Ferrum Forge Preps First WE-Branded Release

Ferrum Forge Knife Works recently showed off the Malice, a new collaboration with WE Knife Co. and the first Ferrum Forge design that will be produced under WE’s own label.

The Malice lands in the same mid-size category as the Fortis 2.0, its first Pro-Series release. It has a 3.5 inch blade configured as a broad, sweeping drop point. Ferrum Forge conceived of this particular shape and geometry as one that would stay tough while maximizing real world cutting performance. “Despite the blade being pretty thick, it is uber slicy,” Ferrum Forge’s Elliot Williamson says.

He goes on to explain that the Malice is the culmination of what Ferrum Forge has learned from their previous larger releases. “I was really looking at what people like about our larger folders and the kinds of feedback I get about in-hand feel and heft, so I took that and made a useful big-bellied drop point with high grinds.” WE and Ferrum Forge picked out M390 for the Malice’s blade steel.

The Malice’s handle is full titanium, with multiple facets giving it a geometrical, hand-filling shape. Williamson notes that although many WE-designed knives come with a similar blade length, the overall heft and profile of the Malice will feel very new. “I wanted to design them something that was larger in hand that what they normally design.” He also points out that all of the hardware, as well as the clip and backspacer, are made from titanium.

Ferrum Forge has had a longtime partnership with WE. They’ve teamed up for multiple Massdrop projects including the best-selling Gent, and more recently WE was tapped as the OEM for Ferrum Forge’s own internal Pro-Series. “It was a no-brainer for us to do this collaboration,” say Williamson. “We email everyday so I just threw it out there that I could design them a model for the WE brand and they liked the idea.”

Williamson also shared his plans for a major extension of the Pro-Series this year. The major success of the Gent, which blended affordability with quality materials and machining in a way that spoke to the knife community, is the inspiration between a new push at Ferrum Forge. “I have distributors frothing for Gent-like models and they (not Massdrop models, but new stuff) will happen under the Pro-Series brand at some point this year,” Williamson says.

He goes on to tell us to prepare for larger distribution and wider availability than previous Ferrum Forge products. “It’s a big step up for us to be dealing in thousands of unit rather than hundreds, but if we want to keep Ferrum Forge growing we have to take the lessons we are learning from Massdrop and start using them to our advantage. “

Knife in Featured image: WE Knife Co. Malice