Name: Camillus Cuda Folding Knife with Quick Release Lever Opener 9" Open Length
Brand: Camillus Knives
SKU: CM18533
Price: 39.95 USD
Availability: OutOfStock
Rating: 3 (34 reviews)

Josh K.
Albuquerque

Sep 08, 2012

Pros: Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Feel, Pocket Clip

Excellent blade

I have seen a lot of review with issues with the opening mechanism. Anyone who says the lock is too tight is a fool. At first I though it was hard as well, but the only thing you have to do is push to the side instead of up and it opens extremely quickly. Came razor sharp with full steel liners. Extremely smooth and solid knife especially for the price of 30 dollars. I smacked the blade on a 4x4 backwards to test the liner lock, it held up. Please ignore negative reviews from ignorant people. Only complaints: non-grippy texture, tip-down carry pocket clip.

Sharky
Ohio

May 21, 2010

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath, Lock Type

Rambo..? Not sure what you tested? This knife rocks!

The knife is balanced and holds its edge like the original. Yes, it is a bit stiff launching the blade when new but works itself in in no time. I can't believe the quality for the price. Camillus is back!

Don
Pennsylvania

Oct 23, 2009

Pros: Weight, Blade Sharpness, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Ease of Opening

Cons: None

Excellent knife

Was surprised at the style of action on this model. New to me and a great find. As quick as any assisted action I own. Very pleased with the overall quality and features of the knife. Recommend to anyone. Camillus has a winner here.

Kent Cain
Pasadena, texas

Jan 06, 2014

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality

Cons: None

I have an original made in USA, and I love it, opens easy and easy to close. Good quality materials, blade and handle, great knife.

Apache Tim
Nashville, TN

Jan 24, 2014

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

seriously....???

You have got to be kidding..... I own over 200 knives,, benchmade, sog, kershaw, boker, microtech,, etc.... and this is probably the BEST knife for the money that I own.... the quick opener is AWESOME..... I dont understand why you couldnt learn how to use it in 45 minutes,, but im guessing you must be a paraplegic,, its soooooo easy to use, and opens the knife lightning fast...... the aus 8 steel is great, that coupled with the great darrel ralph design makes for a strong reliable knife made for hard use... how can you complain for $40.... this knife would be a value at $60...... take some time to learn about knives and im sure youll agree...

Sage
California

Nov 27, 2009

Pros: Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip

Cons: None

Great knife

I have had the original product for over 8 years. This is one of the best knives i have owned. I use it on duty everyday. It flicks out faster than a switchblade. I would love the same knife in a shorter version. Someone needs to pick up the design and make more variation

Jay
Oklahoma

Jun 29, 2014

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Great knife. However....

This knife is great. Perfect feel. Sharp blade. Quick-Release is different, but works great. However, this knife may cause problems for the lower IQ knife owner. It does not use the spring mechanism for the quick opening, like Kershaw has in their "speed safe" folders. It uses a "push and slide" thumb action. After 2-3 minutes of working with it, I can now open it faster than my Kershaw spring loaded folder. So, if you arent a lazy person with fat fingers, youll love this knife. If you are, however, a lazy fat sausage finger person, youll want to stick to a fixed blade and continue down that path in life.

Yellowfin
Stonington, CT

Nov 19, 2009

Pros: Handle Material, Blade Sharpness, Overall Quality, Ease of Opening

Cons: None

Wow

AUS Steel Very Sharp Blade Nice design

Burl F
Newnan Ga

Dec 29, 2009

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

I Like it

I had one of the US made versions with a half serrated blade. It was my favoite until I lost it. Camillus US closed and I was out of luck untill now. The new China made knife is almost as good. It took a little breaking in a lube to make it open easily. nonethe less the balde is very sharp and hold an edge well. The quick open feature is handy but not prone to opening in you pocket like some of the spring assisted. It is a big study knife

Barnabe
Pacific Rim

Sep 12, 2012

Pros: Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Perfectly functional, but not particularly clever

The obvious immediate appeal of this knife is the quick release lever, but it doesn't work quite like I expected. With thumb power alone it gets 60% of the way to the open position, but combine the thumb push with a flick of the wrist and it opens quite quickly. I think the lever is a bit harder to use than basic thumb studs or holes, though. Once open, it performs pretty well for a knife of this size in several cutting tests, and I have no particular problems with the liner lock. The lever mechanism isn't amazing, but the knife is still fairly good for the price.

Tat
Appalachia

Jul 17, 2013

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Good knife(Be 10x better with thumb stud instead)

I got it to use when i go fishing,squirrel hunting,etc.I like everything about it except,the release lever,would prefer thumb stud.Razor sharp out of box,everything looks good on it.Would have give a 5 star if it have had thumb stud,instead of button release.It takes getting use to.

