The Über-knife Of Doom, Death, and Destruction

Well, it’s official. I’ve found the über-knife of doom. The comany is called William Henry, and it’s basically two guys. They do all the final work on the blades manually, making them semi-custom. These knives are so incredibly godlike that I hesitate to document their many merits using mere ASCII, but I feel compelled to spread the news to the masses.

Ok, for starters the knife is simply of the highest quality. The movement is like satin on satin, with an absolutely sure feel when opening and closing. Its handle is constructed from a combination of 6Al/4V titanium and carbon fiber.

Most important, however, is the blade. The blade (on the one I’m getting) is constructed of a brand new alloy called ZDP-189. The steel is making waves throughout the knife community. Not only is it easy to sharpen, but it holds an edge better than any other steel in the world. Some tidbits:

• A William Henry with a ZDP-189 blade was one of several knives used to cut ten consecutive thick leather straps; it remained sharp after cutting all ten, while the other blades were almost completely dulled.
• The ZDP-189 steel is so revolutionary that when a prominent knife-tester stuck one of the WH knives using it into a 2×4 and twisted, it ripped up the 2×4 instead of breaking the tip of the knife. It was the only knife of this type to pass this test. In case this doesn’t strike you, it means it actually comines both extreme hardness and flexibility — a feat that steel makers have been working to accomplish for centuries.
• The ZDP-189 WH knives come with an edge that is literally sharper than a razor. Literally. The guy who did the review for Blade magazine has done donzens of reviews and felt the edges of thousands of knives. Well, upon barely touching one of these specimens, he promptly cut himself. He then made a note to himself to treat the knife like a scalpel from now on.
• Each blade in this collection features a black coating called Tungsten DLC. Developed for the most extreme industrial tool applications, this coating is created using Tungsten Carbide with an overlay of synthetic diamond. Very hard and wear resistant, the black finish is permanently bonded to the blades at a molecular level. It will not tarnish, chip, or scratch during normal use of the knife.

Ok, so let’s review: This is a semi-custom knife made by two guys that put the finishing touches on each and every knife by hand. The handles are made of Titanium and Carbon Fiber, and the blade is made of a new, completely unholy steel with a Tungsten/Diamond coating.

I think that about covers it.

In short, this is the next evolution of my knife-wielding life. I needed to move away from the bulky, combat-oriented pieces I’ve been carrying since I got into knives as a kid. I need a blade more tailored for carry while at work in the business world. Pulling an 8″ mini-sword out to open a package just isn’t kosher. So I figured that if I had to go down in size, I’d make my next jump in quality at the same time. And quite a jump it was. I went from Spyderco to Cold Steel to Benchmade, and now I move to William Henry.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, no — you don’t want to know how much they cost. I do, however, have one on layaway. :)