In this article, I'll give you the results of my tests and show you which Ozark Trail knives with upgraded blades are actually good.
I put them through a series of simple tests to see how they perform in real life.
Then I'll tell you which ones I would buy again and if there are any that I would actually everday carry.
Note: I bought these knives with my own money, this is not sponsored in any way.
Here's a summary of the video and a breakdown of the key specs of each knife.
Key Specs
This knife is called the Sonder now, but most people just know it as the “orange knife.”
I've been super impressed by this $10 knife, which is the one that “broke the internet” and started the popularity of this line. This is the knife that I've used the most, I've been using it for a few months now and it has been holding up well.
What I find most appealing about it is that the blade is D2 steel, which is an upgrade from generic stainless steel.
It features a drop point blade with a coating on it.
Another great mechanical aspect is that it utilizes a crossbar lock. Since the blade is placed on bearings, I found it very easy to take the knife out and put it back in without issues.
The liner is constructed entirely of metal, which is great for durability.
When I check the blade play, I notice that there is no play when it is open, making it pretty solid, although there is a little bit of play when the knife is closed.
The ergonomics of this knife are similar to the Benchmade Bugout because it's a clone, and I like the way it feels in my hand. The scales feel quite plasticky.
I found that the grip is decent, but I would not describe it as fantastic.
The thumb stud is easy to use because it sticks out quite a bit, allowing me to get some really good grip on it, even though the geometry of its placement isn't the best.
There is a little bit of gimping on the top of the blade and handle, but the traction on that gimping isn't fantastic.
When I ran the knife through some basic cutting tests, I found that it cut Manila folders pretty well. Since I had been using it for a couple of months, it was a little bit dull so it didn't perform as well as it should have.
Because of the dullness, the knife also struggled a little bit when I was cutting cardboard.
I also had some trouble cutting paracord, but it would have done OK if it was sharp.
This knife performed well in the grip tests. I was able to pass the baseline test with dry hands, and when I applied water, it still worked fine and did not slip out. Finally, I tried the coconut oil test, and the knife maintained its grip.
My final verdict is that I really like this knife and I highly recommend it for general purposes.
It's great to keep in a toolbox, include in emergency bags, or leave in the kitchen. This is also a great travel knife (probably not what you think).
However, despite all the value and performance it offers, I would never everyday carry this particular knife because of its cheap build.
Important Specs
The Nimbus is the first of the newer Ozark Trail knives that I reviewed, so I was excited to see what it could do.
I loved the way it looked on the website.
This knife is also priced at just $10, like the original orange knife.
It features aluminum scales and only comes in one color, light blue. Given the name of the knife, I guess you could also call it sky blue.
The mechanism it uses is a flip-out mechanism, and it secures the blade with a liner lock.
Like the original knife, the Nimbus is equipped with a D2 steel blade.
Its total length is 7 inches, which is a little bit shorter than the other blades on this list.
This is the only knife I reviewed that doesn't have a lanyard hole.
The blade itself is a polished drop point, and I think it looks really good.
When handling the knife, I found that the blade comes out really easily. I can use just my finger power to bring it out.
Since the blade is on bearings, I noticed that it moves a lot smoother than some other knives, and the liner lock works well.
The Nimbus is built with a full metal liner.
When I checked the stability, I found the knife to be solid, barely moving when it’s folded. When I opened it up, there was no play side to side or up and down, making it very solid.
The pocket clip is reversible, polished, and looks really good.
However, the thumb studs do not stick out as much as those on the first knife, which makes it a little bit harder to bring the blade out. It is not terrible, but it is not as easy as the previous blade.
The knife has a little bit of gimping on the top of the blade and on the top of the handle, but the grip is very minimal.
Looking at the overall feel, I found the knife to be very slippery and wished it had more grip. I thought this might make it too slippery to use, although I otherwise considered it a really well-constructed knife that looks good.
In my cutting tests, the Nimbus cut Manila folders well.
It cut cardboard pretty well, although I felt it was not the best out of all the knives.
When I moved to paracord, this knife did it on the first try.
Additionally, while it has a good flipper mechanism, I found it much less convenient than the crossbar lock on the other knives.
