"The Wedge" by Outdoor Edge

Doc4570 · Mar 20, 1999

After reading all the threads about neck knives I got curious about them. I work at home so a lot of my "business attire" is T-shirts and sweat pants, therefore, I don't always have pockets. A neck knife seemed ideal. Most of the knives I read about seemed awfully long for neck carry. I tried a Stiff Kiss but for me it was too long (8") and bulky.
Then I found "The Wedge". 5" long, 2.5" blade, 2.5" handle and it weighs less than a medium-sized SAK. It comes with a neck cord, an attachment for a belt loop and a built-in pocket clip (all for tip-up carry).
The knife and sheath lock together very securely. The knife comes out of the sheath quietly with a touch on the release button. Putting the knife back into the sheath the lock gives a secure-sounding "Klunk".
The small size of the handle only allow a 2 1/2 finger hold, but the tear-drop shape of the handle and the cutout in the blade provide a very confident grip. The blade is a thin drop-point with lots of belly.
For $20 I'm sure the steel is not "custom-quality" but a few swipes on the crock sticks and you have a scary edge.
I've worn it under very light T-shirts and you couldn't tell it was there.
As an added bonus the Wedge just happens to be "cute-as-hell". Working in the house I usually wear it outside my shirt. A few times I've forgotten about it and answered the door and the Fed-Ex guy didn't run away in fear.
Try that with a mini-tanto hanging from your neck.

This is my first knife review so I would appreciate your criticism.
(Except for being long-winded, I already know about that)

Doc

Christian · Mar 20, 1999

Cute-as-hell aint the half of it. I just got mine last Monday, and by Tuesday *morning* it ended up getting itself permanently attached to my wife's keys- "But, honey, it's just so cute!"
Maybe I shoulda ordered two....

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Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

[This message has been edited by Christian (edited 20 March 1999).]

HipShot · Mar 20, 1999

HeHeHe.....

I know... I've bought 3 of them.

The first one, "I bought it for YOU, sweetheart, and I was just testing it out".

The second one, my brother in law fell in love with; it made a good Christmas present.

The third one hangs around my neck, for now....

The greatest neck knife of all time.

Titan · Mar 21, 1999

Doc -- thanks for sharing. I like your informative review.

Question: since I'm a southpaw, do you think I can easily open the Wedge's right-hand biased sheath? How thin is the blade? Do you think the larger Wedge II would be as non-obtrusive as your Wedge I?

Bob Irons · Mar 22, 1999

Doc,

Thanks for the informative post. This may be my 3rd "must have" cheap, but decent quality, neck knife! However, I am curious about one thing. After looking at the pictures of "The Wedge", I am wondering if you have any problem grabbing it quickly (as in I'm out jogging and I need it in my hand quickly scenario)?

Does the tear drop shape mean it has to rest one way for a lefty and the opposite way for a righty? Also, does it rest flat and comfortably - both outside and inside clothing? I noticed you said you've worn it under T-shirts, but was it comfortable there?

phantom4 · Mar 22, 1999

Bob and Titan, I'm also a lefty and so I guess I wear my Wedge "reversed". It causes me no problems whatsoever. The release with the left hand is very natural and easy. I recently picked up a Wedge II.I like it a lot but it is BIG. I think it will make a great knife to take fishing this summer when I'm on a boat with just swim trunks and maybe a T-shirt.

phantom4

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who dares, wins

Doc4570 · Mar 22, 1999

Bob and Titan,
I think Phantom took care of the "lefty" questions.
Bob - I think the tear-drop handle would be easier to find/orient than the typical handle.
Titan - Blade thickness is a tough one.
Think of a typical SAK. The thickness of the Wedge blade is between the large blade and the small blade (Roughly).
I assume the thinness accounts for the wicked edge you can get on it.
As for the Wedge II, it looks quite a bit bigger than the Wedge. For a neck knife, I wouldn't want the Wedge any bigger or any smaller.
Christian - Sorry for your loss.

Doc

David Bloch · Mar 24, 1999

Dear Doc, Hipshot & Christian:

First of all many thanks to Doc for posting your Wedge Knife Review. For your first review I offer my compliments. You have hit this one right on the head by touching on key features of the knife while at the same time telling a story from your own perspective on how you use/carry the Wedge.

Also many thanks to HipShot and Christian for your positive Wedge comments.

My ultimate goal as Outdoor Edge's CEO is to design knives that are #1, functional and practical for a specific use, #2 ergonomic so they perform as an extension of the hand. And #3 that the tool offers a good value to the customer by producing the product using the best quality and materials available for the retail price point it is sold at. I feel the Wedge and Wedge II meet the criteria for numbers 1,2& 3 in an inexpensive, multi-use cutting tool with various carry options.

To cut a long story short, what I enjoy most about my job is receiving positive end user comments such as yours that the product performed as the design was intended. Keep the good comments coming as well as the negative ones so we can continue improving on our goal to offer the very best product possible.

Take care and wishing the very best as always.

Sincerely,
Outdoor Edge Cutlery Corp.

David Bloch,
President

Christian · Mar 24, 1999

David- thanks for making a quality product. I do have a question- mine is the 420J2 model Wedge (I understand you are switching steel types), what can you tell us about the grinding, heat treat, etc.? I mean, I have had other knife-like objects in 420J2 that just plain sucked, big time.(They also bit it, big time.

) Your blade kicks some serious a$$. What gives? BTW, it deboned and then butterflied some tasty chicken breasts last night. It totally rocks in the kitchen.

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Tell me what you need, and I'll tell you how to get along without it.

[This message has been edited by Christian (edited 24 March 1999).]

David Bloch · Mar 25, 1999

To Christian:

420-J2 is probably the most common blade steel being use in Taiwan production cutlery for the main reasons it is economic, easy to grind and most important readily available.

I agree there is a lot of junk 420-J2 knives comming out of Taiwan which tends to give 420-J2 a bad name. These junk knives are sold and marketed with one thing in mind, Cheap! with no attention to detail. While I do not consider 420-J2 a premium steel such as ATS-34, 440V, 440C, or AUS-8A it does perform fairly well if it is heat treated correctly and ground with good blade/final edge geometry. The only shortfall of 420-J2 is strength and maximum Rockwell-C of 55. The reasons the Wedge performs so well is because it is flat ground very thin, with a razor sharp hand finished edge and vacuum heated treated (One of the best heat treatments available for production knives). Currently the Wedge II is made with 6M which is only one grade below AUS-8A and very similar in composition. Later this year we plan to change the original Wedge steel to 6M.

Thanks for your interest.

David Bloch,
Outdoor Edge