MAXPEDITION Gear Ferox Folding Knife - Tactical EDC Pocket Knife with Stainless Steel Blade for Outdoor Camping, Hiking & Survival Gear

Word of warning up front, this is a long review. If you just want the bottom line without the details, skip to the conclusion.Disclaimer: My preference is for plain edges and not for serrated blades. They are difficult to sharpen and the serrations generally seem to get caught up in whatever I’m trying to cut even if it doesn’t need cutting.Having said that, I have a few pieces of Maxpedition gear and when I saw they had a new line of knives, I knew that if serrations were going to work for me, Maxpedition would probably get them right. I also ordered a plain-edge version of this knife with green scales (reviewed elsewhere).This knife was heavier for it’s size than I expected. At some time in the past, I have used knives from just about all of the common production companies as my EDC- Benchmade, Spyderco, CRKT, Microtech, Kershaw, et al; so I have a good background to access for comparisons.When open, the blade locks up tight. There is no side-to-side play at all. The frame is open to allow lint to fall through and simplifies cleaning and oiling. The gap in the frame is 0.0160 inches wide.The frame with scales is 0.518 inches thick.The scales are fiber-reinforced nylon (FRN). The texture is rough enough to help maintain grip, but not so rough as to cause undo wear on pocket liners or your palm when used on heavy cutting tasks.The lanyard hole is generously sized, at about 5/32 inch in diameter. The Maxpedition website says that it is big enough to fit a length of paracord through (which is 1/4 inch thick), but I had trouble doing so. Either the sheath peeled back if I attempted to thread it through unheated or the tip was too large to fit if I melted the end first. If you heat the cord and shape it into a point just right while it is still hot, or take out the inner strands, leaving just the sheath, it should thread through. A 3/16 inch or smaller cord will fit easily, however.The pocket clip is made of very stiff spring steel, the tip of which is bent up about 3/32 inch from the scales. This minimal bend does not allow the clip to easily slip down over the edge of the pocket of a pair of pants made of a thick cotton duck material, but will, with effort, slide over the edge of a pocket of denim jeans. Usually, I find it necessary to pull the clip away from the knife slightly with the tip of my index finger in order to help it slip down into place over the edge of the pocket. On the other hand, I have clipped the knife on the inside of the lower leg pocket of field pants and had the pocket turn inside out without the knife falling off. I’d rather have a clip that holds a little too securely than one on which the tip is bent up to the extent that it catches on things as you walk by; or one so weak that it allows the knife to pull out of the pocket easily. The only real negative I’ve found so far with this knife is that the clip is not reversible, either from side-to-side or to allow tip-up carry. This knife is strictly for tip down carry with the clip on the left side of the knife (as you look down on the closed blade from above).It’s weight is noticeable when carried in the bottom of the pocket, but not when clipped to the edge of the pocket.The blade is fairly wide for a knife of this size [0.125 (or 1/8) inch]; and is fairly stout, at 0.125 (or 1/8) inches thick. I like thin blades for delicate tasks, food preparation, and general odd jobs around the home or office; and thicker blades for heavier purposes outdoors, such as cutting small branches from overgrown trees or cutting thick material, like rubber or stout cardboard. This knife is meant to be a general-purpose knife and should fill that role very well. I could not tell much, if any, difference between cutting ability using the serrations and the same knife in plain edge when cutting cardboard, paracord, or standard rope. The serrations didn’t seem to cut through the materials any quicker or cleaner than did the plain edge. Maybe it’s just my technique, but these serrations still didn’t win me away from a plain edge. I still gave this knife 5-stars, however, because it serves it’s purpose as intended and does it very well; and I knew it had serrations from the outset.The last 5/8 inches of the spine of the blade has some widely spaced jimping grooves milled into it. They are not abrasive but are spaced widely enough so as to give some purchase to your thumb, as opposed to a smooth spine. The only problem is that 1/4 inch of that 5/8 inches of jimping falls below the edge of the scales when the blade is open, leaving only 3/8 inches to be of any use.The blade is coated in a matte black material (the Maxpedition website does not indicate what it is) that seems relatively impervious to scratches; although I have had it for several months now, I have not carried it every day or subjected it to many very heavy tasks.After testing this knife for a couple of months I don’t think it will replace my Kershaw Packrat as my EDC. The latter just has a few nuances that fit my style better. However, when I go to work outside, I’m more inclined to grab the Ferox (plain edge) than the Packrat. I know it will do the job and I’m not afraid of hurting it. And if I do, it’s cheap to replace.The bottom line on this knife is that it is well designed and executed for it’s intended purpose (a general-purpose, inexpensive EDC knife) and offers high value for the money. If you like serrated edges, you’ll probably like this one. At the current price of $29.99 MSRP (cheaper if you shop around), plus shipping, it is a tremendous bargain. I don’t think any manufacturer out there offers this much quality for this price. The Maxpedition website states “You'll want to pack a FEROX in every one of your Maxpedition bags.” For this quality, you’ll want to; and at this price, you’ll probably be able to.