Pocket Knife Buying Guide

by Steve Eason

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Copyright © 2012 Ingenious Internet Income

Chapter 1:  Why is it so hard to pick out a Pocket knife?

If you haven’t already figured this out, I’ll save you some trouble and let you know ahead of time that picking out a pocket knife is a lot harder than one would expect.  The primary reason is because there are so many different models in an amazing number of styles and materials.  Not only that, but there are a bunch of different sizes and blades in just about any price range to choose from.

Just looking at blades alone, you have clip-point blades, tanto blades, drop-point blades, serrated blades, carbon-steel blades, etc.  Are you starting to see the issues?  How is someone supposed to be able to figure out exactly what kind of knife they need without going out and buying one of everything!

The best way to do this is to learn all you can about pocket knives, like reading this guide and our companion website (http://www.bestpocketknifecompanion.com).  We’ve done all the research and we consider it our job to educate you on all the finer points of picking out a pocket knife.

So sit back, relax and keep reading.  By the end of this guide, you’ll have a good understanding about all the options available to you in the pocket knife world so that you can make an informed decision.

If you have any questions about specific terminology that is used in this guide be sure to check out the Glossary of Knife Terms found at the back of the book.

Chapter 2: Number of Blades

One of the first choices you will have to make is how many blades you want on your new pocket knife.  For many people, one blade is all they need while others prefer to have a several options to choose from.  And if you ask anyone who has a pocket knife you’ll get a wide range of opinions on which one is better.  But let’s look at the options a little closer.

Single-Blade Pocket Knives

Single bladed knives are available in a variety of sizes and shapes.  One of the biggest advantages to a single blade is the simplicity, ease of use and size.  Many of the single bladed knives come with a spring-loaded opening mechanism which allows you to open the blade with a single hand.  This is great for when you’ve got a hold of some rope and need to cut off a bit without letting go.

However, the drawback is that you only have a single blade.  If you end up getting a dull edge or need a specialized blade you don’t have many options available to you.

Another benefit is when opened, the single blade handle fits really nicely in your hand.  You won’t have that same feel from a multi-blade knife.

Multi-Blade Pocket Knives

Multi-blade knives also come in a variety of sizes and shapes.  They will come with a wide range of blades and utility tools.  Essentially, you can sum it up with the following; Multi-Blade = Variety.

A multi-blade knife will come with either a two, three or four blade combination.  Often times these blades will be for specific and different uses.  They will typically be a combination of either a sheepsfoot, pen or drop point blade (see Chapter 4 for blade descriptions).

One benefit that is often overlooked with multi-blade knives is that the body tends to be a bit bulkier which can make it easier to get a grip if you have a hard time holding a thinner blade.  My grandfather liked the bulkier knife for this reason.  He said when you get to be his age, it’s hard to hold on to the smaller knives.

Another added benefit is that manufacturers will often include not only a variety of blades with different purposes, but they will include additional types of tools like a saw, bottle opener or other useful extras.

The downside would be like we mentioned before, since the body of the knife is holding all these extra blades, it can be uncomfortable in your hand when in use.

Chapter 3: Types of Knives

Slip Joint

A major consideration you must make when searching for the right pocket knife is what type of knife you are interested in.  Most pocket knives are known as slip joint knives.  A slip joint knife has a flat bar or a left-type backspring that puts tension on the blade, holding it in place.  The knife can then be closed when a certain amount of pressure is applied to the knife.  Most of these knives have only one blade because of the space needed for the mechanism needed to keep the knife open.

Over time different versions of the slip joint knife have become popular.  Here is a rundown of some of the more common types.

Barlow

The Barlow knife is usually a 2 bladed knife that is known for its long bolster.  These knives have been around for over 300 years and even have the prestige of being mentioned in stories by Mark Twain.  Their handles are typically an elongated oval and some are made of rare and expensive materials, thus increasing the price dramatically.

