New pocket knives spotted at Walmart

[Cosmic Superchunk]

I was at a local Walmart today, passed by the Sporting Goods department and spotted a handlful of new knives from Gerber, Buck and Schrade. I don't really care much for Schrade knives and in my experience, the only decent knives they make are their traditional stockmans and fixed blades. Their modern folders suck, so I didn't bother looking at them, however they did have the new X-Timer fixed blade that looked interesting.

From Buck comes the mini Taclite with wood handles and a partially serrated satin finished blade (with pocket clip). They are also carrying the Buck Alpha Folder with rubber hand grips as well as the fixed blade version.

From Gerber comes a bunch of new stuff like the Recoil Multi-Tool, Eclipse Mini-Tool, the Paraframes in 2 sizes: small & medium. These little framelock knives (comparable to the Kershaw Vapor) feature skeletonized handles and pocket clips. The medium sized is teflon coated in black (in reality it looks more like dark grey) and has a partially serrated 3 inch blade priced under $20 bucks. The small one is designed as a money clip and has a matte finish (plain edge, no thumbstuds) and is priced under $10 bucks. These little knives are made in China. They also have the Vector and the AR 3.25 lockback folders (made in Taiwan) and a beautiful looking fixed blade hunting knife called the Freeman. New as well is the Gerber Applegate/Fairbairn Mini Covert folder with 3 inch partially serrated blade and Zytel handle. This was the one I was looking for, but alas, it was not in stock yet.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[steve_vance]

Try these websites for even better prices than Walmart:

Smoky Mountain Cutlery

South Summit

Discount Knives

 

[Cosmic Superchunk]

Thanks for the links Steve. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I just came back from Super Wally-World across the State line to see if they had the Mini-Coverts, but they didn't. I did stop to check out several folders in full detail (at least the ones they had in stock). Here's what I found:

Gerber Paraframe I: Pricewise, it is comparable to the Kershaw Vapor, but in my opinion, the Vapor is the better buy. As previously mentioned, the Paraframe is a framelock folder completely coated in a dark grey teflon. Fit and finish is okay for a $20 made in China folder, but the locking mechanisms were not as good as the Vapors. Of the 4 samples I looked at, only 1 locked properly. Action is rather stiff on these folders.

Schrade Silhouette: (Not to be confused with the crappy Schrade Cliphanger model also dubbed the Silhouette).This is yet another modern linerlock folder by Schrade which looks very sleak in pictures. Up close, it's a different story. The fit and finish on all the 3 samples I checked out were completely horrible. I'm talking about mismatched anodizing, machining marks around the handle, uneven blade coating and the whimpiest pocket clip I've ever seen. About the only positive I can say about these folders is that the opening/closing action is butter smooth.

Schrade Badger: This is the only Schrade folder that took me by surprise. It's a Zytel handled linerlock with a black coated blade and is made in Ireland. The fit and finish is surprisingly good for a $15 pocketknife, however, the blade is really thin and you can expect the coating on the blade to wear immediately. Unlike the Silhouette, the Badger opens by means of a cut out in the blade. It's not a pretty looking folder, but not bad for $15 bucks. I was only able to check out 2 samples of the Badger and none exhibited any blade wobble in the locked position.

Gerber Vector: This is an interesting little utility folder with a modern artsy cutout in the handle to lighten the weight and aid in gripping the handle. It has a matte finish partially serrated edge and comes with a removable black pocketclip which is designed for tip-up carry. The fit and finish of the Vector is quite good for a $30 buck folder and for a Taiwan-made piece, the quality ranks with the likes of CRKT. Lockup is secure and the action is smooth. Of all the knives I checked out, this is the folder I ended up purchasing. I just wished Walmart carried them in plain edge.

Gerber AR 3.25: The last knife I was able to check out was the Gerber AR 3.25 lockback folder. It's a one-hand opening folder with matte silver aluminum bolsters and a black rubber inlay. The knife does not come with a pocketclip, but it does come with a nylon sheath. This lockback feels good in the hand and as is typical of Taiwan-made cutlery, ranks alongside CRKT in quality. Not a bad folder for $40 bucks.

I was also hoping to catch a glimpse of the Recoil Auto Pliers tool, but they weren't in stock yet either.

 

[walkinwith1]

I stopped in to our new super wally world store today and bought the Kershaw, vapor II. Nice knife. The only thing I'm having trouble with is getting used to using the clip. It works great and makes for quick, easy access, but it is hard to get past it to get into my pocket! Other than that I am quite happy with my new purchase. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[TOB9595]

Thanks for the heads up and reviews.
OR MAYBE NOT!!!
I'll let you know if I can pay my water bill /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gifwhen I return from WalMart
Tom