Obai Black Friday EDC Picks: Sentry L2 and OT Tackle S1 Reviewed

Introduction

Obai is currently running a Black Friday sale across its site, and a couple of pieces from the lineup are worth a closer look for anyone who enjoys everyday carry gear. These two are an honest mixed bag: one is a straightforward fixed blade with a love-it-or-leave-it design language, the other is a utility piece with clever functions and an implementation that raises questions. Here is how they stack up.

Obai Sentry L2

The Sentry L2 belongs to a genre of knife that splits opinion cleanly: a Tanto blade shape in D2 steel with partial serrations. Some people have very specific use cases where serrations earn their keep, and others want either full serrations or none at all. As Tanto designs go, the partial serration makes more sense here than it does on a drop point.

The coated blade is a smart pairing, because D2 is not a corrosion-resistant steel, and the coating combined with D2’s strong edge retention makes for a sensible overall package. The main consideration is the handle. The style of knife really demands more handle than you might expect: with a thumb behind the tab, the blade can feel like it wants to shift in the hand. Wearing a large glove, there is plenty of real estate with a standard grip, but a slightly larger handle would improve both safety and ease of grip. It is currently on sale alongside a lot of other products on the Obai site.

Obai OT Tackle S1

The OT Tackle S1 is a piece of steel that comes in a Kydex sheath with a belt clip, packing a lot of little functions into a compact form: a pry tool, a universal wrench, a seat belt cutter, and a glass breaker on the back.

The intent seems to be a kind of safety tool, but the belt-clip carry does not quite fit that role. If the emergency functions are the point, a mount inside the car makes more sense, so that pulling it out gives you immediate access to the seat belt cutter and glass breaker. A couple of strips of very strong adhesive tape included in the package would go a long way toward that. The functions themselves do what they claim; it is simply an odd implementation, and it takes a fairly specialized use case to justify carrying one on your person at all times.

Which One Fits Your Carry

If you like the Tanto aesthetic and you are comfortable with partial serrations, the Sentry L2 is the safer pick of the two, provided you keep the grip question in mind. The OT Tackle S1 rewards a very specific plan: vehicle-mounted emergency storage rather than pocket carry.

It is also worth browsing the wider Obai sale. The site hosts a number of American makers, pays them upfront, handles the logistics, and respects their IP, so there is plenty else to discover beyond these two pieces.

Practical Notes Before You Buy

A few things worth checking before you order. For the Sentry L2, consider how you grip fixed blades and whether the handle length will suit your hand size. For the OT Tackle S1, ask yourself whether you would genuinely mount a safety tool in your vehicle; if the answer is no, the pocket-carry format may not earn its spot.

Conclusion

Both pieces show interesting design thinking, even where the execution leaves room for refinement. The Sentry L2 is a competent coated D2 Tanto with a handle that should be slightly larger, while the OT Tackle S1 is a clever safety tool looking for its ideal mounting solution. Match either one to a real use case and it makes sense; buy on impulse and you may wonder why it is in your pocket.