WE Knife Vision R Review

The WE Knife Vision R is another collaborative effort between WE Knives and a Malaysian knife-maker Snecx Tan, who invented the Superlock featured in Vision R. It is an unusual blade lock that joins the blade with the pocket clip, both unusual, to create a most unconventional knife.

The WE Knife Vision R is a production folding knife made from CPM 20CV super steel and flamed titanium, with Superlock mechanism and ceramic bearings. It is the perfect balance between form and function.

Vision R by WE Knives is an 8” long folding knife with a 4.5” flame anodized titanium handle and 3.5” bead blasted CPM 20CV stainless steel blade. It has an unusually placed tip-up pocket clip with a thumb hole and bearings pivot. The blade style is reverse tanto and is configured for both right and left hand. It weighs just 3.63 ounces. Despite the knife’s complicated design, it is 100% ambidextrous.

The WE Knife Vision R came in the same standard cardboard packaging it does every time.

It contained a micro fiber cleaning cloth, an authenticity certificate, a manual containing detailed specs of the knife, a silica pack, and a black nylon pouch containing the Vision R wrapped in a plastic sleeve.

The knife came out in a perfect finish condition right out of the box. The blade is ultra-thin with a sharp factory edge, and the blue anodized titanium handle had the perfect stonewash finish that protects it from wear and dirt. The milled handle makes it lightweight and easy to carry, grip, and use.

The thumb hole deployment is wide enough and easy access. It protrudes outside the handle easily enough to open. The steel lock bar protruding out is the Superlock mechanism. You need to press on top of it to disengage the blade. It is super easy to use.

It has a big enough finger choil, but lacks jimping along the spine. In fact, the blade is too flat from the back to enable a choke hold. The flat grind makes it easy to sharpen along the blade lines. The blade tip is sharp and pointy for piercing capability. With the thin blade stock, it makes piercing into objects much easier.

Other than the bearings anodized pivot screw, there is one anodized body screw at the bottom of the knife near the un-anodized screw, and another one near the pivot. It secures the unique Superlock in place.

The Superlock bar can be slid off out of the handle. That makes it easy to wipe and clean. You do not need to disengage the entire knife. After you are done cleaning, you can just slide it right inside and use the knife normally.

However, when it comes to cleaning the pivot, you may have to disengage the knife to prevent the gunk from accumulating. That can get in the way of smooth deployment and lockup of the knife.

The Vision R is fully ambidextrous despite its unique design. It is configured for both right and left-handed users. The pocket clip is designed in such a way that it vertically pops out of the pocket. But the Superlock being on top of the pocket clip means that it can open up inside the pocket with a slight pressure. At the same time, securing the knife using the pocket clip also ensure the blade remains locked in if the blade is fully submerged inside the pocket.

The detent of the knife is also a bit weak. Although, the deployment and lockup is smooth and solid.

The blade of WE Knife Vision R is a 3.5” long CPM 20CV blade with a cutting edge of 3.15”, a width of 1.1” and stock thickness of 0.11”, which makes it ultra-thin and razor sharp. It features a flat grind with reverse tanto bead blasted finish and a plain edge.

That makes the blade efficient for cutting, stabbing, and slicing. The CPM 20CV is a super steel that offers a good mix of corrosion and abrasion resistance, along with good edge retention. The blade may not be too thick, but the CPM 20CV being too hard makes it a bit challenging to sharpen. But it only takes 5-10 minutes to get the factory fresh edge, which is not very often needed, so it is worth it.

The handle of WE Knife Vision R is a blue/gray anodized and milled titanium frame with a pocket clip placed on to the side. It is 4.5” long, 1” wide and 0.43” thick. It comes with a stonewash finish that protects the color from wearing off, including wear and rust. It is one of the best finishes, mostly used on knife blades.

The milled design of the scales makes it easy to see inside, clean and maintain it, and makes it lightweight. The weight of the blade and the handle is in good proportion to each other, so it does not feel bulky. It is easy to hold with good ergonomics, although it does not have any bends for the knuckles. It is quite a straight handle, but well-designed.

