Schrade Imperial Schrade IMP22L Large Folding Pocket Knife, Black

I'm surprised that this handsome folder only cost $8. The blade is sharp - easily slices paper and shaves the hair on my arm. The blade snaps into the open position with a tight snap, and feels like it will stay there. It takes a deliberate firm grip to open or close the blade. An inattentive, careless user could cut themself. It looks well built and finely polished. It is finished finer than a some of the expensive knives that I've collected. Obviously some good quality control going on at this Schrade Chinese manufacturing plant. My skepticism about the Chinese steel and manufacturing was tempered by the price, so I bought it. I can't speak to it's durability yet because I just got it a few days ago. But I'm a hand tool aficionado, and I suspect that I will get a lot of use out of it. I appreciate the minimalist design. Its a full length pocket knife, 4 5/8" folded. Maybe to bit long for some as a daily carry. The blade is a handy length for slicing bread and preparing a salad. After I used it to cut some stiff plastic and 12 gauge copper Romex cable wire, I inspected the blade edge with an 8x lens. The edge still has it's original grind. After I've carried it and sharpened it a few times, I will try to update this review.

The schrade IMP22 is a sod buster like model and that's what this listing is for and not the knife in the picture. I placed an order expecting to get the knife in the Pic but instead I got the imp22 and while I wasn't happy I wasn't mad. The imp22 are great values in low cost slip joint work knives. This lodging is for the larger of the two (think full sized case sod buster). These knives are like 8 bucks and shockingly well built. Now the steel is 7cr stainless and believe it or not performs pretty much identical to Case Tru-Sharp stainless but at 1/4th the cost of a sod buster or sod buster jr. The imp22 is build solid and is ready for the work you need it to do, the back springs are not super strong but also not weak, much like a sod buster in back spring tension and so long as you are using the knife with common sense you never have to worry about it closing on your fingers. The imp22 large has a full flag grind like the large sod buster and the smaller imp22 has a hollow grind like the sod buster Jr, now it's a fairly shallow hollow grind but it's a hollow grind none the less. While the steel is low quality and the heat treat is okay at best they at least run the steel up around 58rc so they aren't running it terribly soft and it actually sharpens pretty nicely and the edge retention is perfectly serviceable. I really like the imp22 models, I own a many of sod buster and sod buster Jrs and other sod pattern style knives from more premium brands like GEC and German Eye etc and I still enjoy these very budget sod style knives. Another great one is a Marbles Mr579 in smooth white bone scales and 440a steel for around 9-10 bucks. These are great beater work knives that if you loose or break you aren't out but a few bucks and can buy another one without it hurting the wallet. Loose a GEC Bull Nose and you would be sick as you probably couldn't replace that knife even if you are willing to pay 300+ on the second hand market because they are so hard to get but loose one of these and oh well a couple clicks to order, ten bucks and two days and Amazon will have you another one to your door. These really are great work knives and you should pick one up no matter if you are a collector or a collector that uses your knives you should own one of both sizes. Throw one in your pocket when it's time to head to work in the morning and use the heck out of it. They take a beating and keep on ticking. As a work knife the old sod buster pattern traditional knives are really hard to beat, that design just works and it's about perfect in every way as a work knife. There's a reason that blue collar hard working people carried sod buster style knives way back in the day. I have a sod buster from 1968 that was my father's knife and that thing has literally had half the blade sharpened away, literally the tip is almost back to the nail nick and the blade looks like a shive because it's so thin (edge to spine).. As a young teen that wanted to make a few dollars to help his family my father worked after school in crops of BFE Kentucky and that sod buster was in his hand as he worked in those farms. He was 14 when we got it and it's one of my most prized possessions and means the world to me. That's the kinda work these knives are made to do, out there pounding the soil and getting your hands dirty, they are a working man's knife! No frills about them they are just made to work. While these aren't as nice as more expensive US and German made sod pattern knives they are much lower cost and easy to get and will handle the work just as well. I wish they would make these in both the 7cr and also do a carbon steel version of them for a dollar or two more. Ide love one of both sizes in something like a 1066/1070 carbon steel so they would get a nice patina on the from working the homestead. These really are great knives and you should own one of both sizes! 5 stars for the knife, 4 stars because the listing is wrong and hasn't been fixed.

Got this as an inexpensive alternative to the Case Sodbuster knife. I can say I am definitely impressed with the quality, especially given some of the mixed reviews I'd seen on YouTube. It is a little thicker than the Sodbuster in the handle, but the pins fit well, as well as the brass liners underneath the scales. It came pretty sharp, and honed up well with just a ceramic stick. The spring holds really well, and has great snap on closure. The blade is well centered, and seems very easy to use for larger tasks. It is a little heavier than your typical pocket knife, but it feels good in the hand, and is primarily designed to be a work type knife.