StuntDouble
Gold Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2004
- Messages
- 2,446
Just recently I've discovered Outdoor Edge knives. I had always disregarded them, as they just didn't have any designs that interested me. Well, it seems that another company other than Spyderco is holding my interest.
Fish and Bone
I've actually owned this knife for a few months now. It's a folding filet knife, with a 5" long blade made out of 440 A. The blade is ground rather thin (of course) and has just a bit of flex to it. The handle is between 5" and 6" long, and is made of Zytel, with Krayton inserts. It also comes with an attached pocket clip, as well as a Cordura sheath. It's of a backlock design, like the Spyderco Catcherman. The blade locks up rather well, with no up or down blade play. There is a bit of side to side play, but adjusting the pivot may take care of that. The blade as it came, wasn't very sharp. However, after a few minutes with some ceramic stones, that was no longer the case.
I've mainly used the Fish and Bone in the kitchen, cutting vegetables, trimming meat and turkeys, etc. The blade length makes it easy to slice most larger vegetables and fruits, and the handle has remained comfortable during use. I haven't noticed the Kraton inlays coming loose yet, even after being washed with hot soap and water. Hopefully that won't become an issue for a while, if at all. All in all, not a bad buy for $19.99.
The Wedge
The Wedge has been around for nearly 10 years now. I've seen them advertised in knife and gun magazines, but I never really wanted one due to it being made from 420 J2 steel. Well, I saw one in a hardware store a couple weeks ago, and decided I'd pick it up just for the hell of it. So far, I'm glad I did it. The Wedge I picked up is the smaller version. It's overal length is around 5", with the blade being just over 2" long. It only weighs a few ounces including the sheath, and it was razor sharp out of the package. The main gripe I have right away is that the sheath really isn't set up to be lefty friendly. I was also having some issues with the edge getting rolled when I resheathed it, but I think that was due to a burr that had not been removed from the factory. It was a quick fix, and I haven't had any other issues with the edge. Interesting note, according to the Outdoor Edge website, the Wedge uses 420-J2. According to the package, it uses 6M, which I'm assuming means AUS-6M. Either way, I have found that it takes and holds a very sharp edge. The handle is made out of zytel, and is only about 5/16" of an inch thick, making this a very thin package. Still, I find the handle is very comfortable and secure, and stays that way with use.
The sheath is also made out of Zytel. The knife is retained by a Zytel button, which is integral to the sheath. It's almost like a liner lock, slide the knife in, and it locks. Push the button out of the way, remove the knife. It's very easy to do right handed, but as I said before, it takes a bit more practice to perform left handed. The sheath also has a built in pocket clip, which allows handle down carry on a belt or in a pocket. If this method is used, I'd reccomend fastening the included lanyard to a belt loop, to help secure the knife and sheath. A swivel clip is also included, to allow the knife to be clipped to a d-ring on a vest, or a belt loop.
The main druther I have with the Wedge is the sheath. I'm tempted to have a small kydex belt sheath made for it. Of course, the sheath will cost more than what I paid for the knife ($13.95, at a local hardware store no less), but it would make the knife that much more comfortable to carry.
Magna
I just recently won this one off of E-bay. The Magna has been discontinued for a couple of years, so it may be a bit tougher to find. I am extremely impressed with this knife, even at its original price. My Magna is the large model, with a 4" combo edge blade, made from AUS-8 steel. It has Kit Carson's reverse tooth serration pattern, which I feel is much more useful than the typical serration patterns. The blade came razor sharp, and would shave hair and slice paper with ease. The handle is a bit over 5" long, and is made from 6060-T6 aluminum which is hard coat anodized. It is very secure in the hand, as well as very comfy. No sharp edges where they shouldn't be. The handle scale on the right side is a bit thicker than the other, in order to allow for the low profile pocket clip. The clip area of the scale is dished out, in order to allow most of the clip to remain even with the handle, rather than stick out. Of course, the design is only set up for right hand carry. There are traction grooves on the top and bottom of the blade tang, to add even more traction to the grip. The liner lock is flush with the handle scales, and is very secure. There is no up and down movement, nor any side to side. The only fault I've found with the whole knife is that the fit of the handle spacer is a tiny bit sloppy right at the end of the knife. It's purely a cosmetic defect though. I haven't really had a chance to use this knife that much, but from what I've seen so far, I'm very impressed. I think it was well worth the $20 I paid for it.
The last thing I have to mention is the literature that comes with each knife. The card backs on the Wedge and Fish and Bone contained very detailed information on the uses of the knives, and how to carry them. The card back of the Fish and Bone even went into detail on how to filet fish, and how to process and butcher a deer. The literature that came with the Magna explained the origin of the design, and provided a short bio of Kit Carson, the designer. There was detailed information on how to clean the knife, adjust the pivot, and Outdoor Edge provided a list of sharpening systems they reccomend for the upkeep of their knives.
