OUTDOOR EDGE Brutus 3.25" Folding Pocket Knife - Includes Sheepsfoot Blade, Glass filled Nylon Handle with Lock Operation, Ambidextrous Opening Mechanism for Men, Camping, Fishing & Hunting

Excellent knife at a decent price. Deploys smoothly and blade is sturdy. Rosewood scales sit well in the hand and are not slippery. Liner lock is easily used one handed to close the blade but is reliably solid when locked in place. All in all a very good value.

Let's start with the overall design - I like the size, weight and OAL and the build quality is quite good. I found the knife very challenging to open - the thumb hole is too small for my thumb and/or it requires too much effort to open. I can release the button lock and flip it open, but this isn't my preferred way to open a knife. And on that button lock, I'd much prefer a liner lock - I think they're easier to use and make the knife look cleaner. Now the materials - I like the carbon fiber handle, it looks good and makes the knife a few grams lighter and is certainly an upgrade over G10 or FRN. The 8Cr13MoV blade is certainly a budget option and perhaps the most disappointing part of this knife's design. If we're choosing budget blade materials, I'd rather have had 440C - harder with better edge retention. Of course CPM-S35VN would have been even nicer, but probably out of the price range of this knife. Because of the issue with opening, and the budget blade material, I wouldn't buy this knife again. But it's still a good looking knife and some iterations are very well priced, so I'd not rule it out for everyone.

As a self-admitted knife snob, I have to say I was not expecting this knife to be nearly as good as it is. With all due respect to OutdoorEdge, I was expecting something you'd find in the camping section of Walmart. This is not that. This is a thoughtfully designed, well-manufactured instrument that I would proudly carry as my everyday pocketknife. First, the materials are of a respectable quality and everything about it feels good in the hand, from the chamfered edges of the G10 scales, to the substantial weight of the metal. There's a gorgeous bevel cut into the scales where the blade hole is that's perfectly smooth, and there's not a sharp corner anywhere to be found on the handle. The lanyard loop is a nice moss-colored metal that is attractively integrated into the butt of the handle. The pocket clip leaves a little to be desired; it's not truly a deep-carry, with about an eighth of an inch of handle still protruding beyond the apex of the clip. It's not hugely noticeable, but it is there. Additionally, I would have preferred the brand name to not be written down the length of the clip, but that's not a deal-breaker either. This is my first knife that uses the button lock method, and so far I'm a pretty big fan. The action on it is smooth. You don't need to press very hard, and the blade loosens instantly when you press it; then, a slight flick of the wrist outward will snap it forward. You need to release the button before it reaches the full upright position, otherwise the blade bounces back, since the lock is disengaged when pressed. The action is not too loose or too stiff; the blade falls at the perfect speed right out of the box. There is adequate lubrication at the pivot point, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are bearings in the washers. Releasing the blade likewise takes little-to-no effort; a light button press and a bit of manual persuasion in the opposite direction and it's closed again. The blade itself is 8Cr13MoV, which is pretty standard these days, and is a decent metal in my opinion. The blade hole is machined very well, and the edge of the blade was sharp enough to shave hairs on my arm straight out of the package. Yes, actually. I'm not kidding about making this knife my new everyday, and this is coming from someone who owns a Spiderco. It's one of those knives you just want to hold randomly throughout the day. High marks to the maker; you've done great work here.

I really wanted to like this knife as it looks really good and the ergonomics of it are quite nice once it's opened, but man does the opening just kill it for me. The button is very small and takes quite a bit of force if you want to just press it and flick your wrist to flip open the blade, or if you want to try to use the the little nubs on the blade to push it open, they aren't very easy to operate since they are flush with the width of the handle and so close to it that my fingers can barely get between them and the handle. Then once it's open, you still have to press the button again to unlock the blade to close it. The button thing might not be a dealbreaker if I didn't have an arthritic thumb, but even still I find this thing a ton harder to operate with one hand than any other knife I've owned, even super cheap ones. Outside of that, the size and weight of it are good, the blade is as sharp as one would expect, and the pocket clip is actually very nice. If the method of opening and closing it isn't an issue for you, then this is a mighty fine knife that sits at a nice point where it's not so expensive that you need to worry about it, but not so cheap that it doesn't work well. If the method of opening might be a concern, look elsewhere.