Reese Weiland Large Rastor in Brad Vice Blued Damascus
The Reese Weiland Large Rastor is a dual-action automatic with a Brad Vice blued Damascus hawkbill blade. The frame is stainless steel with white mammoth tusk scales, and there is no pocket clip. It runs 10 3/16 inches open at 15.2 ounces. Condition is excellent, with no blemishes and no wear.
This is a custom knife, and the term is worth defining. A custom is a unique, handcrafted tool designed and built by an individual artisan. It is not stamped out in a factory. The steel, the blade shape, the handle material and every decorative choice are tailored by that person. That happens by hand and with the help of specialized machinery.
Fifteen ounces is not an everyday carry weight, and it was never meant to be. Our guide on how to choose a custom knife covers what separates a collector’s piece like this from a working folder.
Reese Weiland, the Godfather of the Automatic
Weiland works in Riverview, Florida, and the knife community knows him as the Godfather of the Automatic. In his own telling, his interest started at twelve. An uncle who was an amateur archaeologist made knives from old saw blades.
That uncle gave him a book on knifemaking one Christmas. Weiland made a sword from a piece of junk and gave it back to him. He became a member of the Knifemakers’ Guild in 1988.
His name on automatics goes back further than most of the knives it now sells. In 1987 he helped fix the lock-up failure on Ron Miller’s plunge-lock prototype, the knife that became the Florida Black Knife. That history is told in full on our Reese Weiland Timascus Hawkbill.
The Reese Weiland Large Rastor and the Turn Toward Art Knives
The Rastor is one of Weiland’s hawkbill automatics, and it comes in more than one size. The Large Rastor is the version he singled out. In 2015 he described it as his first step toward an art knife.
That is visible in the build. A standard hawkbill folder is a working tool. The Large Rastor pairs an outside maker’s Damascus with mammoth tusk and a polished stainless frame, at a size and weight that puts it on display rather than in a pocket.
Compare it against his 1989 Wasp, a manual hawkbill from his first Tampa shop, to see how far the same blade shape travelled across his career.
Brad Vice Blued Damascus
The blade is blued damascus by Brad Vice. Vice owns Alabama Damascus Steel and Cutlery in Jacksonville, Alabama. He forges with large air hammers and supplies Damascus billets and blade blanks to custom makers.
Weiland has built Rastors in Damascus from more than one specialist smith, including Brad Vice and Mike Norris. It is a deliberate division of labor. The pattern comes from a smith who does nothing but Damascus, and the mechanism comes from Weiland.
The bluing tints the layers differently, so the pattern reads in blue and steel gray rather than the usual black and silver. A row of graduated holes runs along the spine side of the blade. See our other automatic knives for comparable work.
Reese Weiland Large Rastor Mechanism: Dual Action on a Liner Lock
Weiland describes the Large Rastor as dual action. That means the blade can be fired by the button or opened by hand. Dual-action knives are uncommon, and they are mostly the work of custom makers.
The firing button sits in the bolster beside the pivot. When the blade fires, a liner lock springs in behind the tang and holds it open. To close it, you move the liner aside and fold the blade back into the frame. It fires crisply, and the lock engages with no play.
The blade is a hawkbill, which puts the edge on the inside of the curve and cuts on the pull. Blade length is 4 5/8 inches with 4.25 inches of cutting edge. Compare it against the Reese Weiland Dichrolam Hawkbill, another of his automatic hawkbills.
Condition and What’s Included with This Reese Weiland Large Rastor
Condition is excellent. There are no blemishes and no wear. We inspect every knife in hand before we photograph it, and we fire every automatic ourselves. Our published grading standards let you check this description against what arrives.
Reese Weiland has personally verified the authenticity of this knife, and he will issue a Certificate of Authenticity for it. If the certificate reaches us before the sale, it ships with the knife. If it does not, Weiland’s certificate will be sent directly to the buyer. Read how we handle provenance on pieces verified by the maker.
- Reese Weiland Large Rastor dual-action automatic
- Soft case
- Certificate of Authenticity from Reese Weiland, to be issued as described above
Reese Weiland Large Rastor Specifications
- Overall length, open: 10 3/16 in
- Blade length: 4 5/8 in
- Cutting edge: 4.25 in
- Closed length: 6 in
- Blade material: Brad Vice blued Damascus
- Blade style: Hawkbill, with graduated holes along the spine
- Lock type: Liner lock
- Action: Dual-action automatic
- Deployment: Firing button in the bolster
- Frame: Stainless steel
- Scales: White mammoth tusk
- Pocket clip: None
- Weight: 15.2 oz
- Country of origin: USA
- Condition: Excellent, no blemishes or wear
- SKU: 00210-RW-LARGERASTOR-BRADVICE-DAMASCUS
This piece is preowned and came from a private collection. Browse our other preowned knives.
