Cold Steel Kudu Folding Knife 20K

Now I understand why this is the most popular knife in Africa. It's cheap, utilitarian, durable, practical (if you learn how to use it), unbelievably light, sharp as hell....and did I mention cheap?The Kudu, (and the original Okapi which it is based off of) was developed primarily as a workman's / farmer's knife designed for heavy rugged use. At 4 inches long, its drop point blade is long enough, sharp enough, and precise enough to cut, gut, stab, or skin just about anything. It cuts through rope and cardboard like it was nothing. I'm not sure what kind of steel it's made of but right out of the box it's very sharp and makes short work of cardboard and rope yet can still slice through paper with ease. Given this knife's history and reputation, I'm fairly confident that it will stand the test of time and heavy use. I'll update later on how it holds up in the long run. But really, for a $10 knife that's beside the point. It's already competing strongly in a league with knives 5 or 6 times that price easily.Finally, let's talk about it's unique ring / ratchet design. As you are opening the knife, a series of teeth at the back end of the blade engage with a notch in the lock spring on the back of the handle to create a ratcheting action. I guess this is to add friction to the opening and closing motion so you don't accidentally cut your finger while opening / closing it, a useful feature given the design. Then the back end of the handle has a ring attached to the metal piece which acts as a lock spring. To close the knife, pull back on the ring to release the spring and unlock the knife allowing it to close again in a ratcheting motion. There's definitely a learning curve to it. If you want to use two hands to open and close it, that's the safest bet but if you're feeling adventurous then check out youtube for some useful tutorials on how to open and close it one handed while using the ring to draw, spin, and open it all in one fast motion. I've learned how to do that and it's a very satisfying, unique, and flashy way to deploy a knife. With enough practice this knife can be deployed / closed almost as fast as any assisted open knife.Two things worth mentioning though, is that this knife is useless without the ring. So a good ring makes all the difference. The original ring that came with it was too small for my liking so I replaced it with another larger key ring. Also the back spring is incredibly tight out of the box. It helps to loosen it by pulling hard on the ring a few times and stretching that spring back as far as you can pull it. By doing so it becomes much easier to deploy / close but it's still just as solid when it locks. There's no vertical or horizontal play in the blade at all. Once again, for the price I highly doubt you will find a better knife. It really is amazing. the Kudu would serve well as a collection piece, a conversation starter, or you could use it like it was intended: Work it hard and work it often and in all those cases it will deliver.First Photo: Compared to Kershaw Cryo II. Also shows stock ring, and the replacement ring I put on it.

East to use if you are familiar with that type of the knifes and very sharp

The Kudu is kind of a hard knife to classify. It's too large for an EDC in most civilized places, too flimsy to be a reliable survival knife, and isn't handy enough to open and close to be an emergency knife. On the other hand it costs 10-15 dollars, has a 4" blade out of decent steel and a strong lock, so in a pinch it's a good, almost disposable utility knife. I bought it mostly for the novelty value of the lock, and because it makes quite a loud ratchet-and-snap sound when opened. My personal theory is that the Cold Steel crew wanted to make stupidity painful, so they designed the Kudu. Seriously, if you don't know how the lock on this knife works, read the manual (a $10 knife that they felt needed an illustrated manual page, should tell you something) and don't close this thing on your hand by accident. I'm going to keep in my desk at work which is probably a bad idea for a variety of reasons.

OMG. Yes, it comes with instructions, and YES it is a BEAR to unlock and close. Cut my hand open in two places. I am glad I have it as a novelty, and it is very cool looking, BUT DO NOT TOUCH! 2 stars for looks.

Solid seeming knife, but difficult closing mechanism. NOT a good knife for a kid.

I appreciate this product, but the very first time I tried to close it I sliced open my index finger and needed stitches. I'm now scared to do it again. If you can find the Okapi knife made in South Africa, go for that instead. It's much better, in the sense that it's not frightening to handle. Plus, it's carbon steel.In closing, I can't at all recommend this knife due to safety concerns.

Awesome knife for the money...great knife for a camp folder or just keep in bob...

One of the aesthetics was a little loose but as this is a number one knife made by a number one manufacture I give it a number five star