$8 worth of imagination for a kid! I was also playing war and Rambo with mine, teamed up with a 22 cal pump up Crosman pistol, I WAS a force to be messed with. Thanks for the great memories!
Same here, all my friends had one too, I grew up pretty rural, we were always running around out in the woods playing army and Rambo type stuff. Definitely good times the 80s were, glad I was a kid then.
Don't you remember being a kid in the 80's and having one of these with the compass in the pommel? And wasn't that the best thing ever? There ya go. Kids knife.
Dude, I completely forgot about mine until now. I'm not sure where my parents got it. It had some fishing line and a hook, some matches, and something else I can't remember, along with the compass on the end. Edit: just finished video. Mine didn't have a sewing kit with it. Maybe a whetrock?
I did some improvements, fine tuning to mine. I took a diamond hone to the entire edges, got it razor sharp. I took a die grinder and ground a lead cutting angle, and relief angle on alternating teeth, went opposite direction on other teeth. made the saw cut like a hand saw! Installed in handle shortened allen wrench, kitchen matches, variety of different fishing hooks, some fishing weights. On the scabbard I installed magnesium fire stick also from Harbor Freight. You can take the blade off from handle and take to a shop that sharpens skill saw blades. They can put a grind on it with precision! I put lock tite on the screw threads of the allen wrench and in the receiving hole, this stopped the allen screw from loosening. In the marine corp they sale a $150 knife with marine corp on it, in the PX. But just to expensive for daily use for me. This knife is perfect for me, once you do some needed improvements. Also a great gift as long as you do the fine improvements, before you give them as gifts for a survival situation! For under 10 bucks, its worth it.
Um.... REAL quick. (Reference to the carving portion) Whenever I buy a new knife I DONT CARE WHO MAKES IT I put my own edge on it. I have this knife too. Holds an edge for an OK time. The black legion version of this knife (pretty much same bells and whistles ie compass in handle survival kit inside etc. Major difference is it's better stainless steel, nylon and glass handle and it's a bayonet style. Taken my black legion camping and hunting and chopped with it on WRIST DIAMETER limbs. Held up didn't loosen.) Think I paid $25 for it. Way better than this one. Save the $8 and get a better one. This one may do good in a pinch if you have nothing else for a time but I aim to keep stuff around for repeated use.
I bought one a few years back knowing exactly what I bought,... I noticed a gap where the blade meets the handle so I made sure it was tight & then pushed JB Weld into the gaps ;)
The M9 bayonet that we carried in the infantry was easy to break. It wasn't a full tang would snap at the handle. When you used them on the actual bayonet range you had to be really careful to pull straight back after you stuck the blade in the bags because they would snap off if you twisted even a little bit sideways. I think uncle same was paying over $300 for them.
Uncle Same doesn't seem to be a cost-savvy shopper: he shops at the expense of the taxpayer to the pocket-filling benefit of the crooked connected cronyist politician. Go figure.
@@kirknunya4291 was it really that bad? Have you tested or used this harbor freight knife. I got one and it has worked real well for me but I know the steel is a little softer than other knife makers despite being thick. I was still looking around for cooler stuff. If harbor freight sells something head and shoulders above anything else around 100 dollars I might just hide away from looking at the other stuff.
This knife can be a decent one with a few minor modifications. Sharpening being one of them, replacing the small pin holding the blade with something more durable, and make your own survival kit for the handle.
I've had one for over 10 years now and it's holding up great. I had to sharpen it when I bought it, and I put a chunk of inner tube over the handle for grip.
I got mine around 2015. Glad i watched this, i thought the compass didn't work but when set down on a flat surface it works great! My blade stock seems to be a tad longer inside than the one you showed. I haven't had any lossenung problems but haven't tried wood chopping, glad i got one!
It worked for me in deer camp notching the tree for my climber stand n I've used it for hunting and camping.......it's a budget survival knife it gets the job done for a cheap survival knife......ive never had to tighten the set screw
I have two of them, I am realistic enough to not try to take on a major survival event, but I like them. They came out of the package sharp and after touching them up seem to hold an edge. they make for a fun conversation starter as well. I have wrapped the pommel with paracord, and modified the contents as well, a striker, dependable matches, waxed cottonballs, etc.
Be interesting to see if you could buy a cutoff wheel, a grinding disc, a drill bit and a piece of sandpaper for 8 bucks and make a solid knife out of an old leaf spring.....I see foot long chunks of them at the roadside everywhere heavy trucks run....
Thumbs up for your persistence, optimism and humor. I didn't expect that much from the Harbor Freight quality Chinesium of the blade. (Gotta keep the maintenance tool close by, though.)
@@krknfmkr8919 FACTS. High carbon is still personally preferred over stainless (you know what I'm saying) I have a propane forge but I know what your hinting at.
I had this harbor freight knife. I've always had a knife. Got my very first Swiss army knife the day I was took out Canada. I got my first Rambo knife from my US Army stepdad in 1980's. So when my brother in-law got me this knife, I put it to work. It's amazing 👍
Thx, it seems to perform reasonably well and certainly didn't fall apart... and wonder if folks are often so hard on these things just 'cuz they are 'cheap' to own? Would love to see a sorta 'blind test' done on knives like they once did with wine snobs... who couldn't see what they were drinking, and often liked the 'cheap wines' _better._
Years ago when I first bought this knife I did a simple facelift. I took the set screw and blade out and superglued any suspect areas and let it dry. Then I put the blade back in and filled the areas where the blade gets fitted back in with clear superglue. That also keeps dirt out. I also superglued in the set screw. I may have superglued some other others as well, I don’t remember. I also wrapped the handle with white tennis grip overwrap, “taped” it with Yonex tennis tape at the screw-in cap end, and tightened a metal hose clamp outside the bottom of the handle, near the guard. I also removed the compass, inserted 4 nickels and held them in with a rubber o-ring. I put a small piece of plastic inside the tip end of the sheath so the blade wouldn’t accidentally rip the sheath open. I also removed the snap clasp for quicker access. I’m not really super into knives though I have several. Most probably won’t do what I did, but I just wanted to make the knife stronger and more personal. I have to say that the knife has held up really well. Oh, the superglue facelift I do to a lot of things I buy if they seem kinda on the cheap side. The tennis wrap keeps my hand from getting cold against the metal, looks cool, and makes the handle beefier for my big hands - (I’m 6’5” tall and 260 lbs.). By the way, the hose clamp is mostly just for looks and for the way I like to hold the knife. It is by no means necessary, though it does hold the tennis grip on really tight. Inside the handle I put a quarter in first, then a clear plastic storage tube (O.D. 3/4” x 3” - though I plan on moving up to an even more useful storage tube with O.D. of 15/16” x 3” - available on Amazon, though it may need to be slightly smaller because of the end cap ), then of course the rubber o-ring and 4 nickels in the end cap. Inside the plastic tube I have: hurricane matches (wind proof and waterproof) with a long striker, some fishing line and hooks, a miniature magnetized flathead screwdriver for my eyeglasses, a bobby pin, a nail, and a small device that tightens a camera flash unit cord. Also inside is an even smaller plastic storage tube O.D. approximately 9/16” x 1” for some lip balm - though I may look for an even smaller tube for the lip balm. Of course the contents are ever changing as needs change. Lastly, both storage tubes also have end caps.
