I’ve carried a pocket knife for as long as I can remember. My Granddad did, and I thought it was cool and tough. Then I found it became habit to always have that useful tool in my pocket. The thing about a good pocketknife is not all the reasons that a knife makes sense, but for all the reasons you can’t think of. I’ve replaced door hinges with a pocketknife. I’ve cut drywall with a pocketknife. I’ve used a pocketknife to mark a golf ball. True utility.
Through the years I’ve carried a bunch of different pocket knives, and have quite a collection at home. I find myself swapping them out for various reasons…one of which is because it gets confiscated by TSA. My rules are that it has to be light, it has to hold and edge, and it has to be less than 3″ closed. Otherwise it becomes more of a nuisance. And these aren’t clip knives; these are true folding knives. While I don’t have all of these, I have some version, and like them all for various reasons:
From top left:
1. Laguiole 7cm Pocket Knife: This is getting the most use these days. It’s dressy, and keeps a really good edge.
2. The James Brand ‘Elko’ Knife: I don’t have one of these, but have been admiring it for quite some time. Very Scandinavian/Star Trek. One will be mine…
3. Case Peanut Pocket Knife: Why have one blade, when you can have two in pocketknife form?
4. Buck Toothpick: This is the knife that my Granddad carried for years. We’d get him a new one for Christmas about every five years because he’d sharpen the blade to a literal toothpick.
5. Opinel No. 6 Pocket Knife: The budget-friendly pocket knife.
6. Benchmade Mini Griptilian: Benchmade is incredible. While they don’t offer a wood/stag handle, I’ll give yellow plastic a pass.
7. Orvis X Victorinox Swiss Army Knife: I know, we all have a million of these, but Orvis’ is old school camo. Can’t beat it.
8. Colonel Littleton Firefox #3 Knife: The ultimate groomsman’s gift…a personalized pocket knife. As cool as it gets…
Which knife to you carry every day?
P L E A S E S U P P O R T O U R P A R T N E R S :
Great post as always. I’ve had an Opinel No. 8 for several years now and enjoy it very much.
Carried a mini Victorinox on a key ring all through college without losing the toothpick or tweezers!
Kershaw Ken Onion Chive is a great knife.
I’ve carried a Buck 55 for 10 years now. Definitely a solid buy.
I carried a Bear and Son knife for years but switched over to a Buck with a plastic handle about five years ago. It’s short, holds a blade, and the plastic handle lays flat against my leg. I tried an Opinel #6 for a while but didn’t like its overall length. Too big in the pocket.
In town: a Victorinox Alox Swiss Army, military surplus circa ‘97; out of town: a benchmade 550HG griptilian. Always been a benchmade guy.
Benchmade has a service that I think is called lifesharp. You pay the shipping to them and they will sharpen and service the knife for as long as you own it for free. I sent them my mini griptilian that was a few years old and fairly dull before hunting season. It came back sharp enough was able to get through processing a whole deer with that, a reciprocating saw, and a pair of garden sheers.
Case Baby Butterbean. Small enough to not be a nuisance, yet enough knife to handle all those unknown reasons you mentioned.
Surprised not to see any Higo no kami style knives. I carry one made by a local shop called Horn and Heel and its great. A knife for knife stuff as they describe it.
Case Copperhead, Boker Stockman, or Boker Camp Knife. Grandfather was a big collector of knives. The copperhead was one he carried for years and is razor sharp. BTW if you want to keep your knives sharp the Ken Onion – Work Sharp mini belt sander is the best thing since sliced bread once you learn how to use it.
BTW I think one of the best knives out there is a Parker Edwards trapper with Damascus blades. Great knife that you can get pretty inexpensive. It was made in the heart of Red Clay country in Jacksonville Alabama. Solid well made knives but some of the scales can be beefy.
I’ve had a Kershaw Leek for several years. Very handy for a single blade. Mine is a discontinued hunter green, but you get the idea with this one: https://kershaw.kaiusaltd.com/knives/knife/black-leek
I’ve got an Opinel No. 6 in the carbon steel flavor that I’ve really been liking. Simple, light, razor sharp, locking blade, and it doesn’t look like something out of the terminator movies. Checks all the boxes for function without the “tacti-cool bro operator” look. I’m sold.
Spyderco Dragon via sprint run, awesome EDC w/ money clip capabilities to make it even more practical……..
I rotate between a case copperlock and a Victorinox Tinker small. The Tinker is the most functional item I have ever owned. I use the knife, screwdrivers and toothpick almost every day. It’s the best $22 I have spent.
Opinel no. 7 stainless or a Victorinox Tinker that was a Christmas present in 1991. If it was good enough for MacGyver(original) it was good enough for me.