Today, we'll take a look at a knife that may not be the first choice among the snobbiest of knife snobs, but would be a great choice for a lot of folks: the WE Banter, designed by Ben Peterson ("What iiiiiis upguys?") formerly of BladeHQ.
"Blen" here. Thanks for weighing in, Nick! Great thoughts. Why the high speed, low drag version? There's a book called Predictably Irrational that the folks at RMJ Tactical recommended to me a few years ago. One of the concepts that Dan Ariely presents in his book is the idea of driving people away from "no" and onto "which." By giving two choices, it's no longer a choice between "yes and no," rather it becomes a decision between "blue or black." Plus, blackout knives are particularly popular. Cheers with my tall glass of vanilla!
I bought both the blue and black versions, and I prefer the black. I am a tactical, high-speed, low-drag operator and I prefer black blades, particularly if they are coated well and not painted. I am also consciously aware of people who are uneasy around "murdery" blades like my blacked-out Protech SNG. The black Banter meets my aesthetic needs as well as looking as harmless as a blacked out knife can. Thanks for the choice Ben!
No worries, Ben...Nick is hard on everybody. LOL! I like the black one better! Nice job on your first knife offering! 👍🏼🥰 would love to see Nick's! 😅 We would finally get to critique HIM!
I personally love this knife. I have both versions, and I have no problem with the price tag given the fit and finish and S35VN!! I love the action, and the biggest thing that intrigued me about the knife was the fact that it’s so simple that it works perfectly. Too many knives nowadays try to do fancy things, weird blades, awkward handles, etc.... I just love how simple the knife is, it brings a sense of ease with it because it’s so simple and fun to use! Great review nick, everyone has their own opinions about every knife ever made!!
Should I get this if I already have the Bugout? The action seems like something I could play with all day, but the price is a bit high for a nice to have and not need to have.
I just got this (the all black) and I absolutely love it. As a woman it fits great in the hand and the action is fantastic. For me it is the perfect knife when it comes to size and how it carries. This will be my everyday carry no doubt.
Couldn't disagree more. I have a storage cabinet full of "artsy" knives that I enjoy but I find myself gravitating to this with more frequency every day. The beauty is in its simplicity where less is more.
I disagree with everyone who says it looks plain and looks vanilla, although opinion is subjective. I think it’s looks awesome. I like the chunky proportions, and the looks are one of the main reasons I’m considering it. To me, it’s a very stylish design almost hidden in plain sight as a stereotypical knife shape.
Honestly I think this is a great enthusiast knife too. I'm really impressed with mine and I think the price point is perfectly fair-- WE fit and finish with a premium steel.
Hmm, this is one of those rare times I disagree with Nick. As a fellow self proclaimed knife nerd I was really excited about this knife. Yeah it's vanilla, but I think that's what makes it stand out. In a world where everyone is trying to design something unique, Ben has design something that is so plain that it ends up being unique in it's plain-ness. Sometimes it's nicer to be understated. I know Ben likes to be able to reach his index finger to the tip of the blade but I'm hoping to see a larger version of this knife in the future (in every dimensions except for blade stock thickness. Also, a blue handle with a black blade would look awesome.
I feel like this might have been better as a Civivi knife with an $80-$90 pricetag, since that's around what they're charging for an Elementum in S35VN. Or even cheaper than that and use a steel like 154cm. I have the Banter with the blue scales and I really like it, but I can't guarantee it'll replace my Lil' Native as my work knife.
Tbh civivi and we are the same company. By branding it as a WE knife they’re actually increasing it’s value as it implies higher quality and fit and finish.
99.99999% of knife crowd could get away with an Opinel for their ACTUAL knife needs, outside of the kitchen. This piece by Ben expertly shaves off the frill, and leaves you with a pure tool.
