Knife Review: Vehement Knives Wharncliffe EDC

Vehement Wharncliffe EDC and a Flush of Wood Ear

Since late June 2016 I’ve had a constant companion at my side: the Vehement Knives Wharncliffe EDC. I’ve long been a wharncliffe aficionado and wanted to give Vehement Knives’ rendition a try for quite some time. When Vehement Knives ran a very good sale in November 2016, I just couldn’t take it any more. This was to be my first custom knife! It also would mark the single most expensive knife that I had ever purchased and one that I would wait quite some time for. Was it worth it? Absolutely. My purpose here is to give my honest impression of the knife.

The Perfect Equipment for a Forest Excursion

Here are the basics:

Original Retail Price (Not on Sale) - $200

Steel – 154 CM

Composition of 154 CM is typically 1.05% Carbon, 0.35% Silicon, 13.50-14.00% Chromium, and 4.0% Molybdenum according to KnifeCenter.com. 154 CM is considered a good high carbon knife steel with excellent edge retention properties and decent corrosion resistance.

Blade Profile – Modified Wharncliffe

A traditional Wharncliffe blade features a flat cutting edge and a gently curving spine. Vehement Knives’ version actually has a slightly recurved blade, which makes it better for cuts involving a drawing or pulling motion, but performs less satisfactorily for chopping. This style of blade is particularly appropriate for defensive knife work.

Blade Length and Width – 3” cutting edge (as measured straight across) and 3/8” thick until the spine curvature begins

Handle Type and Material – Two piece canvas micarta scales (natural color), 3/4” across the handle

Construction – Unibody, with rear lanyard hole

Sheath – Custom kydex with Blade-Tech Tek-Lok

These basic facts can only tell you so much. Here is my subjective opinion regarding what the knife is good at:

Vehement Wharncliffe EDC and a Prime Yellow Chanterelle

FORAGING

Over the 7 months that I have been using the EDC I have enlisted it in a number of tasks. Some of these it was practically designed for—others were pretty unreasonable give the knife’s intent. To begin with, I have become somewhat of mushroom fancier as of late, a mycophile if you will. I’ve found that even when the fish aren’t biting and game is uncooperative you can traipse around the woods and finding interesting, often edible mushrooms. I’m glad to spend my leisure time this way! There is actually a considerable niche in the knife world for specialty mushroom knifes. Typically, these are characterized as folding knives with a deeply recurved blade (typically a hawk bill profile) that may or may not feature an integrated brush. The archetypical mushroom knife is produced by Opinel and features a wood handle and a locking collar. Opinel knives are classy, respected, and very continental. While these are all good things, I wanted a mushroom knife more suitable for an American outdoorsman. The Wharncliffe EDC fits this role exceedingly well. The curvature of the blade makes it perfect for precisely cutting mushroom stipes (like the Opinel) but you could also wield it fairly effectively as a defensive weapon (unlike the Opinel).

Opinel Mushroom Knife

PARING

From a culinary perspective, the Wharncliffe EDC also excels in peeling fruits and vegetables. I mentioned before that the recurved blade is good at pull-cutting---it really shows in the kitchen. In fact, if you were to examine the best samples of paring knives the blades would closely resemble that of the Wharncliffe EDC.

ROPE WORK

Most cordage is processed through a drawing motion and here the Wharncliffe reigns supreme. Folk tradition attributes the development of the Wharncliffe-style blade to sailor-folk. This makes logical sense on its face because of the need to prevent punctures on the rolling seas and the need to quickly cut rope. However, such claims regarding the development of the Wharncliffe seem tenuous, at best.

PRECISE CUTS

The fine tip of the Wharncliffe EDC and the pronounced choil mean that you can choke up on the knife and perform detail cuts with ease. Applications for this style of cutting range from scribing wood to remove a thorn from your finger-tip.

From Harvesting Mushrooms to Cleaning Squirrel

GENERAL OVERVIEW

My overall impression of the knife is that it is a robust, beautiful piece of functional artwork. The knife has been handy in day-to-day chores like opening boxes or obnoxious plastic packaging which I suspect is the primary duty for most everyday carry (EDC) blades. It is, however, unlike any knife in my personal collection (which has previously been largely dedicated to skinning or butchery). The only area that the Wharncliffe falls a bit short is in processing game. However, that is not flaw in the design, rather it is an issue with applying the wrong tool for the job. Nonetheless, I have incidentally taken small game (including rabbit and squirrel) while foraging and employed the knife successful in the skinning, gutting, and break-down of these critters.

Due to its small size, the knife can be easily concealed under an untucked shirt. Likewise, the short blade length (3”) means that the knife may be excluded from ‘dangerous weapon’ restrictions in some jurisdictions. Nonetheless it could likely be wielded as a formidable defensive tool if circumstances required such. My only hesitation in using the knife in this capacity is the brevity of the handle. Though  I don’t claim to be a defensive knife expert, I would prefer to see at least another 1” of handle space for better grip purchase. For those looking for a dedicated defensive wharncliffe, Vehement offers the fearsome Wharlock.

The included kydex sheath is the single best sheath I have owned. The knife fits in the sheath securely and comes out in a flash. The form-fitting kydex does not dull the blade upon withdrawal and the Tek-Lok provides complete adaptability. The fit and finish of the knife are very good overall. The high polish on the metalwork has remained very attractive despite hard use and exposure to occasional showers. I have oiled the knife infrequently and it has never developed any rust spots whatsoever. Edge retention on the knife has been good, but I do find edge touch-up to be a more difficult process with the knife’s recurved blade. Vehement typically recommends blade touch-up with a leather strop loaded with a honing compound.  

I would certainly consider myself a very satisfied customer of Vehement Knives. During my impatient waiting for the knife to be delivered, owners Matt and Jenna Martin were very gracious in answering my frequent (often annoying) questions. Vehement Knives was originally based in Longmont, Colorado but has since relocated to Gladstone, Michigan. Matt doesn’t appear to be accepting custom orders on his website due to backlog but you can purchase ready-made Vehement products from Knives Ship Free. Although it takes me a long time to save enough pennies to purchase a quality knife, I can’t help but think about some one-off Japanese-inspired blades that I have seen on the Vehement Knives Facebook page. Maybe one of these days...