Camper

Camper knives are well known due to the popular Swiss Army Knife.  The tell-tale signs of a camper knife are usually a large spear point blade, accompanied by tools like a can opener, screw driver and a punch blade.  Sometimes there are other tools included too.

Canoe

The canoe knife gets its name from the look of the body, which resembles a Native American canoe.  These knives usually contain 2 spear point blades, although some come with a spear point blade and a pen blade.

Congress

The Congress knife has a convex shape on the front and the back can either be straight or convex.  Most come with 4 blades; common arrangement is a spear point, a sheepsfoot, coping and pen blades.  There are many stories as to how it got its name.  The definition for congress is “a coming together, or an assembly”.  So one thought is that because all four blades come together to meet in the middle it was referred to a congress.

Elephant’s Toenail (Elephant’s Foot, English Rope Knife, Pocket Axe or Sunfish Knife)

This is one of the larger pocket knives available and normally be found around 4-5 inches in length.  It usually very large, wide blades and there are usually two.

Opinel

The Opinel is a knife of French origin that is simple in design and was made as a working man’s knife.  It’s typically made of a solid wood handle, usually beechwood with a single blade.  When the blade is extended, it has a stainless steel locking ring to hold it in place.  It’s also well known because Pablo Picasso used an Opinel to carve his sculptures.

Peanut

This knife is a very small knife, thus the name.  Normally because of their size, they only have one or two blades, with the two blade model being more common.  The reason they are fairly popular is because you get a couple types of blades in a relatively small package.

Sodbuster

Another of the “working man’s” knives, the Sodbuster is a simple single blade knife that is known for feeling very comfortable in the hand as well as being very inexpensive.  Simply put, is all that you will need and nothing that you don’t want.

Stockman

This knife is one that you would likely recognize in the US.  Most of our grandparents and fathers would have a Stockman on them.  A Stockman has 3 blades, often a clip, sheepsfoot and a spey blade.  These blades were carried by cowboys and farmers in the west and the spey blade was used to castrate livestock.

Trapper

The Trapper knife is made up of 2 blades, usually similar in length.  One is a clip blade and the other a spey blade.  The clip blade is used for everyday use and the spey blade was designed for cleaning and skinning animals.

Whittler

Whittler knives are just what you would think they are;  knives made for whittling.  They usually have 3 blades and are designed for different details while whittling.

Lock Blade Knives

The other commonly found version of a pocket knife is the Lock-Blade knives.  These knives have a locking mechanism that locks the blade into a full opened position.  In most cases the lock must be disengaged before the blade will close back into the handle.  The purpose behind this design is to give the blade more strength for difficult tasks and to prevent the blade from closing accidentally.  This drastically improves the safety of the knife.

These knives come with a wide range of locks on today’s market.  Be sure to check out our information on locks in Chapter 6. These locks do vary in strength and reliability so be sure to carefully consider your options.

Tactical Folding Knife

Within the Lock Blade category is a knife that you have either already heard about or you will very soon.  It’s called the Tactical Folding knife.   This knife is typically larger than your normal pocket knife, originally marketed to the hunter or sportsman.  In recent years, due to their use by the military and police officers, the tactical knife category has become more of a defensive weapon than a hunting knife.

Chapter 4: Pocket Knife Blade Shapes

As you continue your research into your next pocket knife, one other decision you will need to make is what shape the blade will have.  If you are choosing a multi-blade knife, many of the knives will offer different blade shapes on a single knife.  Each shape is designed to be used in specific situations and not all blades work in every situation.  Try to get a knife that is going to meet your specific requirements.  Let’s look at the different blades that are available.  We will also highlight some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

The Clip Point

The feature that stands out on this type of blade is its concave cut-out shape on the back of the knife right at the tip.  The purpose behind this design is to make the tip sharper while also lowering it to provide a little more control.  It’s one of the most popular and one of better all-around shapes.