I bought one of these a couple years ago. I removed the blade filled the slot with epoxy pressed the blade back back in and locked down with the Allen screw. That seemed to fix the loosening blade.
The reason they make it so, is so when it goes south you can replace it with a better one you yourself made. Or take it and weld it to a non- cancer causing handle, or weld a tang to the blade and then… the sky's the limit.
I got a cheap Rambo style survival knife when I was 8 (thing were different in the 80's 😂. I had about 15 knives - SAK, pocket knife, bushcraft, hunting by the time I was 10) Edge was crap so my dad put it on a grinder and got a real good edge on it. Used it & abused for several years with hunting and just general bushcraft and camping. Compass was perfect even though it was cheap and added my own little "survival" back up kit in the handle. I was really happy with it and it performed pretty well with the home mods
In the 80s things were still made of better quality than much of what we see today...I too had a cheap Rambo knife in the early 90s,as a kid I thought it was the coolest thing ever.I felt like I could venture into the wilderness and survive through a Rambo-like scenario 😂
I remember having this knife in Mexico 🇲🇽 when we go fishing or when I go hunting 🐇 rabbits when I lost the survival kit I end up filling with concrete the handle 😂😂😂 what a beautiful times back in those days 😊
Worked better than I would have expected. I always felt the weakness of those hollow handle knives would be the lack of a decent tang, and that seems to jibe with your experience. As for feathering and such, I don't think I would ever expect a knife to work well straight out of the package without some sharpening.
A friend of mine bought me one from a Pawn Shop we were browsing through and had it for years. When my Grandson turned 18 I gave it to him and he still has it.
I like how you tried to give this $8 knife the benefit of the doubt. What knife I would like to see tested is the “SmittyBilt”chopper. Not sure if it has a specific name but it’s made by SmittyBilt,it’s 11” w/ a 6” blade and was VERY sharp out of box and very heavy as far as choppers go
My "survival knife" is, and has been since 1991, a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Ranger Model. I carried it through 10 years of US Military Service, 6 years of Law Enforcement, Camping, Hunting, Craftwork, and General Pocketknife use. It has served me well.
@@bstevermer9293, that's me wirh Zippo Lighters! I've owned probably over a dozen, including 1 that had the Parachutist Badge, aka "Jump Wings, engraved with my name and the date of my 1st Jump. I lost it in less than a week. FWIW, when I bought the SAK, I also bought a Leather Sheath that imcluded a mini Sharpening Steel, and I always carry the Knife in the Sheath, and it is also attached to my belt with a Paracord Lanyard. Those probably have kept me from losing it
I had 1 of them knives.....some years ago & I got pissed off with TRYING to keep a sharp edge on it so I TRIED my hardest to intentionally DESTROY it !!!! It NEVER broke or fell apart whatsoever. I just gave up after awhile and gave it away to a buddy of mine !! Tougher knife than I gave it credit for !! 😎👍
i carried mine in Alaska while hunting grizzlies. It came in real handy one afternoon when i had to leap from a cliff to escape a startled mamma bear and her cubs ( my bow and arrow jammed). Unfortunately my arm got ripped open pretty bad from the fall i took through the tall trees, but lucky for me, the sewing kit in the knife helped me stitch it back together and I used the matches to cauterize the wound. Needless to say, this knife saved my life. Thanks Harbor Freight!
No, actually i bought it for my 9 year old Son as a Christmas gift a few years ago. When he opened the gift, his his eyes about popped out of his head and had a smile as big as Alaska. Mom said " What the hell honey?..Uh...I don't thinks so!!" It was hilarious. His cub scout pack had a "bring your knife to pack meeting nite" for sharpening skill building, i let him bring it. The scout master took it away. I got it back later.
You forgot to add a statement about how you used the compass in the handle. I did that while lost in the wilderness for two weeks. The terrain was so rough I had worn out my Herman Survivors and had to make a pair of Ho Che Man go-aheads from thick tree bark and twisted grass twine.
I know I'm very late. Just watching again. My Pawpaw got me a lil "rambo" knife for my 9th birthday!😆 imagine the outrage! 🤣 I chopped and cut up everything! Spent hours on dulling up the blade thinking it's gonna be razor sharp. Lol! And took friends out in our woods to play. I miss those days. I still have that lil survival knife to this day. With my grandpas engraved signature on one side and my 9th birthday on the other. I have given my daughter the same type of tool to learn. It's different if you want someone to get the basics and move forward. He would've hurt me in giving me an expensive very sharp tool. I wouldn't have learned what I have. Thanks pawpaw! You wouldn't be allowed to just be in these days.
Heh...I have that same knife...took one look at the edge and had a friend of mine who sharpens knives professionally take a whack at it...it will take a good edge..😁
My Ontario SP6 has been a tough piece of kit for over 20 years in my possession. I have abused it, left it outside through the seasons and banged on it cutting wood with a mini sledge and it is still solid. Paid around $40 and definitely got my money out of it with many years of service to come. It takes an edge and is useful in a variety of missions.
I have one I bought years ago also. I did locktite the set screw in on the blade and put a pretty good edge on it with my worksharp belt sharpener but have never taken it out and used it in the field. I do however carry my Morakniv's frequently. No doubt it is a poor excuse for a knife but maybe it is better than nothing.
i bought one of these 5yrs ago. Used thread lock on setscrew and epoxied tang to handle no loosening issues at all.Use it when metal detecting has held up great.
Laser John,I just through drilled mine and drove in a 3/16" steel rod and peen`d over the end`s and then put in the epoxy like you did...I was gonna spot weld the blade to the handle but it`s 2 different metals...
I have the same knife. I filled the tang cavity with J-B Weld and put the set screw back in. Sharpened it up a little and now it works just fine. It's not a Benchmade of course but it can be useful.
I’ve got one of these tucked away somewhere that I bought out of curiosity years ago. For $8 it’s surprisingly good, but that’s not really saying much. It takes a decent edge, holds it reasonably well and the tang is tougher than it looks. It’s not a knife that really has much of a purpose however. The only thing you’d ever use this for are outdoor activities, (camping, hunting, fishing, etc...), and for that there are much better, full tang knives that are also reasonably priced.
I put mine through the wringer just the other day, and it held up shockingly well. Just had to tighten the screw up every once in a while. I've decided it'll be my hiking companion, along with my magnum. If I end up needing to warm up at a rest spot on the hike, I can use the matches for a fire. Only damage was that the compass broke, so that was annoying, but as long as I know roughly what time it is, I can use the sun to direct me.
