I have two Cold Steel Pocket Bushmans. One in each emergency kit. I like it. It is a crude, inexpensive knife, but if I ever need it, it will work.

The lock is bomb proof. I think the only way to get the lock to fail would be for the pivot bolt to separate from the handle. It is damned hard to unlock even when you want to.

The handle is comfortable enough to use. The edges are round enough. If I were in a situation where I was using it heavily and wasn't wearing gloves, I can imagine wrapping the handle with cord or tape and treating it like a fixed blade. The way it locks up that's not unreasonable.

I haven't done any prying with one, but have batoned some fire wood. No problems.

It's an inexpensive knife. The blade is not made of super steel. It doesn't take or hold a razor edge, but it does the job. No chips in my use. There's a Sterling knife sharpener in each emergency kit as well. I'd never touch that thing to a good knife, but it sharpens the Pocket Bushman just fine.

It's half the size of an equivalent fixed blade and has proved tough enough to do what I want it to do. It's inexpensive enough that stuffing it in the emergency kit where it may never be used again doesn't seem a waste. As a folder it is less intimidating to LEOs. It is not a tactical-looking knife; actually it looks like an Opinel. Aside from the sheer size--it's a big damn knife--it is not very threatening looking, which is a good thing IMHO.

It is a good, inexpensive alternative to a medium fixed blade for an emergency kit. I can imagine some rough use situations where it would be appropriate for regular use, but not for me. My EDC is a Bradley Alias 2 which is pretty much at the opposite end of the folder spectrum.