Tuff Lite 2.5" AUS8A Sheepsfoot Razor-Sharp Plain Blade 3.5" Griv-Ex FDE Handle Pocket Folding Knife, Blister Pack

I LOVE the dark earth brown color!! The Tuff Lite came in two days in perfect condition. No rolled edge on the blade and super razor sharp with zero scratches, the scales and pocket clip were also perfect. This is my second one and for good reason. These are well made super tough utility knifes that are perfect for large hands. My palm width is 4'' and the Tuff Lite fits like a glove. Cold Steel makes great budget knives that are quality made, two words that rarely go together. I own many pocket knifes like the ZT 0456 which is my holy grail EDC along with dozens of other knifes so I know when I have purchased a good knife. For the price you'd be hard pressed to find a better knife. So yeah, I recommended it big time for anyone looking for a light small very tough utility knife that is easy to sharpen do to the AUS8A steel.

I always recommend a one-handed-opening pocket knife kept quick-to-hand. The Cold Steel Tuff Lite provides this capability in a utility knife format with very sharp point and edge. My every day carry is the smaller Mini Tuff Lite (2" blade), but I carry this larger size when backpacking. The spines of both are 90°, so they can "strike" (scrape) a Ferrocerium rod to create hot sparks to start a fire. The Triad Lock is strong enough to tolerate the stress of batoning kindling-size wood to tinder-size, and even feathering and scraping tinder sticks to provide fine, easily started tinder. Of course in everyday life both the Tuff Lite and Mini are quick-to-hand to open boxes, slice open plastic and paper bags, and cut cordage. I'd recommend the blue handle model for the outdoors, to spot it more easily if dropped.

The Cold Steel Tuff Lite knife is OK, but it’s not great. The contouring and front finger choil make for a great controllable working grip for such a small knife. The Wharncliffe blade will work well for precision pointy-tip scribing cuts. My problem is with the Tri-Ad lock, and my complaint has been festering now into to this, my (stupid? guess I'm a slow learner) third purchase of a Cold Steel Tri-Ad lock knife. Nope, I’m pretty sure I won’t buy another Tri-Ad lock. The lock is waaaaay overhyped! It’s painful. It’s unnecessary. It’s difficult. It’s gratuitous. How many people are EVER going to need that level of locking?? Good grief! If you’re going to use your knife in a way that really NEEDS that stupid lock… then use a fixed blade knife, or a chisel, or a prybar, or a screwdriver. It’s a painful frustrating experience to just close the friggin’ knife.

Someone tell the manufacturer to work on the design and usability

You simply cannot beat these little knives for the money. Easy to sharpen and will take a very keen edge. Also extremely tough as the name implies. I've always been pleased with any Cold Steel knife that I've bought.