We carry knives because we like having the right tool on our terms. The EDC space is crowded, and every week a new logo claims hard-use credibility or reinvents a classic. WIXCO Knives takes a different angle. It is a fresh label launched in 2024 by the same team behind Ferramonster, built to deliver practical folders at friendlier prices while keeping modern materials and crisp execution. If Ferramonster is the dress watch, WIXCO is the daily driver that still makes you smile.
WIXCO Knives Changes the EDC Landscape
I recently covered Ferramonster and only later learned the two brands are linked. That connection made me curious, because Ferramonster’s machining and action tuning have been impressive. If the same hands are putting a budget line into the world, it could be a fast track for smart designs to reach more pockets.
WIXCO sent four models: Pexston, Ragnar, Drax, and Axor. All four use Sandvik 14C28N stainless, and feature blades cut from .125-inch stock with roughly one inch of blade height. That recipe matters.
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14C28N is a sweet spot for EDC, tough enough to work, stainless enough for real life, and easy to bring back on a ceramic rod. At one-eighth-inch stock, you get a keen wedge that still feels honest in the cut, even if the knife has a shorter primary bevel (of which these four examples do not). Throw in a weekly strop, and these will stay right where most users live.
Drax
The Drax was among WIXCO’s earliest releases, and it wears a familiar, proven format. Think slide-bar lock with thumb studs and a deep-carry clip. My sample pairs a black-coated blade and hardware with PEI scales in that warm Ultem yellow. PEI (polyetherimide) is far tougher and more heat- and chemical-resistant than acrylic. This makes it a smart scale choice for a budget hard-use folder.
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Action matters most on this layout, and out of the box, the Drax was a touch snug. A few days in the pocket broke it in while keeping the blade perfectly centered. It opens cleanly with a stud flick, drops when you pull the bar, and gives you a controlled fall shut without slap.
You get about three inches of cutting edge, a high flat grind, and a swedge that finishes short of the tip to preserve strength. It is a compact, no-drama cutter that disappears in jeans. This is helped by a 2.5-ounce weight and a closed thickness of right around .450 inches.
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If your carry environment forces discretion, this one rides quietly yet handles real work. Boxes, tape, food prep in a pinch, it never felt under-knifed.
Ragnar
Move up a size and you land on the Ragnar. This one is the brute of the group, though it carries smaller than it looks. Black G10 over steel liners, a liner lock, strong jimping, and a generous flipper tab define the handle dynamics.
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The blade arrives bead-blasted, a hair over three and one-quarter inches long on paper. It features a belly that stretches the usable edge to about 3.5 inches. It is a drop point with an upper swedge that stops a quarter inch shy of the tip, which keeps plenty of meat up front.
The pocket clip is deep carry and reversible for right- or left-hand, tip-up carry. Correspondingly, there is a through-body lanyard hole.
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Most hardware matches the blasted finish except the main stud, which is polished. Radius work is good. There is a single finger groove, no hot spots, and the knife feels anchored in the hand without being blocky. At 4.0 ounces and roughly a half inch across the scales, it is right where a “big EDC” should land.
Two notes for fidget-forward users. The window in the blade and the detent tuning make the flipper tab excellent. However, on my sample, the reverse flick was a no-go. You could lighten the detent to get there, but then the blade would want to shake free. I would rather keep the secure detent and live without the party trick.
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For the size, a frame lock would be welcome, but the liner lock here has been positive and repeatable.
Pexston
The Pexston is the sleeper. It is a liner-lock flipper with bead-blasted aluminum scales and a black-coated blade and hardware, including the stud. The backspacer is drilled for a lanyard, and the pocket clip is a single-position deep carry that nearly buries the knife. It carries deep enough that most folks will not notice it. Blade length again measures three and one-quarter inches with a touch more on the actual cutting edge.
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Stylistically, it reads like a modernized trapper, and in hand, it proves why that pattern has stayed relevant. Every handle edge is softened, the sweep around the pivot gives your index finger a natural landing, and the jimping on both spine and flipper tab keeps you locked in under load.
The blade window makes a reverse flick effortless. Likewise, the flipper is tuned, and the stud slow-roll is there when you want to be quiet. At 3.3 ounces and about .440 inches thick, it carries light and flat.
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The grind is the secret sauce. It is tall and flat—not hollow—but thin enough behind the edge that you get that slicey glide through cardboard, fruit, and protein without wedging. It reads gentlemanly without being precious. If you are fine with a fixed clip side, the Pexston is a very complete EDC for the money.
Axor
Newest of the bunch is the Axor. It is a modified sheepsfoot built for users who like to choke up and drive a cut. The blade gets a large finger choil so you can move forward without flirting with the edge.
Up top, there is jimping where you want it and a shallow radius relief that cups your thumb. The tip is a reverse tanto profile, more utility chisel than needle, which makes it the most blunt-force-ready tip of the four without turning it into a pry bar.
Thumb-stud tuning is excellent. It will flick with the thumb, flick in reverse, slow-roll, or break detent and snap with a wrist. Blue G10 scales give it a pop in person, and there is a through-body lanyard hole for the folks who like a fob.
This blade wears a matte black coating with a speckled look. It handled boxes and everyday chores without complaint. For food work, I’m not going to use a painted edge. I prefer uncoated or stonewash, maybe Cerakote, but functionally, it held up fine.
Length is listed at three and one-quarter inches with about two and three-quarters of cutting edge. This makes sense given the forward choil. Weight lands at 3.8 ounces. Pocket presence is compact. If you want the hardest-use geometry in the quartet and you are not chasing a reversible clip, the Axor is the work glove of the line.
The WIXCO Knives Fit, Finish, and Shared DNA
Across all four, centering was on point, detents were consistent model to model, and the parts choices track with the brand promise. Slide-bar on the compact cutter, liner locks on the mid and big boys, and smart scale materials for the price point. The pocket clips are thoughtful. Hardware finish is even, and the bearing actions run true. Nothing felt gritty or sloppy out of the package.
If you are coming from the Ferramonster side, the family resemblance is action tuning and bevel work. You can feel the same priorities in how these models leave the factory. Edges were sharp enough to slice paper cleanly straight from the box. However, my hands wanted a little more bite at the front of the tanto-like profiles.
But all four of these will slice a U shape in printer paper. The grinds look good too, with attractive polish lines that give each blade a refined utility vibe.
WIXCO Knives: Doing Budget EDC Better
WIXCO is doing budget EDC better than most. The steel choice is practical, the stock thickness is ideal, and the actions are tuned to give you confidence on day one.
The Ragnar will not reverse flick the way some users might hope. However, the detent is exactly where it should be for a safe, positive big flipper. The Drax is the lightweight, carry-everywhere cutter. The Axor is the most tool-forward. Finally, the Pexston is the straight-edge daily that does not shout—it just works.
My pick of the four is the Pexston. It looks right, carries light, and gives you every deployment method, with the longest, thinnest bevel of the group. So, it stays slicey in real tasks.
If you want a budget knife, you can find one anywhere. However, if you want a budget knife you will actually be happy to carry every day, grab something from WIXCO. Tell them I sent you.
Slice safe.
