Eafengrow EF13 Folding Knife

I was extremely skeptical of the quality of this knife despite the fact that I wasn't looking for anything special at the time. I just wanted a decent work pocket knife to replace my old beater that I broke. I thought 20$...easy, cheap throw away. When I opened the package, I was really surprised. The knife is very well built and really sturdy. The blade is thicker than I've ever had on other knives, so it took a little time and use to adjust. However, the blade holds a decent edge, the locking mechanism is very solid and the pocket clip is held to the handle by two machine screws and provides a tight grip. It looks nice and the open assist "knob thingy" is really convenient for one hand use. Overall, I'm really glad that I bought it and I'll likely buy a couple more (just so in case they are eventually discontinued...as all good things usually are.)

Just a big monster of a knife. Built like a tank. Super smooth and just an absolute workhorse. The size is perfect, it feels hefty without feeling too large. Absolutely flies open with the flipper or thumb hole on the Bearings pivot. The D2 steel takes and holds a great edge. It goes through cardboard like it isn't even there. The G-10 handles feel great in the hand. My only complaints would be this "borrows" heavily from a Christiansen Knifeworks Brutus design and the pocket clip is tip down only and overall kind of sucks. I ended up removing it. It's big enough it won't get lost in the pocket. Also I wish they had milled the thick liners a little for weight reduction. Overall you can't beat this beast for the price.

This knife was good quality and heavy duty, but a bit bulky for an EDC knife. Great knife for throwing in a backpack though and would be perfect for a camping knife. Heavy weight, heavy duty, good fit and finish with good tolerances for the price point.

This is a knife you go into not expecting much. I was very happy with the construction and all the parts were tight. The blade rockets out with the flipper and is silky smooth. Lock up is solid and I couldn’t force knife to close. I have no way of confirming the blade steel but the edge took hairs off and I have been beating it up at work since I got it. Slices through all the cardboard and strapping it has faced with ease. Clip in not adjustable but I’m right handed and it fits the way I carry so it’s fine for me. I have hacked through some pallet wood with no problem and the edge has remained very intact. Nice grip on scales but not as grippy as my ZT G10. This was money well spent.

As you can see from my photos, I am an EF fan, so my review may be biased. I bought this knife because I was unhappy with the EF0456(a clone of the Zero Tolerance 456). I received this knife in Feb 2023 and after taking it apart to clean and oil the bearings and repeatedly flipping to break it in, I had to jump on here to leave a positive review. Really, how do they make these knives for less than $25? I remember scrolling past this knife on the Eafengrow page multiple times thinking, "what an ugly knife." I absolutely disliked the looks of it at first so much that I became obsessed with how ugly it looked. The more I stared at it, the more beautiful it looked to me. I love the look of the mix between the Wharncliffe/sheeps foot blade with the hole in the spine and the big cutaway on the spine near the tip. Looks aside, the knife feels very comfortable in my mid-sized hand. The choil is usable if you have slim fingers like mine. I love the weight of it, many people may find it too heavy for EDC use. People with larger hands might find the handle a tad too short. The G10 scales are the exact same design as the one on the Spyderco Tenacious which I am used to. The texturized handle is quite grippy but definitely nowhere near as grippy as the Cold Steel kraton handle or the Gerber Strongarm diamond rubber. It didn't come razor sharp out of the box, but after honing it on a steel rod, it did pass the paper cut test. I did take it apart to look at the construction of this knife. There are steel bearings(1/32 in bearing balls) that are encased in a plastic cage/mold, I wish they had used the 1/16 in steel bearing balls encased in a metal cage instead like their other line of knives. After it has been broken in, it flips very smoothly and locks up very tightly. It's drop shut. The liner is very thick and sturdy, they did put holes(skeletonize) in the liner to reduce weight. The liner and the G10 scales are pretty symmetric, but if I look really closely, it's not 100% flushed at all the corners and there are very tiny dings here and there. You know they made it well, but if you've handled expensive knives before, you'll know immediately this one is a budget friendly knife. Overall, no sharp edges. The blade and tip stays exactly centered between the frame and it is very snug, there is no blade play. Pivot screw hasn't come loose yet(after 5 months), unlike other Eafengrow knives. The detent has a good weight, it stays closed when it is closed. After 2 weeks of practicing, I can confirm that the hole in the blade allows me to do the good ol Spidey flick. This knife instills confidence when I hold it. My least favorite part about it is the clip. It is very flimsy and I wish they would add holes to allow us to reverse the clip for tip up carry or left-handed carry. After 5 months of use, the paint on the clip has rubbed off some and exposed the greyish metal underneath. The screw that holds down the clip also doesn't secure into the metal liner, it screws into the G-10 handle, so I can see this being a weak point and the clip could break off if it's pried with some force. There were some very minor cosmetic defects(sratches) on the blade and liner which I think for the price, is not unexpected. It got soaked rafting/kayaking and it's been out in the rain a few times. So far liner and blade have not rusted at all.. which is great! But maybe the blade isn't actually D2??? Dunno. Love the design of it and how it feels in my hand. If you're looking for a beefy knife that can take some abuse, this is the one to go for. No other complaints so far, I have to give it a 4/5 for the quality. And 5/5 for the usability and fun factor.

Now: The pocket clip came off... Originally: So far the only thing I don’t like is the pocket clip.... beside that it is a good EDC for the money..

Great quality and easy to flip open

You have to keep things in perspective and set reasonable expectations for knives in this price range. It cost me less than 20-dollars. I feel I got more than my money's worth. The good: It opens smoothly. There is no blade play along any axis. Lockup is solid. The blade is perfectly centered. It flips open with minimal to no "wrist flick" required. The blade falls shut smoothly. The not-as-good: It's heavy. The clip is RH tip-down carry only. There's no jimping along the back where your thumb naturally rests (more of a personal preference). The G10 is only slightly grippy, as is the case with most 'budget' overseas knives. I could buy a half-dozen of these, or one Benchmade with a cheap, cheesy, plastic handle, and an almost guaranteed to be off-centered blade, for the same amount of money. I'd definitely buy it again, Well worth it.

low price equal low quality in this case. not D2 and not g10 but good for gift, for none knife hobby friends