Lightning OTF: A realistic review.

G. Scott H. said:
Sweeeeeet! :thumbup: Always great to run into a fellow Lovecraft fan. :cool:
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Definitely! My son is getting into it too and has 2 stuffed "Cthfwoowoo" that he sleeps with. I made this when the wife and I were trying out new hobbies to share:
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We are clearly a family of nerds.
 
I've got a lightening on the way, should be here tomorrow. I'm not expecting too much from it. Mostly got it cause I've never held or even fired an OTF. I would personally love a MT ultratech with a tanto blade. But tuition is due soon and a guy has to have his priorities.
 
Got my lightening OTF just under a week ago and I have to say I'm fairly underwhelmed. As the original poster pointed out there's a fair amount of blade play both up down and L and R. The firing action seems fairly solid aside from the fact that it won't fully retract about 1 outta 10 times its fired. Does anyone have any tips on how I can mod / fix the blade play? I know I know why would anyone wanna mess with a budget OTF right? What better OTF to start messing around with than one your not scared of fu**ing up. I'm open to any and all tips. Has anyone taken one of these apart and got it back together?
 
bandw1dth said:
Got my lightening OTF just under a week ago and I have to say I'm fairly underwhelmed. As the original poster pointed out there's a fair amount of blade play both up down and L and R. The firing action seems fairly solid aside from the fact that it won't fully retract about 1 outta 10 times its fired. Does anyone have any tips on how I can mod / fix the blade play? I know I know why would anyone wanna mess with a budget OTF right? What better OTF to start messing around with than one your not scared of fu**ing up. I'm open to any and all tips. Has anyone taken one of these apart and got it back together?
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I improved mine drastically by taking it apart with a Mauser K98 at 100 yds.
:D
 
I've been using one of the Lightning knives for a year as my box opener. It has held up and worked incredibly well.
 
I finally picked one up just because automatics are legal in my state now and I've always wanted to try out an OTF. Cheap way to do that. I was surprised. Sure, it has miles of blade play, the handles are pot metal and the "440C" is a stretch. But it's my dedicated fertilizer and bird seed bag opening knife and works great for that!
 
I've been using one for well over a year as a box cutter/opener. It opens every time and stays sharp. I'm pleased.
 
When I read the original 2009 review and follow up posts, I couldn't help but remember the original negative comments and reviews of the AK47 from a half century ago. Maybe I'm onto something.
 
Gotta say, it's a fun little novelty toy, especially for $30.
Yes. Even though the paint was flaking off when I took it out of the bubble mailer.
Yes. Even though the handles are probably made of a melted down car.
Yes. Even though the blade steel (if it can even be called that) is shit.
But, from my perspective, $30 isn't a huge loss. I can still piss off my coworkers !
 
Use mine everyday at work, cuts great and stays sharp! I keep my Ultratech in my pocket to frighten the little old ladies and impress the girls !
Oh, and the Lightning is made in Taiwan, not the Peoples Republic of Crap. The ones made there are call Bolt, and are a piece of crap ! Look exactly the same , but are not!
 
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Thanks for the review Sir, NEAT!
Ive had Lightnings that were more dependable than some of my MT's. ....I bet there CS is better.....:rolleyes:
 
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Yeah, I know. Resurrection thread time.

I have 5 Lightnings as of today. Bought one years ago and liked playing with it but I figured the cheap thing would stop working so I bought another for the inevitable day when knife #1 broke. Knife #1 never broke. Over the years, I added others in various colors just because they were available, still expecting to get one that wouldn't work. Of the 5 I have, one of the oldest ones failed to retract the blade on only one occasion that I can recall. That's a better record of function than my new Microtech that has failed to either deploy or retract a few times since I bought it a couple of months ago. Of course the MT's fit and finish are superb while the Lightning's F&F are kinda crappy. Doesn't matter. They're fun knives that gets sharp, cuts stuff and continues to work. I like 'em.
 
I’ve got three of them. Haven’t had any issues, can get very sharp edge easily & they perform well. Sure they are far from perfect, but for $40 it’s definitely well worth it. #dontbeaknifesnob
 
You know what I really like about the lightning OTF?

The fact that I can toss it off a bridge and not feel like I'm tossing a stack of hundred dollar bills out the window.

Lets face it; a dishwasher doesn't always get all the evidence off an infidel or cypher. You cannot rely on it being 'evidence free'. But you can toss a lightning off the Memorial bridge and forget you ever owned the thing and they'll bring you a brand new one for about $35.

There. Fixed it for ya.

Sincerely,
St. Boondock
 
Great budget knife. Yes it’s a clone but so is everything you own in some way shapes or form. It does the job for me…
Protection. It opens and closes. Period. It’s sharp enough to harm an attacker. And should it get lost or confiscated I don’t care. What more can I ask for?
 
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