Video Description: One Beautiful Rastor
The Reese Weiland Large Rastor is a preowned custom dual-action automatic in excellent condition. The blade is Brad Vice blued Damascus, ground to a hawkbill with a row of graduated holes. It measures 4 5/8 inches with 4.25 inches of cutting edge. Weiland described the Large Rastor as his first step toward an art knife.
The frame is stainless steel with white mammoth tusk scales, and there is no pocket clip. The firing button sits in the bolster beside the pivot, and a liner lock holds the blade open. It fires crisply with no play at lockup. Overall length is 10 3/16 inches open and 6 inches closed, at 15.2 ounces. It ships with a soft case.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between dual action and double action?
They are easy to confuse and they describe different mechanisms. Double action means the button both opens and closes the blade automatically, which is how most out-the-front knives work.
Dual action means the knife has two ways to open: fired automatically by the button, or opened by hand. A side-opening knife on a liner lock cannot close itself, so the Rastor is dual action. Weiland uses that term for the Large Rastor, and dual-action knives are uncommon outside custom work.
Why does the Reese Weiland Large Rastor weigh 15.2 ounces?
Size and material. Stainless steel is roughly 75 percent denser than titanium, and here it forms the whole frame rather than a liner. Add a 4 5/8 inch damascus blade and mammoth tusk scales, and the weight follows.
It is a substantial knife in the hand, and that is the point of the Large Rastor. It was built as a step toward an art knife, where mass and presence are part of the design rather than a problem to engineer away.
Who is Brad Vice, and why is his Damascus on a Weiland?
Brad Vice owns Alabama Damascus Steel and Cutlery in Jacksonville, Alabama. He forges with large air hammers and supplies damascus billets and blade blanks to custom knifemakers.
Weiland has built Rastors in damascus from more than one specialist, including Vice and Mike Norris. The pairing splits the work between two disciplines: a smith who focuses on damascus, and a maker known above all for automatic mechanisms.
Does the blued Damascus need special care?
Some. Bluing is a surface finish, and hard abrasion will cut through it to bright steel. Avoid polishing compounds or abrasive pads on the flats, and handle the blade with clean, dry hands.
Alabama Damascus is generally forged from high carbon tool steels, which are not stainless. A light coat of oil in storage keeps both the bluing and the steel under it in good order.
When will the certificate arrive?
Reese Weiland has personally verified this knife and will issue a Certificate of Authenticity for it. If the certificate reaches us before the knife sells, it ships in the box. If not, Weiland’s certificate will be sent directly to the buyer.
Either way the buyer receives it. We state this plainly because paperwork matters on a knife at this level, and a buyer should know exactly when to expect it.
Does We Buy Knife Collections actively support the broader knife enthusiast community?
Yes. Based in Jacksonville, Florida, We Buy Knife Collections is a curator and purveyor of fine custom made folding and fixed-blade knives. We are dedicated to the high-end custom knife community and we support knife rights advocacy.
Following our commitment upgrade in April 2026, we are proud to hold an AKTI Premier Membership, supporting the American Knife & Tool Institute’s vital advocacy and lobbying for knife owners, makers, and the future of the industry.
Buy This Reese Weiland Large Rastor
We inspect every knife in hand, fire every automatic ourselves, and photograph it in house. See what else is available on the Reese Weiland Custom Knives brand page. You can also talk to us about selling your collection.
Automatic Knife Legal Notice
This is an automatic knife. Laws governing purchase, possession, and carry vary by state, county, and municipality.
The buyer must know and follow the laws that apply where they live before ordering. We do not give legal advice. For current state-by-state information, consult the American Knife and Tool Institute.
Mammoth Ivory Compliance Notice
The mammoth material on this knife is fossil mammoth ivory, not elephant ivory. No living or endangered animal is involved.
We cannot ship mammoth ivory into jurisdictions where it is restricted. The buyer must confirm the law in their location before ordering. Contact us with any questions and we will help where we can.
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