Fish & hunt on! Often available for under $15, it’s a steal. Buck Knives - Buck 110 Folding Hunters Automatic Knife Ordering Agreement IN COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL STATUTES , KnifeCenter, Inc requests that you read carefully the requirements set forth below, and agree to this prior to your purchase or receipt of any automatic opening knife from our company. We tested the least expensive 556, with the fiberglass-reinforced nylon handle and the 154CM blade steel. Sticking closely to the criteria above, we selected 28 knives to call in for a firsthand look. It’s also doable with either the left or right hand, although easier with the right. Anyone who owned the Drifter would be unlikely to covet either of these subtle touches, and they’re by no means essential features, but they are nice, and they are the marks of a high-quality knife. One of the strongest folding knives I've ever used. This knife is the most expensive here, but it could also save your life and you’ll love having it with you. We think that this added durability and performance are unnecessary for standard everyday use, and that the Drifter, with its adequate strength, lighter weight, and smaller footprint, is the better option for most. However, since they are often credited as inventing the folding lockback knife, the term “buck folding knife” is often used to refer to other brands of folding lockback hunting knives – not just ones made by the Buck company. If you have a good handle design four position clips aren't necessary.”, Acceptable blade steel: Blade steel determines a blade’s strength, its corrosion resistance, and how often you’ll be sharpening it. It is affordable, made in the USA, and has a lifetime warranty. Across all the professional reviews of the Drifter, we couldn’t find a bad one. The larger the blade is, the larger the handle needs to be. But we found the blade deployment on both knives much harder than the buttery feel of the Drifter. According to Jackson, this design is “a well-rounded blade shape” that offers “a good cutting edge, some belly (the curve to the edge towards the tip), which is good for slicing into things, and a fine tip for detail work." The Milwaukee 48-22-1502 Fastback Utility Knife with Blade Storage is an ideal utility knife. Thus it is great for your everyday carry. The most impressive of these is the smoothness of the blade’s pivoting action, which is among the nicest we tested and on a par with that of knives costing four times as much. Simplicity in a Shaker sense--pure, unadulterated functionality.” He also writes, “It has a few drawbacks, but man is the blade shape awesome.”, Overall, the Zancudo offers a great feeling of utility, and as our testing wore on, it really won us over. This model has excellent fit and finish, and it doesn’t have a cheap plastic feel like many of the knives in its price range—usually costing under $30, it’s a bargain. A unique-looking tactical folding knife that is small but fierce, the Xcest Delta Folding Knife by Top Knives is an ideal blade to have on you in a pinch. After researching pocket knives for over 60 hours and talking to two people who have reviewed at least 450 knives between them, we tested 28 knives—by slicing up 20 cardboard boxes and peeling 30 apples—and found that the Columbia River Knife and Tool Drifter is the best knife for most people to carry every day. #5 buck 898 impact auto folding knife – armor black This Buck knife is a great gift for every fisherman, hunter, traveler, military or survivalist. We also thought the pocket clip felt uncomfortable in the hand. He explained, “At around $50 you can find a wide variety of knives with superior steel, handle materials, and fit and finish.” Jackson told us he didn’t “think that anyone ‘needs’ a $75 pocket knife” but recommended “venturing into this price if you enjoy knives and want a more premium product.” But ultimately, he said, “a $25 knife will open a box like a $100 knife will.”, No serrations: The primary advantage to serrations is that they offer the ability to cut rope. On his best-of list, Sculimbrene names the Drifter the “Best Budget Folder” and writes, “This is my favorite CRKT and one of the best knives out there under $30.”, Jackson writes in his review that the Drifter is “both well made and inexpensive” and that it offers “[e]verything you would expect from a much more expensive knife.” He also makes the point that it’s a “great ambassador for the knife world.”. Basically the best valued knife in the industry, as I have mentioned many times before. In one review Sculimbrene refers to a length of 2½ to 3 inches as being his “[ideal] size for an EDC knife.”, Bigger blades have a few drawbacks. If the Drifter is not available or if you tend to take on more aggressive tasks with your knife, we recommend the Blue Ridge Knives ESEE Zancudo. We’re also not impressed with Sanrenmu’s customer service, so we question the company’s stated warranty. The knife handle also seemed to twist slightly while we were gripping it, something that didn’t happen with the Drifter. The finest folding knives run from $1,000 to $3,000. The handle is made of G10, a durable fiberglass composite, and CRKT has given it a very light texture. With the knife folded, it’s a good size for a pocket—big enough to find easily yet small enough that it can share the space with a set of keys, a wallet, or a small flashlight. In a guide to blade steels, reviewer Dan Jackson writes that it is “actually excellent steel for the money.” Jackson continues: “Like AUS-8, it lacks the edge retention of the higher end steels but can take a wicked edge and is reasonably tough and corrosion resistant. At a certain point, the stats fail and only hands-on experience works. Comes with lanyard and removable clip. “A clip point blade is very practical for the same reasons, but it can look more aggressive, especially in a larger knife.” Drop-point shapes are easier to maintain, too. Buck 110BRSCB Folding Hunter, 3.75" 420HC Plain Blade, Woodgrain Handle. The knife steel is 420HC, a steel which doesn't always get its due in my opinion. It’s unfortunate that the Drifter doesn’t provide such customization, but we don’t think that’s an essential feature. Jackson told us that he was especially fond of it and that it’s “one of his favorites” in the sub-$40 price range: “I still use and enjoy my Zancudo several years after purchasing it.” Sculimbrene, in his review, writes that he isn’t a fan of the sizable pocket clip or the aesthetics of the handle. In the end, this comparison was the one instance where the blade steel played a role, as the steel on the Buck held an edge noticeably longer than the Case’s. The handles are extremely comfortable, the knives have good blade steel, and they open easily with a thumb hole. The Zancudo has a nice, smooth pivot and a frame lock that’s technically stronger than the Drifter’s liner lock. Note that the Buck 110 is a clip point blade. With a full 4-inch handle, it’s a little larger than the Drifter, so it’s ideal for medium to large hands (although still workable for smaller ones). We found that, depending on the steel, knives fell into a series of price ranges. Buck Knives TOPS/Buck CSAR-T Tactical Folding Knife. If you’re new to knives and want to spend as little as possible but still get something decent, we recommend the Sanrenmu 710 (aka 7010). Reviewer Tony Sculimbrene is a big fan of the LA Police Gear TBFK S35VN, as he named it his best budget blade of 2017. Even with damp or sweaty hands, it’s easy to hold and grip. I strongly suggest the Para 2 as a solid contender for anyone who just wants one good knife. This knife looks ultra-modern and is incredibly compact. Roughly a 3-inch blade length: Blade reviewer Dan Jackson called a 3-inch blade the “sweet spot” for size and explained to us that a 3-inch blade is “a functional size and provides plenty of cutting edge and plenty of handle to hang on to.” Tony Sculimbrene, writing at his site, says he doesn’t see the point of going larger than 3 inches for an EDC blade. The Buck 55 didn’t have the grab of the Drifter’s G10 handle, but it wasn’t as slippery as the Sanrenmu 710’s polished metal. We dismissed a number of popular knives—including the Kershaw Blur, Cryo, Leek, and Scallion, plus the SOG Flash II—for having an assisted open. We also included a few outliers: The Spyderco Delica 4 and Dragonfly 2 have the two-handed lockback system but are regarded in the knife world as two of the best models available. Most pocket knives, like our other recommendations, have flat sides, but the Mini Griptilian’s are slightly rounded to fit the hand. A drop-point blade shape: For blade shape, we focused our search on the classic drop-point style. There is no denying that the Spyderco Dragonfly 2 and Delica 4 are excellent knives (the Dragonfly 2 tops reviewer Tony Sculimbrene’s recommendation list). 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