Advantages of the Clip Point

• Sharp, controllable tip

• Lots of “belly” (cutting edge) for slicing

• Tip is good for piercing

Disadvantages of the Clip Point

• Tip is not very strong and narrow

The Drop Point

The Drop point is another good all-purpose shape and is the other popular shape found on knives.  The back of the knife is straight until you get near the tip where it then slopes down to meet with the bottom in a sharp point.  This gives the knife lots of control, while retaining more strength than you would have with the Clip point.  The belly of the knife has a large surface area for slicing.  The point isn’t as sharp as the clip point design but they do really well as a skinning knife.

Advantages of the Drop Point

• Sharp tip that is strong and controllable

• Large cutting area on the belly for slicing

Disadvantages of the Drop Point

• Not as sharp as the Clip Point

• Not a very good piercer

The Tanto Point

The Tanto point is a style that was popularized in Japan.  The blade is most useful in a fighting application, for thrusting, stabbing and slicing.  The back of the knife is typically fairly straight while keeping a rather think spine until it gets close to the point.  There the tip meets a straight edge that has a flat grind.  The design enables the knife to have an extremely strong tip, which is useful if you need to pierce through heavy materials.  The shape will often not have a belly or a hollow grind along the straight edge.  There are many different variations on this design available.  Keep in mind that although it’s not known for having a belly, it still cuts in most situations just fine.  It’s just not an everyday carry type of blade for most people.

Advantages of the Tanto Point

• Excellent for piercing or stabbing through hard materials

• Very strong point

Disadvantages of the Tanto Point

• Point is hard to control

• Very little to no belly for slicing

The Sheepsfoot Point

The primary purpose for this design is slicing and chopping.  As result there is essentially no point on the knife.  The back of the knife is straight until it curves down to meet the belly.  The cutting edge of the knife is straight to provide a large cutting area.  This style of blade is used often by emergency personnel or in any other situation where you want to avoid stabbing or injuring someone inadvertently.  The solid back of the knife provides a stable surface for applying additional pressure when chopping or cutting without injuring yourself.

Advantages of the Sheepsfoot

• Lots of control

• No point to prevent accidental stabbing

• Very effective at slicing with a clean cut

Disadvantages of the Sheepsfoot

• No sharp point

The Needle Point (Dagger)

This design is made for a specific purpose, and that is stabbing and piercing soft targets.  It’s primarily used in self-defense situations, usually in close combat situations.  The blade is sharpened on both sides of the blade in order to allow the knife to cut and penetrate very easily.  The blade normally is designed so that it tapers off with straight lines to the point.  However, there are some variations available that add a little curve to the design.  But the knife is not very strong and can break against hard surfaces fairly easily.

Advantages of the Needle Point

• Sharp point and thin blade makes it the best piercing design

Disadvantages of the Needle Point

• No belly for slicing

• Very weak in other applications and can break easily

The Spear Point

The Spear point design is similar to the drop point, with the difference being that the point will be located in the middle of the blade.  This design is very easy to control and the point is very strong.  In many cases both sides of the blade will be sharpened, which ends up with a sharp tip.  In other applications the back of the blade will be left unsharpened.  Typically this style of design will be used on throwing knives.

Advantages of the Spear Point

• Very strong point

• Easily controlled

• If the blade is double edged, then it has a sharp point

Disadvantages of the Spear Point

• Small cutting edge for slicing

The Trailing Point

The Trailing point blade will have a point that either curves up higher than, or as high as, the back of the blade.  This blade is primarily used for skinning and also found on filet knives.  The curve of the blade provides a large belly for slicing.  Depending on the height of the tip, it could be used as a piercing blade, but most of the time it’s not.

Advantages of the Trailing Point

• Large area on the belly for skinning or slicing

• The high tip will be out of the way

Disadvantages of the Trailing Point

• The tip is fairly weak

The Gut Hook

This is a special application blade, primarily used by hunters.  The blade has a hook cut into the spine of the blade near the tip of the knife.  A hunter would place this hook into a small slice on the underbelly of an animal and then pull the blade like you would a zipper.  This opens up the belly of the animal without slicing into the muscle.  Its primary application is in field dressing.

