Outdoor Edge is a small but growing knife manufacturer that offers a variety of knives suited for the outdoors and everyday carry (EDC). The Outdoor Edge Divide folding knife reviewed here is a fun knife that is currently available in two different sizes: a 3” blade or a 3.5” blade in either a plain or half-serrated edge. The Divide doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it takes pride in being a simple but practical folding knife. It is a worthy knife to have that is also a low-cost alternative in a market dominated by big name manufacturers.
Specifications
3.0” Divide
- Blade: 3.0” / 7.6cm
- Overall: 6.9” / 17.5cm
- Weight: 3.0oz / 85g
- MSRP: $46.95
3.5” Divide
- Blade: 3.5” / 8.9cm
- Overall: 8.2” / 20.8cm
- Weight: 4.2oz / 119g
- MSRP: $49.95
Features
- Steel: 8Cr13MoV Stainless with Blackstone™ coating
- 18 Ball-bearing pivot system
- Opener: Flipper plus double-sided thumb stud
- Handle: Black/Red G10 and titanium coated 420J2 stainless
- Pocket-Clip: 420 Stainless with Blackstone™ coating
- Lock: Integral Frame-Lock
Specifications courtesy of Outdoor Edge
As I mentioned in previous knife reviews, 8Cr13MoV is a budget-quality steel. It isn’t necessarily a bad steel since steel quality ultimately comes down to the heat treatment used (which is exclusive to the manufacturer and undisclosed), but it won’t hold an edge as well as more premium-grade steels. However, 8Cr13MoV is pretty easy to sharpen; this is often the type of tradeoff you can expect from inexpensive knives. It doesn’t mean it’s a cheap knife, it’s just a compromise for being offered at a low price.
The actual design of the knife itself is practical for everyday use. On one side of the handle you have G-10, which offers a little texture to the handle, and the other side is made of titanium-coated stainless steel. The decision to go with a half steel handle was to implement the frame lock system. The frame lock system functions the same way as the common liner lock but is much more reliable because the frame is often a much thicker steel without extra components. The only real issue with the frame lock, aside from personal preference, is that it is not ambidextrous. However, the deployment of the knife is ambidextrous, so this isn’t necessarily a con.
What I like most about the Divide is the ball-bearing pivot system. This makes deployment of the blade is as quick as is smooth and is comparable to the quality of Kershaw’s SpeedSafe® assisted opening. If you aren’t familiar with the technology or these terms, it means the blade is mechanically secured in place when closed and applying manual pressure on the flipper (see photo) will release the blade, which springs open and locks in the open position.
The Outdoor Edge Divide is a simple, no-frills EDC folder that I would recommend to someone who isn’t looking to spend very much or wants an extra knife as a backup. Aside from aesthetics and steel quality, there isn’t anything to really dislike about the Divide, especially since its available for about $30-$35 from online retailers.
*All photos courtesy of the author, Matt Jin
