I don’t usually go in for impulse buys, however after a bit of research in the store aisle I pulled the trigger on one of these $7.00 knives from Walmart. I saw these in a large center-aisle display a few weeks before Christmas last year and was intrigued. There were about 7 different styles. The Glacier was reminiscent of a Benchmade Griptillian I used to have complete with axis lock. I had just lost my CRKT M16 pocket folder in the blown-in insulation in my attic and was in need of something I wouldn’t be upset if it got lost or broken. This cheap knife seemed to fit the bill. Scrolling through reviews standing in the aisle I found a reddit post here that reinforced the idea that this $7.00 knife isn’t that bad. The reviewers said it was d2 tool steel and was fairly durable. I have never had a D2 edc knife but my buddy used to run a Benchmade Adamas edc for years and liked it. This will be my first review starting at the beginning of our work season. I will do a follow up in fall/winter.

Initial thoughts: I used to sell knives at a sporting goods store and I have held quite a number of knives ranging from Zero-Tolerance to no-name novelty and the build quality on the Ozark Trail Glacier is average. I would say on par with a lower-end Kershaw or CRKT. The scales seem flimsy and don’t embody confidence; they have a hollow sound and feel. I have dropped this thing a multitude of times on tile and concrete and they seem to be holding up. One thing to note is there is no grip whatsoever on the scales: if they get wet or greasy forget about it. The plastic is almost slick and the texture molded into it is for show only. With modern molding and manufacturing techniques they could have easily made more grippy scales. Many of the novelty-no name knives I used to sell to tourists had an almost skateboard grip-tape molded scale and Ozark Trail could have done the same.

The axis lock is similar to brands in a much higher price range and is crisp, however the return spring does feel cheap.

The action of the knife is smooth, much better than a Kershaw or CRKT. The thumb stud is placed perfectly for one handed operation. The cam assist is consistent and doesn’t bind, allowing easy one handed operation when you need it.  Every time I open it I remark how smooth the blade comes out. The pivot is well made, however there is limited metal reinforcement to the scales around it so I wouldn’t pry with this knife at all.

 The knife has a simple belt clip that is finished well and isn’t too stiff as to resist clipping onto sport clothing pockets. There are holes on both sides of the knife if you want to change which side the clip is on. Finally there is a small lanyard hole at the bottom of the tool in the event you need one.

Blade sharpness: This thing is sharp out of the package. I was surprised how sharp; not shaving arm or face hair sharp, but anecdotally much sharper than a Kershaw, CRKT or even a Tops Tom Brown tracker. There have been several higher end knives I have purchased that needed to have a bit of work done on the blade right off the bat (looking at you Benchmade). I have been able to cut 3/8” poly rope one handed with minimal effort. Boxes are no problem either. The grind on the blade itself is fairly even. The blade feels sturdy, but again I wouldn’t pry or baton with it D2 steel or not. I was able to torture test the blade a bit this week cutting poly-rope off an old galvanized steel fence. There were a few times where I couldn’t help but cut the rope right on the fence post. I was sure I dulled the blade but low and behold it still cuts great. There were no chips, dents or deformations in the blade after that job.

First thoughts on this knife are good. I anticipate this thing will do well over a summer of outdoor work. Would I take this thing into the back country or into a dangerous situation: no, but for an every day throw-it-away-if-it-breaks kind of thing it fits the bill. I will post an update in late fall on any further thoughts I have.