Finally have one of my own after a lot of back and forth!! OMG, I love it! For a non-American made knife (which I’ve come by that were not sharp or had small deficiencies). This one is sexy, sharp and dang near perfect! I’m a retired military guy and have always been super “USA made” but honestly I’m starting to see China and Taiwan make some really gorgeous knives that they have taken the time to pay attention to the detail!❤
I think the main reason I love this knife so damn much is because it's made by one of ours. It really feels like a buddy of mine designed it even though I've only spoken to Ben a handful of times. He's part of the community and I feel as though it's just a great piece because it's one of our ideas.
I completely agree. I really like the aesthetics of all black everything. It is kind of annoying when people call it "tacticool" solely because of the color. Was Johnny Cash high-speed low-drag for wearing all black?
As a knife muggle, This knife is perfect. I don't want a knife that looks like I'm going to skin a deer. I'm just opening amazon packages let be honest 🤣🤣🤣 I wish it was half the price tho, would love other easy open similar knife suggestions!!!!
If this is a "first knife", I think that the bar is very high. Don't have one yet, but do plan on buying one. Don't think the price is tragic as just about all WE's S35VN blades are north of $108. I think a lot of people will compare it to the Civivi Elementum in S35VN at $30 less. Fair enough. But some of us won't mind spending a bit more for thumbstuds and may smile a bit as we say in our minds, What Is Up Guys?
You are wrong Nick when you say the people watching this video this knife might not appeal to. That may be true in this exact moment but not for future viewings. So many of us who weren't knife people, get into knives from watching YOUR channel. So the perfect audience this knife is designed for...I think they will check it out on your channel first. You have gotten so many of us into the knife world! And what happened to the days of yore when you praised a pocket knife for being a boring tool? You would say "I would take it out if my pocket, cut something, put it back in without thinking". I think that's even why you loved the RAT so much. Everytime I use this knife those exact words go through my thoughts. This thing is a simple tool extraordinare! And it's got just enough fidget factor to be satisfying and get newbies hooked. Great review Nick! I think Ben made one hell of a knife with this first entry.
I have had this knife for about a month now or so, and it has EASILY became my most carried knife. No question about it. I'm still fairly new to knives overall, but a lot of things about this one stood out to me. I own quite a few awesome knives as well, and I still find myself enjoying this one more than the rest for EDC. Can definitely see how the simplicity can be a turn off for some though. I personally dig it. And I also dig your reviews. Keep it up good sir! 🤙
I like the aesthetic alot. The blacked out look gives it a bit of edginess. You can almost see a fat spearpoint with coffin handle, but nothing threatening.
I didn’t expect to love this knife. I have two Banters and one baby banter. For me, the Banter is perfect for EDC. The thickness of the handle offsets the smallness of the knife. If that makes sense. It fills my hand perfectly, it’s not too skinny. I don’t have big hands. I wear a small to medium glove but I have long fingers. Skinny knives are not comfortable for me. The Banter gets the most pocket time of my knives and I have a nice PM2 and Para3 collection.
This is a boringly excellent knife. It has everything that I look for. High flat grind, ≈3", grippy scales, open back, deep carry clip, great action, good jimping, good steel but nothing too exotic, sharpening choil, liner/frame/axis lock ... It's a lot like my S90V Lil' Native. Although this is actually faultless (anodized blue stand-offs?) there are other knives, with faults, that I prefer. I totally understand why this is Ben's first knife and I'm looking forward to seeing some risk-taking in future.
I have over 100 folding knives ranging from $40 to $600 and the action is one of the best of all of those. The sentient is perfect and the blade snaps out with authority. The sound and feel is extremely satisfying.
So I will freely admit to being a bit of a knife nut and definitely have a number of them that are far more interesting/exciting and definitely more expensive than the Banter. That said, I am actually a really big fan of it, even though it is boring. The reason for this is that this is an archetypal knife. It falls within a very specific class of normal, every day, run of the mill liner locks with S35VN blades, but in that class, I haven't personally handled anything that, as a whole, does it better. This is a knife that someone can carry and use without worrying people or drawing a lot of attention even though it isn't a traditional "grandpa's" knife. It has an action that far exceeds many other knives in the class and price. Is it perfect? No. But expecting absolute perfection at $100 is asking a lot. I personally find this knife very compelling not because it is super unique, but because at it's class and price, it is the very best of average. It is a new baseline. This is to the $100 price point what the Ontario Rat II in D2 is to budget, and I think that's pretty great.