I imagine the steel is fairly soft, so it should be easy to sharpen. Put a good edge on it, Loctite that screw, and fill the bottom portion with some decent strike-anywhere matches, and honestly it seems like a pretty good bang-for-your-buck 3-night survival knife.
Put an edge on it and do again... don't baby it. Work it like a rented mule. Pry, dig, scrape, cut rope, limbs mine works better than what you're showing... it's still an 8 dollar knife... see ya Bill
that "guard" on the real knives is supposed to be bent and holes threaded for the spikes to screw into to use as a grappling hook for climbing with real Para-cord. this crap would never be able to do that.
Been carrying this in my car for 3 years. Took it to a professional to get sharpened because it came dull with basically a flat tip but it's pointed and plenty sharp now. $8 for the knife, $15 for the sharpening not bad for $23
I found in the Mojave desert, a Smith and Wesson 5 inch outdoorsman. I pulled off the side of the highway I40 to take care of business and was just kicking around in a ravine looking for my rock collection and this knife was in a scabbard lying there. What i expected was a rusted up piece of junk but when I pulled it out, the blade shined like a mirror. I felt kinda bad for the adult beverage consumer who lost it. I checked it out by the model #on it and it was made by S&W before they started outsourcing the making of it in the early 80s. for150.00 dollars!!
I own this knife, it is actually better than you would think. I have never once had to tighten it as you did. It was very sharp right out of the package, and holds an edge relatively well. My 2 complaints were that the knife cut the stitching on the sheath no long after I started using it, and the O-ring did not keep the contents of the survival kit dry satisfactory.
I found one of these at a pawn shop,surprizingly the compass works as it should...i think deep inside all your viewers want this knife,it brings out the inner 13 yr old in all of us!
I love these cheap junkie knives tests. Makes me feel better about my $50 knives LOL 😁 I believe the back of the knife is Saposed to be for descaleing fish not a wood saw. But I could be wrong. I had a lot of fun waching this. Thanks for sharing. God bless
For me ,the issue that any yahoo can separate the blade from the handle and conceal it and enter any facility with it that isn't monitored ,gives me the creeps...
I have one and it came reasonably sharp. It’s quite a bit sharper now, but the secondary bevel was pretty good when I go it, so it wasn’t a lot of work.
I fell sucker to buying one of those "Rambo" style knives at Harbor Freight. Took it home and tried out all the "features" that it had. The cutting edge was useless, unless soft butter was the material to be parted. When it came time to baton some firewood, the thing came apart on the first blow to the blade - the handle and blade separated where they were joined by the rivet. So much for my $8 experiment. I was surprised that your example held up to throwing at the target board - several times, in fact. Nice demo, though. Cheers.
Was it the handle that broke or the blade or the screw. It should friction held in place by a screw. Having something like hot glue inside keeps it from moving. Their hardish to sharpen but it can be done. Stainless may be soft to the touch but the chromium in it is not so it takes something hard enough to work with stainless and you cant use too much force. Edge geometry is usually most important.
I knew Jimmy Lile back in the 80's use to set up next to him and across from Jack Crain who made the predator knives Arnold Schwarzenegger used in his movies those were great handmade knives.
As to the knife, to be fair, I have never bought a knife that was truly sharp right out of the package. Handmade knives, yes, but prepackaged knives, never. It's a cheap knife, frankly it's better than I would expect it to be. Please don't blame China for making cheap stuff. In all fairness, the companies that sell it here tell them what the price has to be, so they have to make it accordingly. If the buyers for these companies wanted them to make high quality stuff, they could easily make it.
Dude! Several years ago, I was subscribed.We even commented back and forth a few times. I recommended you to everyone I knew. Yet, just now, when this vid came up in my recommendations, I realized I hadn't seen you for years... And lo and behold it showed me to NOT be subscribed any more. How did that happen? I didn't do it. Well, subscribed once again.
Got one of these. Tightened the bolt, sharpened it close to finish. Then, i tempered the edge to 'straw' color (using a simply heat torch and a little time/patience). Finally, I completed the sharpening. Came out ok for the price :)
Mine cuts pretty darn well after some sharpening with the Lansky diamond stones. It is infinitely better than nothing and for personal protection??? Remember the bit in the Crocodile Dundee movie where here says to a thief with a knife...."that's not a knife, THIS is a knife". I think that would work. WARNING!! Do NOT bring a knife to a gun fight!!!! LOL
I sharpened my knives with the old ceramic isulatators from knob and tube wiring I get them from old houses that are being torn down they make great knife sharpeners free performance tip. Get a small Bic lighter and use it as a match replacer then ad a piece of candle that has easy fire covered to fix the handleyou just use JB-WELD to help backup the st screw I cleaned all residual machine oil off with alcohol a clean surface will help make a good glue joint
I am down the Harbor freight rabbit hole, i own one of these, and the easiest fix I saw was JB weld the knife into the handle and it fixed a lot of the issues. The M9 style handle can't be helped unless you design your own.
Of course it can’t cut a fart. A fart has superior sharpness, in fact it’s the sharpest thing known to man... it can cut through 4 layers of clothing without even making a hole!
I have had mine for years and havent had need of another knife. So far I have taken down a grizzly bear, a moose, and a wild boar. I have also built my entire cabin and hollowed out a canoe with it not to mention countless cords of wood and felled several good sized trees. Outstanding workmanship and fantastic value.
When you're in a survival situation any tool will do no matter how cheap or where it's made. I'm from South Africa and often come across the comment "made in USA" as the best. I have many knives and have found Muela knives from Spain the best knife for quality vs price. Recently bought a Schrade SCHF30 from a local supplier, good knife but not quite what I wanted so I ordered another Schrade from Amazon. To my horror the micarta slab fell off when I took it out of the box. Another American great gone to an overseas manufacturer. Enjoyed the video and brought back memories of knives long forgotten.
I bought this knife for 7 bucks a few years ago at Ocean State Job Lot. It definitely needed some work out of the package. An hour on the whetstone during a camping trip solved the terrible blade geometry and it shaves like a champ now. The blade holds its edge well once you take the corner of the secondary bevel off. Like in the video, my allen nut tended to loosen. I solved it with a bit of plumbing tape; it hasn’t loosened since. I added a few items to the included ‘survival kit’ as there is plenty of storage space in the handle. For seven (or eight) bucks, you really can’t go wrong. Except for the allen nut and bevel issues, this piece is fairly strong and well built. I noticed in the video that the guard broke, probably during the throwing test; I haven’t had this problem, but I don’t throw mine - I have other knives for that. Over-all, for the price, it’s definitely worth the investment as a back-up and/or emergency survival kit storage device. It LOOKS fairly impressive, too. It’s not my Damascus kukri, but then again, what is?
