Walking through WalMart on the weekly grocery run, I happened to notice a rather interesting looking folding knife on one of the end caps. The knife looked good and advertised “G10” scales. Unfortunately it was in a clamshell pack with the “Ozark Trails” brand. If you are unfamiliar with this brand, it is WalMart’s own outdoors gear brand. Ozark Trail branded items are usually low-quality, made in China and considered disposable. I have used a few in the past and would not bet my life on their performance in the backcountry.
I would have usually just passed and saved my money. However I couldn’t get over the $3.87 price point. I spend more than $4 on a cup of coffee. I figured it was a very low risk. If it really failed to perform, I could hand it off to someone as a tackle box knife.
The Ozark Trail “Flip Opening Knife” comes in black or tan. I selected the tan version hoping that the details would show better in photos. Once I got home and tore open the package, I was plesantly surprised. The action was fairly smooth and the blade locked out securely.
You can deploy the blade with the thumb stud or the “flipper” on the blade. The blade swings smoothly and locks into position with a snap of the wrist. When open, the “flipper” works as a very effective guard. When combined with the jimping on the back of the blade and on the back side of the liners, it makes for a very secure grip even when wearing gloves.
Read more – 8541tactical.com
(Featured image courtesy of edcplanet.com)
