If you think the American Dream is dead, you are unaware of the success of custom knifemaker Michal Gavac. He came to America from Slovakia, bought some basic tools, and began modding production knives. As is often the case, modding led to making and making led to collaborations with production companies.
Gavac’s highly organic and instantly recognizable style is highly sought after. As a result, his collaborations have sold well. Many “eased the edges” of Gavac’s wild design language to make the blades more appealing to the masses.
WE Knife’s High-Fin, however, does no such thing. It allows knife nuts to get access to a true Gavko design at a lower price and with more supply. This is a beautiful, wicked object that happens to be a tool, much in the same way that a Lamborghini is a sculpture that happens to get you from point A to point B.
In short: The WE Knife Co. High-Fin is a very high-fidelity production version of a hot custom maker’s design. It’s made with excellent materials, has a good fit and finish, and has an aggressive look that arises from fine sculptural elements.
- Steel: 20CV
- Grind: Partial convex grind
- Lock: Framelock
- Blade length: 2.98"
- OAL: 6.98"
- Weight: 3.9 oz.
- Price: Starting at $247
- Country of origin: China
Pros
- Unadulterated Gavko design language
- High and deep hollow grind makes for super aggressive cutting
- Unique, aggressive look with a very on-trend blade shape
Cons
- Handle is a bit pokey
- Extra-large hands will have a problem
We Knife Co. High-Fin Review
Overall
The WE Knife High-Fin is a titanium frame lock flipper. There are a few base versions, such as this one, and a high-end version with damasteel and MokuTi accents (those accents add $700 to the price).
The knife deploys with basic but effective thumb studs. The pocket clip’s organic appearance allows for a good grip on your pocket but zero hot spots.
The blade shape, a reverse tanto with a harpoon tip, matches the aggressive lines on the handle. The knife has a full forward guardless choil, allowing a user to choke up for precise cuts. The handles are contoured and their outlines are taken straight from Gavko customs.
What I Liked
The action on this knife is excellent — once you clear the detent the blade snaps open. I am super impressed with the size of the blade here. Often these more experimental custom collabs are enormous.
If you have handled the Rotten EVO 3.0 you can identify with this. Most, if not all of these high-end collabs are enormous. But if you want a knife that looks like no other and is a reasonable size, the WE Knife High-Fin is a winner.
Drawbacks
If you are looking for a no-frills (no-gills) knife, keep moving. This is not a testament to practicality. For example, the handle is a bit jarring, especially if you have odd hand proportions or a very large glove size.
The swells and points aren’t too bad for my hands. But for a larger mitt, they would be too prospective. The middle “hump” on the handle is, however, a problem even for me.
We Knife High-Fin Conclusion
Thanks to the really pronounced hollow grind and relatively slim stock, the WE Knife High-Fin is as wicked a slicer as it is good-looking.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive or practical blade, this is not your first choice. But if you want a slightly different flavor of knife, or you just really love Gavko’s aesthetic, the WE Knife Co. High-Fin is fantastic.
Recommended.