And yet for $10 or so on Amazon you can get a Mora Companion that you can shave with straight out of the box (or blister pack). No hollow handle but I have pockets.
Sure. And for $200 bucks, you can get a hand-crafted damascus kukri machete that will slice through 3 inch oak trunks with a flick of the wrist, and then shave your face closer than a 5 blade Schick. Is that the point? I don’t regret spending my $7 on an impulse.
Surprised the heck out of me truthfully the Carving fail wasn’t that unusuall. Almost any knife ive owned needed some type of a dressing out of the box With a few exceptions of some Leatherman Multi tools i used for EDC purposes because ive been a lifetime Boatowner / Operator and always kept a knife on me for Emergencies and i dont think having to add Loctite on the Screws isnt that big of a deal for a 8 dollar knife it was a surprise to me that it didnt break right away thanks Brian in all honesty I’m more of a Hiker / Backpacker and I wouldn’t carry that much weight in my pack as ive been a fan of The Buck Lite knives for their price and durability
I bought so much disappointing stuff from Sportsman's Guide that I gave up on that firm. ( E.German boots with a horrible chemical odor / Little John urinal that leaked at the cap / useless musty Baily Bridge tool kit / British commando pillows that were hard and had a feather poking / British commando sleeping bag that was too short for anyone over 5'6" / British emergency shelter that was useless / used ammo can that was dented / Used M Alice pack with tear that wasadvertised as "no tears" / Russian thermal underwear that was too small for anyone / used mess kit sold as new....😨
I have a couple of them. They do chop well but mostly I like them for batoning fatwood and try to keep my good knives good. If I ruin one of these but used it for awhile I consider that no real loss.
I always re-edge every China blade. Plus, the saw is like the ones on a Victorinox, it's made for cutting limbs from trees. You let the wood move too much
I have an actual replica of the first Rambo knife from the first movie (the green handled one). I've had it 12 years now and it's actually a very good knife. I also have one of those Hobo Freight $7 knifes that I keep in the trunk of my car for a beater.
V.Neeley of Lile knives finished mine last November. He is a real craftsman. I waited 40 years for it. $2000.00. I'm retired now. It makes me feel like a kid again. Worth every penny.
Sharpen it. I gave these out at Christmas. Teenagers have fun with them. There Cheap enough. Now one still sealed in plastic was floating in my trunk tire well. Took it out. Need a knife to cut knife out of plastic. The stuff in the still sealed handle was soaked. So if using as tool on a canoe I would use plumbers tape on threads.
$8 worth of imagination for a kid! I was also playing war and Rambo with mine, teamed up with a 22 cal pump up Crosman pistol, I WAS a force to be messed with. Thanks for the great memories!
Wow. I was making spears out of sticks and playing Kung Fu.
Right after we saw First Blood both my brother and I got "Rambo" knives... I might have been 7 or 8... fun times the 80's
Same here, all my friends had one too, I grew up pretty rural, we were always running around out in the woods playing army and Rambo type stuff. Definitely good times the 80s were, glad I was a kid then.
Don't you remember being a kid in the 80's and having one of these with the compass in the pommel? And wasn't that the best thing ever? There ya go. Kids knife.
;-)
memories mate i hade the black handle with silver blade i thought it was the best thing ever back then ........ignorance is bliss lol
Dude, I completely forgot about mine until now. I'm not sure where my parents got it. It had some fishing line and a hook, some matches, and something else I can't remember, along with the compass on the end.
Edit: just finished video. Mine didn't have a sewing kit with it. Maybe a whetrock?
I lucked out a few years ago and got one similar to this on Amazon, with pitons you could screw into the handle.
Yeah dude, my favorite aunt bought me one and a mini mag lite. We miss ya Aunt Marge.
I keep one of these under the back seat of my truck. With the hollow handle, it would also make a very good spear mounted on a pole or sapling.
Be careful about carrying that in a vehicle.
That may constitute illegal concealed carry.
Never gave them a thought. I guess with some mods it would work. If not you have next to nothing in it
I did some improvements, fine tuning to mine. I took a diamond hone to the entire edges, got it razor sharp. I took a die grinder and ground a lead cutting angle, and relief angle on alternating teeth, went opposite direction on other teeth. made the saw cut like a hand saw! Installed in handle shortened allen wrench, kitchen matches, variety of different fishing hooks, some fishing weights. On the scabbard I installed magnesium fire stick also from Harbor Freight.
You can take the blade off from handle and take to a shop that sharpens skill saw blades. They can put a grind on it with precision! I put lock tite on the screw threads of the allen wrench and in the receiving hole, this stopped the allen screw from loosening. In the marine corp they sale a $150 knife with marine corp on it, in the PX. But just to expensive for daily use for me. This knife is perfect for me, once you do some needed improvements. Also a great gift as long as you do the fine improvements, before you give them as gifts for a survival situation! For under 10 bucks, its worth it.
What do you expect for 8 dollars. For 8 dollars i say it's pretty good.
I expect a Mora for 8 dollars.
Not when a mora is 9.99 lol much rather have that
Um.... REAL quick. (Reference to the carving portion) Whenever I buy a new knife I DONT CARE WHO MAKES IT I put my own edge on it. I have this knife too. Holds an edge for an OK time. The black legion version of this knife (pretty much same bells and whistles ie compass in handle survival kit inside etc. Major difference is it's better stainless steel, nylon and glass handle and it's a bayonet style. Taken my black legion camping and hunting and chopped with it on WRIST DIAMETER limbs. Held up didn't loosen.) Think I paid $25 for it. Way better than this one. Save the $8 and get a better one. This one may do good in a pinch if you have nothing else for a time but I aim to keep stuff around for repeated use.
I bought one a few years back knowing exactly what I bought,... I noticed a gap where the blade meets the handle so I made sure it was tight & then pushed JB Weld into the gaps ;)
The M9 bayonet that we carried in the infantry was easy to break. It wasn't a full tang would snap at the handle. When you used them on the actual bayonet range you had to be really careful to pull straight back after you stuck the blade in the bags because they would snap off if you twisted even a little bit sideways. I think uncle same was paying over $300 for them.
Thats ridiculous price for such low quality i could make a great bayonet better than the m9 with the basic rudimentary tools in my garage
Uncle Same doesn't seem to be a cost-savvy shopper: he shops at the expense of the taxpayer to the pocket-filling benefit of the crooked connected cronyist politician. Go figure.
Military Grade!!! 🤣
Yep, I remember it well. I threw one at a tree once and I picked it up off the ground in two pieces. The M- 9 is a tragic piece of garbage.
@@kirknunya4291 was it really that bad? Have you tested or used this harbor freight knife.
I got one and it has worked real well for me but I know the steel is a little softer than other knife makers despite being thick. I was still looking around for cooler stuff. If harbor freight sells something head and shoulders above anything else around 100 dollars I might just hide away from looking at the other stuff.
