Walmart Axis Lock

[hso]

I could just straight up grind it down to a blunt tip... could be useful.

At $10 it does lend itself to tinkering and modding.

If the knife can be made and sold for $10, what do you think Benchmade makes them for? Or any other company that makes mass produced knives.

Wellllll, making a knife in China costs 10-20% the cost in the US if all else is equal. If you start reducing QC, changing frame, blade, handle, spring, pivot, bushing/washer/bearing materials, changing heat treat, etc you are not equal in cost of materials, machining, etc. A $180 MSRP is $90-$80 wholesale, $60 to the wholesaler, so probably $30-$40 cost to BM to produce in the materials we demand at the quality we expect, package, warehouse, shop, and market. They clear $30 on each unit and that minus development and operating cost is their profit. What, maybe $15-$20 per unit.

 

[BigBL87]

At $10 it does lend itself to tinkering and modding.



Wellllll, making a knife in China costs 10-20% the cost in the US if all else is equal. If you start reducing QC, changing frame, blade, handle, spring, pivot, bushing/washer/bearing materials, changing heat treat, etc you are not equal in cost of materials, machining, etc. A $180 MSRP is $90-$80 wholesale, $60 to the wholesaler, so probably $30-$40 cost to BM to produce in the materials we demand at the quality we expect, package, warehouse, shop, and market. They clear $30 on each unit and that minus development and operating cost is their profit. What, maybe $15-$20 per unit.

No question it costs more to produce in the US, but I do still think Benchmades are overpriced for what they are.

Kershaw manufactures the Bel Air in the US, with a Magnacut blade and aluminum scales, for a street price from $100-$140 depending on sales, etc..

Personally, I think the Bugout should be a $100-$130 knife in its base form max.

 

[hso]

Personally, I think the Bugout should be a $100-$130 knife in its base form max.

I agree. BM is making hay while the sun shines so it can get to the next Bugout success story.

 

[W.E.G.]

I got all my counterfeit BM's online.

If there was a $10 difference, I really don't care. I woudn't go to Walmart on purpose for $10 unless there were no other reasonable choices. Just the parking lot experience alone most of the time is reason enough.

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

I picked up two of the Ozark Trail knives. Had to disassemble both and debur/polish the "axis" lock slider. Both were binding due to a square edge on the inner flanges rubbing on the inner scales. After that completed they are pretty decent knives for $10.

 

[jmr40]

Dad always said, "A man can go broke trying to save money". But for $10 I'm going to try one. The $15 K-Bars have proven to be a great knife even at 3X that price.

 

[hso]

Had to disassemble both and debur/polish the "axis" lock slider.

Do you have any pictures?

 

[ilbob]

I got all my counterfeit BM's online.

If there was a $10 difference, I really don't care. I woudn't go to Walmart on purpose for $10 unless there were no other reasonable choices. Just the parking lot experience alone most of the time is reason enough.

You can order it online. I only go inside to pickup my prescriptions. Curbside pickup or free shipping.

 

[hso]

You can order it online.

If there were any available, but they are constantly out of stock.

 

[hso]

At $65 for the Kershaw Irrideum or $60 for the SOG Terminus or, departing from D2/Axis lock, a Civivi Elementum in NitroV and a button lock for $65 you may get 10x the knife for 5x the price (since lock headaches are not worth the cheap peice).

 

[rust collector]

What this country needs is a good 5 cent cigar! Remember those boxes of White Owl and other rotgut cigars that once adorned the counters of truck stops and restaurants across the country? Do you miss them?

One of the reasons the knives with no name are hard to find is that they were sent to every two-bit tinhorn "influencer" on the globe. We do tend to be suckers for low-priced goods that resemble high-priced goods, so kudos to Walmart marketing for tapping a rich vein of not-so-rich users. Their challenge will be quality control, as it always is with low-cost tools. Fun to watch the craziness.

 

[BigBL87]

So, I picked up the Ozark Trail Dropout, as I've seen it called.

Is it Bugout level quality?

Nope.

Is the Bugout worth 15x the price of it?

Also nope.

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

Do you have any pictures?

didn't think of it

 

[Bugster]

A couple years ago my son wanted to get me a new knife for my BDay but couldn't find a good one that suited him. I get the BudK catalog and he picked one from them, a Damascus steel camp knife. There was enough left to get an Ozark Trail small bowie, solid, tight and sharp. I would buy the folder above knowing the one I have already.

 

[hso]

Some side by side comparisons.


First thing noticed is some shade differences in the color. Left is more vibrantly orange than the faded orange on the right.


Grinds were good, but you can see a more even grind from ricasso to tip on the left, but there's nothing really wrong with the little bit of tip flare on the right.


Left is properly centered. Right is a little off, but not touching. Note the full liners. That's comforting if you want screws to stay in place. A little up/down and side to side movement when opened by thumb. Flicked open, the lock engages more deeply eliminating the up/down movement. A tiny tweak with a T8 worked to get the side to side play out sufficiently even though the tear downs show it to be a round instead of "D" shaped post to hold it. Blades were sharp.


Just a little longer than the $10 clone of the Bugout. The action and lock of the WalMarts are a little smoother than the clone. The clip on the clone seems to be set better than the WM.

Would I recommend it for daily carry if I wanted a cheap beater, yep. Would I carry it in place of a sturdier folder for SD or rescue, no.

 

[ilbob]

They seem to be back in stock

 

[hso]

A drop of oil added where the closed blade contacts the lock bar smoothed the opening considerably.

 

[hso]

Side by Side

How This $10 Knife Compares to the Benchmade Bugout

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youtu.be

Cutting and prying tests are very good.
The drop tests get absurd.
The intentional attempt to break the WalMart and Benchmades are abuse, but do illustrate the locks and pivots withstand more than should be done to any folder.

 

[joneb]

Sometimes I fly without a checked bag, when I get to my destination I need a knife. Walmart is my go to for a cheap disposable knife.

 

[EMC45]

I've bugged the ammo counter guy at my local WM everytime I've gone in there. I think he's tired of me asking......