During testing we had no issue with it at all, and we liked how easily we could get a shaving-sharp edge. The praise that the knife community has heaped on the Drifter is unanimous.
Among many knife aficionados, the Drifter consistently pops up in conversations about the best inexpensive EDC knife. Jackson and Sculimbrene include the Drifter on their respective best-of lists and have given the knife fantastic individual reviews. For all of the positives of the Drifter, we wish it were better in two areas: the single-position pocket clip and the slight recurve of the blade shape.
Both of these shortcomings are well-documented in other reviews, as well. Some of the other nice knives we found in this price range, such as the Zancudo our runner-up , the Kershaw Chill , and the Ontario RAT II , all have multi-position pocket clips that either cater more easily to left-handed users or at least offer the right-handed tip-up position.
The other ding against the Drifter is the slight recurve of the blade edge as it heads back toward the handle. The teardrop handle shape is a little unusual, but in our tests it was among the most comfortable to hold, especially when we were really bearing down on it. The handle of the Zancudo looks a little odd, but it fit our hands perfectly. We found it comfortable during aggressive cutting and easy to shift around for more delicate tasks. In their respective reviews, both Dan Jackson and Tony Sculimbrene call out the Zancudo for its unusual aesthetics but overall success.
The construction of the handle is also unusual, with each side sporting a completely different look: The clip side is entirely metal, while the other side is scaled with a lightly textured fiberglass-reinforced nylon. We liked this design because the smooth metal side reduced friction while we moved the knife in and out of a pocket, but at the same time, the nylon side offered more than enough grip for a secure hold.
In addition, the body of the Zancudo is very thin thinner than the Drifter. The Zancudo opens with a good, grippy thumb stud, and with a little practice, you can flick open the blade without any issue. The Zancudo has a two-position pocket clip, both right-handed but with a tip-up option and a tip-down option or you can remove it altogether. Like the Drifter, the Zancudo gets high marks from knife reviewers, including both of the experts we interviewed.
It is simply sublime. Simplicity in a Shaker sense--pure, unadulterated functionality. Overall, the Zancudo offers a great feeling of utility, and as our testing wore on, it really won us over.
We believe that the Drifter, due to its smaller size and smoother operation, is the better pick for most people, but in our tests, when we knew we would be working a knife extra hard, like heading into a house project, we preferred having the Zancudo with us. Go thump on it. You'll be surprised how much it can do. We tested the black-handle Zancudo with the stonewashed blade, but the knife is also available with a brown, tan, or green handle and a black blade.
Like the Drifter and the Zancudo, the has a thumb stud, so you can deploy the blade slowly or, with the flick of your thumb, quickly. The blade locks in place with a nice, flexible frame lock that you can easily move out of the way to close the blade.
The is a very, very good knife. Functionally, the all-metal body tended to be slippery in our tests, especially when we tried to get purchase on the thumb stud. If your hands are damp or oily, forget about it.
The also has only one pocket-clip position right-hand, tip-down. The Sanrenmu website is minimalistic, to say the least, presenting nothing more than a few knife images and an email address. We sent numerous emails to the company while researching this article and never got any response. The last drawback is that Sanrenmu is a topic of controversy among knife aficionados, and the is a perfect example of why. If you appreciate the finessing of all the little details and you have a good-size knife budget , we recommend the Benchmade Mini Griptilian In nearly every way, the Mini Griptilian is superior to our other, less expensive picks.
It has a smoother release, which results in the fastest blade deployment you could ever ask for. The grip is contoured and heavily textured, so it will stay in your hand. The blade is made of high-end steel CM , and the lightweight handle offers good balance. As with the Drifter, you deploy the blade of the Mini Griptilian using a thumb stud.
The difference is that with the Mini Griptilian, flicking the blade open is nearly effortless. The Drifter is easy and smooth, for sure, but the Mini Griptilian is like silk. Closing the blade has an equal smoothness. Once the blade is past a certain point, it lightly snaps back into the handle with a very high-quality and satisfying sound. This design consists of a spring-loaded bar that sits across the body of the blade.
Once the blade is fully open, the bar pops forward to lock in place. To unlock it, you pull the ends of the bar away from the blade the ends look like small thumb studs in the body of the knife. The Axis lock has a number of advantages over the standard liner lock of the Drifter or the frame lock of the Zancudo and For one, it makes the knife completely ambidextrous. You can operate liner locks and frame locks with either hand, but those designs are unquestionably easier for right-handed people.
With the locking bar pulled back, the blade sits loosely enough for you to snap it open or closed with a slight flick of the wrist. Again, this is a great touch, but not essential to the operation of the knife. The handle of the Mini Griptilian is another high point. The grip area is also heavily textured along the sides and edges of the handle. We found that once the Mini Griptilian was in our grip, it took a lot for this knife to come out.