This knife can be a decent one with a few minor modifications. Sharpening being one of them, replacing the small pin holding the blade with something more durable, and make your own survival kit for the handle.
Or save yourself the hastle and buy something with a decent tang and steel that's tougher than peanut butter
Do you wear tampons?
@@jbfthree1 you must because you get mad over a comment
ahy instead of replacing the pin, wield it so youll have a full tang?
Ah yes perfect compartment for my survival crack pipe
I've had one for over 10 years now and it's holding up great. I had to sharpen it when I bought it, and I put a chunk of inner tube over the handle for grip.
I keep one in my car, who cares if someone steals a 10 dollar knife.
Me bec i am weapon collector any stuff can kill someone even if it 1$ for me worth a looot .
Exactly what I was thinking. I guess I’l drop by the Harbor on the way to the firework stand later. Happy 4th fellas!
The problem is somebody arming themselves and slicing you and stealing your car ...
I got mine around 2015. Glad i watched this, i thought the compass didn't work but when set down on a flat surface it works great! My blade stock seems to be a tad longer inside than the one you showed. I haven't had any lossenung problems but haven't tried wood chopping, glad i got one!
Cool
It worked for me in deer camp notching the tree for my climber stand n I've used it for hunting and camping.......it's a budget survival knife it gets the job done for a cheap survival knife......ive never had to tighten the set screw
The one I had in the 80's had a snap pouch on the sheath that held a small sharpening stone.
Harbor freight will be sold out of these by the weekend 😁
;-)
Dale Thomas I truly doubt it
I bought one couple weeks ago for fun. Actually a pretty good knife. The items in the handle are cute. It splits kindling fine.
let's sue HB like they got sued over that lockblade that won't lock ??
That's hilarious.
I have two of them, I am realistic enough to not try to take on a major survival event, but I like them. They came out of the package sharp and after touching them up seem to hold an edge. they make for a fun conversation starter as well. I have wrapped the pommel with paracord, and modified the contents as well, a striker, dependable matches, waxed cottonballs, etc.
Same here...the Paracord made it a little too blocky in the handle
They WILL NOT hold an edge!
For a little more you could have a knife that is user safe and will last.
I have one and it’s held up well since 2012 can’t beat it for $8
@captain crankypants only way these hold up even 1 year is if you never open package like this guy did for years.
captain crankypants 😂😂
I think I could chop on in half with a kabar
Does yours have that screw in the tang because mine doesn't?
Be interesting to see if you could buy a cutoff wheel, a grinding disc, a drill bit and a piece of sandpaper for 8 bucks and make a solid knife out of an old leaf spring.....I see foot long chunks of them at the roadside everywhere heavy trucks run....
Thumbs up for your persistence, optimism and humor. I didn't expect that much from the Harbor Freight quality Chinesium of the blade. (Gotta keep the maintenance tool close by, though.)
I'd sure rather have this chipo knife for 8 bucks than a sharpened stick.
@Blind Squid there are a few of us blacksmiths around who have hand crank blowers and coal fired forges, and in my case literally tons of steel
$9.99
It’s better than nothing
@@krknfmkr8919 FACTS. High carbon is still personally preferred over stainless (you know what I'm saying) I have a propane forge but I know what your hinting at.
@@krknfmkr8919You got a website?
I had this harbor freight knife. I've always had a knife. Got my very first Swiss army knife the day I was took out Canada. I got my first Rambo knife from my US Army stepdad in 1980's. So when my brother in-law got me this knife, I put it to work. It's amazing 👍
Thx, it seems to perform reasonably well and certainly didn't fall apart... and wonder if folks are often so hard on these things just 'cuz they are 'cheap' to own? Would love to see a sorta 'blind test' done on knives like they once did with wine snobs... who couldn't see what they were drinking, and often liked the 'cheap wines' _better._
Years ago when I first bought this knife I did a simple facelift. I took the set screw and blade out and superglued any suspect areas and let it dry. Then I put the blade back in and filled the areas where the blade gets fitted back in with clear superglue. That also keeps dirt out. I also superglued in the set screw. I may have superglued some other others as well, I don’t remember. I also wrapped the handle with white tennis grip overwrap, “taped” it with Yonex tennis tape at the screw-in cap end, and tightened a metal hose clamp outside the bottom of the handle, near the guard. I also removed the compass, inserted 4 nickels and held them in with a rubber o-ring. I put a small piece of plastic inside the tip end of the sheath so the blade wouldn’t accidentally rip the sheath open. I also removed the snap clasp for quicker access.
I’m not really super into knives though I have several. Most probably won’t do what I did, but I just wanted to make the knife stronger and more personal. I have to say that the knife has held up really well. Oh, the superglue facelift I do to a lot of things I buy if they seem kinda on the cheap side. The tennis wrap keeps my hand from getting cold against the metal, looks cool, and makes the handle beefier for my big hands - (I’m 6’5” tall and 260 lbs.). By the way, the hose clamp is mostly just for looks and for the way I like to hold the knife. It is by no means necessary, though it does hold the tennis grip on really tight.
Inside the handle I put a quarter in first, then a clear plastic storage tube (O.D. 3/4” x 3” - though I plan on moving up to an even more useful storage tube with O.D. of 15/16” x 3” - available on Amazon, though it may need to be slightly smaller because of the end cap ), then of course the rubber o-ring and 4 nickels in the end cap. Inside the plastic tube I have: hurricane matches (wind proof and waterproof) with a long striker, some fishing line and hooks, a miniature magnetized flathead screwdriver for my eyeglasses, a bobby pin, a nail, and a small device that tightens a camera flash unit cord. Also inside is an even smaller plastic storage tube O.D. approximately 9/16” x 1” for some lip balm - though I may look for an even smaller tube for the lip balm. Of course the contents are ever changing as needs change.
Lastly, both storage tubes also have end caps.
I bought one of these a couple years ago. I removed the blade filled the slot with epoxy pressed the blade back back in and locked down with the Allen screw. That seemed to fix the loosening blade.
The reason they make it so, is so when it goes south you can replace it with a better one you yourself made. Or take it and weld it to a non- cancer causing handle, or weld a tang to the blade and then… the sky's the limit.
I got a cheap Rambo style survival knife when I was 8 (thing were different in the 80's 😂. I had about 15 knives - SAK, pocket knife, bushcraft, hunting by the time I was 10) Edge was crap so my dad put it on a grinder and got a real good edge on it.
Used it & abused for several years with hunting and just general bushcraft and camping.
Compass was perfect even though it was cheap and added my own little "survival" back up kit in the handle.
I was really happy with it and it performed pretty well with the home mods
Cool
In the 80s things were still made of better quality than much of what we see today...I too had a cheap Rambo knife in the early 90s,as a kid I thought it was the coolest thing ever.I felt like I could venture into the wilderness and survive through a Rambo-like scenario 😂
I remember having this knife in Mexico 🇲🇽 when we go fishing or when I go hunting 🐇 rabbits when I lost the survival kit I end up filling with concrete the handle 😂😂😂 what a beautiful times back in those days 😊
I gave mine a full flat grind, did a little honing, now its razor sharp, not bad for a cheap knife
Worked better than I would have expected. I always felt the weakness of those hollow handle knives would be the lack of a decent tang, and that seems to jibe with your experience. As for feathering and such, I don't think I would ever expect a knife to work well straight out of the package without some sharpening.
A friend of mine bought me one from a Pawn Shop we were browsing through and had it for years. When my Grandson turned 18 I gave it to him and he still has it.
It's not sharp anymore cus you took the sticker off! Put the sticker back on!
I have watched this video several times. It's surprisingly entertaining.
Got my nephew one, he loves it, it’s a great trainer and actually has been used a lot to do little camping tasks...
Your nephew is a child? Why expose a loved one to junk?
Bent Nickel Because the nephew doesn’t know it’s junk. He thinks it’s the coolest knife he’s ever seen. And when he loses it, uncle is only out &8.
I like how you tried to give this $8 knife the benefit of the doubt. What knife I would like to see tested is the “SmittyBilt”chopper. Not sure if it has a specific name but it’s made by SmittyBilt,it’s 11” w/ a 6” blade and was VERY sharp out of box and very heavy as far as choppers go
My "survival knife" is, and has been since 1991, a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Ranger Model. I carried it through 10 years of US Military Service, 6 years of Law Enforcement, Camping, Hunting, Craftwork, and General Pocketknife use.
It has served me well.
Adrian Firewalker
I’m lucky if I don’t lose a knife in a month .
@@bstevermer9293, that's me wirh Zippo Lighters! I've owned probably over a dozen, including 1 that had the Parachutist Badge, aka "Jump Wings, engraved with my name and the date of my 1st Jump. I lost it in less than a week.
FWIW, when I bought the SAK, I also bought a Leather Sheath that imcluded a mini Sharpening Steel, and I always carry the Knife in the Sheath, and it is also attached to my belt with a Paracord Lanyard. Those probably have kept me from losing it
Swiss army Hunters model - 5 of them in the last 5 decades! Just like toilet paper, never leave home without it!
I had 1 of them knives.....some years ago & I got pissed off with TRYING to keep a sharp edge on it so I TRIED my hardest to intentionally DESTROY it !!!!
It NEVER broke or fell apart whatsoever.
I just gave up after awhile and gave it away to a buddy of mine !!
Tougher knife than I gave it credit for !!
😎👍
It's up to you to put the finish on that blade. It is sent to you dull so you won't slice your selfe on first blush .
@@N2RI1 the jungle of St Luis Missouri.... LOL. really
then why put a "WARNING !! SHARP EDGE!!!" sticker on it if they did not intend for it to be sharp out of the box??
I agree. It is common knowledge & practice. I further attest that a low price point does not necessarily denote poor quality.
@@502deth Because idiot's who would ask that are same one's that would burn themselves with coffee and sue MC Ds. You sound like one of those people.
i carried mine in Alaska while hunting grizzlies. It came in real handy one afternoon when i had to leap from a cliff to escape a startled mamma bear and her cubs ( my bow and arrow jammed). Unfortunately my arm got ripped open pretty bad from the fall i took through the tall trees, but lucky for me, the sewing kit in the knife helped me stitch it back together and I used the matches to cauterize the wound. Needless to say, this knife saved my life. Thanks Harbor Freight!
No, actually i bought it for my 9 year old Son as a Christmas gift a few years ago. When he opened the gift, his his eyes about popped out of his head and had a smile as big as Alaska. Mom said " What the hell honey?..Uh...I don't thinks so!!" It was hilarious. His cub scout pack had a "bring your knife to pack meeting nite" for sharpening skill building, i let him bring it. The scout master took it away. I got it back later.
@@giterdun1864 I have a scout handbook from the sixties, they actually used to teach real survival and search and rescue
You forgot to add a statement about how you used the compass in the handle. I did that while lost in the wilderness for two weeks. The terrain was so rough I had worn out my Herman Survivors and had to make a pair of Ho Che Man go-aheads from thick tree bark and twisted grass twine.
Rambo knife performs well even in his most dishonorable form. That shows how great it is!
I know I'm very late. Just watching again. My Pawpaw got me a lil "rambo" knife for my 9th birthday!😆 imagine the outrage! 🤣 I chopped and cut up everything! Spent hours on dulling up the blade thinking it's gonna be razor sharp. Lol! And took friends out in our woods to play. I miss those days. I still have that lil survival knife to this day. With my grandpas engraved signature on one side and my 9th birthday on the other. I have given my daughter the same type of tool to learn. It's different if you want someone to get the basics and move forward. He would've hurt me in giving me an expensive very sharp tool. I wouldn't have learned what I have. Thanks pawpaw! You wouldn't be allowed to just be in these days.
Heh...I have that same knife...took one look at the edge and had a friend of mine who sharpens knives professionally take a whack at it...it will take a good edge..😁
Amazing!
And it will stay sharp until you use it. 😂
My Ontario SP6 has been a tough piece of kit for over 20 years in my possession. I have abused it, left it outside through the seasons and banged on it cutting wood with a mini sledge and it is still solid. Paid around $40 and definitely got my money out of it with many years of service to come. It takes an edge and is useful in a variety of missions.
cool
Maybe you could add a segment in seeing how easily you can sharpen it, and if holds an edge..... ;)
good idea...though I can't see it holding an edge for long
I have probably spent about as much time asI'm going to on this one. We'll see
Why? What does blade quality have to do with a movie prop?
I have one I bought years ago also. I did locktite the set screw in on the blade and put a pretty good edge on it with my worksharp belt sharpener but have never taken it out and used it in the field. I do however carry my Morakniv's frequently. No doubt it is a poor excuse for a knife but maybe it is better than nothing.
@@SurvivalOnPurpose would giving it a sharpening fresh out the packaging make it worth 8 bucks?
i bought one of these 5yrs ago. Used thread lock on setscrew and epoxied tang to handle no loosening issues at all.Use it when metal detecting has held up great.
Laser John,I just through drilled mine and drove in a 3/16" steel rod and peen`d over the end`s and then put in the epoxy like you did...I was gonna spot weld the blade to the handle but it`s 2 different metals...
you did broke it on the first hit on the wood, the guard on the edge side
I am surprised he didn't see it. He handled it a bunch after that.
@@williamm6972 yeah I kept waiting on him to say something about it myself.
It probably helped the balance.
I see we don’t have an English major here
Poop Head, grammar is hard when you spoke wicha akcent
I have the same knife. I filled the tang cavity with J-B Weld and put the set screw back in. Sharpened it up a little and now it works just fine. It's not a Benchmade of course but it can be useful.
Good old JB Weld
I’ve got one of these tucked away somewhere that I bought out of curiosity years ago. For $8 it’s surprisingly good, but that’s not really saying much. It takes a decent edge, holds it reasonably well and the tang is tougher than it looks.
It’s not a knife that really has much of a purpose however. The only thing you’d ever use this for are outdoor activities, (camping, hunting, fishing, etc...), and for that there are much better, full tang knives that are also reasonably priced.
I put mine through the wringer just the other day, and it held up shockingly well. Just had to tighten the screw up every once in a while. I've decided it'll be my hiking companion, along with my magnum. If I end up needing to warm up at a rest spot on the hike, I can use the matches for a fire. Only damage was that the compass broke, so that was annoying, but as long as I know roughly what time it is, I can use the sun to direct me.
I bought it in June-$12 on sale feels great
There's a beaver somewhere in the woods watching you, feeling sorry for you....lol
LOL
Thanks for the fun, Bryan! Your cander and sincerity is always appreciated. XO
Thanks
I imagine the steel is fairly soft, so it should be easy to sharpen. Put a good edge on it, Loctite that screw, and fill the bottom portion with some decent strike-anywhere matches, and honestly it seems like a pretty good bang-for-your-buck 3-night survival knife.
I traded the matches for a lighter
I had one when I was a kid.
Back then it had a nut in the handle holding together. Lol even in the 80's it still came lose.
I had one of those lol.
I bought my kid one of these back in like 2013 and he beat the crap out of it.. I was impressed, he can tear up anything.
cool
Put an edge on it and do again... don't baby it. Work it like a rented mule. Pry, dig, scrape, cut rope, limbs mine works better than what you're showing... it's still an 8 dollar knife... see ya Bill
If you have seen first blood 3 he really puts his knife through a real test
I'm surprised you failed to mention the broken hand guard. I'll agree that what we know about a product isn't always factual so testing is best.
I didn’t even notice it. I guess I was having too much fun
Yeah, something happened in the first throw. You first notice the break at about 17:45. The guard must have been made with a brittle pot metal.
that "guard" on the real knives is supposed to be bent and holes threaded for the spikes to screw into to use as a grappling hook for climbing with real Para-cord. this crap would never be able to do that.
Been carrying this in my car for 3 years.
Took it to a professional to get sharpened because it came dull with basically a flat tip but it's pointed and plenty sharp now.
$8 for the knife, $15 for the sharpening not bad for $23
What a wonderful idea, using the handle, which is normally dead weight, as storage!
I found in the Mojave desert, a Smith and Wesson 5 inch outdoorsman. I pulled off the side of the highway I40 to take care of business and was just kicking around in a ravine looking for my rock collection and this knife was in a scabbard lying there.
What i expected was a rusted up piece of junk but when I pulled it out, the blade shined like a mirror.
I felt kinda bad for the adult beverage consumer who lost it. I checked it out by the model #on it and it was made by S&W before they started outsourcing the making of it in the early 80s. for150.00 dollars!!
I own this knife, it is actually better than you would think. I have never once had to tighten it as you did. It was very sharp right out of the package, and holds an edge relatively well. My 2 complaints were that the knife cut the stitching on the sheath no long after I started using it, and the O-ring did not keep the contents of the survival kit dry satisfactory.
I would like to see this reviewed after a professional sharpening
Which would cost more that the knife ;-)
I found one of these at a pawn shop,surprizingly the compass works as it should...i think deep inside all your viewers want this knife,it brings out the inner 13 yr old in all of us!
I think you are right.
Can’t believe that didn’t fly apart when you were throwing it. Should have sharpened it to show before and after sharpening.
I love these cheap junkie knives tests. Makes me feel better about my $50 knives LOL 😁 I believe the back of the knife is Saposed to be for descaleing fish not a wood saw. But I could be wrong. I had a lot of fun waching this. Thanks for sharing. God bless
The knife needs tweeking out the box. You get what you pay for but theres always room for modifications
For me ,the issue that any yahoo can separate the blade from the handle and conceal it and enter any facility with it that isn't monitored ,gives me the creeps...
@@jomarz1828how is that any different than any other knife.
I have one and it came reasonably sharp. It’s quite a bit sharper now, but the secondary bevel was pretty good when I go it, so it wasn’t a lot of work.
Love the video, it brought back some memories from when I was a kid.
thanks
I have looked at this knife every time I have gone to that store. It brought back memories.
I love watching you test cheap knives. It's like watching a comedy special. Have you ever tested the Harbor Freight Gordon Buck 119 clone?
I fell sucker to buying one of those "Rambo" style knives at Harbor Freight. Took it home and tried out all the "features" that it had. The cutting edge was useless, unless soft butter was the material to be parted. When it came time to baton some firewood, the thing came apart on the first blow to the blade - the handle and blade separated where they were joined by the rivet. So much for my $8 experiment. I was surprised that your example held up to throwing at the target board - several times, in fact. Nice demo, though. Cheers.
Was it the handle that broke or the blade or the screw. It should friction held in place by a screw. Having something like hot glue inside keeps it from moving.
Their hardish to sharpen but it can be done. Stainless may be soft to the touch but the chromium in it is not so it takes something hard enough to work with stainless and you cant use too much force. Edge geometry is usually most important.
Jimmy Lile would be rolling in his grave if he thought Rambo was fooling around with anything from Harbor Fright.
;-)
I knew Jimmy Lile back in the 80's use to set up next to him and across from Jack Crain who made the predator knives Arnold Schwarzenegger used in his movies those were great handmade knives.
First I got one and the blade did not come loose and it carves like an angel
BEST OF LUCK TO ALL ON THIS SHARP CONTEST
I also read the book first. Was a huge morell fan. Watched last movie and i liked it. Second last movies is underated. I loved it
I have this blade the whole handle comes off it just threads on .handles a good sharpening to.
love the carving part. light pushing with survival knive but a firm push for the small pocket knife
Yeah that geometry definitely isn't designed for whittling
As to the knife, to be fair, I have never bought a knife that was truly sharp right out of the package. Handmade knives, yes, but prepackaged knives, never. It's a cheap knife, frankly it's better than I would expect it to be.
Please don't blame China for making cheap stuff. In all fairness, the companies that sell it here tell them what the price has to be, so they have to make it accordingly. If the buyers for these companies wanted them to make high quality stuff, they could easily make it.
Dude! Several years ago, I was subscribed.We even commented back and forth a few times. I recommended you to everyone I knew. Yet, just now, when this vid came up in my recommendations, I realized I hadn't seen you for years... And lo and behold it showed me to NOT be subscribed any more. How did that happen? I didn't do it. Well, subscribed once again.
Had one that broke at the handle, first throw...
