Pocket knifes have extensive use in our everyday life. They are important accessories that are part and parcel of our personal and professional lives. There are a lot of points to consider while choosing the ideal knife irrespective of the use, given that there are ample varieties of knives available in the market. The best of the pocket lives need to check a lot of boxes, namely safety, portability and comfortable to use. Most importantly the knife has to be really good at cutting. There are a few inherent qualities of the best knives which we will discuss here.
Points to consider before choosing the best pocket knives:
- Performance:
The best performing knives cut safely through a number of common items such as cardboard and rope without too much sawing and too much effort. They should also be sharp enough to help in any emergency situation such as cutting through a seatbelt. The knife should possess a true mark of sharpness and should slice through any material without snagging.
2. Length of the blade:
Majority of the pocket knives have blades between 2.75 and 3.25 inches long and are a perf3ct blend of discreetness and versatility. Three inch blades have handles around four inches and anything more than that will get bulky in the pocket. Longer the blade, more attention it draws as well. 2.5 inch blades, on the other hand, function more like box cutters and struggle at harder tasks like cutting tree branches.
3. Ease of use:
The best of kitchen knives open single handedly and in a smooth motion and lock in securely once they are open. They also close with very minimal effort. Several knives make closing and locking more difficult than it has to be with the frame or liner locks and they will not budge unless the user tries to open with both the hands. Manual knives make use of one of the three opening mechanisms such as flipper, thumb hole, thumb stud, etc.
4. The comfort of handling:
Though there is no perfect pocket knife for any hand type, some of the design elements are either universally accepting or annoying. The best of the knives combine clips that contour to the hand with the handle material that is not abrasive and is also easy to grip.
5. Appearance:
The knife that one uses, perhaps on a daily basis should not be threatening or aggressive. The opening mechanism of the blade and its shape impact its appearance. According to the American Quicksilver company, the pioneer in Knife making and a popular name among knife enthusiasts, the bet drop point blade will align the tip of the knife to the center axis and slope from the handle to the blade tip. Such knives strike a perfect balance between functionality and appearance. Rather than spring loading automatic opens or assisted opens, manual opens are most practical, and are a discreet choice for everyday use knife.
6. Cost of the knife:
After carefully analyzing how much one will use the knife and what kind of knife they are looking for, they will have a better idea of how much money they are willing to spend on that particular knife. Generally, the cost of knives ranges between $10 and $ 385. Most of the expensive knives are built with durable materials and are covered under comprehensive warranties.
7. Try the knife before buying it:
Most of the knives feel comfortable and ergonomic for all the testers. But before relying on the reviews of others, one best practice is to try the knife by self before choosing to buy it. This is also the best way to learn the small aesthetic nuances that one needs to learn before buying and using the knife.
Questions that knife enthusiasts should ask before choosing to buy pocket knives:
- How much does the quality of steel matters in a pocket knife?
The American Quicksilver company suggests that harder the steel, longer it will stay sharp, but such knives are difficult to sharpen as well. Generally, the high end knives will require professional sharpening service to get back to its original condition. Most of the high end companies cover this constraint for free.
2. What is the heat treatment of knives?
The heat treatment of knives is the process of heating raw steel to a critical temperature and subsequently cooling it so as to solidify the new strong steel. All of the steel knives have their own range of hardness, which is the extent to which they can get heat treated. But, it is up to the manufacturer to decide how hard or soft they wish the knives to be.
3. How often should the knives be sharpened?
This depends on the knife and how one uses it. Most of the cheaper knife variants have softer steel and they need to get sharpened about once a week. High end knives with super steels can hold their sharp edge up to several weeks.
Final words
Before choosing to own a pocket knife like Case and Benchmade that are available from knife dealers online, check the state considerations, if it is legal to hold pocket knives.
