Cold Steel
Cold Steel Recon 1
$169.99
Best Pocket Knives · head-to-head
Cold Steel Recon 1 vs WE Knife Banter
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. WE Knife Banter is cheaper at $109.99. Every spec and price links to its source.
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WE Knife Co.
WE Knife Banter
$109.99Cheaper
Which is better: the Cold Steel Recon 1 or WE Knife Banter?
The WE Knife Banter wins 1 of the 1 specs we compare head to head; the other wins 0. The WE Knife Banter is the cheaper at $109.99. The WE Knife Banter both leads on specs and costs less — the straightforward pick.
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | Cold Steel Recon 1 | WE Knife Banter |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $169.99 | $109.99 |
| Brand | Cold Steel | WE Knife Co. |
| Released | — | — |
| Blade length (in) | 4 | 2.91 |
| Blade steel | CPM S35VN | CPM 20CV |
| Lock type | Tri-Ad lock | nested liner lock |
| Opening mechanism | dual thumb studs, ambidextrous manual opening | dual thumb studs, caged bearing pivot |
| Blade shape grind | clip point, flat grind, DLC coated | drop point, flat grind |
| Handle material | G-10 | G-10 |
| Closed length (in) | 5.375 | 3.86 |
| Weight (oz) | 5.3 | 2.47 |
Sources — Cold Steel Recon 1: coldsteel.com (verified 2026-08-11). WE Knife Banter: bladehq.com (verified 2026-08-11).
What's the difference between the Cold Steel Recon 1 and WE Knife Banter?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (7 of 8). Matching specs are omitted.
- Blade length (in): Cold Steel Recon 1 4 vs WE Knife Banter 2.91
- Blade steel: Cold Steel Recon 1 CPM S35VN vs WE Knife Banter CPM 20CV
- Lock type: Cold Steel Recon 1 Tri-Ad lock vs WE Knife Banter nested liner lock
- Opening mechanism: Cold Steel Recon 1 dual thumb studs, ambidextrous manual opening vs WE Knife Banter dual thumb studs, caged bearing pivot
- Blade shape grind: Cold Steel Recon 1 clip point, flat grind, DLC coated vs WE Knife Banter drop point, flat grind
- Closed length (in): Cold Steel Recon 1 5.375 vs WE Knife Banter 3.86
- Weight (oz): Cold Steel Recon 1 5.3 vs WE Knife Banter 2.47