The Cutting Edge

The official blog of Knife Depot

Author: Tim (page 1 of 112)

Timothy Martinez Jr. is the community director for Knife Depot and the editor of The Cutting Edge. If you have any questions or ideas for The Cutting Edge, you can contact him at [email protected].

15 Bright Green Knives

best green knives

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.

Spyderco Pacific Salt 2, Green

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.

Kershaw Link, Olive

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 Green Diablo

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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10 Best EDC Fixed Blade Knives

Best EDC Fixed Blade Knives

This post was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2024 to include newer models and more knives.

We all know that folding knives make the best knives for EDC — they’re often lightweight, easily concealable, versatile and can be folded up into the pocket.

However, a small but growing number of people are ditching folders for fixed blades as their EDC knives. Why? A fixed blade can be more reliable, stronger, and a bevy of new designs means it can be just as compact and lightweight as a pocket knife.

If you’re thinking about starting to carry a fixed blade as an EDC in lieu of a folder, here are 10 of the best EDC fixed blade knives to start with.

CRKT Razel

Let’s kick things off with a knife that looks like a very functional fixed blade and that’s exactly what it is. The razel blade profile from the late Jon Graham has always been one focused on versatility. For example, the straight edge is great at slicing and opening up packages while the front of the blade excels at scraping.

The CRKT Razel is a great all-around EDC knife because it is unassuming, comfortable to use, and easy to carry with a pocket carry sheath.

When you add in the D2 steel, Micarta handle, and overall length of 6.75 inches, you get a

Cold Steel Urban Edge

It might seem crazy to put a push dagger on this list of best EDC fixed blades because it’s really only designed for one thing, but you’d be surprised at just how versatile the knife actually is.

This version of the Cold Steel Urban Edge has a 2.5-inch blade with one edge plain and the other serrated. This gives it an extra level of functionality when wielding around the house. Need to open a box? Use the plain edge. Need to cut some rope? Use the serrated edge.

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KA-BAR TDI Flipper – Knife of the Week

KA-BAR TDI Flipper

KA-BAR and John Benner of TDI have teamed up to create an array of compelling fixed blade self-defense knives, but when they tried a flipper folder, it just didn’t click.

After a complete revamp of the original design, the new and improved TDI Flipper nails the functionality and aesthetics.

The new KA-BAR TDI Flipper forgoes the straight blade and handle of the original and opts for something curved to better match the defensive advantages of the fixed blades.

Its blade is 3 inches long with a spear point blade profile that reinforces the tip. The knife opens with an easily accessible flipper tab or an oversized thumb hole. Either option gives the user access to the blade in a pinch, even when wearing heavy duty gloves.

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How to Identify an Old Knife

So, you picked up an awesome knife for $3 at a yard sale or your grandfather gave you his favorite blade and now you’re curious about what type of knife it is and what it’s worth.

Unfortunately, the simple task of determining a knife and its worth can be quite tricky.

But if you’re looking for a good place to start on your journey of identifying a knife, keep reading.

1. Find identifying marks or symbols

The first, and most obvious, place to start is with the knife itself.

Look for any sort of symbols, initials, or identifying marks. Certain symbols or scratches in the handle or steel of the blade are usually calling cards of certain knifemakers or brands. These are typically called maker’s marks and can range from symbols, scribbles, messy signatures, or logos. However, if there are no identifying marks, it’s very possible it’s a clone.

Sometimes a simple Google search on whatever is on the knife is enough to identify the brand or maker.

For example, let’s say you stumble upon an old slipjoint that looks like an antique with this marking:

A Google search on Graef & Schmidt will lead you to understand that it’s an old company from the early 20th century. Then, if you want an idea about how much it’s worth, take a look on eBay where they range from $20 to $350 depending on the model.

2. Get a reference book

How could a book be possibly better than the Internet? The Internet is new while most of the antique knives you’re searching for probably don’t have much information online.

There are plenty of reference books out there like Randall Knives: A Reference Book from 2007. But if you found a maker’s mark and can’t identify it, there is one book that rules over others: Goins Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings. It’s a big book of markings from history that will help any collector or enthusiast ID an old knife.

While the book appears to be out of print, the database might be available through Knife Magazine with a paid subscription. It’s unclear whether the online portion of the database search is available at the moment, so I recommend reaching out to Knife Magazine for more information.

3. Analyze construction and materials

If there aren’t any intentional identifiers on the blade, it’s still possible to narrow down the possibilities of where, when, and who it came from by simply looking at the qualities of the knife.

For example, if you have a knife with a specific type of lock, you can usually narrow the date it was manufactured with a little research. You could also narrow down where it was made by looking at its style and influence.

I’ve been asked to identify hundreds of knives throughout the years, and 90 percent of the time, the knives are made using cheap materials or by copying well-known designs or knife makers. If that’s the case, it’s very possible it comes from China or Pakistan and is worth very little monetarily.

If the construction is poor or things don’t quite fit together seamlessly, that can be another indication it’s just a simple Chinese-made knife.

4. Browse through eBay

Earlier, I suggested browsing eBay to find the value of a knife that you identified. However, it can be an option if you’re still looking to identify a knife.

For example, if you have a what looks like a stockman — which is a nonlocking folder typically with three blades — you can search something like vintage stockman with bone handle and you’ll see a list of potential matches.

