HANDS ON: WINTERBLADE FACTOR B4

Here's the thing. Brian Winter's latest line up was going to sell out fast no matter what because that's just the type of guy he is. It didn't matter what blade steel, scale design or unique actuation device he would choose and use. Brian Winter has garnered quite the cult following for his wide variety of Factor knives. The main draw of the Factor is the use of a flip lever which adds not only an intuitive way of opening a knife without crossing into automatic or spring assisted territory but also adds an extra layer to the design language of the knife itself. It seems the Winterblade Factor is an adaptable canvas that can meet a variety of metal and texture integrations. 

The three examples that we got in for review are the all Black PVD & DLC model, the Diamond Textured Ti & Black DLC as well as the Diamond Texture with Blue Blend Timascus accents. Visually stunning pieces especially in hand. The Diamond Texture used on the handles allows for a satisfying grip feel as well as adding needed grip. With the placement of the flipper being about 75% up the handle with its already small footprint, accessing the flipper can feel a bit awkward. You also have to apply more force than you would think to begin the actuation. What is impressive is the amount of force that the blade creates when swinging into the locked position. This has a very satisfying and secure feel. They have gone with a RAM-Lok type of mechanism they call the M Lock due to its use of magnets. I am a fan of these because too many times I have cut my finger open with the traditional frame lock. The blades also have a generous cutout that can be used for flipping the blade. Who doesn't like options.

It used to feel like Magnacut was a special blade steel but now everyone and their cousin uses it so it seems pretty standard at this point. The options we have are either with a Black DLC or stonewashed blade finish. They also had some Damascus blades offered but we were not able to get our hands on one. I rarely cut myself while handling knives because I handle them all day everyday for a living, but a small brush of the blade gave quite the surface level cut that reminds you that these things are seriously sharp. Winterblade doesn't call it the "extra slicey" blade for nothing. If you're going to accidentally cut yourself, might as well do it with something that is beautiful. Pick up one of these three examples in our shop today.

THE BASICS:

– Overall blade length: 3.0”
– Blade edge length: 2.5”
– Handle length: 4.3”
– Overall knife length: 7.1”
– Handle thickness: .5”
– Weight: 4.2 oz