In summation, I've been impressed with Outdoor Edge's products, and feel they definitely deserve a best buy status due to their quality and prices.
Fish and Bone
I've actually owned this knife for a few months now. It's a folding filet knife, with a 5" long blade made out of 440 A. The blade is ground rather thin (of course) and has just a bit of flex to it. The handle is between 5" and 6" long, and is made of Zytel, with Krayton inserts. It also comes with an attached pocket clip, as well as a Cordura sheath. It's of a backlock design, like the Spyderco Catcherman. The blade locks up rather well, with no up or down blade play. There is a bit of side to side play, but adjusting the pivot may take care of that. The blade as it came, wasn't very sharp. However, after a few minutes with some ceramic stones, that was no longer the case.
I've mainly used the Fish and Bone in the kitchen, cutting vegetables, trimming meat and turkeys, etc. The blade length makes it easy to slice most larger vegetables and fruits, and the handle has remained comfortable during use. I haven't noticed the Kraton inlays coming loose yet, even after being washed with hot soap and water. Hopefully that won't become an issue for a while, if at all. All in all, not a bad buy for $19.99.
The Wedge
The Wedge has been around for nearly 10 years now. I've seen them advertised in knife and gun magazines, but I never really wanted one due to it being made from 420 J2 steel. Well, I saw one in a hardware store a couple weeks ago, and decided I'd pick it up just for the hell of it. So far, I'm glad I did it. The Wedge I picked up is the smaller version. It's overal length is around 5", with the blade being just over 2" long. It only weighs a few ounces including the sheath, and it was razor sharp out of the package. The main gripe I have right away is that the sheath really isn't set up to be lefty friendly. I was also having some issues with the edge getting rolled when I resheathed it, but I think that was due to a burr that had not been removed from the factory. It was a quick fix, and I haven't had any other issues with the edge. Interesting note, according to the Outdoor Edge website, the Wedge uses 420-J2. According to the package, it uses 6M, which I'm assuming means AUS-6M. Either way, I have found that it takes and holds a very sharp edge. The handle is made out of zytel, and is only about 5/16" of an inch thick, making this a very thin package. Still, I find the handle is very comfortable and secure, and stays that way with use.
The sheath is also made out of Zytel. The knife is retained by a Zytel button, which is integral to the sheath. It's almost like a liner lock, slide the knife in, and it locks. Push the button out of the way, remove the knife. It's very easy to do right handed, but as I said before, it takes a bit more practice to perform left handed. The sheath also has a built in pocket clip, which allows handle down carry on a belt or in a pocket. If this method is used, I'd reccomend fastening the included lanyard to a belt loop, to help secure the knife and sheath. A swivel clip is also included, to allow the knife to be clipped to a d-ring on a vest, or a belt loop.
The main druther I have with the Wedge is the sheath. I'm tempted to have a small kydex belt sheath made for it. Of course, the sheath will cost more than what I paid for the knife ($13.95, at a local hardware store no less), but it would make the knife that much more comfortable to carry.
Magna
I just recently won this one off of E-bay. The Magna has been discontinued for a couple of years, so it may be a bit tougher to find. I am extremely impressed with this knife, even at its original price. My Magna is the large model, with a 4" combo edge blade, made from AUS-8 steel. It has Kit Carson's reverse tooth serration pattern, which I feel is much more useful than the typical serration patterns. The blade came razor sharp, and would shave hair and slice paper with ease. The handle is a bit over 5" long, and is made from 6060-T6 aluminum which is hard coat anodized. It is very secure in the hand, as well as very comfy. No sharp edges where they shouldn't be. The handle scale on the right side is a bit thicker than the other, in order to allow for the low profile pocket clip. The clip area of the scale is dished out, in order to allow most of the clip to remain even with the handle, rather than stick out. Of course, the design is only set up for right hand carry. There are traction grooves on the top and bottom of the blade tang, to add even more traction to the grip. The liner lock is flush with the handle scales, and is very secure. There is no up and down movement, nor any side to side. The only fault I've found with the whole knife is that the fit of the handle spacer is a tiny bit sloppy right at the end of the knife. It's purely a cosmetic defect though. I haven't really had a chance to use this knife that much, but from what I've seen so far, I'm very impressed. I think it was well worth the $20 I paid for it.
The last thing I have to mention is the literature that comes with each knife. The card backs on the Wedge and Fish and Bone contained very detailed information on the uses of the knives, and how to carry them. The card back of the Fish and Bone even went into detail on how to filet fish, and how to process and butcher a deer. The literature that came with the Magna explained the origin of the design, and provided a short bio of Kit Carson, the designer. There was detailed information on how to clean the knife, adjust the pivot, and Outdoor Edge provided a list of sharpening systems they reccomend for the upkeep of their knives.
In summation, I've been impressed with Outdoor Edge's products, and feel they definitely deserve a best buy status due to their quality and prices.
