The Benchmade brand is highly respected and has been since 1988, when they were first installed in California. Based in Oregon since 1990, they hold the patent for the famous AXIS locking mechanism. Whether you use the traditional non-spring-assisted AXIS or the spring-assisted AXIS to aid rapid deployment, the lock is one of the strongest I've ever seen and is safe and easy to use. Benchmade prides itself on using quality steel for its knives and produces fantastic designs for EDC knives that will stand the test of time.
Bench knives cover the gamut, from the budget-conscious to the not-so-budget-conscious. For the budget-conscious, the Griptilian and Mini Griptilian are great choices, with well-scaled handles and 154 CM stainless steel blades. If your budget is a little more, the 940-1 Osborne is the quintessential lightweight EDC knife in my book, and it's one of the best knives Benchmade has ever produced. Here's our guide to the best Benchmade knives.
The Kershaw line consists mainly of pocket knives and sports knives, and is known for its use of high-quality steel and other materials. Some of the most popular Kershaw knives are the Kershaw Leek, the Blur and the Shallot. For EDC use, I love the Kershaw Blur, designed by Hall of Famer knife maker Ken Onion, and I find it extremely well made. The Blur blade is 14C28N steel, a mid-range steel, but it's also available in more premium steels if you pay a little more.
It's a well-made knife that will last for years even in the harshest of conditions. A similar price option is the Kershaw punch, which remains an excellent choice for EDC, with a blade also made of 14C28N stainless steel and lightweight aluminum handles. Here's our guide to the best Kershaw knives. Sal Glesser founded Spyderco in 1976, with the portable hand, a spider-shaped device that helped jewelers, hobbyists and others work with small parts using a series of angles, ball joints and alligator clips.
Spyderco is also known for making knife sharpeners, but their knives are the ones that really make the difference for this American company. Another Spyderco knife that I get a lot of mileage from is the Delica 4, a small, inexpensive knife with some great features, such as VG-10 stainless steel and a full flat grind drop point blade. The Delica 4 is lightweight and comes with fiberglass reinforced nylon with stainless steel liners, and comes in a variety of colors for fashionistas. Here's our guide to the best Spyderco knives.
SOG Specialty Knives became famous for its Viet Name-era SOG Knife reproduction, but it makes many other knives in addition to the original military-inspired designs. Several SOG knives are oriented towards the EDC, as well as its multi-tool line. SOG was founded in 1986 by Spencer and Gloria Frazer, and is currently headquartered in Lynnwood, Washington. Spencer Frazer drew inspiration from the Bowie SOG knife worn by members of the MACV-SOG special operations unit to recreate his highly effective knife and pay tribute to the men of this highly classified special operations unit.
My favorite SOG EDC knife is the Flash II, an excellent low-cost knife with a variety of styles, including a both. This knife uses AUS-8 stainless steel for the blade, and the handle is made of extremely light but durable Zytel. At 3.1 ounces, it's a respectable lightweight knife for everyday carry. Another great EDC option from SOG is the Twitch, a simple razor that opens with the flick of a finger.
The Twitch is also made of an AUS-8 stainless steel blade and comes with graphite colored hard anodized 6061-T6 aluminum scales. Columbia River Knife %26 Tool, Inc. CRKT, although headquartered in the United States, manufactures most of its knives in China and Taiwan. See our guide to the best CRKT knives.
You can't talk about knives without talking about Cold Steel, and I'm not just talking about the metal that knives are made of. Cold Steel is a Ventura, California-based company that brings out some of the best knives, swords and other sharp weapons and tools available on the market. Cold Steel was founded in 1980 by Lynn C. Thompson and his knives and swords appear frequently in big movies such as The Wolverine and Dredd.
The innovations made by Cold Steel are some of the reasons for many commonalities in the knife manufacturing industry today, such as the use of the Tanto style knife blade. While ZT's initial products were combat knives, the brand has since become known for a wide range of general-purpose EDC and premium EDC knives. Zero Tolerance knives are manufactured with premium S30V, ELMAX or 154 CM steel blades and premium G-10 handle scales that are 3-D machined. Another great EDC knife from Zero Tolerance, the ZT 0350 with assisted opening of the S30V stainless steel blade, which is coated with tungsten DLC.
The scales, again, are machined in 3-D G-10 and have a perfect texture to ensure their grip at all times. Perhaps my favorite feature of the 0350 is the jumps on the back of the knife handle, which makes the knife ideal for personal and close use. You see, there is little to take away from both Wusthof and Zwilling. The only challenge is deciding which model delivers the performance you need.
To help you find the answers, we've selected 10 of the best pocket knife brands and picked a favorite knife from each brand that highlights their qualities. Buck knives were first manufactured in Kansas in 1902 by young blacksmith Hoyt Buck, who discovered a unique method to improve edge retention. The brand developed through subsequent generations, and today, Buck Knives remains a family business based in Post Falls, Idaho. Kershaw Knives base of operations is in Tualatin, Oregon, but the company sources products from around the world.
Parent company, Kai Industries, manufactures all types of cutting tools, from surgical instruments to razors. The range of pocket knives is immense, as is the wide range of steels that the company uses for the blades and the various materials it uses for the handles. Whatever style of pocket knife you're looking for, Kershaw Knives probably has a version, though measuring quality and value can require considerable attention to detail. To be fair, part of this decision is simply the extensive options offered, and many of the options are very affordable.