Kera R
Chapel hill

Mar 23, 2017

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Overall Quality

Cons: Handle Feel, Handle Material

Kh
va

Dec 25, 2013

Pros: None

Cons: None

Pretty Cool

A lot better than the original-

Ztefan0
Sweden

Oct 13, 2009

Pros: Ease of Opening

Cons: None

At last, they started producing it again.

Is my new EDC and very easy to open.On the original 154cm and this Aus-8 and almost no difference in the rest of the knife.And to the one-fifth of the price of the original.

Knifebreaker
Arkansas

Mar 03, 2020

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality

Cons: Pocket Clip, Lock Type

Great if modified.

This has been my EDC/work knife for the past 6 years. It's the best pocket knife I ever had. It's the thickest blade I've seen on a cheap knife. I have successfully used it as a pry bar, screwdriver, chisel, gasket scraper, electrical jumper, and even cut stuff. I do have to hone it daily, but that's more to do with my lifestyle. I hated the button slider thing at first, but after getting used to it, it's quicker than a spring loaded knife. As for the liner lock issue, it's a big one. It would go all the way to the other side and allow the blade to slip past it. I have rigged it up a few different way, but the best and final one was to just take it apart and remove the plastic washer/spacer on the other side so there's no way for the blade to slide past it. This also requires trimming the pivot hardware a little, but the rest of the handle hardware just gets extra torque. Nothing can make it close in on itself either, the liner has to be pushed out of the way. This has been shown off before by throwing being thrown backwards into wood and concrete. Now, I have changed the geometry a lot, mainly because I get bored with a stone in my hand sometimes, so mine feels nothing like it did from the factory. Mine has literally seen hell and back, and it's still here able to shave hair, with not a sign of a bend. I did lose 1/8" off the tip, but that was when it was being used to jump across the starter solenoid on an old Ford, you can't even tell after I reshaped it. Never thought about complaining about handle materials or feel, so those must be good to me. I think that's all. Belt clip sucks, but they all do....Funny story. I worked on this old car one time, finished it up, customer paid and left. A while later my knife wasn't there when I reached for it. I spent all day looking for it. A couple months later, car comes back for an oil change. It was right there under the hood. I was so happy to have it back, and haven't been without it since.

Mitch
Texas

Oct 05, 2012

Pros: Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Pocket Clip

Great effort

A solid, well built, knife made of quality materials. I don't use a knife as a multi-tool. I'm a "right tool for the job" kind of guy. I always carry a knife. And owning many of them, I pick what knife goes in my pocket based on my plans for that day. The only downfalls to this knife for me is it's bulk (which isn't always bad) and the fact that the opening mechanism takes some practice as it's quite hard to operate.

Emeraldhd
Wisc.

Oct 21, 2009

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Ease of Opening, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Overall Quality

Cons: None

Good value

Very large for this class of knife good no nonsense design with AUS8 blade and G10 scales it would cost over twice as much with a different name plate.

Sam Oliverio Jr.
Putnam Valley, NY

Oct 22, 2009

Pros: Blade Sharpness, Pocket Clip, Blade Material

Cons: Handle Feel, Lock Ease of Use, Weight, Handle Material

An Oldie But Goodie

This is a Camillus reissue that is true to the original design, but lacking in the original's heft and chunkiness. The button operation on this new model drags a bit while the handle scales are thinner and less robust then the original Cuda. I am also disappointed with the blade thickness...it has been ever so slightly reduced. It's still a good knife package, but not like the original.

Sico-M
NYC

Oct 17, 2009

Pros: Weight, Pocket Clip, Handle Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

for the money it is a great knife but it is a little difficult to use the slide. It needs breaking in but the balance of the knife makes snapping it open easier

Jon Rambo
new york

Nov 21, 2009

Pros: Handle Material, Blade Material

Cons: Pocket Clip, Lock Type, Lock Ease of Use

nice try

nice attempt by camillus to make a bad looking folder. dont know what they were thinking with the "button" open thing-a-ma-jigger? the actual blade is nice as is the handle. i tried to like this knife but when the locking mechanism failed is when i gave up trying and returned it. for about the same price get yourself a SOG Flash assisted opener! killer knife and alot better quality and best of all the knife center can help you get one!

Alec
northern wisconsin

Dec 14, 2012

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Type

could be better

Out of the box i thought it was a good knife, im left handed to the lever did almost nothing for me, the knife does open with a flick of a wrist though making it usable for me. What i found out after a few weeks of using it is if there is any pressure on the side of the blade the wall and the blade of the knife will get loose, making it dangerous. For a solution to this problem i took off the pocket clip and took out the underlying bolt, filled it with lock tight (super glue will work) and re tightened it. Fixed the problem completely. This is the worst knife i own even after i fixed the blade problem, the handle material is: annoying, the linerlock is too thin and it is off balanced. If you want a sturdy well locking knife for cheap you should get any kershaw speedsafe, or a remington sportsman series F.A.S.T. 3 5/8 my personal favorite a good sturdy long lasting cheap knife.

