That Old Knife Mojo

I liked this little meditation from a forum poster about his favorite carry knife, a well-used pawn shop purchase:

I rescued this knife from a pawn shop for only $20 about a year ago, and it is worth that and more, to me. Both the clip and spey blades were sharpened numerous times, and both have lost some of their original shape. The knife may have been exposed to some corrosive material or gas, because there is tiny pin-point pitting and freckling on both blades. There is a slight wobble to the clip blade. It is far from mint, obviously, but though I have two mint 94's, a mint 8OT, and a mint 194OT still in their boxes, this is my favorite Old Timer to carry.

Why? Because it has character. It is a working knife, and whoever owned it before me, whoever felt the need to sell the knife to make some money, was a working man. There are scratches on the bolsters from being carried in a pocket full of keys to the pickups and tractors on the farm and change for the coffee at the cafe. Maybe it was sharpened so much because it was used to turn little bull calves into little steers, or cut open feed sacks or baling twine from hay bales. Maybe it dressed out dove, quail, and ducks, not to mention rabbits and other varmints, and a few bucks. I have used it to dress out a few birds, myself, and to cut rope and to sharpen pencils for the official scorebook at some recent high school baseball games.

My daughter asked me the other day why I liked my knives so much. I said, "It's a guy thing. I can explain, but you won't understand." Well, if you understand the above, then you get it.

That old knife, and any good folder, is a metaphor for a certain masculine way of life that generations of men fought to escape, and having escaped, at least some of us now miss terribly. Most days now I spend upwards of 12 hours at a computer, but in my youth I worked on a farm, and miss it terribly. I've never done more honest and fulfilling work.

Back then I gave my pocketknives some hard use, as working men always have. The knife in my pocket right now will probably never be used for anything more serious that opening packages and paring fingernails. But it also serves as some vicarious connection to my youth and to the archetypal working man for whom I will always be nostalgic.

Addendum: Check out this great piece appearing in the Times Magazine on working with your hands. Notable quote, on the unnaturalness on the modern white-collar world: "It is a rare person, male or female, who is naturally inclined to sit still for 17 years in school, and then indefinitely at work."

EDC Knives: A Presidential Folder

And so we reach the official end of EDC knife month. The sixteen dense posts that I've written for it were honestly a bit too much work to be entirely fun, but I've enjoyed the exercise and learned from it. I learned first of all, again, that single-topic blogging can turn into a chore, however much I like the topic. So enough of that. I conclude with an interesting historical note.

Items from the Alfred Whital Stern Collection of Lincolniana are now on display at the Library of Congress. I was interested to see that the contents of Abraham Lincoln's pockets when he was assassinated included a beautiful white-handled, (apparently) four-blade "swell back congress" pocket knife (make unknown). I've observed previously that, until most recently, a pocketknife was the one tool most every man carried and was a fundamental male accessory. In fact, a Lincoln scholar, Joshua Shenk, remarked that "back then a pocket knife was like a cell phone."


Lincoln's personal effects on the night of his assassination

That is why one early colleague of Lincoln, Robert Wilson, noted the exceptional fact that, not only did Lincoln confess to him that he suffered from melancholy, but "he told me that he was so overcome with mental depression, that he never did dare carry a knife in his pocket. And as long as I was intimately acquainted with him . . . he never carried a pocket knife" (Shenk, Lincoln's Melancholy, 23). As president, however, and at other times, he apparently did. In fact, it is claimed that one other of Lincoln's folding knives is not only known, but recently was displayed. That knife is in poor shape, perhaps because Lincoln was reported to be "inordinately fond of whittling." But the knife with him at Ford's Theater is in excellent condition, and quite beautiful.


Lincoln's knife

I've blogged on the great variety of classic folding knives now coming out of China. Designers of these knives are drawing much inspiration from classic patterns, or copying them outright. The knives produced under the brand U. S. Classics are said to be patterned on classic knives of the 1920s, 30s and 40s (the "Golden Age"), from the collection of C. A. Shelley of Salt River, KY. And they are very inexpensive. I have one on me today that looks quite a lot like Lincoln's, though there is another pattern currently available that even carries the exact shield. As an enthusiast, I'm intrigued that this pattern is, after almost 150 years, still being produced and that I could own a near-replica of that presidential folder for myself. Tempting . . .


U. S. Classic four-blade congress with second-cut bone stag handles (curse that annoying blade logo)

EDC Knives: Tactical Makers IV

SOG: SOG Specialty Knives was started in 1986 to produce and market a single knife, the S1 Bowie, an improved replica of the famous MACV SOG fixed-blade combat knife issued during the Vietnam War. It was a great success, and led to the elite U.S. Navy SEALS adopting SOG’s latest-gen SEAL Team combat knife for duty.

As they grew, SOG moved much of their production from Seki, Japan, to Taiwan and China, to lower costs, and introduced a range of both fixed blade and folding tactical knives in a competitive price range. Although they have a reputation for fighting knives, several of their folders are very practical EDC blades. I gushed before about my SOG Flash I. It’s feather light (1.3 oz.), carries deep, opens fast and closes easy. It just gets it all right. While their quality is not quite Benchmade-caliber, I like SOG knives. A lot.


SOG Flash I

Smith & Wesson (Taylor Brands LLC): Taylor Brands LLC is the parent company of Schrade, Old Timer and Uncle Henry folding knives (mostly folders, anyway), and “over eighty other brands” of other knives and whatnot. Those additional 80+ unnamed brands certainly include the OEM manufacture of knives for many firearm, outdoor, and sporting goods companies. They are dull designs made overseas in anonymous factories from generic stainless steels, cheap plastics and undistinguished woods. They are Cheap Chinese Clones with slick commercial branding. They are not even value knives, just well-marketed consumer knives. So well marketed, in fact, that if you’ve ever bought one, I guarantee you paid too much for it.

