Big news this week for all the hawkbill heads in the audience: We Knife has brought on new-to-the-label maker Grant Chambers, A.K.A. Doctor Viggen, for a new collab model called the Orc Boss. It’s a high-end, large-sized hawkbill knife that is spec’d to impress.
Obviously, the Orc Boss has a blade with swagger; that’s obvious at a glance. Less immediately clear, however, may be the dimensions: the hawkbill here is 3.8 inches of CPM-20CV steel. Hawkbills have a long history in the knife world, particularly in maritime roles, where the claw-like shape formed by the downward-pointing tip and S-shaped recurve make it an excellent choice for pull cuts. But terrestrial aficionados have also taken a shine to the format, both for its facility with cutting chores on dry land and its novelty factor.
But it’s not just the blade’s shape that’s worthy of note here. As Chambers himself has pointed out, We endeavored to replicate the complicated grinds his custom pieces are known for – and it looks like they’ve succeeded. The blade flats are multifaceted, with three large bevels and two smaller ones along the spine and tip – the latter of which could almost be called a hawkbillified harpoon swedge. It all adds up to a knife obviously designed to be a show piece as well as a user.
The cuts ‘n’ curves continue on the Orc Boss’s handle, which a series of semi-circular cuts all around the perimeter echo the baroque linework on the blade. Chambers walked a fine line however, and managed to keep the underlying handle profile a simple one – ironically a humpback shape. A stylized bolster caps the 2/3rds scales, which are made from carbon fiber, available in three different, exotic flavors; We has certainly been a driving force in the adoption of advanced cf patterns amongst high-end production makers. The Orc Boss is not a carry for the faint of heart, as it weighs a sizable 8.24 oz.
Expect this one to surface in the next couple of weeks.
Knife in Featured Image: We Knife Co. Orc Boss
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