The deployment on WE Knife Vision R is one of the simplest – the thumb hole. It is a trademark of Spyderco Knives, and very easy to deploy if designed correctly and strategically. It works by placing the thumb on to it and flicking it open in one quick smooth motion.

Whereas, the Superlock lock mechanism is a spring-loaded steel bar that indexes into the back of the knife blade for opening and closing. To engage the Superlock, you have to push back on the front of the bar and flick it with your wrist. It will open up the blade. Let go of the lock bar to lock the blade in place. Same is the case with Vision R. It is placed on the side of the knife. You need to push back on it to disengage the blade. It also comes out if you push it outside. It allows you to clean the lock bar without having to disassemble the knife.

The ceramic pivot ball bearings make the knife ultra-smooth for use in the field. It allows frequently opening and closing the blade, and just as fast as an automatic with less effort. Using the Superlock with a flick of the wrist to release and engage the blade makes using the Vision R quite a show. But it is effective and will not disengage on you.

Being made from CPM 20CV and titanium, this knife is mud and gunk resistant. You can easily wash it clean without having to disassemble it every time. The balance of the weight throughout the knife is also good. It does not feel too bulky or heavy in use.

The blade of the knife is quite good too. We were able to prepare meat and cut a significant amount of fruits and vegetables for an extended period before washing it. It slices through meat and vegetables smoothly, given the CPM 20CV blade with the reverse tanto. We can easily make precise cuts without having to choke hold it. The length of the knife is just right for an average-sized hand. It slices nicely for a long time.

We used the knife for two weeks straight without encountering any major difficulties. The handle is smooth and ergonomic. It provides a comfortable grip. The pocket clip is deep pocket carry and discreet, especially in the back pocket. It does not take up too much space or create any hot spots. The side clip ensures that the blade remain in its position if it accidentally opens up.

Overall, the Vision R works well in the field without any major challenges.

CIVIVI Vision FG also comes with a Superlock locking mechanism and the milled handle, just as the WE Knife Vision R. However, it is more affordable compared to Vision R. It is also slightly heavier, which the Vision R is not.

Both the knives feature high-end materials like CPM 20CV blade and titanium handle. Where Vision R has a slightly complicated design, the CIVIVI Vision FG focuses on practicality and comfort.

Both the knives feature a versatile reverse tanto blade style, are fidget-friendly with well-tuned detent with comfortable ergonomics, chamfering and contouring. Both the knives also have very good cutting performance and piercing ability. The CIVIVI Vision FG has some jimping along its spine, which is missing in Vision R.

WE Knives Vision R and Trogon both have similar features, like CPM 20CV blade and titanium handle. Both the knives’ blades have a bead-blasted finish and a stonewash finish on the handle. Both the knives are configured for left and right hands with bearings pivot. However, the Trogon costs more than the Vision R.

However, the Trogon has a spear pointed blade compared to Vision R’s reverse tanto. Due to the milled Vision R handle, it weighs lesser than the Trogon and is a bit longer in length. The Trogon’s blade’s stock thickness is also more than Vision R’s. However, that does not come in the way of the knife’s performance.

Both the knives are good EDC folding knives.

WE Knife Vision R is a very unique and special manual folding knife. Its Superlock lock mechanism is what sets it apart from other folders. It is placed on the side of the knife, above the side pocket clip, made for the back pocket. The Superlock also slides outside for easy cleanliness and maintenance.

It features a thumb-hole for deployment. The knife is made of ultra-premium CPM 20CV steel blade and titanium handle. The screws are anodized and easy to disassemble the knife.

The milled handle balances the weight of the knife throughout, and is a deep pocket carry knife that stops the blade from accidentally opening all the way when carried inside the pocket. It costs just $277.50 from Chicago Knife Works, which totally matches the value it provides. It passed the field test and first impressions. The black nylon pouch is also included in the package for easy carry.

We have written a detailed review about We Knife Vision R

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