Taylor’s principal tactical knife brand is Smith & Wesson. You will see them in knife cases everywhere next to true value and premium brands, but don’t be fooled. They are not in the same league. I owned one, briefly, but returned it. The cheap plastic blade lock did not work, the blade screening was smeared, and overall the quality was shabby. I thought it must be a counterfeit, and said as much to the seller, who informed me that they were located just five miles from Taylor Brands LLC and that it certainly was not a counterfeit. My mistake. It was genuine dreck. I took the refund and did what I should have the first time. I bought a Kershaw Oso Sweet.

Spyderco: If combat tacticals have a grand old man among makers, it is Emerson. But if EDC work knives have one, it is Spyderco. Spyderco led the way in the early 80s by introducing EDC knives that had all the features we regard as genre-defining today: light-weight polymer handles, easy one-handed opening and closing, light weight, great blade steel, etc. They made the pocket-clip a conventional feature and greatly popularized the serrated blade. Their serrations are still as good as they get. Spydercos look ferocious, but those stubby, wide, serrated blades are designed for work, not defense. But, no doubt, a lot of guys love that (dare I say) "goth" aesthetic.

Spyderco designed an amazingly smart and effective knife in their original C01 Worker, and while they have produced a huge range of knives, most every Spyderco bears a striking resemblance to that first. Perhaps no knife manufacturer has ever stayed so loyal to an archetypal design. Certainly they have been imitated, and you may mistake another knife for a Spyderco, but you will never mistake a Spyderco for anything else.


Spyderco Delica 4, one of Spyderco’s most popular current models.

Next up: Knife month concludes with a presidential folder.

EDC Knives: Tactical Makers III

Gerber: Gerber Legendary Blades is another Oregon knife maker, owned since 1987 by the Finnish cutlery company, Fiskars. But Gerber has a long and distinguished history. It was started in 1939 by advertising man Pete Gerber, who began by reselling the famous knives of custom maker Dave Murphy. This is thought to be the first custom/commercial knife maker collaboration. Gerber has continued to work with custom designers throughout its long history. My first quality knife, purchased as a teen, was a brass-framed Gerber Folding Sportsman I, designed by Al Mar and based on the Ron Lake Interframe. I still have it, in fact.


Gerber Folding Sportsman I

Gerber has always done a very good job of staying relevant in ever-changing markets. Recently they have done this though innovation in multitools. They are the second leading seller of multitools after Leatherman. They also continue to market a range of knives, including many tacticals. The most famous is probably their folding version of the Applegate-Fairbairn combat knife, though their knives tend to be more sportsman-tactical in design than combat-tactical. Their products vary in price and quality, but overall they are good, if not exciting, knives. However, most current Gerbers do not stir enthusiasts much, due to their use of inexpensive (or at least anonymous) steels and other materials, as well as quite conventional designs.

Ka-Bar: Like so many venerable companies, Ka-Bar has long since been swallowed up by a large conglomerate, in this case Cutco. If you know anything about Ka-Bar, you certainly know their most famous knife, the Ka-Bar USMC fighting/utility knife, over a million of which were made and distributed to troops during WWII. It was introduced as a hunting knife in 1898 and was literally picked out of a catalog by the US military to replace the inadequate knives that troops originally entered that war with.


Ka-Bar USMC

Ka-Bar still makes the USMC in Olean, NY, but it also manufactures several models of tactical folders in Asia that are highly regarded as excellent values. Their Warthog looks stubby and ill-proportioned, but in fact is highly functional, with good mid-grade steel and excellent G10 scales. For $18 retail, it is an amazing value. Ka-Bar’s Dozier, named after its famous designer, is also a great value and comes in a large range of colors and blade types. It is a classic, basic EDC knife. Many a knife enthusiast, when he needs a knockabout user, will reach for a Warthog or Dozier.

Kershaw: Kershaw Knives was started by former Gerber Legendary Blades salesman Pete Kershaw in 1974. Early knives were all produced in Japan and in 1977 Kershaw was acquired by Japan’s KAI Group. However, most of their knives are now produced in their Tualatin, Oregon, production facility.

Kershaw really did not become a major player until it introduced its first Ken Onion-designed models in 1998. These continue to be its best-loved knives, which is amazing longevity for a tactical knife model. The Onions are assisted opening knives, one of the first, and Kershaw bet big on their Speed-Safe assisted opening design. It was a very savvy move. Assisted opening knives have become hugely popular and their early commitment to this design has put Kershaw in an industry-leading position. They have continued to innovate and produce first-rate knives, from their least to most expensive models.


Award-winning Kershaw 1850 Tyrade with a bi-metal blade, combining the optimal qualities of tough 154CM steel for the spine and hard CPM D2 tool steel for the blade edge.

Next up: Tactical Makers IV

EDC Knives: Tactical Makers II

Cold Steel: Cold Steel is a love-‘em-or-hate-‘em company. Part of that comes from the fact that their founder and president, Lynn Thompson, is an obnoxious and offensive blowhard. Also, most of their products are designed, or at least marketed, as combat/defensive knives, which alarms the alarmists and delights redneck wannabe warriors everywhere (and maybe a few real warriors, too). Adding to this alarm and delight are promotional videos of Thompson slicing the arms off meat-filled biker jackets with his blood-drinkers. (I refuse to link, but you can easily find them online.)

While Cold Steel collaborates with some custom makers, the flamboyant Thompson is himself involved with product designs, and it clearly shows. Many of their knives are big, scary-looking and impractical, and have a certain fantasy knife flair. Admittedly they are high-quality, though you pay for it. Cold Steel makes a few knives that I would certainly love to own (especially the Hatamoto), but they are overpriced. Nevertheless, as the chief popularizer of the ubiquitous tanto blade, Cold Steel has certainly been influential and they produce a number of quality of EDC knives among their tamer offerings.

CRKT: Columbia River Knife and Tool is a relative newcomer, started by two former Kershaw employees in 1994. From the beginning CRKT collaborated with custom designers to produce very innovative knives, in terms both of technology and design. Many companies cultivate a unique niche and style, but CRKT produces a very wide range of products, most quite distinctive. All of their knives are made in Asia and most use mid-grade materials, but their prices suitably reflect that. In this sense they are a value maker. Most of their knives can be had for less than $60 and several for less than $20. But their designs are very fresh and their quality ranges from good to excellent.

Like Kershaw and SOG, CRKT are leaders in assisted-opening knives. But their very popular Kit Carson-designed M16/M21 line is all manual, though these knives are still innovative. They feature CRKT’s AutoLAWKS dual-locking system that prevents accidental disengagement of the blade’s linerlock. CRKT may not have the diehard fan base of the upmarket brands, but I think they are a great bang for the buck.

Emerson: I’ve mentioned previously that custom knife maker Ernest Emerson was an early innovator and trendsetter whose knives became archetypes of the modern tactical. His earliest blades were art knives, but being a martial artist, he observed that while fellow martial artists trained with fixed blades they of course carried folders day to day. To create a combat folder, he stripped down and modified his art designs while continuing to use the highest quality materials. The resulting Viper combat folders went through several iterations. The sixth version, renamed the CQC6, was commissioned by the US Navy SEALs in the mid-80s and was adopted both by them and many other Special Forces units worldwide. Thus his knives became both standards and status symbols among the military.


Emerson CQC-11

Demand soon far outstripped one knife maker's capacity, and Emerson collaborated with Benchmade and other commercial makers to create production versions of his knives. In 1996 he and his wife started their own production knifeworks, Emerson Knives, Inc. While Emerson does carry a couple of value, foreign-made models, most of their knives are made at their Torrance, CA, factory and are priced in the $200-$250 range. Many models serve very well as EDC knives, but as true tacticals, they are on the large size. Emersons do not use the latest wondersteels or employ the latest superlocks. They are simple workhorses, but to own one is to own an icon.

Next up: Tactical Knife Makers III

EDC Knives: Tactical Makers I

Over the next several posts I will introduce the top commercial knife makers. This is of course not a complete list of all makers, but these are the primary brands to consider when shopping for a quality EDC knife (with one exception, as you'll see). I will not discuss OEM knives produced for Remington, Colt, etc., often found in big-box stores. Most are made in anonymous Asian factories of average or poor materials (in other words, CCCs). Not much else to say about them. I will also not discuss makers of boutique combat tacticals and automatics, like Microtech, MOD/Blackhawk, and Piranha.

Benchmade: Benchmade is the model of a high-end commercial knife maker. Most of their knives are made in the USA, of premium materials, at their Oregon headquarters. Many knife makers are located in Oregon because of their relaxed laws on the sale of balisong and automatic knifes, of which Benchmade is a notable producer. In fact, the Benchmade butterfly logo comes from their early niche as a balisong (i.e., butterfly) knife maker.

Benchmade also frequently collaborates with custom knife makers for their designs, as do other top-tier commercial makers. They were maybe the first to do so, in a famous collaboration with Ernest Emerson to produce a commercial version of his CQC. Many of their current designs still reflect that basic style, but most of their upscale Blue and Black Class knives now use their trademark AXIS lock. Recently they have expanded more aggressively into foreign-made value knifes. But Benchmades of all grades are neither inexpensive nor cheaply-made.


Benchmade 670 Apparition, their first assisted opening design and my favorite knife.

Benchmade product tiers are classed by color: Gold Class knives are custom-grade production knives; Blue Class are premium USA-made knives; Red Class are foreign-made value knives; Black Class are designed, or at least marketed, for military/LE/EMS use (e.g., autos, combat and rescue knives, etc.). They also produce knives under the Heckler & Koch (H&K) and Harley-Davidson brands. All their knives are backed by a great warranty and their LifeSharp service, under which they will service and sharpen your knife at any time for a nominal $5.00 shipping charge.

Böker: Most tactical makers are US companies, but Böker is a venerable German firm located in the knife-making mecca of Solingen, in the Ruhr Valley. They still manufacture some of their famous Tree Brand slipjoint folders, as well as scissors, kitchen knives, etc., but also produce a large range of fixed-blade and folding tactical knives under the Böker, Böker Plus, and value (meaning, Chinese) Magnum lines. Their Applegate-Fairburn combat dagger and tiny Subcom card-style folders are well known, but they are also notable for their huge range of inexpensive Magnum tacticals. In particular, their Kalashnikov and “Mini-Magnum” button-lock folders are often converted to autos and are the cheapest autos available of decent quality ($25-$35). However, I purchased the Mini-Magnum recently, was not satisfied (it sliced me when closed!), and returned it. But I would buy another Magnum and own several Böker Plus slipjoint folders, which I love. They are certainly a step up from typical CCCs.

Buck: As I’ve discussed, Buck is famous for their folding and fixed-blade hunters. But they have worked to stay apace with the huge demand for tactical knives, and now produce product ranges in (to use their own designations) everyday, outdoor and tactical knives. Many of their knives are made at their Post Falls, ID, headquarters, and the rest (about 30%) are made in their own Chinese factory. You can easily tell which from which just by cost, but all Buck Knives are of respectable to outstanding quality. For example, their inexpensive Bantam folders (three sizes) start at about $15 street and a light 1.5 oz, and are well-regarded as good values. While they have collaborated with custom makers like Mick Strider on some designs (now, alas, discontinued), and their quality is very good, I can’t say their tactical knife designs especially move me. Really, folding and fixed-blade hunting knives are their core products and greatest strength.

Next up: Tactical Knife Makers II

EDC Knives: Materials & Conctruction

As I mentioned in my first tactical folder post, tactical knives are usually made from high-performance steels and, for their scales (handles), "space-age" synthetic polymers. For the enthusiast, these materials may matter as much as any other aspect of design or construction. So here are some basics.

Blade Steel

Nothing about mid-to-high grade tacticals is more confusing than steel. It use to be that your choice of blade steel was carbon or stainless, the latter often stamped simply "440." Now there are a score of different wonder-steels that enthusiasts argue and obsess over, with industrial names like AUS6A, S60V, 154CM and (my favorite) 8Cr13MoV. If you just must know all about this, you can start with this knife steel FAQ (warning: a bit outdated and powerfully somnolent).

I'll make it simple. Buy a knife from a good maker and don't worry about the steel. The only crucial fact is whether it is stainless steel or not, and virtually all folding knife blades now are. This is not to say there are no real differences between all these steels. There certainly are and those differences will cost you. But to the average user no practical difference will be noticed.

And in fact, steel quality is determined as much by the tempering process as by steel type. Good makers have good tempering and much generic junk does not. I do not worry about buying mid-grade 8Cr13MoV or AUS8 knives from Spyderco or Kershaw. They know to make knife blades.

Handles/Scales

Some tactical knife handles have steel liners, to which the blade is pinned, with handle scales overlaid. Other handles are one-piece, with the blade pinned directly to them. The latter may or may not also have inlays, for enhanced grip or aesthetics. (See Knife Anatomy.)

One-piece handles are often stainless steel, as most all liners are. But handles may also be made of polymer or titanium, a very strong and light metal. Titanium handled knives are generally quite expensive.

Scales over liners are usually polymer of one of three types. The most common is fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN), also known by the brand name Zytel. These feel like plastic but are very strong. A step up is a material called G-10, a kind of fiberglass that is very dense and grippy. G-10 has to be milled to shape, so highly-sculpted G-10 scales will only be found on more expensive production knives. Finally, more limited use is made of micarta, a phenolic resin laminate that has a very distinctive layered appearance. It can be easily shaped by hand and is therefore popular with custom and kit knife makers.



A CRKT Gallagher Rave (top) with boldly-layered micarta handles and a distinctive CRKT Tiny Tighe Breaker (bottom) featuring fluted "nylon scales with an extremely durable textured metallic coating."

Traditional wood, bone, and other natural materials are also found on some tactical knives, but they are not common. Aluminum and lower-grade plastics are also found, primarily on cheap knives, though aircraft-grade aluminum is used on some more expensive blades.

Washers, Pins and Screws

Most good tactical knives have washers, sitting in between the blade and the handle. They may be nylon, Nylotron, Teflon or phosphorous-bronze, roughly in order of quality. Why is this important? The lower friction the material, the more smoothly and easily your blade will open.

Tactical knives are held together by pins or screws, or some mixture. I prefer screws to pins. A screwed blade pivot allows you to adjust to blade tension, to fine-tune blade opening. All-screw handles can also be taken apart to clean out your knife, which is useful when it gets dirty and critical if exposed to salt water, which corrodes even most stainless steel. On the other hand, screws can come loose. As always, there are pros and cons, and preference must decide it.

Next up: Tactical Knife Makers I

EDC Knives: Slipjoint Folders II

Outside of America, the old swordmaking town of Solingen, Germany, is the historical center of premium knife making for the rest of the world. German brands and companies such as Böker, Hen & Rooster (Bertram), J. A. Henckels, Kissing Crane and Puma long produced the highest quality folding knives. Those brands are still around, in one form or another, and many of the old firms still make some fine (and fairly expensive) slipjoint knives.

But most of them do not make most their knives in Germany, if any. Many of their designs are German, and sometimes the steel, but manufacturing has moved to cheaper labor centers in the EU, like the Balkan states, or to Asia. Germany has loose country of origin laws, so provenance can be impossible to determine—a “Germany” tang-stamp means nothing. Collectors know this and look for older, “real” German knives. The makers still producing lines in Germany talk that point up.


Böker "Tree Brand" canoe-pattern knife, a high-quality German folder. The blade tang is stamped Solingen, Germany, and all Böker Solingen knives are indeed still made there. A very fine knife.

As I’ve said, country of origin means not so much to me. When companies like Frost started importing Japanese knives in the 70s, enthusiasts proclaimed them junk next to American blades. Now Japanese knives are praised as premium and Chinese knives are declared junk. Not necessarily true. It is a fact that China and Taiwan are now the centers of knife production, but this really is a great time for traditional pocketknife lovers.

When I started collecting 8 or 9 years ago, your basic choice (it seemed) was to either pay a premium for a jigged bone-handled Case or German blade, or buy a cheap and ugly pakawood- or burnt bone-handled “user,” often made in Pakistan. Even a plastic- or nylon-handled Uncle Henry or Old Timer was priced not much lower than a Case (though still made in America, until 2004).

But now, inexpensive folders of good quality and traditional materials are pouring out of Asia. I discovered this first in the new brand Rough Rider, but even established brands are now appearing in this value segment.

I have in front of me two “Texas toothpick” slipjoints, one made in China by Kissing Crane ($12) and the other in the USA by Case ($40). The Case has bone handles and the Kissing Crane has genuine ram’s horn. The Case uses better materials and came beautifully polished, but my Chinese knife, while just one-quarter the cost, is perhaps three-quarters the quality.

More importantly, due to its cost, the Case stays in my knife roll while the Kissing Crane goes in my pocket. Whatever its current provenance, I still admire its German heritage and its craftsmanship, and apparently some others feel the same. And it cost me less than a nice lunch. In the past few months I’ve purchased several Chinese folders, all for $7-10 each. Quality is a little uneven, but even at such startlingly low prices, I’ve been very pleased with all but one.