I have a frost bowie i bought about 35 years ago it cuts steak and chops wood pretty good. I know frost isn't top notch but it's been good to me.
This vid reminded me I have one of these somewhere. Bought it on a whim about 5 years ago and never used it. Wonder where I put it... 🤔
Lol
Got one of these.
Tightened the bolt, sharpened it close to finish.
Then, i tempered the edge to 'straw' color (using a simply heat torch and a little time/patience). Finally, I completed the sharpening.
Came out ok for the price :)
Mine cuts pretty darn well after some sharpening with the Lansky diamond stones. It is infinitely better than nothing and for personal protection??? Remember the bit in the Crocodile Dundee movie where here says to a thief with a knife...."that's not a knife, THIS is a knife". I think that would work. WARNING!! Do NOT bring a knife to a gun fight!!!! LOL
step one survival did a video on how to improve the knife making it stronger
I sharpened my knives with the old ceramic isulatators from knob and tube wiring I get them from old houses that are being torn down they make great knife sharpeners free performance tip.
Get a small Bic lighter and use it as a match replacer then ad a piece of candle that has easy fire covered to fix the handleyou just use JB-WELD to help backup the st screw I cleaned all residual
machine oil off with alcohol a clean surface will help make a good glue joint
I’ve never seen wooden “go-fer” matches before. 😝
I am down the Harbor freight rabbit hole, i own one of these, and the easiest fix I saw was JB weld the knife into the handle and it fixed a lot of the issues. The M9 style handle can't be helped unless you design your own.
Worth every nickle of the $8.00 that you paid for it.
0:00-0:53 Take a drink everytime you hear “Survival on Purpose”
That knife is so dull, you couldn't cut a fart with it.
Stainless steel doesn't hold sharpness well.
Of course it can’t cut a fart. A fart has superior sharpness, in fact it’s the sharpest thing known to man... it can cut through 4 layers of clothing without even making a hole!
Lol
I think I could cut a fart with it
@@mr4x4s NICE
I have had mine for years and havent had need of another knife. So far I have taken down a grizzly bear, a moose, and a wild boar. I have also built my entire cabin and hollowed out a canoe with it not to mention countless cords of wood and felled several good sized trees. Outstanding workmanship and fantastic value.
Wait. You didn’t carve your guitar out of a solid piece of rosewood using it?
@@SurvivalOnPurpose No mahogany
"Just my little benchmade"......Compared to the $7.99 knife!
Compare it to a more once they go on sale that will.do even better than the benchmade
When you're in a survival situation any tool will do no matter how cheap or where it's made. I'm from South Africa and often come across the comment "made in USA" as the best. I have many knives and have found Muela knives from Spain the best knife for quality vs price. Recently bought a Schrade SCHF30 from a local supplier, good knife but not quite what I wanted so I ordered another Schrade from Amazon. To my horror the micarta slab fell off when I took it out of the box. Another American great gone to an overseas manufacturer. Enjoyed the video and brought back memories of knives long forgotten.
Thanks
Made in USA is not the best right now. They can be but they just are not doing it.
"His job was to eliminate enemy personnel."
Period!
R. S. “They drew first blood, not me!”
I bought this knife for 7 bucks a few years ago at Ocean State Job Lot. It definitely needed some work out of the package. An hour on the whetstone during a camping trip solved the terrible blade geometry and it shaves like a champ now. The blade holds its edge well once you take the corner of the secondary bevel off. Like in the video, my allen nut tended to loosen. I solved it with a bit of plumbing tape; it hasn’t loosened since. I added a few items to the included ‘survival kit’ as there is plenty of storage space in the handle.
For seven (or eight) bucks, you really can’t go wrong. Except for the allen nut and bevel issues, this piece is fairly strong and well built. I noticed in the video that the guard broke, probably during the throwing test; I haven’t had this problem, but I don’t throw mine - I have other knives for that.
Over-all, for the price, it’s definitely worth the investment as a back-up and/or emergency survival kit storage device. It LOOKS fairly impressive, too. It’s not my Damascus kukri, but then again, what is?
And yet for $10 or so on Amazon you can get a Mora Companion that you can shave with straight out of the box (or blister pack). No hollow handle but I have pockets.
Sure. And for $200 bucks, you can get a hand-crafted damascus kukri machete that will slice through 3 inch oak trunks with a flick of the wrist, and then shave your face closer than a 5 blade Schick.
Is that the point?
I don’t regret spending my $7 on an impulse.
This is a far cry from the original Lyle knife.
Surprised the heck out of me truthfully the Carving fail wasn’t that unusuall. Almost any knife ive owned needed some type of a dressing out of the box With a few exceptions of some Leatherman Multi tools i used for EDC purposes because ive been a lifetime Boatowner / Operator and always kept a knife on me for Emergencies and i dont think having to add Loctite on the Screws isnt that big of a deal for a 8 dollar knife it was a surprise to me that it didnt break right away thanks Brian in all honesty I’m more of a Hiker / Backpacker and I wouldn’t carry that much weight in my pack as ive been a fan of The Buck Lite knives for their price and durability
You can beat Sportsman's Guide "club prices" practically everywhere and don't have to pay a club fee.
I bought so much disappointing stuff from Sportsman's Guide that I gave up on that firm. ( E.German boots with a horrible chemical odor / Little John urinal that leaked at the cap / useless musty Baily Bridge tool kit / British commando pillows that were hard and had a feather poking / British commando sleeping bag that was too short for anyone over 5'6" / British emergency shelter that was useless / used ammo can that was dented / Used M Alice pack with tear that wasadvertised as "no tears" / Russian thermal underwear that was too small for anyone / used mess kit sold as new....😨
I have a couple of them. They do chop well but mostly I like them for batoning fatwood and try to keep my good knives good. If I ruin one of these but used it for awhile I consider that no real loss.
I always re-edge every China blade. Plus, the saw is like the ones on a Victorinox, it's made for cutting limbs from trees. You let the wood move too much
You could have stopped when you showed the tang, the knife was a failure right then.
I have an actual replica of the first Rambo knife from the first movie (the green handled one). I've had it 12 years now and it's actually a very good knife. I also have one of those Hobo Freight $7 knifes that I keep in the trunk of my car for a beater.
V.Neeley of Lile knives finished mine last November. He is a real craftsman. I waited 40 years for it. $2000.00. I'm retired now. It makes me feel like a kid again. Worth every penny.
Yeah but if you had got 200 harbor freight knives you could have made knife armor and belted them all overyourself and felt like a really little kid.
To be fair, you really should sharpen it out of the box...
Sharpen it. I gave these out at Christmas. Teenagers have fun with them. There Cheap enough. Now one still sealed in plastic was floating in my trunk tire well. Took it out. Need a knife to cut knife out of plastic. The stuff in the still sealed handle was soaked. So if using as tool on a canoe I would use plumbers tape on threads.