- Joined
- Oct 16, 2007
- Messages
- 33
This is my first review for the forum and Im still new to this, but Ill take my best shot at it. I doubt the Kudu will receive rave reviews from anyone, but it is interesting enough that I think it is worth commenting on.
The makers description says this knife is based on a popular design from South Africa, but the original is over priced and made of poor quality components. I did a little web research and found a brand called Okapi that is available in the US. The Okapi is made with a wood handle and carbon steel blade. Never having handled one of the originals, I cant vouch for their quality, but Id have a lot less gripe with the Cold Steel copy if it was said to be made with more modern materials rather than supposedly superior materials.
I found the handle of the Kudu, while comfortable, had a flimsy feel in my hand. I would much rather feel wood against my hands than the material used here. There are no metal liners to add stiffness to the handle, something I felt was really missing in the design. I could not see any give in the locking mechanism itself, but I could see flex on the handle when stressing the lockback. I would trust the lockback for most daily tasks, but I would not attempt to use this knife for chopping anything tougher than whatever is going onto the stewpot for dinner.
The blade is a Krupp stainless steel, the same type, according to Cold Steel, that is used in hygienic applications and high-end kitchen knives. Out of the box it was certainly sharp, but not the sharpest factory edge Id ever encountered. It can be sharpened to a decent edge with a little patience, but I cant quite get the edge sharp enough to clear cut my arm hairs. After working the edge with an ultrafine stone, it cleanly slices paper without tearing using minimal effort. For some heftier testing, I clamped carboard box material in a vice and sliced across the grain, similar to the Cold Steel cardboard tests in their video. The cardboard sliced cleanly through, but the edge did not seem to hold up as well as I would have liked.
After retouching the edge, I tried the water bottle test. I placed a full water bottle on a table and did a test similar to the one in the Cold Steel video. While it did cut cleanly through in a single stroke, the bottle did not remain standing. This is the first time I tried this with any blade, so I dont know if it is a question of technique or the blade only being barely sharp enough to do the job. Either way, it was quite an experience for me!
I recently took the Kudu on some casual camping trips. These are not wilderness backpacking trips, but weekend Father / Child YMCA sponsored outings. The Kudu did a great job carving a pumpkin for Halloween, cutting up snacks, opening boxes, cutting parts for a model rocket and doubling as a cooking knife / table knife. That is where this knife was best utilized, performing mundane tasks that dont require the precision or robustness of a Spyderco, Chris Reeve or other fine quality blade. If it gets lost, or misplaced, on one of these trips, Im not out a lot of money either. It was nice knowing I could wash the stainless steel blade without worrying about it being perfectly dry when I folded it back up. The basic design was interesting enough that even non-knife owning people were interested in it, although some were baffled by the ring-lock.
Based on the Kudus utility, I think it would be fair to compare it to an Opinel. It is a handy companion, but not suitable to every task. Ill take the Opinel for looks and its carbon steel blade, but with the Zytel handle and stainless steel blade, The Kudu will require less care than the Opinel.
After using the Kudu for a while, the biggest drawbacks Ive found are the cheap feel of the handle and the edge needing frequent touchups. To be fair, it does not go really dull that quickly, it just does not seem to hold a supersharp edge very long. On the plus side, the stainless steel used for the blade is pretty rust proof and the handle does not require gentle care.
Even at full retail, I think the knife is fairly priced. It is certainly not worth any more than that, however. While well made, you are not buying the precision production of any number of other knives out there. Aesthetically, it lacks the appeal of the Okapi or an Opinel, but I think it makes up for this in durability. Ive got to admit, the appeal of the Kudu kind of grows on you. If you dont have a ring-lock in your collection, this is an inexpensive way to add one. Personally, however, Id still like to acquire an Okapi as Im more impressed with its materials and looks.
The makers description says this knife is based on a popular design from South Africa, but the original is over priced and made of poor quality components. I did a little web research and found a brand called Okapi that is available in the US. The Okapi is made with a wood handle and carbon steel blade. Never having handled one of the originals, I cant vouch for their quality, but Id have a lot less gripe with the Cold Steel copy if it was said to be made with more modern materials rather than supposedly superior materials.
I found the handle of the Kudu, while comfortable, had a flimsy feel in my hand. I would much rather feel wood against my hands than the material used here. There are no metal liners to add stiffness to the handle, something I felt was really missing in the design. I could not see any give in the locking mechanism itself, but I could see flex on the handle when stressing the lockback. I would trust the lockback for most daily tasks, but I would not attempt to use this knife for chopping anything tougher than whatever is going onto the stewpot for dinner.
The blade is a Krupp stainless steel, the same type, according to Cold Steel, that is used in hygienic applications and high-end kitchen knives. Out of the box it was certainly sharp, but not the sharpest factory edge Id ever encountered. It can be sharpened to a decent edge with a little patience, but I cant quite get the edge sharp enough to clear cut my arm hairs. After working the edge with an ultrafine stone, it cleanly slices paper without tearing using minimal effort. For some heftier testing, I clamped carboard box material in a vice and sliced across the grain, similar to the Cold Steel cardboard tests in their video. The cardboard sliced cleanly through, but the edge did not seem to hold up as well as I would have liked.
After retouching the edge, I tried the water bottle test. I placed a full water bottle on a table and did a test similar to the one in the Cold Steel video. While it did cut cleanly through in a single stroke, the bottle did not remain standing. This is the first time I tried this with any blade, so I dont know if it is a question of technique or the blade only being barely sharp enough to do the job. Either way, it was quite an experience for me!
I recently took the Kudu on some casual camping trips. These are not wilderness backpacking trips, but weekend Father / Child YMCA sponsored outings. The Kudu did a great job carving a pumpkin for Halloween, cutting up snacks, opening boxes, cutting parts for a model rocket and doubling as a cooking knife / table knife. That is where this knife was best utilized, performing mundane tasks that dont require the precision or robustness of a Spyderco, Chris Reeve or other fine quality blade. If it gets lost, or misplaced, on one of these trips, Im not out a lot of money either. It was nice knowing I could wash the stainless steel blade without worrying about it being perfectly dry when I folded it back up. The basic design was interesting enough that even non-knife owning people were interested in it, although some were baffled by the ring-lock.
Based on the Kudus utility, I think it would be fair to compare it to an Opinel. It is a handy companion, but not suitable to every task. Ill take the Opinel for looks and its carbon steel blade, but with the Zytel handle and stainless steel blade, The Kudu will require less care than the Opinel.
After using the Kudu for a while, the biggest drawbacks Ive found are the cheap feel of the handle and the edge needing frequent touchups. To be fair, it does not go really dull that quickly, it just does not seem to hold a supersharp edge very long. On the plus side, the stainless steel used for the blade is pretty rust proof and the handle does not require gentle care.
Even at full retail, I think the knife is fairly priced. It is certainly not worth any more than that, however. While well made, you are not buying the precision production of any number of other knives out there. Aesthetically, it lacks the appeal of the Okapi or an Opinel, but I think it makes up for this in durability. Ive got to admit, the appeal of the Kudu kind of grows on you. If you dont have a ring-lock in your collection, this is an inexpensive way to add one. Personally, however, Id still like to acquire an Okapi as Im more impressed with its materials and looks.