The good old days are not gone. Entirely the opposite. Traditional pocket knife lovers have never had it so good.


Another canoe-pattern knife, of the Kissing Crane brand, an old German marque but certainly not made in Germany. HallMark Cutlery (Knoxville, TN) founder Jacob Hall once interned in Solingen and has now acquired the marque, but manufactures at least his entry-level knives in China.

Next up: Tactical Knife Materials & Conctruction

EDC Knives: Slipjoint Folders I

Growing up, my father always had a pocketknife handy. For much of the 20th century, most men in America probably did. And most all of those millions of knives were humble slipjoint folders. Being such a fundamental tool and male accessory, these knives came in many different grades and styles from a large number of makers, such as Camco/Camillus, Imperial Schrade, Kutmaster and Utica. I own classic folders made by all those companies, purchased used. Most are in fact very well used and, alas, all of their makers gone, in fact if not in name.

The golden age of pocketknives was between the world wars. While most American knives were made in Ohio and New England, pocketknife collecting first started in Kentucky and Tennessee in the 1950s, states which still have a real love for these folders. As American knife manufacturing steadily declined into the 70s, collecting still continued to grow but shifted in focus to custom knives. However, vintage folders have steadily increased in demand and value, especially good examples, even knives that in real terms are nothing special.

But both declining demand for fine slipjoints and rising competition from Asian manufacturers have almost reduced the American slipjoint folder industry to a single large maker: W. R. Case. Case knives are now made for collectors more than consumers, deviating little from classic designs but with a constant stream of limited issues that vary in details (handle materials/colors, shields, blade etching, packaging, etc.). The Case Collector’s Club has almost 18,000 members. They are certainly fine knives and, in America, almost the last of their breed.


The new Tony Bose-designed limited edition Sway Back Jack from Case. While Case has had several collaborations with Bose, collaborations with a custom maker are rare for them, and only done with limited edition knifes. Equally rare is this (mild) departure from their traditional slipjoint patterns.

Most other “American” slipjoints are made in Asia by OEMs. Queen Cutlery is a notable exception, as is the newer firm Great Eastern Cutlery, both making all of their fine (and expensive) knives in Titusville, NY. There is also Canal Street Cutlery in Ellensville, NY. Likewise, Remington is again starting to sell American-made knives, and are even starting a collector's club for their blades (who their OEM maker is, I do not know). But most modern slipjoints from Remington, Winchester, and other old brands share no DNA whatsoever with the handmade knives bearing those names from the 1940s. A few models are made by US craftsmen, but all the rest by Chinese robots.

Next up: Slipjoints II - From Germany to Asia

EDC Knives: Cheap Chinese Clones

The subject of Chinese knives is not simple. You used to be able to dismiss knives from places like China, India and Pakistan out hand. Perhaps you still can the last two. It is, however, a fact that China and Taiwan have become the primary centers for knife manufacture, including excellent value blades from top brands.

I have in front of me, for example, a Spyderco Tenacious with a big “China” stamp on the tang. The full-flatground blade is made from 8Cr13MoV, which is a good Chinese steel, with excellent G10 scales, phosphor-bronze washers, skeletonized liners, lined lanyard hole, perfect lockup, and superb fit and finish. Everything you expect from a Spyderco, and for $35 (street). In times past, Spyderco only made their value Byrd line in China. But times are changing.


The Spyderco Tenacious: Chinese and affordable, but no cheap clone.

Likewise, I personally have found the new wave of Chinese slipjoint folders, with genuine bone handles, to be very impressive. I have one in my pocket right now. When I pop the blade, it “talks” (snaps) as well as a classic Case, but at one-quarter the cost.

Of course, loads of junk knives are also made in China, sometimes collectively called “cheap Chinese clones” (CCCs). Some CCCs are literal clones of expensive branded knives, from the $140 Benchmade Stryker (clone here) to the $30 Böker Subcom (clone here). Many more just borrow design elements from popular branded knives without copying them whole-cloth. These are not always generic products. Most bottom-feeding brands also do this shamelessly.

Bad CCCs often look the look, but just don’t work right. I have a CCC in my desk at work that looks like a tactical knife, but is in fact a tail-lock slipjoint. That means you cannot open and close it one-handed, a basic feature of tacticals. Another CCC I own is a proper one-handed opener, or intended to be, but the proportions are just wrong. It would take a four-jointed thumb to open one-handed, and the clip screws constantly come loose, too.

But I bought a $10 CCC in Mexico that opens brilliantly. In fact, it's even spring assisted . Give the index flipper a nudge and the blade pops right out. It even looks good. But the build quality is terrible. The blade is very poor steel, the liner lock too thin, the blade lockup scary bad, and the pot-metal handle weighs a ton.


Same knife as my Mexican CCC, maybe a clone of my clone, found on eBay. This one is stamped "Duck USA," but most certainly made in China.

Many CCCs are of course made in the same factories as fine branded knives. They may use cheaper materials, but the build quality can still be very good. Both of the clones I link to above have received some surprisingly good reviews, and they are startlingly inexpensive.

In the end, I think country of origin indicates little about knife quality, by itself. It is true that most premium knives are made in the US or Europe, but I think that is partly because premium buyers demand it. I’m very comfortable buying a Chinese-made knife from a reputable brand. However, bottom-feeders and generics are hit and miss, and I’ve returned more than one. Caveat emptor.

Next up: American Slipjoint Folders

EDC Knives: Blades

This post will not discuss blade steels, but rather blade patterns, geometry and edges. A blade pattern is the general design of the blade, which is oriented to its intended usage and function. But for every pattern there are distinct variations of geometry and edge that further affect its functionality in performing various tasks.

