Gear Review

Gear Review:  Tactical 6 in1 multi tool knife by Snake Eye Tactical

While looking throgh Amazon, I found this knife on sale for about fifteen bucks and figured I'd order it to check it out.  As always, this is not an affiliate link and I get to commisiosn or bonus if you buy or don't buy.

I have been using this knife for about a week now and have some comments to offer.

Generally, the knife met my expectations for the price point and I consider it a good value for the money.  It has a nice feel and looks good.  While there are better knives on the market, they also cost more.

What I like

I like the weight, the heft, the grip, and the price.  It feels sturdy, has a nice size for an adult hand, and is comfortable after long use.  Oh, I bought the blue one and it just "looks" good!  I've learned over the years that many people consider "blue knives" as less threatening or off-putting, where a "black knife" can be offensive to some.

I also like the ferro rod and consider it a good backup:  I wouldn't want it as my only method of starting a fire, but it works.  I struggled using the back blade of the knife itself to get a spark, but when I grabbed a steel ferro striker I easily produced a good volume of sparks on multiple strikes.

What I dislike

The bottle opener.  Why does it seem every tool needs to have a bottle opener?  Well, it's a nice utility, but I do not like that it is on the back of the primary cutting blade!  As you can see in the photos, the bottle opener is placed on the back of the primary blade toward the handle, thus reducing the width of the blade.  My concern is that this design weakens the blade significantly.  I am unsure if my concerns will be realized or not after prolonged use.

A terrible place
for a bottle opener

I also dislike the blade deployment.  It does have a stud on the blade designed for one-handed deployment, but it's really tight and not as comfortable as other knives I own.  I plan to get the tool kit out and adjust the deployment (I am reasonably sure I can do that, but will let other experts on that topic chime in as it isn't my strength).  It could use a "fingernail grip" on the blade itself like many knives on the market have.

What I REALLY like

Tiny flashlight with magnet

The flashlight!  Naturally, I would not use this as a primary light, but it is by far the smallest and most compact flashlight I can find anywhere.  It is 4cm long and 1 cm in diameter, has a magnet on the back end, and uses 4 power cells size LR621.  It generates enough light to find your way around, look through a pack, or read a map and compass at night.  Anyone know where to get just the flashlight?  I'd order at least a dozen.

A comparison is coming...

After the knife arrived, I found on Amazon another vendor selling what looks like the exact same knife for five bucks less.  I ordered it and will report on it when it arrives.  If it's a good value for fifteen bucks, it's probably a little better value for ten bucks.

Summary

I believe this makes a great gift and I am glad to own it.  For the price, it's a good utility knife.  The flashlight itself is a great add-in for any kit.