I saw these little knives at a local gun shop and thought they would be something to give my two daughters to teach them further safe handling of knives.
I was not expecting much for the price and was pleasantly surprised.
They come in three versions or colors
Mini Grip = Black
Mini Blaze = Orange
Mini Babe = Pink
Say hello to the Outdoor Edge Mini-Babe
They are little clip-less one hand opening lock back pocket knives made in China. Well made in China was the first impression. Maybe it was the solid feel or the weight but I was immediately impressed by the fit and finish of these cheap knives. They weigh 40g or 1.4 oz
Ah, good Chinese stainless 8Cr13MoV steel; I like it for basic user knives as it gives a good edge with toughness and a basic level of corrosion resistance. The factory edge is fine and all I needed to do was put a 40 degree micro bevel on with the sharpener and it was hair shaving sharp.
It is built with skeletonised steel liners with a T8 pivot for adjusting the tension. Both of the ones I got were perfectly centered with no blade play when locked. Well no more than a Spyderco does, maybe some if you push really hard back on the lock. The scales are some form of soft but firm synthetic rubber from Kraton that appear to be glued onto the recessed liners. They look and feel like they will hold up for a long time.
The blade is a hollow grind with good belly for cutting tasks, the shape is somewhat like the RAT folders
The blade measures a compact 55mm or about 2.1 inches in USA speak.
It comes with a wrapped paracord lanyard to give you some more to hold onto while deploying and using; this does not add uncomfortable bulk while carrying the knife in your pocket. There is no pocket clip and this is a true pocket knife; the same lanyard allows your hand to find the knife in your pocket so you can deploy it correctly.
It fits the role of the small EDC knife quite well; its probably tougher than the linerless Dragonfly and Roadie but made of lesser blade steel. Cutting biltong; opening boxes; all done very well with these little beasties.
The thumbstuds are quite wide and give reliable opening but tend to get in the way of some tasks. Sharpening for one.
There is a bit of a choil area to close the blade onto but this is not as pronounced or sure as one from Syderco. Take care when closing, use two hands.
Summary I'm glad the "man in the street" has access to such simple good tools and people cant go wrong if they want a pocket carry little blade that does EDC tasks well enough at a good price.
Pro Well made and solid - steel liners and good lock
Materials seem hard wearing
8Cr13MoV beats other cheap no name and 3Cr types often found in these knives
Ergonomics are good for EDC tasks
Choose your color
Cons Thumb studs get in the way
Closing is best done with two hands
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