Jul
I make no secret of my love for Willumsen designed knives. I’ve got a couple of these tactical beauties in my collection – the Willumsen designed World Legal and the Willumsen designed and made RED E.
They look tough and practical and are made with the type of materials that you would normally see in knives that cost a whole lot more.
The Cobra Ace is no exception – the materials used in the manufacture of this knife are absolutely top notch, whether its the CPM S35N steel or the steel and G-10 handle – it offers truly amazing value for money.
Let’s jump in and take a closer look.
The blade on the Willumsen Copenhagen Cobra Ace is premium quality CPM S35N steel. It could be argued that this is the absolute best ‘mainstream’ knife steel available.
You’d certainly be hard pushed to find a knife steel that has better edge retention, toughness and stain resistance for the money. To find a better knife steel than this would involve spending serious amounts of money.
Out of the box the blade is incredibly sharp – CPM S35N steel has amazing edge retention anyway, and it’d probably be a while until you’d need to sharpen it again. I reckon you could shave with this, straight out of the box.
The blade is 3.5″ long with a finger nick for easier opening. It’s not an assisted opening but the silky smooth bearing mechanism offers enough resistance to stop the blade from flopping about like a steel salmon.
The blade is a great shape and the ideal length to make it a great camp and trekking companion. It’s quite light (5oz) yet feels substantial and does not, in any way, feel ‘cheap’.
It really feels every inch the premium tool that it is.
The handle is a combination of steel and G-10, with different textures on each. The steel has a larger diamond pattern whilst the G-10 part has a much smaller speckled pattern. This combination gives a really high end and comfortable feel.
As with some other Willumsen designed knife the handle has a cut out area. This reduces overall weight whilst maintaining strength and stability.
The steel adornments on the handle add some extra details which compliment the knife beautifully. Everything on this knife is purposeful, there is nothing here that doesn’t need to be. Having said that, the little details such as the design of the screws or the bearing driven pivot just look so nice.
This is a locking folder and the locking mechanism is via a traditional and incredibly sturdy lock back mechanism. The lock back isn’t too stiff and provides a stable lock with absolutely zero play in the blade. Once it’s locked, that’s how it’s staying.
It’s definitely a two handed opener – the smooth resistance on opening and the lock back mechanism means you can’t open this with one hand.
In the hand the Willumsen Cobra Ace feels great. I couldn’t find any position to hold this knife that felt uncomfortable.
The deep pocket clip is fully reversible (with a spare included in the box) so it would be equally comfortable in either hand. The box also contains a Willumsen Copenhagen vest patch for those who really want to go for the full ‘tacticool’ look.
in terms of choices for the Willumsen Cobra Ace, it is available in two different styles – Stone Black and Night Olive.
Both colour choices look gorgeous and would come down to personal preference. I’m a big fan of both these colourways.
For the quality of the knife – its materials and design you’d expect to pay a premium price for this – but you’d be wrong. This knife really does offer exceptional value for money – especially given the incredible high end CPM S35N steel in the blade.
This is a fantastic value all rounder – ideal for trekking and camping – with the kind of high end fetaures and materials you’d normally find on a much more expensive knife.
If you;re in the market for a premium product without the premium price tag, then you seriously need to consider the Willumsen Copenhagen Cobra Ace. You would not be disappointed.
