MASTER USA – Knife

Updated(s) about a year (2 now) into ownership...I bought this as a boot knife for my wife on our farm, she's carried one for several months now and it is a great little tool.I keep 3 in a rotation for her, now and then she will loose one for a few days from not getting it pushed all of the way into the sheath but no complaints on a knife that is carried every day all day long.People complaining about the handle wrap, put a dab of super glue on the knots, re-angle the blade for your intent and read the measurements before you buy... It's a neck / small boot knife, not a Bowie.An update(1)... We now have several more of these between my wife and myself because they are so useful and easy to carry. A few are permanently affixed boot knifes, some loose, some attached to other things like canteen covers. We really could not say enough good things about them.To help with lost and found issues... I rewrapped the handles with high visibility reflective tent cord... It helps out a lot.I also drill .250 holes in the bottom of the sheaths to let debris fall out which helps with a boot knife and trash sand preventing the knife from fully going in and locking.Another update(2) after buying two more...Still a great knife to have and I keep adding these to gear or locations. The reflective handle wrap we started using in a must. I can back track quickly around dark with a flashlight and recover one dropped with ease.The grind quality is still luck of the draw on these when you get them. Of the last two I bought one was sharp as a razor, the other I had to take down with a file before sharpening because it was ground like a butter knife.Also I've noticed the price on these changes greatly. The last few months they had gone up to $12 and then suddenly dropped back to $5.Buy several of these when they are cheap, their handy and make great gifts.

So, I ordered this when it caught my eye, no particular reason. I got it figuring it would be pretty crappy quality, just because of the price, but I was pleasantly surprised. I removed the lanyard from the sheath, just because that's not my style. The sheath clip is somewhat flimsy, and the knife has some play when sheathed. It is worth noting that the sheath fits into the penny pocket in my jeans, though mine is quite large, so I can't guarantee it'd fit any of yours. That all being said, I bought this for the knife, not the sheath.The knife itself is a darker black than the photo would suggest, and the cord wrapping around the handle is a silver. I found I did have to sharpen it, which was a bit of a pain. With my smith's dfpk sharpener, the stones do not work as well on recurve blades. This knife is in fact a very slight recurve. If you use rods to sharpen it, or pocket pal type sharpeners, it should be easy. Even "normal" bench stones should be fine. The issue with smith's diamond stones is that the abrasive surface does not extend on and past the corner of the stones. When sharpening recurves, I always use the corner. I did manage to finally get it sharp with my system, though the finish along the edge is not the "mirror finish" that I am able to put on the rest of my knives.This knife is a lot of fun to just twirl around, and is solid enough for utility work. Could you defend yourself with it? Definitely. It has quickly become one of my EDC knives. I will say, that the grip took some getting used to. As at least one other reviewer noted, the grip seems most comfortable when you slot your middle finger through the hole, and grip it that way. I have gotten past that point, and now prefer to place my index finger through the loop. *WARNING* If you have large hands, like me, you may find that with your index finger through the loop, your pinky may be very close to the edge, or perhaps even on it.Overall, 5 stars for the knife, 3 and 1/2 for the sheath. Buy it, it's great for yourself or a gift for others.

I was expecting a more substantial knife in thickness and weight. I placed it next to my atomic Bear Swat Knife for comparison on the photos.However, if you are looking for the thinnest and lightest weight knife, then this should rate very high for you. The entire knife and its blade are very sturdy and sharp, and the handle is shaped like your hand and fingers for ease pf holding it without slipping.It comes with an excellent case that works for hanging it upside down from your neck with no risk of falling out, or clipping to your pocket, or putting it inside your pocket.All in all, for inder $20.00 it’s still a good value.

Master USA printed on one side, China on the other. Good sheath retention. Def need to add your own handle. Not great for big hands. Sheath needed a lot of smoothing.

I Highly Recommend

These Master knives are very simple, stainless steel, sharp, and priced right. I have 3 and like them.The handle is too thin though. To fix this I whipped 1/8 inch nylon line (rope) tight to the handle.Just whip over the existing line or rope.This makes the handle about 1/2 inch thick which has a much better feel.Google whipping line or rope if you are not familiar with it. It is very easy to do it.And just tuck the loose ends into the handle to hide them.The sheath works well and holds the knife well.The knife is slightly on the smaller side but exactly what is wanted.