Advantages of the Gut Hook

• Great for field dressing game

• Has a large belly used for slicing

Disadvantages of the Gut Hook

• Very difficult to sharpen the “hook”

The Pen Blade

This small sized blade is often found on smaller pocket knives and utility knives.  It’s similar in design to a spear point, with both a dull and sharp side on the blade.  The original purpose to this design was to sharpen quills to make writing pens, thus that’s how it received its name.  Not very sharp but comes in handy at times.

Advantages of the Pen Blade

• Small and multipurpose

Disadvantages of the Pen Blade

• Small in size and not typically very sharp

Chapter 5:  Types of Steel

Now that you’ve narrowed down how many blades and what type of knife you want, you should be aware that there are many different types of steel available.  The most common material used in creating knife blades is iron and carbon, which is then enhanced by adding in different elements such as chromium, manganese, vanadium and more.  The amount of these materials added to the steel changes the end result.  To make a stainless steel blade, you would add more rust resistant materials.

When the blade moves to the finishing process, how it’s treated greatly affects the overall performance of the steel.  The process of rolling and heat treating will create a lasting end result.

There are several types of steel that are commonly used in knife crafting.  We’ve listed below some of more common varieties.

154CM

American made stainless steel developed to make turbine blades for jet engines.  Similar to ATS-34 and it’s very corrosion resistant, has good toughness and edge quality.

420

This steel is extremely soft and won’t hold an edge very well.  Because it’s very stain resistant, it’s often found in diving knives.  You’ll also find it on inexpensive knives.

440C

This is used on many factory manufactured blades.  Very tough and extremely stain resistant.  Holds an edge well and is fairly easy to sharpen.  440C is far superior to most other 400 series steels.  400A and 440B are not as good.  If you see a knife with a 440 marking, it’s probably just 440A.

ATS-34

Created in Japan and is similar to the US 154CM.  Was very popular in the 1990’s as a higher quality alternative to 440C.  Not quite as rust resistant as 440C but holds a better edge.

AUD-6, AUS-8, AUS-10 (6A,8A,10A)

Very resistant to corrosion and very tough, but doesn’t hold an edge as well as other steel varieties.  These steels have vanadium added which improves the wear resistance, improves the toughness and gives it the ability to have a very sharp edge.

BG-42

This stainless steel holds its edge better than 440C and ATS-34 and is tougher than ATS-34.  A lot of smaller manufacturers are switching to this steel from the ATS-34.  Because this knife has more manganese and vanadium, which the ATS-34 doesn’t have at all, it holds its edge much better and enhances the toughness of the steel.

D2

Very high carbon steel that is exceptional at holding an edge and has probably the best wear resistance.  However it does lack toughness.  It’s not as corrosion resistant as the 440C or ATS-34 and is not considered to be stainless steel because it only has 12% chrome.  A blade must have 13% or more chrome to be considered stainless steel.  Much tougher than premium stainless steels like ATS-34 but not as tough as many of the other non-stainless steels.  The combination of great wear resistance, almost-stainlessness and good toughness make it a great choice for many knives.

Damascus

This steel is created by layering a variety of steels together.  During the finishing process an acid is used to expose the surface lines and it ends up as a tough blade with a good edge quality.  However, it’s typically rather expensive and usually just used in artistic projects.  Depending on which materials are used to create the steel, you can get different shades of light and dark contrasts.

Gin-1 (G-2)

The Gin-1 was used by Spyderco and now Benchmade in some of their lesser expensive knives.  It does have some decent wear resistance and strength.

H1

Well known for its corrosion resistance and toughness. But one drawback is that the edge quality is lacking.

M2

Extremely tough steel which is typically used in industrial situations.  Although it has a very high strength and is very wear resistant, it is highly susceptible to corrosion.

S30V

Very good corrosion resistance, holds a very good edge but it’s going to be a little more expensive as it’s a premium grade steel.

