When you need a nondescript knife that you can comfortably carry to the office or keep on your desk, the Boker Plus USB OTF is the perfect choice.
The design of the knife is unsurprisingly modeled after USB sticks, meaning it’s practical, slim, and compact.
Since this is a California legal automatic, its blade is a mere 1.77 inches. While you might think the D2 blade is too small, it’s more than capable of tackling everyday tasks around the office or in day-to-day life.
It should be everyone’s goal to buy American-made products to support manufacturing and jobs in the country. However, prices and quality of knives compared to foreign competition can be tough to ignore, especially with inflation significantly raising prices the past few years.
But, if you think you can’t get a solid American-made knife for less than $100, you’re sorely mistaken.
Here is a selection of 10 knives you can pick up for under $100.
Let’s start with an iconic no-brainer: the Buck 110 Folding Hunter.
Even 60 years after the folder was introduced, the 110 remains one of the best American-made knives you can buy. Not only that but you can get it for under $70.
For those who don’t know, the knife has a 3.75-inch blade and wood handle with bolsters. If you don’t have one of these yet, what are you doing?
This is the first of many Case knives to grace this list. The Sod Buster is a legendary slip joint pattern that has captured the hearts and minds of knife enthusiasts everywhere. The knife has a single blade that measures about 3.5 inches. The handle on this version is red impact resistant synthetic material.
Not all cheap US-made knives have to be folders. KA-BAR has a few fixed blades that cost under $100, but we’re highlighting the KA-BAR Black Fighting Knife here.
The OTF (out-the-front) automatic knife is typically seen as a novelty folder meant for daintily opening letters or displaying in a collections case.
Our latest Knife of the Week would like to challenge that unfair characterization.
The Benchmade Shootout offers accuracy, adaptability, calmness under pressure, quick reflexes, and tactical awareness. And it’s anything but dainty.
The Shootout takes after the iconic Benchmade Infidel that’s meant for tactical or everyday uses.
I’m faced with a question: is beauty in the eye of the knife holder?
Let me explain how I arrived at this very philosophical question. While strolling the Internet for interesting tools, I came across the knife you see here.
As you probably notice, it is a custom-made knife with a really “unique” design. There are very polarizing opinions about these knives.
This is my opinion alone, but I think the knife is absolutely ugly. I’m sure the knifemaker, whom I believe is Richard Kloc of Richmade Knives, put a lot of thought and care into it, but I still think it’s hideous.
I’ve looked at a lot of knives in my day, and though I’ve never said it out loud, there are some knives I think are flat out grotesque. However, I’m sure there are people out there that think all knives (whether designed for practical uses or art) are a labor of craftsmanship. Each knife is a matter of taste and there will always be someone out there who thinks a knife is beautiful (even if it’s only the knifemaker).
While all knives are meant to cut, there are only a few knives you’d really want to put through the wringer on a busy job site. So I did my best to pick out a few folding knives you can bet your fingers on at work after getting some recommendations from blue-collar workers (not some blog boy like myself).
The pocket knives on this list are a mix of “overbuilt” knives that you can pretty much pry with and less expensive but very serviceable blades you could happily carry onto a construction site.
I tried to take price into consideration, which is why you won’t see a Medford Praetorian, Hinderer XM-18, or a few others that are around $500. Also, if you’re serious about a true work knife, you might want to consider a more reliable and easier to maintain fixed blade. With those caveats out of the way, let’s get to the list.
Post originally posted in September 2018 before being updated in February 2023 to include current knives.
When it comes to hard-use folders that are overbuilt and ready for work, there’s a new king in town: the AD-10.
This relatively new knife boasts a 3.5-inch chunk of S35VN steel for its blade. The sculpted G-10 handle feels great in the hand. The AD-10 also has a Tri-Ad lock for even greater power. This may be pricier than others, but it will never fail on you.
There is also a “lite” version of the AD-10 that’s a bit cheaper.
The Benchmade Adamas is one of the most common models you’ll see on lists about work knives. The reason? It’s large, reliable, and strong. The blade is 3.78 inches and uses exceptionally strong CruWear steel on a no-nonsense drop point blade. Not only is the blade stock thick but so are the liners and G-10 scales.
This post was first written in August 2016 and was updated in April 2024.
A pocket clip can make or break a knife.
Even though it’s easy to remove a pocket clip on most models (and there are some good reasons why you should remove it), many people won’t buy a knife with a poorly designed clip.
During our time selling and handling knives, we’ve come across some major disappointments in the pocket clip area. While we don’t think a knife is lost beyond redemption because of a bad clip (replacing a clip is also just as easy as removing it), it can be the low point on a great knife.
So we assembled a list of 10 of the worst pocket clips around. (We opted for knives still or recently in production because it’s too easy to pick on an old model like the Schrade Cliphanger.) All of these are a matter of opinion, so while you may hate some of these, others may love them. That’s just the way these things go.
Sometimes when a knife designer tries to do something different from the norm, it can be hit or miss. The clip on the WE Vision R tries to shake things up to middling success. This is a clip that many people hate and a few people admire.
It essentially takes the classic clip but instead of putting it on the side, it’s on the top of the knife. Most people say it’s just too awkward to put in the pocket and take out.
