Awesome Knives

Our ability to reclaim and reuse metal means it’s possible to make knives and tools out of all kinds of stuff. Knives Project shows us how they burnt the explosive coating off a bunch of sparklers, then twisted and forged the remaining metal rods to create a uniquely patterned blade.

If you’re going to carry just a single tool in your pocket, you can’t go wrong with a Swiss Army Knife. Made exclusively by Victorinox, these versatile knives come in all shapes and sizes these days, and Everyday Carry has picked their top models in the budget, outdoors, travel, keychain, and overall categories.

This upgraded version of Tacray’s titanium mini knife adds a bottle opener and pry tool to its tail end. Its scalpel-style utility blade is extra sharp and replaceable with the turn of a thumbscrew. Choose from grey or blue finishes.

If you use your knives at all, you need to maintain them to keep them sharp and opening smoothly. Pine and Print makes this wood workstation for maintenance and repairs on knives and other small tools. It’s got a large work area and three parts storage trays lined with black plastic and cutouts for a dozen 1/4″ driver bits.

Like most metals, steel is an easily recyclable material. In this video from Handyman Restoration, he shows us how he took a pile of steel nail clippers, forged them into a block which he hammered flat to form a fixed blade with a unique damascus pattern. It was interesting to see how he made the wooden handle too.

At just 2.64″ long when closed, OKNIFE’s 11-in-1 multitool fits in the palm of your hand. Despite its size, it packs needle-nose and regular pliers, a wire stripper, a knife, scissors, a can opener, a bottle opener, slotted and Phillips screwdrivers, and a SIM card remover tool. Made from 30Cr13 stainless steel with aluminum alloy handles.

The highlight of Gerber’s straight edge flipper blade is its marbled acrylic handle scales inspired by classic barbershop razors. It has a 2.7″ satin finished sheepsfoot blade with a liner lock for safe and secure storage. It also comes in a tortoiseshell pattern.

This multi-purpose utility tool from ToughBuilt combines a retractable utility knife with a pry bar.  It’s great for cutting boxes, opening cans, pulling nails, and other common tasks. Its blade doubles as a wire cutter and stripper, and it has a deep-carry belt clip.

Bomber & Company’s Razor folding knife opens packages and breaks down cardboard boxes with ease. It folds to under 3″ long when closed so that it won’t bulk up your pocket, and it has built-in hex head wrenches, a pry bar, and a bottle opener. Its stubby, straight-edge blade is made from durable 440C stainless steel with a black stonewashed finish.

While our default for online shopping is Amazon, there are lots of other places you can buy knives and pocket tools. Our friends at Everyday Carry offer up several other places where you can find great blades, whether you like the convenience of online shopping or the hands-on experience of buying in person. They also list some of the best knife brands.

This unique folding knife features a locking, replaceable blade system, so you can switch between drop-point, tanto, and saw edges in seconds. The blades measure 3.25″ to 3.5″ long and are made from black-coated steel. It has a smooth ball-bearing flipper, and its handle is made from durable and lightweight G10.

If you prefer bright colors, this collection of tools and accessories in shades of purple and violet is for you. Everyday Carry’s vibrant loadout ensures you’ll stand out from the crowd when you reach for your pocket knife, pen, flashlight, or check the time on your watch.

Mantis Knives’ long and skinny frame-lock model has a stubby 1-1/2″ drop-point 420 steel blade but opens to a total length of 6″, providing plenty of grip space on its aluminum handle. It also has a built-in bottle opener.

Designed by blade maker Jon Graham for CRKT, the Razel GT features a snub-nosed straight blade with a chiseled tip that’s great for push-cutting and scraping. It has a smooth-opening ball-bearing pivot and supports easy one-handed closing. Its 3″ long blade is made from 8Cr13MoV steel, while its handle is 6061 aluminum.

Random Hands shows how they turned a stack of stainless steel rulers into a unique Damascus pattern, which he sandwiched around high-carbon steel to make a beautiful Japanese-style meat cleaver. He fitted it with a hexagonal wood handle and a hand-stitched leather sheath. We’d love this knife in our kitchen, but sadly, this one isn’t for sale.

Most knives have an uninterrupted cutting edge, but this unique blade has a serrated edge that makes it look like a metal feather. Knives Project shows us how they created the knife by forging a hunk of steel, cutting and grinding its edge, and then etching a pattern into its blade. The shiny brass handle gives it a truly elegant look.

Gerber’s Hike Kit bundle includes the Armbar Cork multitool for opening bottles and quick fixes, the Stowe fixed-blade knife for food prep, and the Devour multi-fork utensil for chowing down. The Around Camp kit replaces the knife with a Tri-Tip mini cleaver and upgrades the utensils to the ComplEat kit.

This tiny knife from Lonfell is the perfect companion to any gear bag or backpack with MOLLE webbing. It’s designed to clip on easily to MOLLE straps and releases quickly with a press on its plastic holster. It can also be hung from a lanyard and comes in black, green, or orange.

A pocket knife is only as good as the sharpness of its blade. While modern knives have given us better edge retention than ever, you still need to maintain your blade. Everyday Carry ranked the top five pocket knife sharpeners you can buy today, including benchtop, portable, and motorized models.

This compact folding knife from Fox Knives is a great tool to keep in your pocket. It’s got a stubby but useful 1.75″ curved steel blade with non-slip jimping on its spine. Its G10 handle scales come in green, orange, or black, complemented by a satin-finish blade in stonewashed natural or black finishes. Measures 4.375″ long when closed.

This slimline folding knife from ActMax has a replaceable #60 scalpel blade that’s great for craft projects and light-duty carving. It has a titanium body, an easy-to-deploy flipper mechanism, and a liner lock. You’ll also find a tungsten steel glass breaker, a removable pocket clip, a keychain/lanyard hole, and slots for adding glow-in-the-dark tritium vials.

Designed by Philip Booth for CRKT, this versatile pocket knife is ideal for bartending and picnicking. It packs a 2.51″ drop-point blade for everyday tasks, a foil knife for wine bottles, a corkscrew, and a bottle opener, all set into a smooth Pakkawood handle.

Just because a knife is inexpensive doesn’t mean it has to be cheaply made. Everyday Carry selected five of the best wallet-friendly blades, with prices from $15 to $50. Models like Opinel’s classic wood-handled knife, Victorinox’s 9-function Swiss army knife, and Morakniv’s modern fixed knife offer a variety of blade types and capabilities on a budget.