Twid
Sweden

May 25, 2011

Pros: Weight

Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Pocket Clip, Lock Type

Not ok

i don`t use it intend to sell it if i can. not much is great about this product. the liner lock is the worst i have ever seen, the opening doesn't really work(faster to wrist flick it). well if you don`t care about safety or fast opening this is the knife for you.

Jon Rambo
new york

Oct 15, 2009

Pros: Handle Material

Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Pocket Clip

p.o.s.

i know its only thirty bucks but save it! this knife is a piece of crap! you ll find something better at your local flea market

Thomas R
FRESNO CALIFORNIA

Sep 15, 2010

Pros: None

Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type

CAMILLUS CUDA

THIS CUDA CAMILLUS MODEL IS NOT EXACTLY A WINNER . IT LOOKS GOOD IN THE BLISTER PACK AT ORCHARD SUPPLY HARDWARE.WHEN INSPECTING THE LINER LOCK MECHANISIM YOU WILL SEE IT IS FAR TO THIN .THE SWING BUTTON IS NOT AT ALL SMOOTH . I PURCHASED IT AT ORCHARDS AND GOT MY REFUND THE NEXT DAY OF 50 DOLLARS. IF YOU WANT A VERY NICE KNIFE THEN GET A KERSHAW LAHAR YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED.

Jack
Georgia

Jul 26, 2014

Pros: Handle Material, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Not impressed

The opening system will take some break in time but is mechanically sound. They used good steel for the blade and G10 handles are also a positive. Unfortunately where they saved money is in the liners to include the liner lock. I was stunned when I saw how thin the liners are. I was equally sickened when I saw the liner lock function during lock up. This knife will not please those who have a discerning eye and appreciate solid knife construction. I'd go with an Ontario RAT 1 folder or a Utilitac which are far superior in every aspect and a little less money.

Lewis
Arizona

Sep 09, 2014

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Pocket Clip, Lock Type

Great materials, poor construction

I've owned this version of the Cuda for a little over a year. The good things I have to say about it are G10 handle scales, AUS-8 stainless steel, the one-handed "Quick Release Lever Opener." The G-10 scales aren't the most abrasive but it provides enough traction in the grip. I haven't had an instance where the blade slipped out of my hands, or my hands slipped up on the edge. The AUS-8 steel does what AUS-8 is expected to do. It's not a super stainless steel like S30V or VG-10. But it can be sharpened easily enough by anybody, and it can be honed to a very thin edge. The wear and edge retention is decent, maybe 6-10. If there was any faults in the construction that first concerned me, it was the lever mechanism. I had suspected the thumb plate to fall out or break apart like thumb studs often do with cheaply made folding knives. But so far it hasn't. My faults with this knife are the liner lock mechanism. When I first opened the knife and looked at the lock, it was locked at about 50% and very thin. WAYYY thinner than the G-10 scales! That was when I first bought it. And over time with light & mild use carving hard & soft woods, cutting almost anything & everything that needed to be cut, the liner lock has worn to shift about 90% almost all the way to the opposite liner. Like a dumb-ass, I recently tested the lock, rocking the blade from side to side. The locking liner actually flexes and I actually released the lock! Luckily I didn't cut my fingers & go to the ER. You can see YouTube reviews of similar new-line Camillus folders, especially the liner-lock lines, showing the liners flexing. I don't know if these reviews are directly fed back to the companies that KNIFECENTER sells their products for, but I will objectively criticize Camillus to beef up the liner-locks of their folders. You've got premium grade materials used, but executed them poorly. I realize, yes, if Camillus thicken the liner locks they will have to charge more for the items. But I can live with spending a few extra bucks on a studier locking mechanism to save my fingers from getting severed off, AND saving more money instead spending more on hospital bills getting stitches and physical therapy. Just food for thought to Camillus, and beware to future buyers.

Jim Vt
Vermont

Jan 08, 2015

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Lock Type

Good materials, no longevity though

Bought this over a year ago. I like the push opening, and the design is solid. I like a big folder for EDC, and this fits the bill. But with daily use, the pin for the button opener wears too quickly, and it starts to bind, which prevents it from fully opening, or closing, and binds the blade. Cleaning doesn't help. I am going to send it back for repair. Blade is good quality, easy to sharpen and retains an edge well. Handles could stand to be a bit more grippy (too smooth), especially is you work in clod climate with dry hands like I do. Nice knife for the price though.

