Not Your First Knife, Your Final One: Grailer 4 Review

In the U.S., online knife retailers like Blade HQ, Knife Center, and Smoky Mountain Knife Works fulfill most folks’ knife and tool wants and needs. However, in Europe, there is a singular purveyor of seemingly endless knife, tool — even outdoor gear — products: Knivesandtools.com.

From knives and tools to flashlights and binoculars, it’s among the biggest retailers of its type across Europe. The brand even offers an in-house line of knives called Grailer. Designed by Dutch knifemaker Michel Timmerman, the Grailer line comprises four folding knives that look fast, use sought-after materials, and are manufactured with a focus on detail and precision. 

Its latest folder, the Grailer 4, is a flipper-style knife that looks like it belongs in a trophy case but is designed to be broken in and reliable as an everyday-carry knife.

In short: If you’re looking for a premium, high-functioning folding knife that exemplifies an exquisite attention to detail and utilizes high-end materials, the Grailer 4 has your name all over it. That said, expect to pay a premium price for the premium experience.

Grailer 4 Knife Review

Design & Features

The Grailer 4 is a full-sized, flipper-style folding knife. It has a nearly 3.5-inch, harpoon-style 20CV stainless steel blade with a high flat grind for enhanced cutting, slicing, shaving, and chopping capabilities.

The knife is built off of a Grade 5 titanium body and carries titanium bolsters and G10 handle scales. As an added touch of detail, the pivot has a matching G10 Collar.

For a lock, the Grailer 4 utilizes a hearty liner lock, which plays well with the flipper-style opening and the ceramic ball bearings that support the pivot. That opening action is smooth and audibly satisfying. Even at 8.18 inches in total length, the knife doesn’t feel bulky or overbearing due to its curvy ergonomics and ample choil.

An interesting note about the Grailer 4 is that it is actually produced by WE Knife. Over the years, WE Knife has established itself as a premium, but still affordable, knife brand. And with knives like the Vision R and OAO, WE Knife proved that it can manufacture knives at an exceptional level of quality.

On the Grailer 4 for example, there are no gaps between the materials or layers. The handle scales, frame, and backspacer all line up perfectly. The transition between the bolsters and the G10 scales is flawless.

First Impressions

To be honest, my first impression of the Grailer 4 was bloodier than usual. Its high ground, 20CV harpoon blade slid across my finger. And I never actually felt it cut me. But the blood pooling up on my butcher block proved it had. 

For a guy whose only collared shirts are made from denim or flannel, I felt a little underdressed for this knife. Does that mean I shied away from putting it through the demanding paces of my daily life? Not even a little. But I did find myself admiring it a little more than most, as it is machined to demanding tolerances that merit your time and attention.

Aside from its top-notch manufacturing, the action on the Grailer 4 is effortless. The blade holds closed nicely, so there’s no worry about it deploying in your pocket.

But the action is so springy that you can easily open it with light pressure and get to that satisfying lock-up. There’s also ample room to disengage the liner lock. It rises up slightly above the top curve of the choil, so you don’t need to dive into the handle cavity to access it.

In the Field

Overall, any folding knife that hits or surpasses 8 inches in total length can be a red flag. Knives of this size tend to be bulky, unwieldy, and therefore not as versatile as you need a daily-carry knife to be.

Thankfully, that is not the case with the Grailer 4. It’s a full, four-finger knife with an oversized choil and flowing curve in its handle. This makes the knife very easy to use. Additionally, the titanium build creates a balanced weight-to-size ratio that allows you to work smarter, not harder.

The blade’s 20CV stainless steel is a premium option that excels in various aspects. Its corrosion resistance is impressive, as is its wear resistance and edge retention. In my eyes, it’s on par with steels like S35VN and Elmax, and it even surpasses MagnaCut.

However, the trade-off is that 20CV is not as tough as those three steels and will prove more difficult to sharpen.

Having used the Grailer 4 off and on for 3 months, I can tell you that most users (myself included) won’t have any qualms about the steel — or any other aspect of this knife.

I believe some users will be apprehensive to really abuse this knife the way they might a knife half its price. But get over it; you totally can.

When I test knives, one of the main things I focus on is capability. That is, a knife’s ability to work in a variety of environments and perform common, but sometimes demanding, tasks. The Grailer 4 does all of that well, with the added benefit of being quite the looker.

Conclusion: Who’s It For?

The Grailer 4 is exclusive to Knivesandtools.com. That means if you’re interested in it, that’s the only place you’re going to find it. This includes its Carbon Fiber variant and the other three models in the line.

Due to this exclusivity, as well as the materials and build, the Grailer 4 does come with a premium price that most folks shy away from when looking for an EDC knife. So, while that $350 price tag might turn away some people, it just means more product in stock for the right customers.

Who might that be? In my expert opinion, it’s those who want one singular knife that they won’t mind investing in because they know they intend to use it, seriously, for a long time. In the case of the Grailer 4, its materials and build allow for that.

It’s not a knife you need to stop and maintain, aside from blowing dust out of the handle cavity. Even that isn’t really a thing. It’s a pet peeve.

Think of the Grailer 4 as an advanced knife — something you graduate to after plowing through a few others. It doesn’t require a suit and tie, but donning a blazer from time to time wouldn’t hurt.