Ridiculous budget blade-4 dollar Ozark Trails folders, good blade-pic heavy

[G. Scott H.]

Not familiar with Cr scale? My scale is set up for "B" and "C". Is Cr a softness scale set up as a durometer scale reading? 420stainless always reaches a "C" scale even if below 30.

No, sorry, I was talking about 5Cr13 (or 5Cr15) steel. 420J2 (to my knowledge) maxes out at around 53-54 on the C scale. Plus, on super cheap knives like these, I wouldn't expect to see any steel taken to max. hardness. If you're getting 56 or 57, I think it's probably not 420J2 (or the Chinese equiv. 3Cr13) but something with a wee bit more carbon. 5Cr13/15 steel is still super cheap and apparently averages around 56HRC or so, which makes it a potential candidate. Total speculation on my part, of course. I guess it could just as easily be 8Cr13MoV with a softer heat treat.

 

[NJBillK]

Any other mods, perhaps orange RIT dyed scales?

I made mine into a long clip.

Picked one up, slight vertical play, solid sideways. Vertical play puts pressure on lockbar causing it to move to unlock. Lock will fail after 4-5 hard hits.
I am not planning on using this for anything other than I would use a rough rider slip joint, so I am not overly worried.

This being the case, I took it to my belt sander for some modding.

Long clip with swedge, rounded the top most jimping, eased the corners and peaks of the jimping as well. The bump in front of the thumb stud is just the lighting, it is just from me softening the 90° angle that was created through material removal.

 

[trentu]

That looks like it might work good for filleting bluegills. I might give that mod a try tonight. Going to cut out some different types of scales as well tonight.

 

[rcb2000]

I have to admit I did pick ones of these up when I was at the mart, there had to be something about it with how many pages are dedicated to it!
It's not bad,, I keep it in my console, and have used it a few times.
I did try to replace the plastic washers with some from my Blur, but it still won't flip.

 

[ohaple]

Picked one up. I am impressed for the price but noticed a problem with mine. Its like the pivot is not round or is bent. If I turn the pivot shaft with a torx, I can get the blade to not lock at all, lock and flip perfectly, or get lock-stick where the lock over-engages and is hard to disengage. I am not talking tightness, but the orientation of the pivot pin. Still, once I set it in the right position and tweaked the pivot tension and oiled it up, it is flippable as a push-button type of flipper without any wrist action. Also, my edge came with two small chips/bends. The steel is soft enough that is sharpened out in about 5 minutes, but seemed like a strange problem. Its like it was tossed in a pile after sharpening and landed on the edge.

 

[robgmn]

Gave mine the "denim treatment" for fun today.
Might do a black, red, green one too...

 

[mobilerd]

I bought several, sharpened them up shaving sharp and showed them to my knife buddies who were unaware. Then when they were slightly impressed I gave it to them. They were all like what.... I say yeah it's a giveaway knife. Then the rest of the story comes out, way more than 4 dollars worth of good knife conversation about what I call The China Syndrome.

 

[sho220]

Valiant effort, but four dollars is simply not going to buy a quality knife. These are disposable knives, which seems like a bad concept to me. It doesn't take a ton more cash to get something of decent quality that will last. You're just feeding landfills with these.

 

[OrangeJoe]

Valiant effort, but four dollars is simply not going to buy a quality knife. These are disposable knives, which seems like a bad concept to me. It doesn't take a ton more cash to get something of decent quality that will last. You're just feeding landfills with these.

Huh? The whole tread is telling you they are a good basic knives. Why did your particular example end up on the landfill?

 

[Jens Schuetz]

Also "not a ton more cash" still adds up if you get more than one of them. One in each car, one in the garage, one in the tool shed, one in each bag pack etc. They are great for just in case knives. Just in case I forget my higher quality ones.
To be honest,I don't see anything they couldn't do what my EDC can, except for staying sharp long, locking safer and looking way cooler.

 

[Lycosa]

Yep.^
Did Jill ever get one?
rolf

 

[Jens Schuetz]

Yep.^
Did Jill ever get one?
rolf

Rofl, Rolf. )
Didn't she buy so many that some people here complained that there weren't any left in their store?

 

[sho220]

Huh? The whole tread is telling you they are a good basic knives. Why did your particular example end up on the landfill?

Good basic knives? That don't hold an edge and the screws strip? The only good part is the price.

 

[sho220]

Also "not a ton more cash" still adds up if you get more than one of them. One in each car, one in the garage, one in the tool shed, one in each bag pack etc. They are great for just in case knives. Just in case I forget my higher quality ones.
To be honest,I don't see anything they couldn't do what my EDC can, except for staying sharp long, locking safer and looking way cooler.

I'd rather have a few good knives than a hundred of these.

 

[Lycosa]

Jens! Thanks for solving the puzzle.
sho220- Just get ONE.
rolf

 

[Yo Mama]

Good basic knives? That don't hold an edge and the screws strip? The only good part is the price.

And I've had a Para2 screw strip, what's your point? The edges on these not only are decent in how long they last, but the metal sharpens with ease. Seems like you don't have any experience with them so why are you set that they suck?

I'd rather have a few good knives than a hundred of these.

Yeah, well, we can't always add another hundred plus dollar blade to the collection. Sometimes you go with a budget blade, TRY IT OUT, and then make a judgment.

 

[Moondrop]

Good basic knives? That don't hold an edge and the screws strip? The only good part is the price.

FWIW, I took one apart to look inside. The screws didn't strip. And it doesn't hold an edge for a long time, but it's likely long enough for most things most people (perhaps not most people here) would be doing. Besides, these are a big improvement over the $1 Ozark Trail knives people were breaking on youtube with their bare hands.

 

[Yo Mama]

FWIW, I took one apart to look inside. The screws didn't strip. And it doesn't hold an edge for a long time, but it's likely long enough for most things most people (perhaps not most people here) would be doing. Besides, these are a big improvement over the $1 Ozark Trail knives people were breaking on youtube with their bare hands.

I literally had one of the 1$ ones fall apart coming out of the package it came in! I didn't even get to use it.

 

[DShiflet]

I'd rather have a few good knives than a hundred of these.

Yeah, because buying one good knife will certainly prevent one from buying one FOUR DOLLAR knife. Wouldn't wanna tax your budget, or nothing.

Also, about screws stripping on this? I've had screws strip on Kershaws, on Bokers, on a Spyderco...so I assume those are all crap too?

 

[robgmn]

Good basic knives? That don't hold an edge and the screws strip? The only good part is the price.

Go spend the $4, then do a true review of the knife and post it here before you spout without knowledge.
And please don't reply with the line "my time is too valuable to waste on an inexpensive knife". If that trite comeback were true, you wouldn't be here.

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt."