Enter The era of the Cheap Blade: And a Review that redefines the Working Knife. A bargain hunters tale it is. The story of a knife nut who dared to commit the ultimate sin & say this about the scorned "cheap knife" - it's damn good / Gasp!!! Blasphemy!
Two and a half years ago I bought THIS KNIFE on sale for $2.99 from BudK. High Carbon Blade, a ranch knife - a cheap work knife. It is the right size. I prefer smaller fixed blades over folders for ranch work. If it's lost somehow no worries. I am hard on ranch knives. Yes I put'em to the test in many ways, in all weathers and in some severe cutting challenges. Mostly small stuff. Bailing twine, rope, leather etc, but now and again something comes along that is really tough, really challenging. I've met those challenges and kept cutting with this unit! What more do I need?
Basically this is a cheap knockoff of a Mora Knife. Same design, same sheath, same / same. I bought this hoping it just may be a decent little fixed blade. I was not disappointed. It has proven to be VERY good for my purposes. Mind you, I have many Hi-quality ranch knives. Cold Steel units normally rule for this area of my life. But I wanted to see if this cheap two dollar knife could survive my antics as good as a more expensive work knife might. That is the jist of this article. The factors of failure are many - Usage, time, wear and tear, falls and drops, from sharp to dull and back to sharp again. Terrible heat and blistering cold. The endless cycle of sharp, sharper and dull again from he who actually uses the blade each and every day. This is merely for fun, entertainment and I am merely sharing this experiment with you for shits and giggles. No more, no less. (I like doing this type of stuff). I have done things such as this all my life. So relax, enjoy and revel in my mediocrity as I review my cheap cutlery castaway from far off China ~.
Today this same unit costs a wee bit more, but even then I can say 100% yes it is still a good buy. A knife you can really use. Would I recommend it? Yep, I sure would. Cutlery snobs can step the hell aside, it's a solid piece. It has certainly earned my respect and it is as good as any knife costing three times as much. You can tell I am happy w/ my little cheapy can't you? (I am). (smiling now)
It does NOT go dull too quickly under use. It's blade comes back to sharp quite quickly though. It is a most "forgiving" steel. No rust yet and I am pleased, it has gotten soaked, but fared well. The sheath has a drain hole. It is a great sheath, well designed to be carried in several ways of your choosing. I use a simple old time steel to sharpen it, like a butcher - it is whisk, whisk up and down the steel and voila! Sharp again! I fell hard in the snow last year, right on the knife in its sheath - BAM! I thought fer sure I'd broken it, naw! Came through just fine! Durable is good. Impressive quality.
This TEST is still ongoing. Not over yet, unsure when or if it will ever be over. Only if the unit fails me, breaks or gets lost will the test be "over". Right now I am carrying it all day, everyday. It is swift to draw, it is easy to get back into it's sheath. And when someones says something about "cheap junk knives from China" I understand their feelings. Many are just that JUNK. But over the years a transformation has occurred. Some of the "cheap knives" have became pretty damn good! As in this instance.
AND .. I will repeat - this review is for fun. For my own interest. Daily come the tests. I ain't knife fighting, rasslin grizzlies nor carving granite, nor attempting to sell you one of these knives. Just a regular guy doing some regular guy shit and talking to YOU. Enjoying life on the cutlery side of things is fun. In saying this I am going to cut this review short. Hell even this review is on a budget - I budget my time and hate to waste yours. So .. Over & out!
FINAL:
Pleasantly surprised I am. My Feeling is that this knife was a bargain. I liked it so much I have already bought me an extra one & put it aside in case I lose this'un. Ya know, in todays ripoff economy where every ten cent item is now five bucks it is refreshing to find something budget oriented that really gives you the old "bang for the buck". I can attest - I have never met a dog I dint like. I have never met a knife I dint like. It's true, I have gratitude and practice appreciating what I have for what it is. That's me alright! Thanks for reading this friends and have a good day, your friendship matters to me! PS: I also LOVE my Stiletto Light. The Gunfighters friend (in lower picture) -
