I have never carried a pocketknife, but recently have found myself needing one. Just something simple, but high quality. I don’t want a mega-multi-tool. I wear a suit to work (which I hate) so it needs to have a slim profile.
I just remembered that I actually DID carry a pocketknife for a while but kept cutting my fingers because I would play with it in my pocket. I’ll have to stop that.
THANKS!
Victorinox makes about a zillion types of Swiss Army knives. Just find the one that’s right for you.
It depends on what you want of course.
I carry a Spyderco Salt H-1 style, which is great in that it keeps a good edge and is very very water and rust resistant, which is a tough combo to get. It’s a bit big- I got it to replace my work knife, and I would probably recommend a smaller one for everyday.
Attacklad just got hisfirst knife, a lovely swiss army style with a light aluminum case and minimal tools. It’s lighter than my multi-tool. This is a more elegant-looking knife.
I usually order from Smoky Mountain Knife Works. The pocket knife section here should have what you want at a decent price. In ten years of doing business Smoky Mountain has never sent me junk.
You say you don’t want a “mega multi-tool”-- does that mean that you want nothing but a knife, or a simple, small multi-tool that does a couple of things?
I heartily second this. The Soldiermodel, a blade, can opener, bottle opener (the head of which doubles as a flat headed screwdriver), and a reamer.
Best knife I’ve ever owned.
If you’re not needing any kind of tool other than a cutting utensil, Case makes the best non-multi-purpose knives I’ve used. They also don’t look too rugged. More of a dressier, classy knife. But SHARP! And they stay that way too!
You don’t need a huge half-serrated knife that locks back and has a clip for your pocket. Get a quality Case or Victorinox and you won’t be sorry!
Probably just a blade, but if someone has a suggestion for a daily carry they really love, I’d listen.
I normally carry a Soldier, but a better knife is the Spartan. There are times when you really need a toothpick. (And the corkscrew has come in handy on more than one occasion.)
I can see where it would! My soldier (which is now apparently a Pioneer) was a gift, and I liked the Alox handle as opposed to the slick plastic handle of the traditional SAK.
I’ve had a Kershaw Ken Onion Scallion as my pocket knife for about 15 years now. It has a short 2-1/4" blade that is spring-loaded so you can snap it open with one hand, 440 stainless blade that stays very sharp, and a tip lock to prevent accidental opening (I don’t use it). It came with a belt clip, but I took it off with a small screwdriver. I use this knife on a daily basis. It’s non-threatening to colleagues, since it’s so small, and doesn’t create a bulge in your pocket. And it’s cheaper than a lot of the alternatives.
For daily carry in a suit, something small and slim with scales of polished wood or bone is very nice. A Buck Knight might fill the bill. I like CRKT and Kershaw for general-use knives, and both companies make smaller knives which might work for you.
I carried a CRKT KISS daily for a long time - they (or their baby brother, the Peck) works well as a money clip, if that’s your style. My current usual daily is a Kershaw/Ken Onion Leek (also available in Scallion, Chive and possibly other sizes), but I carry it clipped to my jeans pocket, and this style of carry doesn’t usually look good in a suit, IMO.
Overall, my suggestion is to go to a really good cutlery store and ask to handle as many knives as they will let you. Get a good feel for the materials and actions and decide which ones you like best, then buy in your budget.
The Leatherman Squirt is a good tool to add to your keychain. Very low profile.
This is what I use and would recommend. The blade is small but sharp and will cut most stuff that needs cutting. If you really need a blade for constant heavy duty use you need a single blade locking knife like the Cricket referenced above. The Squirt is small enough for a key chain, does not look anything like a knife when closed so people are OK with it, and it yet has a full complement of useful tools. The pliers even have a wire cutter.
I have a Kershaw that I bought 12 years ago that has never failed me. I haven’t even had to get it sharpened yet. I’ve also seen some very decent knives up at the Fred Meyer for around $40.
Single-blade knives are fine, but the Kershaws I looked at seem a little… not ‘menacing’; maybe ‘serious’ is a better word. Since the OP wears a suit, I envision something more elegant. The Spartan I mentioned and the Soldier/Pioneer feptyweed mentioned are not exactly ‘elegant’, but they would not be too out of place with business-wear.