The grip issues I suspected became evident during the slip test when I put water on my hands. The Nimbus failed this test, slipping out when I applied just 20 pounds of resistance.
This demonstrated that it's very slippery under wet conditions. It could even be dangerous.
Ultimately, I would not buy the Nimbus again because I think it is just too slippery to be useful.
Important Specs
The next knife I reviewed in the premium Ozark Trail line was the Valor.
The Valor has a beautiful blue color and features aluminum scales.
The blade has a Tonto shape, which isn't personally my favorite, but if you're into Tonto blades, this could be the knife for you.
The blade also has a coating on it, which is kind of a brown color.
Mechanically, the Valor uses a crossbar lock system, similar to the original orange knife, and the blade is on bearings. This setup gives it a very similar action to the first knife, making it very easy to take out and put back in.
Like all the knives on this list, it has a full metal liner, which contributes to its durability and makes it super tough.
It includes a lanyard hole at the back and features a reversible pocket clip, which is black.
I noticed that the thumb studs on this knife don't stick out a whole lot, meaning it’s not quite as easy to take out as the first knife. I would describe the action as OK, but not as good as the first knife.
When I checked the stability, I found there was quite a bit of blade play when the knife was folded. However, when it was open, there was only a little bit of play side to side, and no play up and down.
The Valor only comes in this blue color.
In terms of grip, I found there is a little bit of gimping on the top of the blade, which offers very good grip, but there is no gimping anywhere else on the handle.
Looking at the overall feel, the ergonomics are good, and I like how it feels in the hand.
The gimping has a lot of grip, which is fantastic, but I suspected that the knife might be a little bit too slippery overall, which I planned to verify in the slip test.
During my basic cutting tests, the Valor cut Manila folders super well.
When I moved to cutting cardboard, it also performed really well.
The Valor was a little bit better than the previous knives when cutting paracord.
However, when I performed the water slip test, the Valor, like the Nimbus, slipped out when I tried to pull the 20 pound dumbbell. It's not the best knife to use when wet.
Ultimately, the issues with the grip led me to the final conclusion that I would not buy the Valor because I think it is just too slippery to be useful.
Important Specs
The Elevation is the final and most “bougie” knife I reviewed in the Ozark Trail line, priced at $25, making it the most expensive one on the list.
This knife is only available in one colorway: green with orange. I really like it.
The Elevation has a stonewash blade finish and a clip point shape. Like the other knives I reviewed, it has a full metal liner. It also includes a lanyard hole and a reversible pocket clip, which is black.
The blade is on bearings, giving it a super smooth action that I found to be the smoothest out of all the blades on the list.
I noted that while another free-flowing blade had a mechanical grinding noise, the Elevation was super smooth and did not have that grinding noise.
Regarding stability, when I checked the play in the blade when it was closed, there was nothing, it was solid. When opened, there was no play side to side or up and down, making it a solid blade.
When I examined the thumb studs, I found they don't stick out nearly as much as those on the original orange knife, but they offer just as much grip. This makes the Elevation the easiest one to use for deployment, although the geometry could be better if they were positioned further out.
In terms of feel, I liked the Elevation the best. The G10 handles provide just enough grip to be useful without being overly abrasive.
The gimping on the knife is only on the blade itself, but it is good and offers a lot of grip, even though it covers a very small part of the blade. There is no other gimping on the top or bottom of the handle.
During the cutting tests, the Elevation cut Manila folders the best out of all the knives.
When cutting cardboard, it performed the best out of all four knives.
It was also buttery smooth when cutting paracord, making it the best performer in that test as well.
The Elevation, with its G10 handles, worked well in the slip test with both water and oil.
My final conclusion is that the Elevation is the best knife on the list. I would actually everyday carry this knife.
I view it as a tremendous value because if you compare its features to similar knives from bigger manufacturers, you would be paying at least double the price.
I'm going to pick up a couple more of these just to have them around because I really like it.
So there are 2 knives that are worthwhile and 2 that I would avoid.
Of those knives, the Elevation is that only one that would everyday carry.
Recap:
But that's just me.
A lot of people still love the Sonder and that's fantastic.
Use what works for you.
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