Kudo Knife Is Not Something For Me!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Having grown up on a farm and in the country, one thing I was around a lot was knives. Almost everyone I knew had a pocket knife of some kind on them all the time, even the girls. It's just something you carried cause you never knew when you would need one.

Recently I was sent a knife from Swords Of The East to try out. I was really interested in it and looked forward to getting it in my hands. 

Here's a little from the company:

In South Africa, an inexpensive ring lock folder is sold everywhere. It’s a good design, but it’s constructed from sub-standard materials, is poorly made, and is horribly overpriced. And yet, millions of these knives are sold there each year. Well, we thought we could do better, in the quality of materials, cutting performance, and in price.
The Cold Steel Kudu, takes some cues from its South African competition, but our version is vastly superior. Ours has a Krupp 4116 Stainless steel flat ground blade, heat treated to Rc 56-57 for better edge holding ability and ease of re-sharpening, and a thin razor sharp edge. For safety, we have thoroughly tested the locking mechanism and are well satisfied it will hold the blade rigidly open until you decide to close it by pulling up on the ring attached to the back spring. The handle of the Kudu also reflects our dedication to making an effective and affordable folder. It’s made of 43% glass reinforced Zytel®. This material has proven to be extremely strong, and is stiff enough to compliment the blade and spring when locked open. Plus, the gripping surface has a wood grain texture for traction and features an attractive polished steel Kudu horn emblem for a little extra flair! We think the Kudu represents an unbelievable value. It’s ready for anything and makes a wonderful work knife, utility knife, bait knife, or hunting knife.
Specifications:
Blade: 4 1/4"
Overall: 10"
Thick: 2mm
Weight: 2.4 oz.

I grew up near some of the best knife companies in the world: Cutco, Case and Ontario Knives to name a few! So when I said we all had knives, I meant we all had really, really good knives! Several of my family members and friends have worked at Cutco and one of my brothers has designed knives that have been featured in a magazine and a knife catalog. So I have a pretty good background in knives.

I don't often say this, but I really did not like the knife I received from Swords Of The East. Although the blade was well made and was very sharp, but the knife as a whole seemed rather cheap. I really hate saying that! The gripping surface feels like a kind of plastic that just won't hold up long, and the polished steel decoration is not embedded into the grip in a way that would give me confidence that it won't catch on something while using it.

The blade opens well and does stay firmly in place. That's very good. A good locking mechanism is important.

Closing the blade is another story! There is a ring on the back that you are supposed to pull to unlock the blade and close the knife. It is extremely difficult trying to close the knife with that ring. The way you have to hold it to grasp the ring is very awkward, but pulling the ring is almost impossible for me. In fact I was never able to get it unlocked. I had my son (who is 34) try it for me one night and he even struggled with it. He has always enjoyed having a good knife to use and said he would not recommend this one to anyone.

Again, I really don't like saying this about a product I try out. I always have high hopes about them, but I just can't endorse this knife. Some of their other products on the website look great and seem to be made really well and hold up to use. I can't say for sure since this is the only product from Swords Of The East I have tested. Please don't use this review as a judge for the entire site! By far it is not. It is just from one specific product and it is my honest opinion!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.