The Dude
WI

Sep 20, 2020

Pros: Ease of Opening, Blade Material

Cons: Lock Type

Not Safe

My review is that i'm surprised whoever owns the "Camillus" name is not involved in a lawsuit because someone mangled their hand when the lock failed. I'm %95 certain that my example would close on itself if I tried to stab a car or something stupid like that. It's actually not a bad knife for $35 apart from that but it's pointless to carry a beefy linerlock like this if you have to handle it like a slipjoint. The steel is noticeably better than SAK or Buck 420HC.

Barnabe
Pacific Rim

Nov 25, 2012

Pros: None

Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type

DANGEROUS

Update: After having used this knife on a few different chores I found that moderate lateral pressure on the blade toward the thumb lever side will DISENGAGE THE LOCK and potentially close the blade on the user's fingers. Tightening didn't fix this problem, and only made the lever unusable. I was lucky enough to avoid finger damage, but you may not be, so please be aware of the hazard this knife poses to users. I keep this knife for demonstration purposes to illustrate the hazards of lock failure and the importance of precision in knife design, but I absolutely do not trust it as a cutting tool.

Gil D.
Oakley, Ca

Jan 25, 2013

Pros: Blade Material

Cons: Weight, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Pocket Clip

Returned it 5 minutes later

Bought it with high expectations. -G10 handles awful traction. -AUS 8 steel, not bad. -Quality was lacking. -Opening mechanism was awful and impractical. -Pocket clip wasn't ambidextrous. -Bulky and heavy doesn't mean quality sorry Camillus. -Liner lock locked dangerous For the same price you could buy an Ontario Rat 1 which is infinitely better.

Sa
Ky

Aug 21, 2013

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Feel, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type

DANGEROUS KNIFE,WATCH YOUR FINGERS!!!

POOR Liner locking system.When i got the Cuda i looked it over,razor sharp blade,large size folder,with a bad design(button lever),but i was willing to overlook the gimmicky lever release.However,after some whittling on a stick one day i noticed before i closed the blade that the lock had shifted over all the way to the liner on the side of the button lever.I closed it,opened it back up and applied light pressure,being careful not to cut myself,and i noticed it shifted again.This is a VERY DANGEROUS LOCKING SYSTEM,Camillus should RECALL ALL THESE CUDA STYLE KNIVES,and refund or exchange the customers.PEOPLE can(will) get HURT using this knife.CAMILLUS,study the Cold Steel TRI-AD lock,amoung others,and go back to the drawing board,and patent your own locking system,and make a SAFE,quality folder.By the way scrap the cheesy(flimsy) button lock lever,and just install a thumb stud,or hole.

Norman W
Missouri

Dec 27, 2013

Pros: Blade Material

Cons: Handle Feel, Lock Ease of Use, Handle Material

Bad engineering

I found this knife close to imposible to open.Even after practicing for about 45 minutes my best time was 38 sewconds.This is one knife I wasted my money on.

Tx Hunter
Texas

Jan 06, 2014

Pros: Pocket Clip

Cons: Weight, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Type

No good!

Don't be fooled folks. Original Camillus knives where of top quality, but...they are no longer made to the standard of quality that the original Camillus was known for. The knife, is heavy, thick, and loose, and slips in your hand when sweaty.. Not good for EDC.

Jonny
Ottawa, Canada

Nov 05, 2009

Pros: None

Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type

Camillus Cuda JUNK

This knife is absolute junk. Usually the liner lock on a pocket knife locks up at the blade at approx 25-40percent of the blade tang. This one locked up at approx 90%. This means that as the knife is used the lockup liner will go all the way to the right side of the blade tang making it very dangerous and giving it a chance that it will close on your fingers if preasure is exerted on the blade. I'm very dissapointed with the quality of this product as well as the new company that is now making Camillus product. I will think long and hard before buying anything from this manufacturer and will tell others not to buy any product from Camillus. I will post this comment on the knife forums that I belong to. Thanks for your concern, Gary

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Reviews and Ratings for Camillus Cuda Folding Knife with Quick Release Lever Opener 9" Open Length - 18533

Price: $39.95

Customer Reviews

Excellent blade

Rambo..? Not sure what you tested? This knife rocks!

Excellent knife

seriously....???

Great knife

Great knife. However....

Wow

I Like it

Perfectly functional, but not particularly clever

Good knife(Be 10x better with thumb stud instead)

Pretty Cool

At last, they started producing it again.

Great if modified.

Great effort

Good value

An Oldie But Goodie

nice try

could be better

Not ok

p.o.s.

CAMILLUS CUDA

Not impressed

Great materials, poor construction

Good materials, no longevity though

Not Safe

DANGEROUS

Returned it 5 minutes later

DANGEROUS KNIFE,WATCH YOUR FINGERS!!!

Bad engineering

No good!

Camillus Cuda JUNK

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