There’s no actual method to clarify the pricing construction of knives. Model, supplies, perform, and nation of origin all play a job in retail pricing. However nonetheless, the numbers are far and wide.
Maybe nothing complicates all that greater than the $10 Ozark Path 7.5” EDC folding knife, offered solely at Walmart. It’s been available on the market for a short while now, however a few months in the past, it began to get a whole lot of consideration on the web — a lot in order that it’s offered out in shops and on-line.
Dubbed “The Ozark Grail,” the web stands divided on whether or not this 7.5-inch pocket knife is definitely reliable. Purists observe it’s strikingly related in kind and performance to Benchmade’s Bugout, which begins at $180 and is without doubt one of the highest-grossing pocket knives available on the market immediately.
However the Bugout isn’t with out its personal faults (it’s a medium-duty knife at finest), and this $10 Ozark Path knife addresses that by including metal liners that beef up the core and eradicate deal with flex.
In brief: I beat the snot out of this knife, and although it seems prefer it, it nonetheless capabilities simply in addition to the day that I took it out of its clamshell packaging within the parking zone at my native Walmart. This $10 Ozark Path folding knife from Walmart could not have a backstory to brag about. As a substitute is an underdog knife with the shape, perform, and supplies I count on in knives 10 instances its worth.
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General size
7.5″ -
Blade size
3.3″ -
Blade metal
D2 -
Blade form
Drop level -
Grind
Flat -
Hardness
60-62 HRC -
Lock kind
Crossbar -
Carry
Proper hand, Tip-up -
Weight
2.9 oz.
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Hardworking D2 metal -
Extremely dependable crossbar lock -
Nice ergonomics & quick, clear operation -
Unbeatable worth
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Extraordinarily excessive demand and restricted inventory
Ozark Path EDC Folding Knife Overview
Design & Options
Ozark Path did its homework with the design and execution of this knife. The Ozark Path 7.5-inch Slide Lock Folding Knife is a flexible, on a regular basis carry pocket knife aimed on the out of doors crowd.
It sports activities a 3.3-inch D2 drop-point blade that may be actuated by an ambidextrous thumb stud. Ball bearings across the pivot additional assist the opening operation on the knife.
It additionally boasts a crossbar lock — not solely the strongest and most dependable knife lock round, however it additionally permits for opening and shutting the knife with one hand.
There’s no means of avoiding the similarities between this knife and the Benchmade Bugout. The place the Bugout has steel plates that assist the pivot and lock, the Ozark Path carries a full metal body, from tip to tail. This addresses flexing points and provides assist to each the pivot and lock. Moreover, it does so with out including weight to the knife, which tops out at 2.9 ounces.
Different facets embody a nondescript orange plastic deal with scales and a right-hand, tip-up pocket clip. There’s additionally a black coating on the blade to assist stave off rust and corrosion, above and past the protecting properties of the D2 metal.
First Impressions
Rising up, Ozark Path at all times struck me as a worth model. My household purchased Ozark Path tents for a fraction of the worth of big-name tents and hoped they’d get us by way of a season. I’ve discovered the model’s merchandise sturdy and dependable sufficient for household tenting, however not on par with larger high quality manufacturers for something backpacking or trekking associated
With that in thoughts, I walked into this $10 Walmart knife check with low to reasonable expectations.
Once I first dealt with this knife, I sat in my truck within the Walmart parking zone on the lookout for construct imperfections or an absence of end work. I discovered none.
All of the layers matched up, and the blade sat completely down the middle of the deal with channel. I noticed no marks on the deal with scales the place they got here out of the mildew, and felt no wobble within the blade. Then, I spent the subsequent 20 minutes driving again to the home, flicking the knife open and closed.
As somebody who’s examined knives that contact the $1,000 mark and all worth factors as much as it, I actually can’t make sense of this $10 knife. It looks like the corporate should take a loss in earnings simply to upset the trade. D2 metal could now be thought of a worth metal, however that doesn’t imply it’s any much less potent than within the days when it was extremely wanted.
The crossbar lock is the strongest, most dependable, and most generally tailored lock mechanism on a folding knife. And from the body up, this knife is strong and sturdy. That is simply a $40 knife by immediately’s requirements, if no more.
There needed to be a catch.
Within the Discipline
I discovered tons of complaints about this knife on-line, a lot of that are unsubstantiated. Out of the field, I had no blade wobble nor any points with the crossbar lock itself. Nevertheless, yow will discover some dyed-in-the-wool knife nerds claiming in any other case. This can be a widespread apply when issues appear too good to be true. Folks will go to nice lengths to seek out one thing detrimental to say about unicorns.
However I don’t suppose their findings are real.
I spent a month beating the hell out of this knife, however not exterior the norm of every other knife I check. I examined it like every other knife, as a result of that’s the way it’s going to be handled. In between utilizing it in real-life conditions, I cycled the knife as many instances as I may once I had some downtime.
It grew to become a behavior and I ended counting at 1,000. There was no blade wobble, no put on on the pivot pin, and the lock labored simply in addition to it did the day I eliminated it from the packaging.
One factor that has at all times bothered me concerning the Bugout is how the deal with flexes. As I acknowledged beforehand, the inclusion of metal liners on the Ozark Path eradicated that. One other concern I’ve had concerning the Bugout is how properly it might stand as much as lateral torsion, or side-to-side flexing.
So, I batoned the Ozark Path into a chunk of wooden and flexed it left and proper, totally anticipating it to snap — however it didn’t. After that, there was a bit blade wobble, however I simply mounted that by retightening the pivot screw.
(The place) Can You Get One?
I’ve by no means seen a lot hype round a knife in my life. On the planet of knives proper now, nothing has extra consideration centered on it. Suffice it to say, the fan-dubbed “Ozark Grail” is offered out on-line.
Nevertheless, there are rumors that yow will discover them on cabinets at random Walmarts all through the land. In case you’re out getting cat meals, it may be price taking the stroll a number of aisles over to see if you happen to’re in luck.
That stated, you’ll be able to join alerts when this knife comes again in inventory on-line. If you wish to get your palms on one now and don’t thoughts paying a bit additional, there are many them on eBay. The markup isn’t horrible — I noticed a number of for round $30, which remains to be deal for this knife.
Conclusion: Ought to You Purchase?
After a month of real-world use, the “Ozark Grail” has my stamp of approval. The coating on the blade is beginning to put on off and the blade may use a rehoning, though it’s nonetheless pretty sharp. However these items are to be anticipated. I didn’t discover something out of the atypical, other than the knife being orange and black and giving off some critical Halloween vibes.
In my skilled opinion, there isn’t a motive (moreover being offered out all over the place) that you just shouldn’t purchase the Ozark Path 7.5-in. knife; you would simply belief it to get you thru day-to-day life or any out of doors adventures you may have deliberate. For $10, it’s actually an anomaly, however, as I stated, knife pricing doesn’t make sense.
