Reese Weiland Harpy, a Custom Prototype Built for Us
This Reese Weiland Harpy is a custom prototype, and Weiland built it expressly for We Buy Knife Collections through our Authorized Dealer relationship with Reese Weiland Custom Knives. It is a single action, button lock automatic, completed on July 28, 2026. The hawkbill blade and both bolsters are Brad Vice Copper Damascus, and the scales are Honey Hive Acrylic.
Weiland engraved HARPY PROTO inside the spine of the handle, so the knife records what it is. Prototypes are where he works a design out, and collectors follow them closely. Another of his automatic hawkbill prototypes is the Wasp 2nd Gen Copper-Top Toxic Prototype #1.
Reese Weiland, From Fixed Blades to Heavyweight Automatics
Weiland, often referred to as the Godfather of the Automatic, works out of Riverview, Florida, and his box still carries the R.W. Custom Knives label from there. His interest in edge tools began early. An adventure-seeking uncle made knives out of old saw blades, and at 12 Weiland received a book on knifemaking. That childhood fascination became his life’s work.
He started with fixed blades and joined the Knifemakers’ Guild in 1988. Then, by 1989, he had built his first folding knife, and folders now make up roughly 90 percent of his work. Our 1989 Wasp manual hawkbill comes from that same year. He has now made knives for more than 44 years, and automatics for 42 of them.
His influence reaches into production knives too. Designer Joel Pirela commissioned Weiland to build the first prototypes of what became the Microtech Kestrel. His most famous design, the Wolverine, fires two hawkbill claw blades from a single chassis. For a manual prototype of his, see the Reese Weiland Strike Prototype.
The Hawk Blade and the Harpy
Weiland is best known for the curved hawk blade, a shape that recalls a bird of prey’s beak or a predator’s claw. It runs through his best-known models: the Leopard, the Wasp, the Rastor and the Harpy. A hawkbill edge curves inward, so it gathers material and cuts on the pull.
His knives are known for their mass. They run thick blades in robust frames, yet they stay well balanced in the hand. At 11.1 ounces, this Harpy follows that tradition. For his finest builds, he reaches for materials like Brad Vice Copper Damascus, Dichrolam, Timascus bolsters and Mammoth.
Brad Vice Copper Damascus on the Reese Weiland Harpy
Brad Vice forged the Damascus for both the blade and the bolsters of this Reese Weiland Harpy. Copper layered through the steel shows as bright lines against the dark, etched steel. On the bolsters, the pattern opens into wide Copper bands. Along the blade, it tightens into fine, flowing lines.
Weiland has used Brad Vice Damascus before. Our Large Rastor in Brad Vice blued Damascus pairs the same smith with another of his hawk designs.
The hawkbill blade runs 4.6 inches, with a 3.6 inch cutting edge. Near the bolsters, two elongated slots are milled through the blade. They draw the eye, and they also take weight out of a large blade.
Button Lock Action, Honey Hive Acrylic and a Filed Backspacer
The firing button sits in the Damascus bolster on the show side. Press it, and the blade fires open with the crisp, authoritative snap of Weiland’s large automatics. The button lock then holds it, and on this knife the lock engages with no play. To close it, press the button and fold the blade in by hand.
Honey Hive Acrylic fills the rear of the handle on both sides. It is a translucent amber gold with black swirls that shift as the knife turns. Along the spine, Weiland hand-filed and sculpted the backspacer. The knife carries no pocket clip.
Condition and What Is Included With This Reese Weiland Harpy
This Reese Weiland Harpy is new. It came to us directly from Weiland, so it sits with our other pieces bought direct from the maker. It fires crisply, and the lock engages with no play.
- Reese Weiland Harpy SA Prototype, completed July 28, 2026
- R.W. Custom Knives box, signed by the maker and serving as the Certificate of Authenticity (COA), hand-labeled Harpy Proto SA, Vice Damascus, 2026
- Zippered knife pouch
Reese Weiland Harpy Specifications
The model, prototype status and year come from Weiland’s engraving inside the spine and his handwriting on the box. Compare it with the rest of our automatic knives.
- Maker: Reese Weiland Custom Knives, Riverview, Florida
- Model: Harpy, single action (SA) prototype
- Authorship: Full custom prototype by Reese Weiland, built for We Buy Knife Collections
- Date made: July 28, 2026
- Markings: Inside spine engraved HARPY PROTO, R.W. bird logo, USA
- Country of origin: USA
- Overall length: 9.87 in
- Blade length: 4.6 in
- Cutting edge: 3.6 in
- Closed length: 5.6 in
- Weight: 11.1 oz
- Blade steel: Brad Vice Copper Damascus
- Blade profile: Hawkbill with two milled slots
- Edge: Plain
- Action: Single action, side-opening automatic
- Deployment: Firing button in the show-side bolster
- Lock: Button lock
- Bolsters: Brad Vice Copper Damascus
- Scales: Honey Hive Acrylic
- Backspacer: Hand-filed and sculpted
- Pocket clip: None
- Condition: New, fires crisply, no blade play
- SKU: 00236-RW-HARPY-SAPROTO-CUDAM-20260728
- Included: Signed R.W. Custom Knives box serving as the COA, zippered knife pouch
Video Description
This is the Reese Weiland Harpy SA Prototype, a new custom automatic that Weiland built for We Buy Knife Collections in 2026. The 4.6 inch hawkbill blade is Brad Vice Copper Damascus, with two milled slots near the bolsters. The bolsters match it in the same Copper Damascus, and Honey Hive Acrylic scales fill the rear of the handle.
A firing button in the show-side bolster fires the blade, and a button lock holds it with no play. Weiland hand-filed the backspacer and engraved HARPY PROTO inside the spine. Overall length is 9.87 inches, closed length is 5.6 inches, and it weighs 11.1 ounces. It comes with a signed box serving as the COA and a zippered pouch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the Reese Weiland Harpy a true custom?
A true custom comes from one maker’s own shop rather than a factory line. Weiland built this Harpy himself, as a prototype, the stage where a maker settles a design. He built it for us, engraved it HARPY PROTO, and signed its box.
Is Copper Damascus strong?
Copper itself does not harden, so a Copper Damascus blade depends on its steel for strength and edge-holding. The Copper adds contrast rather than strength. On this Harpy, the Copper shows as bright lines between dark, etched steel.
What is a hawkbill blade good for?
A hawkbill edge curves inward, like a bird of prey’s beak. It gathers material into the curve and cuts on the pull stroke. Weiland is best known for this shape, and the Harpy carries it at a full 4.6 inches.
What does SA mean on the Harpy?
SA stands for single action. The button fires the blade open automatically, and you close it by hand. Weiland wrote Harpy Proto SA on the box, and the knife fires from a button set in the show-side bolster.
Is a button lock automatic legal to own?
It depends on where you live. Laws on automatic knives vary by state, county and city, so check your own before ordering. The Automatic Knife Legal Notice at the end of this listing points to current state-by-state information.
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 Harpy
We inspected this Reese Weiland Harpy and described it as it is: a new custom prototype, built for us in 2026. See more of his work on our Reese Weiland Custom Knives page. If you are refining a collection of your own, we also buy knife collections.
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.
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