S60V, S90V

This steel has more alloying elements than traditional steel methods are able to produce.  Plus they have a lot of vanadium which drastically improves its wear resistance, yet also makes it very hard to sharpen.

VG-10

This steel contains vanadium and is a high-end stainless steel.  It’s more rust resistant and tougher than the ATS-34 and holds a very sharp edge, because of the vanadium.

According to ZKnives.com, these steel types are placed in general groupings that help make a little more sense of where each falls in sense of performance.  Now keep in mind that some of these steels would better fit in between categories but this list is to give you a general idea where they fall.  Many people won’t agree with the groupings but again this is a broad generalization to give you a perspective.

Lowest Quality

420 and 420J would fall into this category.  These are very stain resistant and tough, however they are very weak and not very wear resistant.  In general they will lose their edge quickly.  These are usually found in less-expensive knives.

Lower Quality

440A, 425M, 420HC, 12C27 and 6A – These are hardened more than the previous group for better strength and they are more wear resistant.

Medium Quality

Gin-1, ATS-55, 8A and 440C – It goes without saying that this rank is stronger than the last rank in general and for the most part are more wear resistant.  Most of these are also fairly stain resistant, however the ATS-55 is the least of this batch.  The 8A can hold a very sharp edge but it’s also the weakest and lowest in wear resistance.

Higher Quality

ATS-34/154CM, VG-10, S60V – The knives in this group are in use quite often and they hold an edge well.  They are fairly tough but aren’t very stain resistant.  The VG-10 has vanadium which is fine-grained so that it holds the best edge of this class.  The S60V has the best wear resistance.

Highest Quality

BG-42, S90V and S30V – This grade of steel has one negative quality.  These are much higher in wear resistance, as result they are a lot harder to sharpen.  However, they are high in stain resistance.  So if you can deal with the sharpening issue, knives in this category could be a great choice.

Chapter 6: Pocket Knife Locks

One of the unique characteristics of some pocket knives is their locking mechanism.  The locking mechanism keeps the blade extended when it’s being used and prevents it from closing unexpectedly which could potentially cause serious injuries to the user.  The lock can also be used to assist with opening the knife.  When the lock is engaged, the only way the knife can be folded again is by releasing the lock.

Let’s look at some of the more common locking mechanisms available.

Liner Lock

With the liner lock, inside the body of the knife there is a piece of steel that is angled towards the inside of the knife blade.  When the knife is opened, the liner slides into place right behind the tang of the knife, which produces an audible click.  This liner then prevents the knife from closing back down.  However, there are many different variations on this design and some are much safer than others.

When looking at blades with a liner lock, you will want the liner to be fairly thick and sturdy.  The less expensive blades will have much thinner liners.  Some manufacturers have introduced an additional mechanism that will slide into place behind the liner lock to prevent it from moving back and potentially allowing the blade to close.

When you are ready to close the blade, you have to move the liner back to its starting position to allow the knife to close.

Frame Lock

The Frame Lock is a variation on the Liner Lock however, instead of a separate liner, the frame slides over and locks the blade open.  This design is typically a little stronger than the liner lock since the frame is usually thicker than the liner would be.  It’s also known as the Chris Reeves Integral Lock.

Back Lock (Lock Back)

The Back lock or Lock Back design is one of the more commonly found locking mechanisms available.  This is a fairly simple design, in which the back of the blade is designed to lock into a notch on the back of the blade when the blade is fully opened.  When the latch or plate is pressed on the end of the knife, it pivots just enough to allow the knife to close.

Mid Lock

The Mid Lock is similar to the Back Lock, however the latch is located in the middle of the knife instead of the back.  This gives the lock more strength and it is reported to be able to withstand more pressure than the Back Lock.

AXIS lock (Benchmade)

The AXIS lock was patented by Benchmade and is a very sturdy locking mechanism.  This design uses a hardened steel bar that rides forward and back into a slot that is cut into both steel liners.  This bar then locks into the tang of the blade and the tang is wedged solidly between the stop pin and the AXIS bar itself.  This is a very sturdy lock.

