
A somewhat new player, Sharps Bros. makes the cut with the Meanstreak.
Relatively new to the knife arena, Sharps Bros. made its original mark in the gun world. The company team used their machining know-how to produce some well-built fixed blades and folders. The Meanstreak 3-inch Button Lock Folder is one of the latter.

It’s a button lock—to unlock the blade, simply depress the logo button on the bolster. The blade opens manually via a flipper. The machine work on the titanium frame is superb. Opening and closing the knife is smooth. Question is, does the blade cut?
Meanstreak Specs
Company: Sharps Bros.
Knife type: Flipper folder
Blade length: 3”
Blade steel: CPM S35VN stainless
Blade grind: Hollow
Blade finish: Non-glare
Pivot: Brass and ceramic bearing system
Lock: Button lock
Handle: Titanium and stainless
Pocket clip: Titanium, deep carry
Hardware: Torx
Weight: 5 ozs.
Closed length: 4.25”
MSRP: $200
Pros
- Exceptional Blade Performance
- Smooth Button Lock Mechanism
- Superb Machining Quality
Cons
- Potential Hot Spots
Light-Duty Cutting
I used the Meanstreak straight from the box to slice 20-pound bond paper. The knife did so smoothly and aggressively. I could hear every slice. The handle shape aided in positive control. (I had already nicked the meat of my thumb on the blade tip. Ouch.)

Single-walled cardboard was next on the test menu and the Meanstreak made short work of slicing it up. The relatively small blade cut straight with no hangups. From there it was time to slice leather scraps. I cut sideways into the 8-ounce leather and the CPM S35VN blade zipped through the medium as fast as I could move my fingers out of the way. The folder made some very nice crunching noises.
I wanted to hear more crunching, so I started skiving the leather. It was easy to control the Meanstreak, so I didn’t cut all the way through the material. This is a sharp little knife!
Heavy-Duty Cutting
Next up: whittling a fire stick. To get it to curl I used dry wood and shallow cuts. With my thumb on the spine notches, the curls started coming. Controlling depth was easy, though the inside of the frame was a little too sharp on my hand for the grip I was using. The Meanstreak made nice curlicues.

On to my favorite test medium: sisal rope. The Meanstreak produced 225 crunching cuts and was ready for more, but my arm was done. It was very forceful cutting. I wore a thin glove to protect my hand against hot spots as I used more pressure with the cuts. A fine emery board would take care of the unwanted sharp areas.
To check the edge for brittleness, I subjected it to several whacks on my trusty whitetail deer horn. After 30 hard whacks there was no edge damage. Heat treatment is spot on—excellent job! To prove it, I sliced up the other half of the 20-pound bond paper from the initial test. I could not tell the difference in blade performance between the first and last paper slices.
Final Cut
As for changes, soften the inside edges of the handle frame. (Editor’s note: The pivot could use better action as well as the blade is a bit sluggish when opened via the flipper.)

The Meanstreak is one sharp knife. Since there was no dulling of the blade it seemed like I didn’t cut anything with it at all. Plus, it’s made in the USA!
Read More Knife Reviews:
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- M-1 Folder Review: How Good Is This Folder?
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