I’ll just refer you to this wiki article for an overview of the various blade patterns, to which yet others could be added (consult Stewart’s Guide for a fuller survey). Multi-blade slipjoint folders will usually have blades of multiple patterns, suitable to the knife's intended usage. For example, the 3-blade “whittler” I have in pocket today has two clip blades, one long and one short, and a pen blade (a small drop point). This makes these slipjoints very versatile.

Tactical knives have just a single blade that has to do everything, so blade pattern is a very important consideration. The most popular blade patterns are probably drop point and tanto, in countless variations. The drop point is a superb general utility shape. It is made for slicing rather than thrusting, but it can also be ground into an effective point for good penetration.

The modern American tanto blade is a dedicated thrusting design. Cold Steel demonstrates their tantos punching through car hoods and 55-gallon drums. I don’t need to do a lot of that myself, so tantos do not appeal to me so much. Especially since they are lousy for general cutting. I personally think their popularity is driven by their “wicked” appearance, which also contributes to the general weaponization of knives in public perception, a thoroughly bad thing. Not to say I'll never own one, but they make little sense for EDC.

For good slicing ability, you want to look for a knife with a broad cutting surface and good edge “belly,” the curve just behind the tip of the blade. For this reason, tanto, wharncliff (straight-edged) and hooked blades are of poor general utility. Drop, clip and spear points with simple or recurved bellies are simply better cutters in general use.

Also beware of knives with deep hollow grinds and narrow cutting planes ending at the middle of the blade. Hollow grinds give a very thin and sharp edge, but that thin edge may chip easily, especially with cheap steels. I prefer a full flat grind, a straight taper from spine to edge, which is more expensive to machine but yields a very sharp, strong edge with a broad cutting plane. Think chef’s knife.


(top) Spyderco Atlantic Salt rescue knife, a hollow ground wharncliff with full SpyderEdge serrations; (bottom) Spyderco Tenacious, a flat-ground drop point with plain edge; (right) CRKT M16-14SFG, a combo-edged tanto blade with excellent Veff serrations

Edges come in three basic types: plain, serrated and combo (half-serrated). For general use and ease of sharpening, I find a plain edge is best. However, for quickly severing ropes, or seat belts, or anything that may be sawed (serrations are just little sawteeth), good serrations are incredibly effective. A combo edge aims for the best of both words, with just the back half (more or less) of the blade being serrated. On longer blades, at least, this is often fine for general use, though it is still a compromise. But there is no best blade or edge. It all comes down to intended use and preference.

Next up: Cheap Chinese clones

EDC Knives: Tactical Folder Design II

Continuing on from my last post, here I will be briefly looking at tactical folder lock and carry designs.

Lock Design

I’m not going to even attempt to describe or illustrate all the various locking systems, but the Benchmade website covers them all. Lock design is concerned with both safety and ergonomics. Safety is obvious, but ergonomics because the lock should allow the operator to manipulate it with the using hand (i.e., one handed).

Some locks are located on the side or back or the knife handle. These are desirable from the perspective that the operator does not have to put thumb or fingers in front of the blade when closing the knife (if you know what you’re doing!). If fingers before blade is a real concern, make life easy and buy a knife with an axis lock, like the SOG Flash I mentioned last post or one of the many Benchmade AXIS-equipped models.

Note that while Benchmade says lock back knives take two hands to close, if the lock in the center of the handle spine (as is regular for tacticals), they can in fact be closed with one hand. Spyderco describes the most common technique here (YouTube demonstration), but you can also just pinch the handle between thumb and middle finger, and then release the lock with your index finger. This is necessary with blades that lack a kick (unsharpened base) and otherwise keeps your fingers away from the blade.

However, the most popular lock design is the liner lock, which does require the operator to put thumb in front of blade to push in the liner and close the knife (see right). It sounds scary, and takes a little practice, but countless users do this daily and closing accidents are not a serious concern. But if that makes you nervous, again, go with a different design.

What about lock strength? First, realize that blade lock strength is really only a concern in thrust cutting (stabbing). Otherwise, all mechanisms that keep the blade from closing work about equally well. Even for thrust cutting, any properly-designed lock will hold under typical stresses. However, many cheap knives user liner locks that are either quite thin or badly aligned with the blade axis. I'd trust a cheap back lock over a cheap liner lock. But I'd trust any style of lock on a modern, well-made knife.

One last consideration is potential for accidental lock disengagement. This is virtually a non-issue for axis lock knives, another of that design's strengths. However, if you grip a back lock knife badly, you could depress the lock release. For this reason Spyderco cuts a scallop in the lock release on many models which makes that less likely (the "David Boye dent"). Similarly, it is possible to accidentally release a liner lock with a tight and bad grip. CRKT’s AutoLAWKS dual-locking system prevents this. It takes a little more technique to close a LAWKS knife one-handed, but it is one of the strongest lock designs currently available.


(L-R) A Benchmade axis lock knife, a CRKT M-series knive with AutoLAWKS, and a Spyderco back lock with David Boye dent.

Carry Design

Spyderco is commonly credited with creating (or at least popularizing) the pocket clip, now found on almost all tactical knives. The clip is used to attach the knife to the inside of the front pant's pocket. Some knives allow the clip to be repositioned on the knife, on either side for left or right side carry, or even on either end for blade tip up or tip down carry.

Tip up/down carry makes a difference in opening the knife. For me, tip up opens easiest, since with the way I draw, tip down I have to reorient the knife in my hand to open it. However, some manufactures believe tip down carry is safer, and mount their clips that way (e.g., CRKT, on most models). Most users of course prefer a knife tapped for mounting the clip either tip up or down, left or right, like many Spydercos.

However, another consideration is where the clip is located relative to the ends of the handle scales. If mounted at the very end, again like my SOG Flash I, this allows "deep carry," with only the clip visible on the outside of the pocket and no handle exposed. If the clip is lower down on the handle, of course more handle will stick out of your pocket. This make your draw easier, but also may be more prone to snag and also advertises that you are carrying a knife. All this is purely preference, and most users will quickly find out theirs. I prefer deep carry, tip up.

