DuraTech Folding Pocket Knife

I was surprised to find that a tool company manufactured a crossbar lock folding knife. It was reasonably priced, so I ordered one. Equally as surprised to find that the knife came very sharp and very smooth! Mystery steel in the blade but the knife is a quality blade! Thumb studs deployment works well (a little stiff at first) with use. Crossbar lock releases blade nicely and works beautifully. Pocket clip is not reversible but I am right handed, so very minor critique. Quality knife from Duratech!

Bought this for $13. I own two other DuraTech knives, both being liner locks costing $8 and $9 each. This one, however, has a crossbar lock which I guess demands the much higher price. (Trying to be funny here.) Otherwise, it's the same design as the others. The overall fit/finish is pretty good. The stone washed blade has a simple flat grind with some aggressive jimping. It is fairly sharp, all the screws are snug, the scales have a wavy/grippy pattern, the blade has a strong lockup when opened, is properly centered when closed. The knife opens via the thumb studs very easily and snappy. The crossbar lock operates very nicely. Actually, without using the thumb studs or the crossbar lock, you can just use a quick wrist flick to deploy the blade. If anything, this indicates the detent (omega springs) on this knife may be too weak. But I like it. I previously purchased a well known brand of knife and its crossbar lock was way too strong, and I had to return it. This knife won't win many beauty contests, but it appears to be quite rugged, has good heft, and it performs flawlessly. I think people will be very surprised at how well this knife operates. Hey... did I mention I paid ONLY $13 for this thing?

This is a solid knife at a great price. The Wave patterning is nicely grippy, the axial lock is solid, the pivot is smooth as butter... it opens with just a little tilt from horizontal while holding the lock. It's fairly heavy and seems sturdy enough. The only drawback is that the axial lock sticks out pretty far, and constantly juts into your thigh. Especially if you clip it into the coin-pocket on a pair of jeans. Something lower profile or more rounded over might be harder to actuate, but might be preferable to feeling like someone's constantly jabbing you in the side of the leg with the back of a ballpoint pen.

This is one great knife for those looking for a great knife on a low budget! The axis lock is so good, you really don’t need to use the thumb stud to deploy the blade, just push the axis lock down with your thumb and a flick of the wrist and the blade comes out nice and smooth. Use the same method to close the knife as well. The blade is in perfect alignment right out the bow too. I just ordered another one because they are a steal at the price! You will not be disappointed with this knife. It is also razor sharp. It doesn’t say what kind of steel it’s made of, but for general use and cutting needs it is really good and well made. Hope this review helps you. It’s a tough knife to beat at the price. You’ll love it!

Decent.

You do not expect a knife at this low of a price to hold an edge & be so well put together. I am very happy with the quality & even bought another to give as a gift. The locking system is pretty interesting as well.

Quality at a great price! I’ve purchased 3 of these in 2 variations and use them for EDC!

I was deeply suspicious because >$20 for a folding knife SHOULD mean it's complete crap but a few recommendations from /r/knives on reddit convinced me to try it. It's really good! It has an Axis-style lock, which, until recently, was patented by Benchmade and it's the Benchmade Bugout that this is most comparable to. The bearings are smooth, it flips open and shut easily, lockup is solid, it's very sharp right out of the box. Very impressed. The only negatives are the scales feel cheap and it's a flat grind. I'm sure both of those are critical for meeting this price point and so, are forgivable. While I don't like the feel, the scales are very aggressively textured so you should have no trouble keeping your grip even if your hands get greasy. The flat grind adds a little weight but it also makes it strong so that not even fully a negative. This knife impressed me enough that I bought a few more items from Duratech to check them out. They were a set of heavy-duty shears, a pair of small tape measures, and a slightly different knife that's similar to this one. All of them feel and function like something much more expensive. Duratech is a brand I'll keep in consideration when tool shopping.