Tri-Ad Lock (Cold Steel)

Cold Steel has a locking mechanism that is similar to the Back Lock but is considerably stronger.  The difference between this design and the Back Lock is a stop pin that provides a solid surface for the tang and the lock to press against.  This reduces wear on the locking mechanism and redistributes the load of the pressures on the lock.

There are many other designs of locking mechanisms available and I’m sure there will be more developed over time.  Understanding how each lock works will help you make a more informed decision when searching for a new blade.

Chapter 7: Blade Handles

One of the last components you need to consider when looking for a pocket knife is the handle of the blade.  Even though this is last on our list it’s still an important part of the decision, since your grip on the knife is extremely important.  The handle of a knife can be designed for aesthetic reasons or functional reasons and your use of the knife will dictate which you choose.  We will look at a few of the more popular options available.

Aluminum/Titanium

These metals make very beautiful handles on knives while they are also very sturdy and strong.  Titanium is not only very strong but it is very light weight, yet more expensive than most of the other options.

Bone

Bone handles are very durable and have a pleasant look to them and it one of the most common handle material used for pocket knives.  When used as a handle, the bone will typically be textured to provide a better surface to grip.

Wood

Wood handles have been around for ages and this type has both advantages and disadvantages to its use.  Depending on the kind of wood used, they can expand and contract in varying amounts with different weather conditions.  This expansion and contraction can actually split the wood or cause it to become damaged over time.  However a good quality wood handle will last a long time and feel pretty good in the hand.

G-10

G-10 is made up of fiberglass based laminate in which layers of fiberglass cloth is soaked in resin, compressed and then baked to create a very hard, lightweight and strong product.  Then texture is added to the outside to provide a solid gripping surface.  Not only is it strong but it looks really stylish too.

Micarta

Micarta is very similar to G-10, except instead of fiberglass layers, linen and papers are used to create the material.  It’s still extremely strong and resistant to extreme weather conditions.  Plus it comes in a variety of colors.

Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiber is created by tightly weaving strands of carbon and then setting that in resin.  This is becoming more popular because of its strength and high tech looks.  It’s one of the strongest lightweight materials used to create handles.  However, it’s a labor-intensive process to create so the cost is usually much more than other options.

Injection Molding (Zytel, Grivory)

Using a high grade of plastic these handles are reinforced with Kevlar or fiberglass and are virtually unbreakable.  Since it is plastic, it is one of the least expensive to produce so you will find it used quite often.

Chapter 8: Ready To Shop

Now that you’ve made it through this guide, you should have a pretty good understanding of all the different elements it takes to make up a pocket knife.  Hopefully you won’t feel overwhelmed with all the available options.

So what is your next step?

Our recommendation would be to check out our fully interactive Pocket Knife Guide, where we rank more than 30 of the top knives available.  You can find the guide here:

Interactive Pocket Knife Guide - http://www.bestpocketknifecompanion.com/full-pocket-knife-guide/

You are also invited to visit our web site where we are constantly adding new information on a wide range of topics around the subject of pocket knives.  If you have any questions that we didn’t answer in this guide, please be sure to let us know at the site.

We want to make this the best guide possible and your feedback is extremely valuable.

Best Pocket Knife Companion - http://www.bestpocketknifecompanion.com

Also, please take a moment to review this book on the Kindle store.  Your review helps others know how useful this book was to you.

Glossary of Knife Terms

When searching for a knife, you will quickly find that there are many terms that are used to describe different parts of the knife.  This is a list of the most common of those terms.  Just having a basic understanding of what these terms mean will help you with the rest of this guide.

Back – The unsharpened side of a blade.

Belly – The curved part of a blades edge.  This is usually the “sweet spot” for slicing.

Bevel – This is the tapered area from the spine going down to the cutting edge of the blade.

Blade Lock – the mechanical part of a knife that locks or unlocks the blade of a folding knife.  These would include the back lock, liner lock or frame lock.

Bolsters – metal covers that can be located on one or both ends of a knife handle.

Clip – an accessory available on some knives used to attach a knife to clothing or a belt.

Concave ground – a grind on a blade that results in a bevel that tapers from the spine to the edge in an arched manner.  It’s the easiest grind to keep sharp but has a weak edge that could chip.

Cover – the material covering the liner between the bolsters.

Edge – the sharpened side of the blade.  Blades can be either single or double-edged.

Edge bevel – the honed part of the blade that starts after the blade bevel and continues to the cutting edge.

Flat grind – also called the V grind.  A blade bevel that tapers in a uniform fashion from the spine to the edge bevel.  Most pocket knives are flat ground.

Front – the side of the knife with the company logo or the side that the master blade folds to.

Guard – the metal piece located where the blade and handle meet.  Its purpose is to keep the hand from slipping onto the blade.

Gut Hook – Also known as a game hook, this sharpened hook is located on the blade’s spine.  It’s designed to allow a hunter to field dress his game.

Handle – the handle of a pocket knife serves many purposes.  It serves as a sheath, handle and spring mechanism.

Hardness – The compactness of the steel molecules determines the hardness of the steel.  Harder steel will hold an edge longer while softer steel is easier to sharpen.  This is measured by the Rockwell test.  A rating above 60 is difficult to sharpen and below 56 will not hold an edge well.

Hollow ground – a grind that results in a blade bevel that tapers inward in an arched manner from the spine and slightly back outward to the start of the cutting edge.

Inlays – any material inlaid into the handles of a pocket knife.

Kick – a projection on the front end of the tang that keeps the blade from touching the spring.

Liner – an interior part of a knife frame located between the handle and blade edge, when closed.  This is used to prevent damage on the interior of the body.

Liner lock – a lock incorporated into the liner of the handle.

New Grind – a grind that has an even taper from the back of the blade to the tang.

Pile Side – the opposite side to the front.  Also called the reverse side.

Retention – the degree to which a blade holds and edge.

Saberground – a grind that results in a blade bevel that is flat from the spine to about the middle of the blade where it begins to taper toward the edge.

Serrated – edge bevel that has teeth cut into the blade.

Spine – the unsharpened edge of a blade opposite to the cutting edge, also known as the back.

Swedge – An unsharpened bevel on the spine or back of the blade, usually toward the tip.

Tang – The back portion of the blade that extends from where the blade attaches to the handle to the start of the edge.

Tang Stamp – any markings located on the tang of a knife.  Most often it will have the manufacturer’s name, date identification or other informative markings.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Why is it so hard to pick out a Pocket knife?

Chapter 2: Number of Blades

Single-Blade Pocket Knives

Multi-Blade Pocket Knives

Chapter 3: Types of Knives

Slip Joint

Barlow

Camper

Canoe

Congress

Elephant’s Toenail (Elephant’s Foot, English Rope Knife, Pocket Axe or Sunfish Knife)

Opinel

Peanut

Sodbuster

Stockman

Trapper

Whittler

Lock Blade Knives

Tactical Folding Knife

Chapter 4: Pocket Knife Blade Shapes

The Clip Point

The Drop Point

The Tanto Point

The Sheepsfoot Point

The Needle Point (Dagger)

The Spear Point

The Trailing Point

The Gut Hook

The Pen Blade

Chapter 5: Types of Steel

Lowest Quality

Lower Quality

Medium Quality

Higher Quality

Highest Quality

Chapter 6: Pocket Knife Locks

Liner Lock

Frame Lock

Back Lock (Lock Back)

Mid Lock

AXIS lock (Benchmade)

Tri-Ad Lock (Cold Steel)

Chapter 7: Blade Handles

Aluminum/Titanium

Bone

Wood

G-10

Micarta

Carbon Fiber

Injection Molding (Zytel, Grivory)

Chapter 8: Ready To Shop

Glossary of Knife Terms