However, customer feedback suggests that while the knives' famous opening action is always smooth, some lightweight varieties are not as robust as they could be. Emerson Knives began in a residential garage in 1979, developed by a respected hand-to-hand combat instructor named Ernest Emerson. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Smithsonian in Washington have exhibited their innovative designs. While these knives can be visually appealing, the focus is undoubtedly on practicality.
The brand's motto is “100 percent rugged, 100 percent American, with all design and production based in Harbor City, California. The brand's range of combat knives is wide, including several specific to left-handed users. The hardness of Emerson blades is such that they are also used in some Kershaw knives. Emerson knives are not a casual purchase due to their relatively high cost, but the durability is usually exceptional.
That said, customers have reported occasional quality control issues and some complaints about warranty work when the blades failed. Boker Manufactory, also known as the Tree Brand because of the logo engraved on its blades, may be the oldest brand of pocket knives in the world that still exists, with a history that dates back to the 17th century. Today, the factory in Sölingen, Germany, produces all kinds of knives, knives, axes and swords. Founded in 1980 in Ventura, California, Cold Steel Knife and Tool has a reputation for innovation that borders on the strange, driven by its creepy marketing videos.
In addition to a wide range of pocket knives, the company also manufactures axes, machetes, sword sticks and even blowguns. However, Cold Steel isn't just about shock and wonder. Its superb Tri-Ad blade locking system is strong enough to support up to 800 pounds of suspension weight. The company promotes that it is the number one supplier of knives for the military.
Manufacturing Plant in Portland, Oregon, Passes 686,000 Tons U.S. UU. While much of the production uses modern equipment and robots, it still employs skilled craftsmen for specialized tasks, such as sharpening blades. After considering more than 100 popular knives from the best brands on the market, we carefully selected our recommendations for the best products based on many critical factors, including durability, size, weight, and purpose.
While there are countless manufacturers of very good quality knives (they all come with many different styles and prices), in our opinion there are 5 brands of high-quality knife makers. A German family, dating back to 1814, created the Wüsthof brand, which has since manufactured precision knives and cutlery. The brand is recognized around the world for creating knives that are carefully designed to work flawlessly and with the utmost ease. What you get from Wüsthof are unique knives with uncompromising quality.
The reason Victorinox stands out is because of its high-quality, durable materials and the ergonomic design of its knives. It's not hard to understand why this is one of the best knife brands out there. Check out our article on The Best Butcher Knives and see how Victorinox lives up to it. J, A Henckels is one of the first-class knife manufacturers that still offers you the most competitive prices, without compromising on quality.
Since 100 years in the industry, Henckels knows what it takes to forge premium knives. We especially love the Henckels stamped blade knives. Since 1964, Buck Knives has come a long way since introducing its first model, the 110 Folding Hunter, which remains one of the best-selling lines today. Buck knives are the perfect choice for outdoor enthusiasts and are renowned for their durability, reliability and elegant simplicity.
Your Silver Creek folding fishing fillet knife won first place in our roundup of best knives for filleting fish. Manufactured by Master Cutlery to the highest standards, Elk Ridge knives are what hunters and outdoor enthusiasts dream of. We love their fantastic value for money, durability and reliability, which offer plenty of knives for the money. Their hunting knife set really made a big impression on us in the battle of The Best Hunting Knife.
For everything related to cutlery, shaving and safety, Knife Center is your one-stop electronic source. They've been in the business of bringing you some of the best deals on knives (with more than 20,000 products on the list) since 1995 and they haven't compromised on their excellent service a day in between. It was in 1902 that Hoyt Buck created the first Buck knife while striving to invent a better way to temper steel. You see, Hoyt wasn't happy with the way the knives of the time were sharp.
It would seem that their techniques and quality products struck a chord with their fellow hunters and outdoor lovers, because Buck Knives remains to this day one of the best American heritage hunting knife brands out there. Its 110 model is one of the oldest and most successful due to its ease of use, quality of materials and discreet elegance. It may not be conspicuous, but this knife is as reliable as it sounds. What started as a custom knife brand in 1979 has grown into one of the best tactical knife manufacturing companies of all time in the world.
I wouldn't call myself a knife enthusiast, but I've been looking for this pocket knife for years with no luck. They have a special knife collecting section that covers pretty much everything you need to know about knife collecting. The great advantage of a pocket knife over a fixed knife is that the blade folds securely when not in use. Whether you need an everyday knife or a knife for a specific task, there are knives on this list to meet the requirements of a variety of users.
No matter what type of Gerber knife you buy, rest assured that you have purchased from one of the best knife brands available. Victorinox is not Japanese or German; instead, it is the Swiss knife manufacturing company known for creating the original Swiss army knife. That's because finding a great knife maker allows you to use that brand for all your future knife needs. CRKT (Columbia River Knife %26 Tool) is an Oregon-based knife company that offers quality knives at low-cost prices.
The company also offers the option to build a custom knife online, and they produce branded shirts, hats and other accessories, including a tool that no homeowner should have without a pocket knife sharpener. . .
Leave Reply