A guest post from the Realist.
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| Ozark Trail knife and multitool display at my local Walmart. |
Ozark Trails Folding Knife
Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this article were purchased by myself. I did not receive samples, evaluation models, or other compensation from any manufacturer or retailer. I have no formal relationship with any manufacturer or retailer mentioned in this article - I have only been an arms-length customer. All brand names and product names used in this review are the trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. This article reflects my unique circumstances and subjective opinions with regard to performance and other characteristics of the products being discussed. Your mileage may vary.
With Christmas approaching, Walmart has been putting out their stocking-stuffer sporting goods products. Hidden away in the sporting goods department, I found a cardboard display loaded with inexpensive pocket knives and multitools. They sell these inexpensive pocket knives and multitools every year. The pocket knives and multitools in this display are five dollars each. I don't know how Walmart managed to keep the price so low, yet offer a product that is very good for the price.
The display has several varieties of pocket knives, including plain and serrated edge blades, along with folding and fixed blade knives. There is only the one style of 12-in-1 multitool with various paint treatments to the handles.
The display has several varieties of pocket knives, including plain and serrated edge blades, along with folding and fixed blade knives. There is only the one style of 12-in-1 multitool with various paint treatments to the handles.
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| Ozark Trail #6971 pocket knife |
When it comes to pocket knifes, I like a simple locking blade knife with a plain edge, so I quickly gravitated to the #6971 green liner lock folding knife.
The #6971 knife has a liner-lock to hold the stainless steel blade open, metal liners on both sides that extend the full length of the handle, textured molded plastic handles, and a pocket clip. At the blade pivot point, the blade is separated from the liners by thin washers (they look like nylon) on each side of the blade, which facilitate the smooth opening and closing of the blade.
Fit and finish is good, but not perfect - much better than what I would normally expect for five dollars. The 0.113 inch (2.87 mm) thick blade is a drop-point design, made of an unspecified stainless steel. The blade comes with an okay edge, but it could use some touching up. When the blade is opened and locked, there is no wiggling - no side-to-side wiggle, and no looseness in the locking mechanism. The blade can be opened with one hand.
The ripple pattern on the blade in the picture is purely a cosmetic surface artifact and cannot be felt when running my fingers over that part of the blade.
The packaging claims the handles are "rubberized", but they are not. The handles are just green plastic. The texture is reasonably grippy, and surprisingly improves when wet.
I measured the weight of the knife to be 93 grams (3.28 ounces). Opened, its length is 7.7 inches. Closed, its length is 4.25 inches. The blade is 3.25 inches long.
For the past couple years, I have been adding some of these inexpensive pocket knives to my backup and barter inventory. They are good enough in quality that I would not be worried about using one myself, putting one in a 72-hour kit, or giving one to someone else.
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| Back side of RFID tag found on the Ozark Trail knife packaging. |
RFID Tag Observation
As a side note, I have noticed some of the Ozark Trail items starting to have RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags incorporated into their packaging. These are not the same as the anti-theft tags that have been attached to packaging for decades. These tags are approximately three inches long, and incorporate an antenna and a small chip near the center of the tag. The front of the tag superficially looks like a paper tag with the UPC bar code and product name printed on it, with the RF components on the back of the tag. So far, I have seen two sizes of tags, the one pictured, and one that is roughly half the width. I have not yet seen any equipment in the store to utilize these RFID tags.
As a side note, I have noticed some of the Ozark Trail items starting to have RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags incorporated into their packaging. These are not the same as the anti-theft tags that have been attached to packaging for decades. These tags are approximately three inches long, and incorporate an antenna and a small chip near the center of the tag. The front of the tag superficially looks like a paper tag with the UPC bar code and product name printed on it, with the RF components on the back of the tag. So far, I have seen two sizes of tags, the one pictured, and one that is roughly half the width. I have not yet seen any equipment in the store to utilize these RFID tags.
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