Next up: Blades

EDC Knives: Tactical Folder Design I

Much could of course be said about tactical knife design, but this post concerns only design as it relates to function. I will survey here just few basics that every buyer should be aware of with respect to opening, locking and carry designs. Materials I will cover another time. Tactical designs can differ greatly in operation, and every user will have different preferences. Forewarned is forearmed.

Opening Design

All true tactical knives are designed to open and close one handed, and are either auto or manual. Autos are popularly called switchblades. They open (and sometimes even close) automatically when one pushes a button or switch on the handle. If a knife requires any manual manipulation of the blade to open it, then it is a manual knife.

However, some manual knives are “assisted.” This means that when the user rotates the blade open as little as 20 degrees (it varies), a spring takes over and opens the blade fully. Really, the only difference between an auto and an assisted opener is whether you push a button the handle to open it (auto) or nudge a flipper or thumb stud on the blade (assisted). Here is a (slightly cheesy) YouTube demonstration of assisteds vs. autos by Duane the YouTube Knife Guy.

Contrary to popular belief, autos (switchblades) are legal to buy, own and carry in most states, with certain restrictions (by state). Federal law only regulates interstate sales, and that is in theory more than practice. But with a good design and a little practice, the user can open a manual, assisted or auto knife equally fast. An auto knife may in fact be slower to open than a manual, since it is usually carried locked (so it does not open in your pocket). So, unlock and then push button (auto) or just flick thumb/index finger (manual). Autos anymore are cool but pointless.

I discussed the basic kinds of openers in my last post: thumb stud, thumb disc, thumb hole, or index flipper. Of these, I find that thumb holes are slowest but offer the most opening control, while index flippers, though very fast and fail-safe, offer the least control. Thumb studs/discs take a little technique to use, and knife design is important for effective function, but they give the user the option of a very fast or a very controlled open.

I prefer a thumb stud on an assisted knife to any other opening design. You can pop the blade open instantly, normally, or open it in a relatively controlled way if necessary. But entirely manual knives are safer and, with good design and practice, can be opened as fast as an assisted. They also may also be easier to close one-handed, since you do not have to compress a spring. The ideal for me is my SOG Flash I. Light and safe to carry, deep pocket clip, grippy handle, fast to open and easy to close (the thumb lock release also compresses the spring). If I could only keep one of my EDC knifes, this little guy would be it.


SOG Flash I

Next up: Tactical folder design (part 2)

EDC Knives: Knife Anatomy

With a title like “knife anatomy,” I virtually guarantee that no one will read this post. But I feel obliged to define the terms I will be using in future knife reviews (which I also expect no one to read). This introduction will not be anything like complete. For more info, see here and here.

Most tactical folders consist of a blade pinned to a handle composed of two steel inner liners to which outer coverings (scales) are affixed. The liners may be drilled out to lighten them (skeletonized), and some knives have no liners—the blade is just pinned directly to polymer or stainless steel scales.

Setting aside opening and locking designs, construction materials, and blade shape and grind (all later posts), the most important knife feature is handle design. The handle needs to effectively function as sheath and blade lock while providing an ergonomic and secure grip, and if possible some level of aestheticism (good looks sell a lot of knives). Secure grip is very important, since most folding knives do not have quillons (a handguard) to keep your hand from sliding up onto the blade when thrust-cutting.



Handle and blade features are often described in unfamiliar vocabulary. Here are some of the most important and arcane terms (per above photo, clockwise from top):

swedge: The spine of a knife blade, opposite the cutting edge, is sometimes ground into a swedge (false edge) to save weight, improve penetration, or simply for appearance.

opening hole: This is to provide a gripping surface for the thumb of the gripping hand to open the blade (i.e., one handed). This hole is found on Spydercos and some Benchmades. Otherwise, most knives use for opening a thumb stud on the side of the blade (see inset above) or a disc on top (as on the Emerson in my previous knife post). Some knives also use a flipper on the back of the handle, actuated with the index finger, which when the blade is open may form a finger guard (see right).

thumb ramp: While not all knives have it, a thumb ramp allows the user to better choke up on and control the blade for precise cutting tasks. Placing the thumb on top may also provide a more secure grip than a thumb-down choke. Thumb ramps usually have jimping.

lanyard hole: A through-handle tube for the attachment of a lanyard (wrist cord).

finger groove: A scallop in the handle to improve grip.

choil: A finger groove cut into the blade in front of the handle. Often any forefinger groove is called a choil.

jimping: Also called friction grooves by some makers, to use a layman’s term. These are grooves cut in the lower spine of the blade, choil and/or handles to improve the user’s grip on the knife.

So, armed with this knife savvy, you can now impress your friends and spouse with learned observations like, “that Spyderco has a substantial thumb ramp with aggressive jimping, and quite a deep choil.” Don’t you feel smarter?

Next up: Tactical folder design (part 1)

EDC Knives: Tactical Folders

I own a Buck 110, and had a balisong as a teen (my martial arts phase), but really have no interest in folding hunters or butterfly knives. Most other knife users and collectors also do not. On the other hand, slipjoint folders are classic collector’s items, and still very useful for opening boxes, paring fingernails, and similar light-duty tasks. Everyone should have, at the very least, a little Swiss Army knife in purse or pocket, and I personally love, own and carry a number of different slipjoints. But the king of modern folding knives is the tactical folder.

The tactical folder is an evolution of earlier folding hunter and locking utility knife designs. But the tactical folder is hard to describe, such is its variety, though certain features are typical. It is a single-blade locking folder made from high-performance steels and (usually) polymers, designed for high-functionality and, very often, avant-garde appearance. Most all have pocket clips and can be easily opened and closed one-handed. They are also purpose-built for hard utility and/or self-defense use ("tactical" means "combat").

