Smith And Wesson: Extreme Ops - Knife Review (CK111S)

So I decided to buy my first pocket knife in a long time. It was just meant to be a general purpose tool. Not necessarily for defense, but something I could use every day. The model I purchased was the CK111(S) - for serrated. This knife costs just $15 here at Amazon. So how does this budget pocket knife perform?

Specs:

• Overall length:7.3"(18.5cm)
• Handle Length:4.2"(10.7cm)



Smith and Wesson Extreme Ops CK111S "serrated" variation.

• Blade length:3.1"(7.8cm)

Quality - The Smith and Wesson Extreme Ops is more than you would expect from a knife in the $15-$20 price range. It has a nice metal handle and stainless steel blade with a Teflon coating. The material of the blade isn't 440C Stainless, but it is an OK steel for a simple folding knife. The CK111S fit my taste perfectly with the blue handle! I might also add that although this series of knives are under the Smith and Wesson name, they are manufactured by Taylor Brands LLC. Don't expect legendary Smith and Wesson quality from a $15 pocket knife! If you have a problem with yours, don't blame S&W!

Durability and Performance - My family has actually been in the process of moving for a few months now. Yeah, we're kind of junk collectors, not necessarily hoarders, but we have a lot of useless stuff in our house. Over that time, I have had to cut a lot of rope, boxes and much, much more. I even "sawed" through a plastic pen. Don't ask me why I was doing that because it was stupid. Even though it took quite a while to saw through the plastic, the knife seemed unaffected. Better yet, I didn't cut myself! The knife seemed to stand up to everyday uses, which is what you would expect from a knife in this price range.

Durability (Continued) - I had one problem with this knife. The pivot screw came loose after cutting rope for a couple of days. I needed a Torx screwdriver to tighten it back up. I dont know the exact size, but I have a Husky Torx Screwdriver. It has various sizes and they fold out. Odd I cant find a link for you guys. Anyway, it probably wasn't a "problem", but here's the thing. If the screw is too tight, the blade is hard to "flip open" with the studs on the side. Too loose and the blade seems to "shift" it's position around in the handle. This is noticeable when the knife is closed. Is this a problem? I don't know. Even still, it's a cheap knife and I didn't want it to fall apart. If you can, spend $10 in The Home Depot for a Torx set. A lot of knives use them, so it's a purchase you wont need to make in the future.

Edge Retention - When I received the knife in the mail, it had a devastatingly sharp edge! As I've mentioned above, it cut everything that I needed it to cut and very efficiently. Even now, owning the knife for 4 months when writing this article, the knife still has a decent edge. In fact, I have never needed to sharpen it yet. Maybe I don't see the purpose of a perfectly sharp edge, but the knife still cuts great and I think that's what counts. 

Uses - Defense and everyday use. Despite what some might say, this knife is fine for defense, although something of higher quality is preferred, there is no reason why someone on a budget couldn't use this knife. As I have mentioned above, the knife excels in everyday use. Although I have used it "heavily", remember that it is just a cheap pocket knife.

Final Verdict and Summary - For a $15 pocket knife, the Smith and Wesson Extreme Ops really shines. It exceeds the expectations one would have for such a cheap knife. It has stood up to heavy use and it's only drawback is the fact that the pivot screw is loosened easily. This can be easily fixed with a torx screwdriver of the appropriate size. The Smith and Wesson Extreme Ops also has an excellent edge retention and so far, has retained an edge for 4 months despite moderate to heavy use. It is truly a great budget pocket knife and I highly recommend it if your on a low budget like me! As I have mentioned at the top of the article, the knife can be purchased here at Amazon.com. I have bought multiple items from them and they seem to be a good choice for knife shopping. They also sell more "novelty" items like throwing knives, shurikens etc. If you want the normal-edged "CK111", click here. Also, if you are interested in other variations in the Extreme Ops line, click here! In fact, there were so many variations, it was hard for me to choose. That link is over at Knife Depot, and they're a little more expensive than others, but they have a better selection for knives than any site I can think of, so it's worth a look! Anyway guys, thanks for reading! Be safe!

Here is the video review that goes with this written review, or I guess you can just watch that if you're too lazy to read this article :)