This clip style isn’t brand new, of course. The late Jon Graham was one of the first pioneers of this type of clip, but those were just a little better.
Ken Onion is one of the most influential knife makers alive, having set an industry standard for assisted openers and folding knives in general. But he just can’t seem to make an outstanding pocket clip.
The clip on Onion’s CRKT Eros is not his worst (that’s still to come), but it’s nothing to write home about. CRKT calls it “an extremely unique custom style carry clip” in its product description, but it looks very gangly and thin.
Along with the fact that it’s a one position clip—tip-down, right hand—some have complained it’s susceptible to bending. That’s not surprising considering how narrow it is.
Hogue may be better known for its gun grips, but it makes some darn good knives. The Hogue EX-04 was one of our Badass Knives of the Week a while back. Despite its well-made knives, the clips are frequently a subject of derision among knife fans.
I’ve read several accounts of people saying they won’t buy a Hogue because of the clip. Many Hogue models feature a spoon-style clip that’s fairly large and almost feminine as Dan from Blade Reviews calls it.
The push dagger — also known as the fist knife, punch knife, or push knife — has a murky origin abroad. However, it is thought to have been related to the katara punching sword of India.
Regardless of who invented it, the push dagger gained popularity in the 1800s and was utilized during various wars due to its effective use in hand-to-hand combat.
While other knives, like folders and even most fixed blades, are considered useful tools, push daggers are widely deemed self-defense weapons. They were carried as defensive weapons because they are lightweight and easy to conceal. For that same reason, they are banned in certain localities.
Still, if you’re an avid knife collector and want a solid push dagger, here are the best push daggers for sale at Knife Depot.
Note: This post was first written way back in 2012, but we updated it with newer and better knives in March 2024.
These days, Cold Steel is by far the best manufacturer of push knives. Not only do they make a few different models, but they all excel in their own way.
One of the most popular at Knife Depot is the Cold Steel Urban Edge.
This one is on the smaller side with a 2.5-inch blade and small Kray-Ex handle. We’ve had people use this push knife for EDC applications, especially because it has double the functionality with one serrated edge and one plain edge.
It is also extremely lightweight at under 2 ounces. It’s available with plain edges too.
This push dagger is larger than the Urban Edge with a 3.25-inch blade. There is a slight blood groove down the center to reduce the weight of the knife.
The original Benchmade Freek was a natural evolution of the beloved Griptilian. It had better scales, a better blade design, and better steel.
So, when Benchmade decided to give the Freek an upgrade, that awesome folder became one of the best EDC knives on the market and praised by everyone who used it.
The Super Freek is the culmination of EDC design from Benchmade. The knife features a 3.6-inch drop point blade made from M4 steel, an alloy celebrated for its toughness and edge retention.
For nearly two centuries, the Wharncliffe blade design has remained a staple of the knife community.
While the function has evolved from a whittling knife to more of a self-defense or EDC purpose, the Wharncliffe continues to be a useful tool.
A few weeks back, I wrote about the History of the Wharncliffe, and now I’m taking it to the next step with a look at the best production knives with Wharncliffe blades.
I’m capping the list at 20, although I will undoubtedly be missing a few essential additions, so let me know in the comments.
Let’s start small with this popular and versatile Wharncliffe fixed blade from SOG. Designed by Jason Brous of Brous Blades, the Snarl is one thick knife.
It has a 2.3-inch Wharncliffe blade and a skeletonized handle. The whole thing is made of steel and fits into an included sheath that you can clip to your boot or belt or wear around your neck.
The Gerber Pledge is a compact folder with a price you won’t believe. For a little over $20, you can get this knife with a longer 3.7-inch Wharncliffe blade and urban blue handle made from GFN.
This EDC really extols the virtues of a Wharncliffe blade for everyday activities like opening boxes and envelopes.
The KA-BAR TDI Last Ditch Knife takes cues from Janich’s Ronin. This small fixed blade is made to be used in last ditch self-defense situation. The overall length is only 3.6 inches and it is meant to be put in its sheath in a boot or wallet. The backup knife is great at slashing and piercing.
Spyderco went crazy the past few years making Wharncliffe versions out of almost every one of its folders. While they cut back on most of those designs, the McBee with its Wharncliffe-style blade is still among the best.
It’s an old tradition to wear something green on St. Patrick’s Day. Some people wear green shoelaces or a green hat, but if you’re the kind of knife nut who’s reading this blog, you’re probably going to carry green knives.
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re looking at 15 great knives with green handles.
This article has been updated a few times since its first publication in 2014 to get rid of discontinued models and put some new ones.
We used to have the Dragonfly 2 in ZDP-189 in this spot, but that knife is no longer available. The Spyderco Pacific Salt 2 with modified drop point blade made from LC200N and bright green handle scales is the next best thing.
Olive is kind of a tamped down green color, so we decided to add it to this list. The Kershaw Link is one of the best US-made EDC folders, and Kershaw made it even better by making this version have premium 20CV steel with olive scales.
CobraTec has a number of excellent green knives, including the CobraTec Green Ryker. But the Green Diablo features a brighter green handle that complements the black-finished D2 blade.
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