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Trolling Amazon’s All-Time Best Selling Pocket Knife

October 8, 2016

When searching for ‘pocket knife’ on Amazon the top result is the TAC-Force 705, a knife that has been reviewed a whopping 5,500+ times. Clearly, the $8.69 knife must be far and away the all-time best selling folding knife on Amazon – the biggest online retailer in the world. From a sales perspective, it’s a winner for TAC-Force parent company Master Cutlery. But is it a good knife? We ordered a TAC-Force 705 and spent a week with it to find out.

Specifications
The knife is available in nine different colors. The black version we chose features a 3.25-inch black-coated stainless steel blade. All nine versions are half-serrated but the precise steel is a mystery as Amazon won’t specify. The knife is assisted opening and the aluminum handle is furnished with a bottle opener and glass breaker.

Expectations Before Buying
The biomechanical design, with its extreme curves and cut outs, might be eye-catching on a flea market stall table, but aesthetically it’s not something we’d ever choose. Since the main function of a knife is cutting, we’re not going to hold its busy looks against it.

As knife enthusiasts, we had modest expectations going in. For under 10 bucks even if the 705 could serve as a decent back-up beater we’d be satisfied. With 68% of reviewers giving it a 5-star rating, there must be something to like about it, right?

Wrong.

It’s Dull: The knife we received had the dullest factory edge we’ve ever seen. We spent some time reading the reviews on Amazon and there are conflicting reports. Some say the knife is sharp, others say it’s dull. We’re not 100% sure if we just got a lemon, but this knife has trouble slicing into one.

The Ergonomics Suck: The 705 is as uncomfortable in the hand as it appears. The thin lock side scale bites deeper into your hand the harder you hold it, and the placement of the bottle opener makes any other grip a no-go.

Bottle Opener Only Works with Blade Deployed: In a mind-boggling design decision, the bottle opener on the base of the handle only works when the blade is deployed. Come on now!

Sound and Feel of the Action: The sound the knife makes when closing is like fingernails on a chalkboard. It’s gritty and feels like a spring is breaking over and over again.

Other Problems: Even some of the positive Amazon reviews cite loose screws falling out, chipped paint and finishes, and assists that are broken on arrival. Other than a small chip in one of the serrations, our 705 didn’t have the same problems.

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TAC-Force is positioned by Master Cutlery as the brand for law enforcement, EMT, and firefighters. Based on our time with the 705, it’s impossible to recommend this knife for anyone, let alone first responders.

Knife featured in image: TAC-Force 705

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