Saving Money While Shopping

Signs Of A Well-Made Pocket Knife

5 April 2019 by Clarence Horton

Buying a pocket knife can be harder than buying shoes! There are so many cheaply made, mass-produced knives out there that will come apart or fail to cut when you really need them. How do you separate these from the high-quality, well-crafted knives that can serve you for years? It's not easy, but by looking for these signs that indicate a well-made pocket knife, you can find "the one."

1. Smooth Blade Action

Never buy a knife without opening and closing it a few times. Pay attention to how the blade swings open. It should do so smoothly without any hesitation. Once open, the blade should not wiggle around or slide around in its handle. Make sure it locks into the open position easily, too. If the blade hesitates to open or jerks as it does so, then this is not the knife for you.

2. Ergonomic Grip

Hold onto the knife's handle, and pay attention to how it feels in your hand. Does it sit well against your fingers? Do you feel as if you could hold onto it for a few hours without it making you sore? Cheap knives usually have a very straight handle made with no attention paid to comfort. The higher-end, well-made knives have some curve to the handle for comfort.

3. A Flat Tip

Cheaply made knives often have a sharp tip because the manufacturers know many shoppers assume a pointy tip means a sharp knife. But actually, a pointy tip just means that knife is dangerous. You're more likely to prick or stab yourself with a sharp tip. The best knives have a really sharp blade, but a dull tip. This makes the knife safer to use if you are out on a boat in choppy water, driving in the car, or working in windy conditions.

4. Handmade Construction

Those who make knives by hand are proud of their craft, and they will leave some indication that the knife is made by hand. This could be an insignia carved into one side of the handle, a pamphlet that comes with the knife and tells you about the craftsman, or some other relic. If there is no indication than the knife is handmade, you can assume it was made cheaply in a factory. And while there are some decent factory-made knives, quality is far less guaranteed than with a handmade pocket knife. 

Keep these tips in mind to help you find a well-made pocket knife for your needs. 

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