The Classic is a little more fitting with a suit; especially this one. These are small knives that fit on a keychain. The blade is perhaps too short for carving an apple (of course you can carve an apple with it), but I’ve found it quite useful. The Classic has the toothpick, which as I’ve said gets a lot of use, and the surprisingly-useful tweezers. (I’ve tried to use the tweezers on non-Victorinox knives, and they aren’t as good.) I’ve actually used the nail file, and the scissors are quite handy.
A single-blade knife I like very much is my Case 31048 SS. While it lacks the useful tools of even the smallest Victorinox, its blade is useful around the office at lunchtime and for other purposes. It’s slim and ‘elegant’, but also a little rustic. I love the pale yellow scales.
I like old carbon steel knives from the old days. My current every day carry knife is a cheapo Barlow from the 50s or 60s. The carbon steel blade takes and keeps a razor edge.
Also, USA made Old Timer and Uncle Henry knives. They have stainless blades but are of a high quality and are readily available on Ebay.
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The Spyderco style you posted comes in different sizes and is what I carry in thin office slacks. the hole in the blade allows for one handed operation.
The next larger size knife I carry would be a Sog Flash-1. It can be ordered with a variety of blades and is a semi-assist knife. Like the Scallion listed by Chefguy it locks in both positions. However, the Scallion is an aggressively opening knife and can open in your pocket if the safety lock is not engaged. I like both knives but I think the Sog is better and I really want to like the Scallion more. The Scallion opens aggressively for a self assist knife. Since the Sog is not likely to open in my pocket I remove the closed locking mechanism as it is not needed in my opinion.
From there my choice of full size knife is hands down the Benchmade series using the AXISlocking mechanism. This is the best mechanism I’ve seen on a knife period. It is ambidextrous and allows the user to open it as fast as a switch blade and it locks in a way that is always self adjusting. I can’t emphasize how well the mechanism works. It’s a brilliant design. The Presidioseries is the more reasonably priced of their knives which can get expensive because of limited runs. The AXIS mechanism can easily be opened and closed with one hand and is not likely to open in one’s pocket. the same mechanism that locks it open pushes the blade closed when folded but it doesn’t lock it so there is no chance of not being able to open it quickly if needed.
Yeah, I have several Benchmades and they are awesome.
I agree on the Squirt. It’s the absolute minimum I can leave the house with.
However, being a Knife Guy[sup]TM[/sup], I generally carry 2 more with me.
As you mentioned, quality is key. A blade that can’t receive or hold an edge is not a safe knife. A dull knife is a dangerous knife. There are many companies making great pocketknives in a wide variety of styles and types, and I suggest you spend some time browsing the various company’s websites to see what appeals to you.
While I like to visit SMKW, I would never recommend you purchase a knife online unless you have held or used that particular model and know just what you’re ordering. You have to hold, feel, weigh, pocket, and open and close a knife to get a feel for it.
Actions are different, as are the weight, the locking mechanism, the blade types, and more. A lot of us can make recommendations based on what we like, but like a car, gun, or woman ( or man), you should purchase what feels good, appeals to you, and works for your situation!
As I’ve mentioned here before, my mood and wardrobe change constantly, so I have a basket in my dresser with a group of foldersthat I select from on a daily basis.
You’ll find most utility folders today have a pocket clip that keep the knife readily available at the top of your pocket. It keeps you from having to dig for it in a deep pocket, or fish among your change, keys, etc… The downside for dress is that it can be obvious that you have something clipped in your pocket. If you don’t care, that’s fine, but you may consider a knife with clip with a dark color for dark pants, a lighter or stainless for khaki/lighter pants, or a wire clip for both. Or, you may opt for a traditional folder like we all started with back in the day.
All that said, I would probably recommend the Spyderco Calypso to begin with. It comes with a reversible wire clip, different scale(handle) materials, plain or serrated blades, and isn’t nearly as expensive as the MSRP listed on the site there.
IMHO, here are some companies to consider for quality and variety:
Spyderco
SOG
CRKT
Benchmade
Al Mar
Case
Buck
There are many more, of course, but for true quality, usefulness, and variety of blade and handle styles, you’ll never need more than these guys here.
And Attack, if I have to hear about your H1 Salt one more time…
I keed, I keed!
