What I found to be the best pocket knife is the Kershaw, Ken Onion, tanto bladed ‘Blur’ model with ~1.5 in. serrations. The torsion bar design makes it legal in all 50 states (and is even being considered a ‘normal’ pocket knife in the list of knives that may soon be allowed back on planes). It has the quality metal one expects from a $100 knife and the blade design is excellent. I just love how the torsion bar helps keep the blade closed in your pocket but finishes the opening motion of the thumb stud with that reassuring ‘thunk.’ There is just no question that the blade will lock in the open position when you want it to.
A Gerber LST, but I get more use out of my Leatherman Micra.
I have a Swiss Army knife (two actually; one belonged to my father), but I carry it in my bag; it’s too bulky for my pocket.
I’ve been carrying an old Boker lockback I bought many years ago and never carried until I “rediscovered” it a couple months ago. It’s German made with nickle-silver bolsters and wood scales. Overall length 4-1/2". Sharp as a razor and it locks up like a bank vault.
I have one on my belt, not in my pocket. It’s a Schrade Old Timer Model 152.
It sharpens up real nice and opens most anything I put it up against.
Okay, in the spirit of Fighting Ignorance, photographic proof that a stock snap-blade utility knife is less sharp than a Spyderco Sharpmaker sharpened pocketknife, and that sharpening the utility knife on the Sharpmaker does improve it’s cutting ability
after 5 passes on the corners, 5 on the flats on the Sharpmaker, the utility knife both cut further, and there was less resistance and it cut smoother as well, it’s still not as sharp as a well sharpened pocketknife, but close
the knife contenders
from top to bottom;
Spyderco Harpy
Spyderco Cricket
Spyderco Native
Spyderco Dyad Jr
Kershaw Scallion
Victorinox Spartan Lite
(utility knife not in this pic…
here’s photographic proof;
the cuts, from left to right are;
stock utility knife
utility knife after Sharpmaker treatment
Kershaw Scallion
SAK small blade
SAK large blade
Dyad Jr plain edge
Dyad Jr serrated
Cricket
Native
Harpy
note the difference between the stock utility knife, and the Sharpmaker sharpened one…
I carry a Spyderco Delica in my pocket at all times, except when flying. Mine is the original handle material, which is cast out of resin as a single piece with integrated clip. I am sad that the new ones have the metal clip, which I fear will destroy my pants if/when I am forced to replace this knife.
I am endlessly entertained when I pull out my pocketknife at work (in a corporate office) to open a package and people say in a shocked voice “why do you carry THAT?”
I just look at the knife, then the package, then at them… and say “To open things. Like packages, for example.”
I carry a Benchmade Osborne 940 Axis Lock in the waistband. A Victorinox lockblade (I think it’s the Backpacker or some such) gets carried either in a bag or jacket pocket, and a Leatherman Blast (a Christmas gift from my faux-nephews) can generally be found in my bookbag. That’s it for edged tools unless we move into backcountry, where a Gryphon M35 Combat Utility or BK&T Patrol Machete will make an apperance, but those are obviously not pocketknives.
Now, if we’re going to talk about flashlights…
Stranger
I’ve always been worried about carrying a pocketknife since I figured that would count as carrying a concealed weapon.
I’ve always liked switchblades though. Too bad they’re illegal in Indiana (perfectly legal in Ohio though). Aside from that I’ve just carried a large pocketknife for when I go camping.
Sure, why not…
EDC flashlights;
SureFire 6P with P61 120 Lumen bulb
Inova X5
Fenix L1
and for fun, a Lighthound.com 12 LED Ultraviolet flashlight (to check for counterfits, and generally to have fun seeing what stuff flouresces under UV)
I have a Gerber something, AR 3.0? I think? and another wierd one that I like alot, but I’m not sure what it is or where it’s from.
(anyone know what the iprint means?)
A Victorinox Spartan Swiss Army Knife, purchased for be by **Rhiannon8404 **during a visit to Switzerland last year.
