We live in an era of inflation. Gas has gone up. Food has gone up. Cars have gone up. But, in the knife world, inflation hit long before COVID-19. When I started this blog you could purchase a Spyderco Delica 4 in VG-10 for $55. Now that is same knife runs $88 street price. It used to be that a scant few production knives cost more than a Sebenza. Now, virtually every new enthusiast-grade knife costs roughly the same or more than a Sebenza. Many years ago, when I was doing the podcast with Andrew Gene, he mentioned that the last hurdle for great design was value. I think we were talking about the Cadet or how he made a heat treat oven in his spare bedroom and he said that prices were going crazy and that no one really cares about good design because they are not focused on price.

If you look through history you see this. The Model T wasn’t better than some of its hand built counterparts, it was the first to do mass production and make an automobile affordable. Victorinox hasn’t produced a knife yet in Magnacut, but they are consistently the best selling blades because they are good values. Jeans are ubiquitous because they too represent an outstanding value—durable, longlasting pants for relatively little money.

In a knife market where a production version of an RJ Martin sells for more than the custom version, what does a good value even look like? How about a true custom knife with great steel for $360? Let’ me introduce you to Walter Wells. He was rehousing Opinel blades into more sophisticated scales. Then he started making designs of his own. Now he can make you a knife with the steel, opening mechanism, and handle scales you want, in relatively short order, and for a very decent price. If you want a custom folder but don’t want to pay $1,900, start here. There are, as a famous car YouTuber says, quirks and features, but in general, this is an excellent blade for very little money. Let’s take a look at the Final Frontier of Design—inexpensive custom knives.

Here is the product page. The Walter Wells custom cost me $360. Prices vary based on design, size, and materials. This is a unique knife so there are no written or video reviews.

Summary: Proving that custom knives can still be a good value.

NOTE ON ORDERING: I reached out to Walter via IG DM. He responded and told me when my spot came up on his build list. Over the course of a week or so, he sent me dozens of build photos that I have included here. Then once finished he emailed me and I sent the cash. The knife arrived a few days later. The entire transaction was smooth and he was a fountain of updates. This is the best experience I have had with a maker, though Thys Meade was pretty darn good too.

Design: 2

There is no escaping the fact that this knife bears more than a passing similarity to some of the production versions of a Mayo. The blade, the handle shape, the thumb oval, all echo Mayo. It is not enough for me to balk, but I mention it so you can make your own decision. If this was Stellite and Titanium with lightening holes, then I’d be less pleased. As it is, the pattern is pretty generic but does have references to Mayo’s style.

And there is good reason for it to do so. Mayo’s style results in a broadly useful and compact design. I love the blade shape and the thumb oval. I wish access to the oval was sufficient to allow a Spydieflick, but that’s not a sin, just a bonus feature unadded.

Fit and Finish: 1

There were a few things that caught my attention. First, the blade has a few stray marks on it. No big deal, but noticeable. Second, the blade had a bit play in it. I got it out, but it took more tuning than a new guitar or a pre-Bugout Benchmade Axis lock. Overall, the knife is quite nice, but it is not as superb as, for example, the Thys Meade knife I recently acquired. The price was significantly lower, so that probably explains it.

Grip: 2

This is a chonky knife, a thick handle with lots of curves (above next to the svelte Neutron 2). As a result, its wonderful in the hand. Even when plowing through stacks of cardboard, there are no hotspots or unevenness. It may make the knife comically beefy, but I’d take that over bad in the hand. Over and over again, I delighted in carrying the knife because its handles are just that good. Remember: a knife knut asks about steel; a knife expert asks about handles.

Carry: 2

The knife isn’t terribly large, has edges as round as a stick of butter, and is pretty light. All of that makes for an excellent knife in the pocket. Its so great you don’t even realize it is there. The deep carry clip is also a nice touch making the knife virtually invisible. Combine all this with a pleasing amount of handle texture thanks to the micarta and what we have is a gem of a knife in the pocket.

Steel: 2

20CV is great. It is part of the M390 chemical family, which includes 20CV, CTS-204p, M390, M398, and now M390MK. There is a reason there are so many variants—its a great steel formulation and this blade was heat treated by Peters, so you get the most you can out of the included molecules.

Blade Shape: 2

A classic drop point or long clip point, this is a relatively friendly blade shape and one that causes zero problems when cutting. I can’t complain about a blade shape that appears in many of my favorite knives, including the vaunted Sebenza.

Grind: 2

The knife includes a very pronounced hollow grind, making it staggeringly sharp. Its not quite as comical as the hollow grind on my Yuna, but it is close. The result is a stunningly slicey knife.

Deployment Method: 1

The front flipper works. Its just punishing to learn. The jimping on the spine that is used to deploy the blade via the front flipper is exceptionally aggressive. Whats more, the action is slightly different than most other front flippers requiring more of a push out than snap down. Once your thumb passes over the pivot, the balance of the blade shifts. If this is your first front flipper its not a big deal, but if you have used others, this different action coupled with the exceedingly aggressive jimping with absolutely destroy your thumb when opening the knife a few times. Of course the thumb oval works fine.

Retention Method: 2

This seems like a COTS clip, but I can’t find them on Jantz or other similar sites. Whatever its origin, this is a really nice stamped clip—states out of the way, doesn’t hurt deployment, and gets the knife way down in the pocket.

Lock: 2

This is a liner lock. Its easy to engage and disengage. It doesn’t have blade play. It works and adds very little weight. It is a perfect example of why the liner lock is a great knife. It does everything with very little fuss.

Other Considerations

Fidget Factor: Low

A few missed ripped on the front flipper and you will be discourage from playing with the knife again.

Fett Effect: Very High

With a lot of character in the micarta, this knife will look different day by day. I oiled it and carried it and now it has that wonderful smooth but textured feel that makes micarta so special.

Value: Very High

Given that I picked out literally everything—steel, blade shape, size, handle materials, material colors, and deployment, this is a knife for which there is no twin. It is a truly bespoke piece and to get it for less than $400 is staggering, especially in today’s 100% bananas market. Remember, the production Overkill costs more than the custom.

Overall Score: 18 of 20

While not as hydraulic a Sebenza or as clean as Reate, the Walter Wells custom has character for miles. Think of it as the Mandalorian’s custom N-1, a timeless design with patched together elements that has a lived in, used feel without being weird or awkward. I love the Millenium Falcon, but it is not beautiful like the N-1. Combining the lines of the figther and the worn elements of the Falcon, Mando’s N-1 is my favorite start ship ever (well…the Roci…but that is another discussion). I love the knife. Its less than perfect fit and finish makes me want to use the knife and that is, after all, the purpose of all tools.

Competition

If you want perfection, the Sebenza will give you that for about $100 more. You can opt for a Reate too. But as a truly bespoke knife there is no much that serves as a direct competitor. That is, after all, why you bother with a custom in the first place.

Amazon Links

Spyderco Delica 4

Benchmade Bugout