OKNIFE Beagle Review: Nice Doggy

The OKNIFE Beagle emerges from testing as one well-bred blade.

The Beagle by OKNIFE is a mid-sized folder that rides great in a pocket—big enough to handle most cutting chores but small enough to be comfortable to carry every day. As a heavy knife user, I always carry. It has to ride comfortable and perform or I won’t consider it. The Beagle was on my side for 30 days with no carry issues. Check the first block. Now for the performance side.

The Beagle was very sharp out of the box. A quick paper slice with 20-pound bond copy paper proved it. Via a push cut it sliced quite smoothly with no snags or tears. The handle shape made for easy control of the width of slices.

Next up: single-walled cardboard. The Beagle made zipping noises during the push cuts. Again, it was very controllable on the slice widths, nice and aggressive on every pass, with no snags or tears.

A scrap piece of 8-ounce leather was next. I sliced it similarly to the cardboard to see if I could get the same zipping noises. The Beagle didn’t disappoint. It zipped and crunched during every cut. I really liked the forcefulness in the leather cutting.

Using another piece of leather, I did some skiving. The knife made thin, even cuts. As noted, the shape of the handle really aids in controlling the thickness of the cuts. The blade was smooth and uncompromising on each slice.

I grabbed some scrap pine and whittled a bit. The Beagle produced excellent curlicues, taking deep bites. The notches on the blade spine are just grabby enough to keep your thumb in place without abrading it. There were no hot spots on the handle.

STRENGTH TEST

Baton cutting with a linerlock folder is not recommended but I did it anyway. On the other hand, it is a serious strength test for the lockup and liner. After several whacks there were pine pieces all over the work bench. The lockup stayed at 100 percent on every whack. The handle was comfortable throughout.

It was time to break out the half-inch sisal. The Beagle made 192 crunching cuts in the rope. I was surprised at how comfortable the handle was during cutting—not a single hot spot, warm spot or liner pinch. I’m very pleased OKNIFE paid attention to this detail. Job well done!

The last test for the edge and lock was chopping into a whitetail deer antler. Thirty hard whacks later and the edge had no damage. The lock was just as tight as when I started—100 percent.

CHANGES

Maybe a few grooves in the handle for added grip?

BLADE GRADE

With its comfortable handle and sharp blade, the Beagle is a great folder for everyday carry.

OKNIFE BEAGLE Specs

Blade length: 33/8”
Blade steel: 154cm stainless
Blade grind: Flat
Blade finish: Satin
Blade pattern: Harpoon
Blade opener: Thumb stud
Handle: Green canvas Micarta®
Lock: Linerlock
Liners: Stainless
Pocket clip: Yes
Weight: 4 oz.
Closed length: 4.25”
Country of origin: China
MSRP: $79.95

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