I still have the tweezers *and *the toothpick 
A Gerber L.S.T. when I’m wearing jeans (99.3% of the time I’m not naked or home or both). A Gerber L.S.T. Microlight when wearing a suit or “grownup” clothes. Papa taught me a man isn’t finished dressing until he puts his knife and his handkerchief in his pocket. (Of course, most of my “handkerchiefs” get worn as hats more than any other use.)
Oh, so you got the P61 head, huh? I hope you don’t mind spending a bundle on 123 batteries.
I have the Surefire L2 (wow, they sure up the prices on that), which is a great light; 15 lumens on the low setting, adequate for close-up work, and 100 lumens on the high setting, enough to stun a potential assailant long enough for me to work a leg reap. And three times the battery life of the P61. I highly recommend it, and I wish they’d offer the G2 with a LED head.
Stranger
I have one of those on my key ring. It is indeed handy. My husband usually won’t carry anything but a single blade pocketknife, and he’s always wanting to borrow MY little tool. I might have to get him one of his own.
If ya like that, check this out Blackie Collins Assisted Razor
My EDC
Ken Onion “Mini Task” (Kershaw) the first model to feature the Speed Safe™ torsion bar mechanism.
[nitpick]I hate when people call an Onion a Kershaw, Kershaw just manufactures knives/Ken Onion makes and designs them![/nitpick]
An oldschool Leatherman and a handmade (by me) on my belt.
CMC
Right now I’m carrying a Spyderco Stainless Steel Delica, which, unfortunately, I’m not totally pleased with. It just lacks what my old Benchmade AFCK had w.r.t. feel, opening, etc. It’s still a nice knife, but…
I have found a new series of knives that I’m all excited about. New Hobby! Classic Knife Kits sells all types of folders and sheath knives in a kit. You put them together yourself, and can make tons of alterations to them mechanically and artistically. They also sell butterfly knives. I just bought two, one el-cheapo for $17 and a nicer design for $40 (plus $8 for the scales). I put the cheap one mostly together in 30 minutes, but I don’t have the small hex wrench it needs for the scales (and I’m too busy to go to the store to buy one this week). It is actually a pretty neat knife and opens quite well. I’d compare it to Gerber knives. The blade is made out of AUS-8, which I prefer to 440C (too damn hard to sharpen easily! I like being able to keep my knives sharp by honing the edge once a week or so for 30 seconds). The nicer design I got is still waiting to be put together because I have to cut the scales and shape them, then polish the blade…all of which needs my FIL’s tool shed when we go there for a weekend. I’m probably going to start making more of these knives because they are so damned cool. Plus they are inexpensive and have lots of neat tweaks you can do from carbon-fiber handles to teflon washers to making them automatic to damascus blades to filework on the spines. Oh yeah, I want a damascus blade auto clippit with iron wood scales baby! There is also a neat knife message board with a forum for knife kits - the mods are all professional knife makers, so you can ask them how to do things and they get all helpful.
If y’all want a neat new hobby, this is pretty cool.
-Tcat
Try not to whittle with it.
I carry a Victoronix Swiss Army Tinker Deluxe.
I like the pliers.
I wish I could have had a nailfile instead of a corkscrew, though.
Usually it’s a SOG Pentagon I, but I also have a very nice AG Russell Gent’s Lockback that my dad gave me as a present for standing up in his wedding. It’s got my initals on it and it’s a pretty decent knife.
Victorinox Nomad
Large locking blade, corkscrew, bottle opener, can opener. Everything I need, plus a screwdriver and awl.
I carry a Terminator Destructo Bloodletter 5000. What the hell is with all these ridiculous names for knives? Anyway, when not at work I carry a Kershaw, because I like the opening action (like many others who like Kershaw). At work, I have a 3" Gerber. I don’t carry the Kershaw at work because some folks are a bit disconcerted when it’s opened. I used to just carry a very small penknife that belonged to my father, but I left it in my pants when they went to the laundry and never saw it again. :smack: