconic elements with highly contemporary premium materials.

That’s not a knife (yes, it is)

Clearly, this isn’t a “pure” Bowie knife for a couple of reasons. The biggest is that this is a folder, which isn’t particularly traditional for the style.

That said, it does have some crucial elements in common with the traditional design. That starts with the blade. Like classic Bowies, this is a clip point blade shape, albeit a more modern, stylized take. That said, it still has a long, curved belly and a sharp piercing point.

Folding knife with textured gray handle and silver blade engraved with "TONIGHT" on dark wooden background. — The Essential Knight sports a classic, reliable frame lock.

It also shares another significant element in one of its two deployment options. The deep groove near the spine is similar to a fuller (or blood groove,) which, along with being a stylistic element, acts as a nail nick for manual deployment.

The ergonomic shape of the handle also somewhat hearkens to traditional Bowie knives. However, that’s where things start to diverge, as most of the rest of this knife’s makeup is more innovative and, frankly, premium.

Black folding knife with textured handle and partially open matte black blade on dark wooden surface. — This EDC flipper is available in a trio of distinct, sharp colorways.

Tradition meets innovation

Let’s get back to the blade. The classic clip-point shape and fuller are mated to an even speedier deployment method: a flipper tab. Furthermore, it’s crafted from Böhler M390 super steel — a favored EDC knife blade material of the moment.

That 3.6-inch blade propels from the handle courtesy of a caged ceramic ball-bearing pivot. On two of the three configurations, the pivot and other hardware are finished in contrasting teal.

Black textured folding knife with partially exposed silver blade and turquoise screws on dark charcoal background. — The knife’s blade deploys via either a flipper or a fuller-inspired nail nick.

On all three configurations, the handle is crafted from titanium and has a machined decay-like texture applied that adds some stylishness, as well as additional grip. Furthermore, it features an integrated frame lock and a reversible pocket clip.

Overall, the knife measures 8.54 inches, which is admittedly on the larger side of the EDC spectrum, but more closely aligns with the knife’s Bowie-inspired design. As a final touch, the tail has a lanyard attachment point, should you want to attach one.

Black textured folding knife with a partially visible silver blade and blue screws on a dark wooden surface. — The dark-handled options feature contrasting teal hardware, adding a nice stylistic flair.

Coming soon, preorder now

The We Knife Essential Knight is coming soon, but you can preorder it now on the brand’s site in all three colorways for $352 apiece.

We Knife

We Knife Essential Knight

$352 at We Knife

About the Author: Sean Tirman is an associate editor at Gear Patrol who specializes in EDC, cannabis and outdoor gear.

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