As a knife collector who has a banter I like the simple design. There aren't many knives that have the clean minimalist design, quality action and deployment, good blade shape and material. Its also surprisingly ergonomic. I haven't seen a minimalist knife pull it off this well. But the biggest attraction I had to this knife is nabbing one of the aftermarket scales. The scales are a flat square-ish canvas for a cool design.
It’s odd…I agree with Nick…a lot. That said, completely disagree with the final verdict here (for me, not saying Nick is wrong for him). I know knives…I have more than I could even need and could lose more than half of them and still have too many, yet I really enjoy this design…I feel very connected to it. I also really appreciate what Ben and his wife/family are doing with their brand/website and I fully support that. In fact I was going to order one from BladeHQ but will buy directly from Ben’s site because I feel it’s the right thing to do. I said it in the disassembly video comments and I’ll say it again, good job Ben! Can’t wait to see what’s next.
I'm not a tactical person at all, but am super happy it comes in black because I love black and don't like the silver. It's also the ONLY knife I've ever had my wife say "wow I actually like that one" about, and also commented that she liked how sleek it looked being all black. We are far from "tactical" it's just nice and sleek. Black can be a personal preference thing as well, don't loose sight of that.
This is the knife I keep in my EDC pouch. It doesn't really get pocket time because I'm left handed but as a knife that will spend most of it's life sitting in a pouch, in my truck, it's perfect.
Nick, first and foremost, I appreciate your integrity, honesty and business ethic. You’ve shown yourself to be truly non bias reviewing this Banter knife even though you know and like Ben. I don’t travel in your circle and don’t know anyone in the knife business. I’m just a fan of EDC pocket knives and a subscriber of your You Tube. If you reviewed the knife any other way than you did, you would be considered just another shmo reviewing knives on You Tube. I’m a small business owner in the NorthEast and just wanted to give you a shout out for your integrity. Hard to come by these days
Ben Banters Hey Ben, just curious. Why did you play it so safe with your first design? I’m not knocking you or the knife. With all your years of handling knives, you could have come out of the box swinging. I’m not talking something radical, but definitely something with an edge or a little spice. I hope We Knives gives you another shot at making another knife for them. Congratulations on your first knife debut in the market.
@@greggory584 I see what you're saying. But I guess simplicity is just part of my DNA: I wear a Timex, blue jeans and $6 t shirts. I drive a stock Tacoma. This design is simplicity at work. I guess that's just me at this point in my life.
Ben Banters Hey Ben, Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and replying. Since you explained your life style, I now understand the design of the knife :) If Blade HQ decides to put it on sale, I’ll be sure to buy one. All the best and good luck on your next knife design venture. Greggory
I think I agree on most of your reviews and critiques of knives but not on this one. For instance there's a lot of regular knives or " vanilla" knives that are really popular, like the Civivi Elementum, also you can't say that someone who has carried a lot of knives designed this knife and also say that it's a non-knife person knife. I don't think a non-life person knife is looking for recessed screws and an s35vn blade steel.
Good balanced review. I am not a big Blade HQ fan. To my European mind there's too much "cool, awesome and amazing" and no snappy original banter. They overdo the "in jokes" and offer zero depth to their descriptions. However, Ben is an affable guy whose knife tastes are close to mine. Whilst I do collect knives, I appreciate a tall cool glass of vanilla if it's well done. A knife is most importantly a tool which is produced in public and shouldn't be garish. Inoffensive is a plus for me. Ben has made a good knife, although your each of your comments are very valid. I would definitely consider one and I think many others would agree. I think blue might be the new black on this occasion.
I agree that the general comment that this knife is purely a utilitarian tool for most knife nuts and about as much “knife” that most sane people need - which is Ben’s clever trick to introducing our shared addiction to the rest of the world. Once introduced to a solid knife and breaking the $100 barrier, people will start to ask “what else is available.” Always appreciate the excellent reviews Nick. Keep up the good work!