If these greatly varied knives collectively resemble any single archetype, it is probably the Viper/CQC combat folders made by Ernest Emerson. Emersons may or may not have been the very first true tactical knives, but they were early, purpose-built, and certainly fit the description. Tactical knives' popularity has exploded since the 90s, driven first (goes one theory) by military use during Desert Storm, when commanders forbade the carry of “scary looking” fixed-bladed combat daggers by soldiers.


Emerson CQC-11, a classical tactical knife

Many tactical folders today do not look like defensive weapons, nor would be effective in that role. Most emergency rescue folding knives, for example, are of tactical design. Spyderco knives are one of, if not the, original tacticals. The pocket clip, serrations, and other common tactical knife features started with Spydercos. But the classic Spyderco is a pure utility knife, based on Sal Glesser's original C01 Worker model.

It’s arguable that "tactical" (meaning, "combat") is simply the wrong term here. "EDC knife" or "clip folder" (Gerber's preference) or even just "modern folder" might be better designators for smaller, modern single-blade folders not designed for serious defensive use, but rather for daily utility, with the term "tactical folder" reserved for dedicated combat knives.

But the fact is that "tactical folder" is commonly applied to this whole broad category of knives. And a number of popular EDC knives, often called “minis,” are just downsized versions of proper tactical knives. The only difference is size, and the size at which a knife can be said to become truly tactical rather than just utilitary/EDC is debatable.


Three popular EDC knives (left to right): Benchmade Mini-Griptillian, Spyderco Delica, Kershaw Leek

My own interest is of course in EDC knives, but since the formal difference between EDC and proper tacticals is often not that great, much in my following posts describes every kind of tactical knife equally well.

Next up: Knife anatomy.

EDC Knives: Slipjoints, Folding Hunters, Balisongs

A folding knife is simply any knife whose blade folds or retracts into its handle. They come in a huge variety of styles, especially art knives, but most folding knives are one of four basic types: slipjoint, folding hunter, balisong and tactical.

A slipjoint is the classic pocketknife. These knives rely on the tension of a backspring to hold the blade both open and closed, and do not have a blade lock. They may have just one blade or several of different styles, traditionally for different game dressing or woodworking (whittling) tasks. Perhaps the best-known slipjoint knives are classic Case pocketknives and the ubiquitous Swiss Army knife.

In 1964, Buck Knives introduced the Buck Folding Hunter Model 110 (below), the archetype of the folding (or lock-back) hunter. This type of knife is very similar to the slipjoint in its basic design, but always has just a single blade, usually a clip or drop point, which locks when opened. The blade is unlocked by depressing the hinged backspring at a scallop in the rear bolster. The Buck 110 is five inches long closed and quite heavy (7.2 oz.), and is therefore carried in a belt sheath rather than in a pocket. But many later models, copies and variants are smaller, lighter, and more pocket-portable.



The third type of folder is the balisong, popularly called a butterfly knife. The balisong (describes Wikipedia) is “a Filipino folding pocket knife with two handles counter-rotating around the tang such that, when closed, the blade is concealed within grooves in the handles” (see below). World War II servicemen in the Pacific brought them home, but they really did not become widely popular until their import was banned in the 1980s. Such is the power of notoriety. They are still subject to regulation in some states (mostly because they look scary), but in most places they are perfectly legal. The balisong is in fact more a traditional martial arts weapon than a practical knife.



Next up: Tactical folders.

EDC Knives: Introduction

I’ve been devoting some leisure and spare brain cycles lately to EDC and personal preparedness. Most constructively, I’m digging into first aid, knot craft, and other practical skills relevant to urban and wilderness survival. But at heart I’m a gear guy, and I would rather read and blog about guy gear than on how to perform CPR.

Last week was flashlights, but the next several weeks it will be knives. I’m going to first offer a fairly thorough introduction to modern knives, split over a number of posts. Reviews of my own knives will follow on an ongoing basis. Note that I omit multitools entirely from this survey. They are simply a different class of tool that I’ll discuss separately sometime in the future.

There are two basic kinds of knives, fixed blade and folding. Since I am interested primarily in everyday carry knives, I will say little about fixed blades, most of which are too large, heavy and conspicuous for EDC. But here are a few considerations.

Some people do carry small, light fixed blades for EDC, called “neck knives” because their sheaths are designed to be worn on a chain or lanyard around your neck. But I think they are impractical for EDC, unless you don't mind digging into your shirt to get out your knife. And really, they offer no substantial advantages over a good locking blade folder. Since they are suspended upside down from your neck, there are also scary reports about knives falling out of their sheaths and onto the ground, usually at the worst times and in public places. Since many are wicked-looking blood-drinkers, this may cause a little public panic.


CRKT Triumph neck knife

For non-EDC uses, from camping to chopping celery in your kitchen, fixed blades are great. Their advantages are safety, strength and lack of design constraints.

First, there is no locking mechanism holding the blade open, and thus no lock to accidentally unlock or potentially fail, thus folding the knife onto your fingers. Also, many fixed blades are made of much thicker steel than folding blades. The blade material may even extend the full height and length of the handle, which is called a full-tang design (as the neck knife above). These are almost crowbar strong. If you are going to hammer on your knife with a rock like Bear Grylls, or otherwise abuse it, such strength is desirable.

Finally, fixed blade knives can be made in any shape or dimension, to suit most any conceivable task. Since most folders are designed to be carried in your pocket (and some state laws restrict length of concealed blades), folding knives usually have blades under four inches long. That’s plenty long for most EDC uses, but for camping or wilderness survival, or in a defensive situation, a longer fixed blade may have more utility.

Next up: Folding knives.