Bear & Son Cutlery is not a logo slapped on an overseas chassis. Offering affordable tactical and EDC options, the Bear OPS division of Bear & Son delivers American-made cutlery like the Nekama. Offering clean lines and smooth operation, this new knife is a budget-friendly workhorse.
Bear & Son Cutlery and the Bear OPS Nekama
The Griffey family has been building knives in Jacksonville, Alabama, for decades, with roots that trace back to the Parker Edwards plant. Ken Griffey bought that facility in the early nineties, later reacquired it from Swiss Army Brands in 2004, and folded the business back into a family operation with Sandy and Matt Griffey in leadership.
The company machines its own parts, heat treats them in-house, and hand-assembles them within the same Alabama footprint. In 2011, they spun up Bear OPS to serve the tactical and EDC crowd. Then it broadened its reach again through the Remington partnership a few years later.
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That history matters here. The knife below is very much an American shop’s interpretation of a modern, ambidextrous, daily carry folder.
Nekama Explained
The Nekama series landed in early 2025 under the Bear OPS banner alongside the Katakt. It is positioned as an affordable workhorse that uses current EDC architecture. This includes a slide-lock that mirrors the “Axis-style” recipe, a ball-bearing pivot for friction-free opening, and aluminum handles with color accents that keep weight down without feeling hollow.
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The blade steel is Sandvik 14C28N in a modified tanto profile. Sandvik 14C28N is chosen for balanced edge retention, easy field maintenance, and very good stain resistance. Ambidextrous thumb studs aid with opening, while the lock bar makes closing truly one-handed for either side.
Out of Pocket
Numbers first. The cutting edge runs about 3.25 inches inside a 7¾-inch overall length. Blade stock measures roughly .108 inch, and the folded knife is about .475 inch across the scales, excluding the clip.
On a scale, it hits 3.0 ounces dead on. This places it squarely in that “forget it’s there until you need it” zone. The pocket clip is deep carry, reversible, and comes with a tidy insert to fill the unused screw holes on the opposite side.
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That little insert is more than window dressing. It keeps lint out, prevents hot spots, and shows that someone in Jacksonville is actually living with these knives before they box them up.
The aluminum scales are blasted to a soft, almost satiny feel, with tasteful pops of color that read modern without shouting. There is no aggressive jimping on the spine of the blade. Instead, the traction lives on the back strap and liner where your thumb naturally lands when you bear down. In use, that works better than the spec sheet implies, because it anchors the hand without chewing it up.
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The handle fills the palm well, with no sharp edges and no hotspots through longer cutting sessions. Even the clip has a small relief that makes room for the pinky during the open-close sequence. It is a tiny ergonomic note that most folders miss.
The Nekama’s Blade
Bear OPS went with a high saber grind for the primary bevel. It is neither a hollow nor a convex grind. It is a slicer’s flat grind that still leaves enough meat behind the point to keep a modified tanto honest.
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The spine features a swedge that starts midway and finishes slightly before the tip. This keeps the tip reinforced rather than dainty. That layout shows its worth when the chores get mixed. You can slip the main belly through cardboard, food prep, and zip-ties. Likewise, the edge at the tip delivers puncture-biased cuts without fear of snapping a brittle tip.
Out of the box, my sample was sharp, cleanly shaving and push-cutting paper along the main belly. At the forward corner of the tanto, the edge wanted a quick touch on a ceramic rod before it would slice with the same confidence.
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Two minutes of work evened that out, and the rest of the factory grind proved consistent and well-polished. If I were tuning it for a long stint of cardboard duty, I would add a micro-bevel at the apex to keep that 14C28N from rolling, then ride a strop for maintenance.
The steel choice supports exactly that routine, which is why so many production shops lean on it for daily carry knives.
Action and the “Axis” Feel
Call it what you like, slide-lock or Axis-style, the engagement here is positive and the detent is tuned for a satisfying thumb-stud pop. The bearings put it easily into the gravity knife category. Pull the opposing lock tabs back, and the blade drops freely. Let the bar ride forward and the tang cams it into battery with a clean click.
This is the kind of interface that rewards repetition. There is no liner lock hunting or two-hand choreography. Left-handers get the same experience as right-handers. Likewise, gloved use is realistic because the lock bar and studs present proud of the scales.
Lockup on my sample is tight with no lateral wiggle when torqued. Similarly, centering is true.
After a week of pocket carry and dozens of open-close cycles, the action stayed glassy without adding play. This tells me the pivot, washers, and bearing race are cut to spec rather than “close enough.” It also tells me the heat treat was properly executed, because nothing brinelled when I started flicking it like a fidget toy while answering emails.
The Nekama in Action
The Nekama’s tall, flat grind makes quick work of day-to-day materials. Corrugated cardboard gives way cleanly without wedging. Nylon strapping pops with the front corner of the tanto. Apples, blister packs, and zip-ties do not stand a chance.
The lack of spine jimping is noticeable only if you are used to bearing down with an index-on-top saber grip. With the Nekama, you naturally settle the thumb into the jimped back strap and get plenty of traction. There is a modest sharpening choil that keeps the plunge grind honest and makes touching the heel easy.
The knife toes the line between utility and dress surprisingly well. The grind lines are handsome, and the color accents are subdued. It slides into an office pocket without advertising itself, then swings into weekend mode without complaint.
That dual personality is not common at the $89.99 price point.
Carrying the Nekama
The deep-carry clip hides well and clears the pocket seam with just the right tension. The reversible layout makes it easy to swap for left-side carry, and the spacer plate keeps the offside tidy.
If you care about details, you will also notice that the clip’s geometry leaves the first inch or so of the handle free for the hand to index on the draw. However, it still maintains that deep-carry mode we all love. It is a small design choice that makes the knife feel faster.
Where the Nekama Fits and My Tweaks
At $89.99 on Bear’s site, you are buying USA-made assembly with a modern mechanism, ball bearings, aluminum scales, and a proven stainless steel blade. The numbers place it among the most compelling values in domestic EDC right now.
It is not an ultralight, but at 3 ounces it carries like one. Likewise, it is not a dedicated pry bar, yet the modified tanto point is stout enough that you don’t have to baby it. It is a daily user that does weekday tasks without apology and still has the manners for a dinner table.
If I had the shop for a day, I would add a few short rows of spine jimping forward of the studs for those who prefer a high thumb. I would also ask the sharpening crew to give the forward tanto corner another pass before boxing.
Neither note changes the recommendation. They are the kind of refinements that take a good design and make it even more dialed.
Final Slice
Bear & Son’s Bear OPS Nekama delivers a clean, ambidextrous, slide-lock folder with real one-handed manners, a tall flat grind that cuts better than the spec sheet suggests, and a price that underplays the amount of in-house work happening in Jacksonville.
The action is legitimately smooth, the lock inspires confidence, the aluminum scales avoid the cold, tinny feel that plagues cheaper folders, and the clip system is both discreet and thoughtful. Most importantly, the knife feels like it was designed by people who carry knives, not just machine them. In the box, you get the knife, a sleeve, and the warranty card.
If your EDC needs a USA-built, modern mechanism folder that can handle cardboard at the dock in the morning and open mail in the afternoon, the Nekama belongs on your short list. It embodies the Bear OPS goal for this series. That is, to bring tactical-grade function to an accessible price without outsourcing the soul of the build.
Cut safe.
Bear OPS Nekama Specs
| Blade Material | Sandvik 14C28N |
| Handle Material | Aluminum |
| Overall Length | 7 7/8 inches |
| Blade Length | 3 1/4 inches |
| Weight | 3.1 ounces |
| MSRP | $89.99 |
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