Received my Benblue Banter today, and I love it!!! Not because it's very special to look at, but because it fits in a knifefobic country like The Netherlands. I own several knives, (approx. 50 ) but this one is, together with a Victorinox, the knife you can take out of your pocket without seeing scary faces. Good job Ben. I will order the black Banters to. And Nick thanks for your excellent review!!!
Nick, another solid and informative review. I also love the disassembly videos you do. I just got in my Banter in blue and love it....but funny thing out of the box its was smooth for like 30 mins then it got a bit gritty. Not a WE action. Not BAD but not great. I have a WE Hecate thats butter smooth so I was scratching my head. SO I broke it down and I swear one of the bearings was backwards if I remember. It was also dry as a bone just like my Hecate. But clean on the inside. So I cleaned it all off and dropped some KLP on it and put it back together. Stellar action. I also like how it centered right up. I have a Civivi but this is definitely a notch above that in quality.
I do like this knife. Ergos and personal preference of vanilla aside. I can say that I’ve purchased 3 knives recently around this same size and price. A mini Bugout $120, upgraded elementum with s35vn $81 and the banter $110. The banter is the only one that I had Zero issues with fit and finish, Quality control or action. I’ve had no desire or need to disassemble and try to fix anything with this out of the box. Unlike the other two. I suppose it could be $20 bucks less then I’d think people would scream it’s sooo cheap and a great value. Eh anyway. Great review as always Nick. I dig it Ben. Keep it up. Make more. ✌🏼&❤️
The review that we've all been waiting 2 months in anticipation for. You've talked me out of buying one. I'd probably end up just giving it away. I have been loving the Sandrin Dellatorre this past week. While I don't care for slip joints as much as locking knives, it just feels so amazing to cut things with.
It is a well designed knife, but, I would like to see this knife as a flipper design which would streamline the blade's form factor. In my line of work, I process cardboard and, unfortunately, thumbstuds get in the way. Nonetheless, good job at the design Ben, keep up the good work.
I love the look. Ben definitely captured the quintessential look of a folding knife for people just getting into knives and also one that even long time collectors can enjoy. I can see it being one of those knives that every collect has to have as part of his collection. Only thing I’m waiting for is different handle materials, especially a metal handle for durability and greater stiffness.
I wasn't going to watch this because honestly, I think a man who has handled thousands of knives could do alot more with a design. If anyone but Ben Peterson had designed this, I think most of us would just drive right past it. But now I think I see the genius. Ben has designed a gateway drug. This is a non intimidating way to get "pump gassers" into "racing fuel." Simple design with elegant aspects. This is why I love this channel: Nick makes me think about crap that I otherwise never would have considered. Well done sir.
I plan on getting one of these because it’s the right size for me and I like a black blade. I would get a different color scale with a bit more bling which would add some flavor to the vanilla.
Nick, I’m an avid fan of your reviews, and will continue to be. OK, you know what makes this knife a freakin’ gem? T-8 screws all around!! I know you mentioned this only in your disassembly video, but it sets this knife apart from its peers, let alone much more expensive knives. That, and the recessed deep carry clip with countersunk screws! Are you kidding me? I’m sure to get more of these in addition to the one I have in blue, maybe even the blacked out version, with which I can switch scales.
Dunno... this is in my top rotation. Gave it a 17* edge and it really came to life. It's so easy to carry it's hard to not. This and the para 3 lightweight are great about that. I think I like the para 3 LW a little more just because the ergos are so fantastic. (The rex45 is also outstanding)
I love my banter. It goes in the pocket more often then my Benchmade Anthem, Protech BR1 Magic Whiskers, and almost as much as my CRK Large Inkosi. It’s just barely cheap enough for me to want to use it all the time, but pricey enough to know it’s well built, with food materials, by a company who cares about the quality of their product. 8.5/10 from me for sure.
I love the simplicity of this knife. And it’s basically a statement against the toxic tactical murderweaponesque culture - so I’m definitely buying one when it’s available in Russia.