The handle is made of fiberglass-reinforced nylon. After having the Mini Griptilian in our pocket for a week or so, we came to like the handle for its overall feel, which was light and durable. The blade is made of CM steel. I like how it is easy to sharpen and how it holds a nice edge for a good amount of time. Speaking of edges — it takes an absolutely wicked one. A good lock is a vital feature on any folding knife; every quality manufacturer makes a good one.
All have advantages and disadvantages. Look for the simplest possible design, free from springs and other small parts that may fail. Frame locks are the most secure locking mechanism. They fold a portion of the frame inward when the blade is open, which prevents it from collapsing. A loophole in the law states that you can use a blade that springs open when you apply pressure. Any knife you can open one-handed is fine. Now that's a handle. It's large enough to fill your hand, smoothly contoured to make it comfortable, and shaped to prevent your hand from sliding forward.
Wes Siler. You want your knife to be comfortable in your hand with a variety of grips while providing good traction, wet or dry. Plenty of materials make good knife handles, from textured plastic to metal to antlers.
Available in a variety of steels and colors, the Spyderco Delica 4 FFG is an excellent knife for any user. Great blade, good handle, acceptable pocket clip. When it breaks, they just buy a new one. I, on the other hand, am an advocate of spending more on a knife of vastly better quality. Something like a model from the Spyderco Delica range.
If you love the feel of a quality tool and geek out on pivot smoothness, exotic materials, and sheer rarity, go ahead and spend more. If that sounds dorky to you, buy the Spyderco. When you buy something using the retail links in our stories, we may earn a small commission.
Outside does not accept money for editorial gear reviews. Over We ship from the Netherlands. Our customers give us a 5-star rating. New products. Related topics. Knife steel information. Leatherman Surge vs Wave Plus. How do you maintain a wooden handle? What is patina on a knife? Fenix vs Nitecore. Benchmade Buying Guide. Buying Guide Spyderco Knives by Size. Buying Guide: Spyderco Knives by situation.
Which EDC-pocket knife should I purchase? Thursday, October 18, Contents What is an EDC knife? What is an EDC-knife? Choosing a knife based on your surroundings You often choose a pocket knife based on your surroundings.
EDC knives and the law In terms of the law you also need to look at which type of knife you are carrying with you. EDC knives with super steel With hundreds of different types of steel there are always types that are better than others. Other models can get remarkably bulky, but this one is still small enough to remain practical for your pocket. A lot of modern pocket knives are, frankly, ugly.
They're overly tactical or practical, sacrificing looks for fully-loaded function. Case Knives, a company that dates back to the s, continues to produce patterns that reflect that heritage. The Mini Trapper is a perfect example; its side-by-side, double-blade construction includes a 2.
It's available with a variety of handles, from bone to colorful synthetics. Each one comes with Case's unique tang stamp, denoting the year it was produced in for an added element of collectibility.
The best pocket knife in the world is no good to you if you don't have it on you, and that's the best case for owning one that can fit on a keychain. That doesn't mean tiny knives are always useful, but the elegant Elko sure is. Its Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel blade is notable for its hardness, wear resistance and edge retention, while the keyring loop is cleverly designed for prying, scraping, twisting screws and opening bottles. These features add up to a knife that feels much larger than something the size of a flash drive.
Blade Length: 1. Leatherman's known for multi-tools that put pliers front and center, but its recently released Free K tools put all emphasis on the blade.
The K2's is a 3. Embedded in its handle are a couple of shorter, highly useful implements that fill in on jobs where a knife's not enough — the list includes a pry tool, package opener, awl, bottle opener and three screwdriver heads.
All of them swivel open smoothly with one hand thanks to magnetic integration. Remember when we mentioned that higher quality, more expensive pocket knives are out there? This is one of those. Quiet Carry built this deceitfully straightforward folding knife with some of the best materials available. That includes a blade made of Vanax SuperClean, a type of steel that's highly resistant to corrosion and wear and is considered among a distinguished category known as " super steel.
A forefinger on the tab and deft flick of the wrist flips the blade out cleanly, while a forefinger and thumb sliding the XR lock brings it back into place with a smooth click. Oh, and the CTS-XHP steel blade boasts excellent corrosion resistance and edge retention, so actually cutting stuff with it is pretty damn delightful too.
The Sebenza 31 is the latest version of a pocket knife that was first released in and is widely considered among blade enthusiasts as the best pocket knife ever made. Chris Reeve Knives is known for its precision manufacturing, and the Sebenza has won the Manufacturing Quality Award at the annual Blade Show 16 times.
It was also the first knife to incorporate a frame lock, a mechanism in which a piece of the handle falls into place behind the butt of a blade to secure it open. History and iconic status aside, the Sebenza 31 is a fantastic albeit expensive pocket knife.
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