It's not toxic to be tactical or carry a larger knife. It's simply a choice in taste. I love this knife. I also love my Cold Steel Recon 1. Both are excellent tools excellent designs and neither are remotely toxic.
The4cp Sorry if my comment felt too harsh. I currently own three cold steel knives myself - and they are great tools. .But they are definitely being marketed as weapons which unfortunately provides populist politicians (in Russia at least) with a great opportunity for fear-mongering against knives. And we as a knife community end up with more and more severe knife legislation. I think that the knife community as a whole would benefit substantially from reducing the level of tacticality when we talk about our knives. I think it would help if we didn’t encourage knife combat and self-defence so much and focused on the more peaceful and practical side of the matter. Also we as a community need to do a better job at explaining that access to things like education, well-paid jobs and healthcare actually leads to decline in violence - not superfluous policing and restrictive knife laws.
Nick, I think you missed the point about the Banter. If you are the kind of person who likes really clean lines, like Ray Laconico designs, this is a very attractive gents knife.
@@baddoopey I got the original in g10 grey scales n D2...lock up good, action good, no blade play...slim profile butbi can get full grip...smaller hands.. I used the d2 to puncture 5 gal buckets this summer for potting...thitbid upgrade to S35VN w green Micarta
Ryan Parish, the g10 must be better than the carbon, which feels like cheap plastic but what i dislike most is the fact that the scales are just undersized.
I think it looks gorgeous. In the same way that a blacked out modern hot rod built from a classic car is. Take those fancy trimmed out old cars and strip and shave and French and smooth all the details, streamline and simplify, and paint it black. Can’t go wrong with that formula.
It’s so crazy to hear your confusion about this knife, while at the same time I’m sitting here thinking that this knife is literally what I need as someone who isn’t a knife person and looking for the best “one and done” option out there.
I was ready to buy one of these, but was turned off by the ball bearing pivot. It just seems like this design would have been better off with the simplicity of bronze washers. I don’t think the target audience will want to deal with maintaining the bearings, once they get dirt in there.
Mine had issues closing. Not sure if the scale is off or what but you really had to dig into the liner in order to close. Very disappointed about that.
I'm a knife guy. I loved this knife from first sight. It's stealth excellence. A better cheaper Bugout. I don't like the axis lock or Benchmade as a company. They are too expensive for what you get and I'm still not liking the whole gun debacle. More how they reacted to us as the knife community more than the actual action itself, but really both.
While many companies market blacked out knives as “tactical”, I don’t think they necessarily are. I’ve found that pulling out a blacked out blade in public to make a cut typically garners less attention than when I take out a shiny reflective blade. The general public doesn’t like seeing knives being used, which is why a nice TiNi or DLC coating can help mitigate gawking.
Funny I have a knife lanyard with a simple knot and 22WMR shell casings on the ends and I was instructed in the hospital while going through security to hide in my pocket! So I know what you mean
I like the looks of this but I have an Elementum and that fulfills the same exact roll as this would. The only thing I like more about the Banter is the recessed pocket clip vs the non recessed on the Elementum.
Great blade shape; excellent (non-snobby) steel; blade length is ok with police in L.A. COUNTY, killer action. Would fit in a small caddy with a AA light and small pen. Look pretty much perfect to me.... I mean, I have 3 or 5 other knives that fit that bill, so I don't know if I'd pick it up. But if I didn't have other knives, I'd be all over this thing. STILL might buy it. The action looks amazing for what the rest of this knife is. Good cutting, legal, excellent fidget-factor....
Nick, I think your conclusion was spot on. I do believe that if they had produced this in CPM154 and dropped the price about 20 bucks, this would be perfect. I like its simplicity and at that price, I would buy two just so I could swap the blades with the handles to get the color schemes I'd like.
I like the knife...love the aesthetic. I own dozen of knives and most revolve around drop points and plain G10 and Micarta lol, so some knife nerds like these types as well lol. I agree though, it would have been a perfect $75 to $80 dollar knife.