5. Post your picture on websites

The Internet gives you access to billions of people, including many helpful knife enthusiasts. However, people don’t really want to be bombarded with questions asking “what knife is this and how much is it worth?” That’s why I only recommend going this route if you’re exhausted all other avenues and determined that it could be historically significant.

There are many websites, such as Blade Forums, where you can submit pictures of your knives and they’ll do their best to identify your knife. There are also a growing number of knife-related subreddits on Reddit like r/knifeclub, r/knives, r/bladesmith, and more. There’s now even a r/KnifeID subreddit.

Help identify mysterious knife
byu/superbeefwithcheese inknifeclub

7. Go to a knife expert

Finally, if you’re all out of ideas and no one can help you, it’s worth seeking out a knife expert or museum curator. You never know if your knife is so rare and valuable that not many people know about it.

Kershaw Launch 16 – Knife of the Week

Kershaw Launch 16

When it comes to hard-use work autos, there are only a few worthy of consideration like the Gerber 06 Auto and Benchmade Auto Adamas.

Those older models finally get a modern competitor at a much lower price in the Kershaw Launch 16.

The Launch16 is a hard-use automatic knife with a 3.45-inch tanto blade with partial serrations. The blade uses M4 steel, which is one of the toughest alloys around. In fact, this knife is so good we named it one of the best automatic knives.

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15 Strange and Unique Blade Shapes

From the infamous Shark Knife to the slew of amazing art knives by Paul Ehlers, we’ve covered an array of interesting knife designs on this blog.

One thing we haven’t really touched on are bizarre blade shades. Sure, various novelty knives like the Scorpion Knife qualify for this post, but we decided to bring you only real knives that are functional—or at least were meant to be functional.

This post was originally published way back in September 2013 (10 years ago!), so we decided to give it an update by replacing older less unique blades and adding in some newer models.

1. Microtech Jagdkommando

In the world of bizarre blade designs, the Microtech Jagdkommando is one of the kings.

Even though this knife is no longer made by Microtech, it’s still one of the most unique blades ever made. It is essentially three razor-sharp edges that spiral into a piercing point.

This knife was criticized by many for the fact that it has almost no functional use, except for hurting someone… and hurting them very badly. Still the blade design is novel and interesting to look at.

2. CRKT Razel

The Razel blade design by the late Jon Graham was originally on the list and remains a worthy addition.

This blade design is one of the newest blade profiles to come out since others like the drop point, tanto point, clip point, and spear point have been around for decades.

Unlike the Jagdkommando, the Razel is highly functional and downright useful. Anyone who’s owned the knife loves it and the chisel point makes it really versatile. It’s not something you would ever put on display though.

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Spyderco Military 2 | Knife of the Week

Spyderco Military 2

The original Spyderco Military was introduced in 1996 and quickly became one of the most iconic knives of all time. The knife came about after someone asked founder Sal Glesser what folding knife their son should take into the military.

For nearly three decades, the Military excelled as a lightweight yet hard-use folder you could bet your life on.

However, Spyderco is never a brand to rest on its laurels and finally updated the classic knife into something even better.

Take a look at the Spyderco Military 2.

The second iteration has the same general design with a few much-appreciated quality of life improvements.

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10 Best-Selling Kershaw Knives at Knife Depot

best-selling Kershaw Knives

Since 1974, Kershaw Knives has been making some of the best EDC pocket knives on the market. If you don’t believe me, just look at the numerous awards handed out to Kershaw every year at the BLADE Show.

While some companies have ups and downs in their reputation, Kershaw has been going strong for decades with no sign of stopping.

We first wrote this post way back in August 2014 with the best-selling Kershaw Knives from Knife Depot. The list looks (almost) nothing like it does today. For a quick refresher, the top knives were the Leek, Blur, Amphibian, Clash, and Shuffle. As a sign of the times, two of those knives have been discontinued and another has fallen out of the top-sellers.

Best-selling Kershaw Discontinued Amphibian

Discontinued Kershaw Amphibian

To help you see what others are buying, we decided to update this old post with the best-selling Kershaw knives at Knife Depot over the past few years. Quantity sold and gross sales were factored in.

Let us know if any of the knives surprised you.

10. Kershaw Launch 11

We’re going in reverse order to the best-selling Kershaw knife, so coming in at number 10 is the Kershaw Launch 11.

As you’ll notice throughout the list, there are a ton of Launch knives on this list, and the rest are sitting just outside the top 10.

The Launch 11 is a top-notch auto with a smaller 2.75-inch blade and aluminum handle with an open design. It has some nice flourishes like a titanium pivot ring, integrated backspacer, and slim pocket clip.

9. Kershaw Blur

The Kershaw Blur took quite a fall in the past few years in terms of top-selling Kershaw Knives, but this iconic Ken Onion knife is still up there.

The Blur is a robust assisted-opener with curves in all the right places. The blade is 3.4 inches with a modified drop point blade. The handle is aluminum with Trac-Tec inserts that make it comfortable to hold in all types of conditions.

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Cold Steel Ti-Lite Kris – Knife of the Week

Cold Steel Ti-Lite Kris

Knives often struggle finding a balance between offering something unique or eye-catching and something highly functional. The Cold Steel Ti-Lite Kris manages to perfectly blend the two extremes together.

Way back in 2019, the original Ti-Lite was a Knife of the Week because of its large size and slim design. However, the Kris version takes things to a whole other level.

This Ti-Lite has the same dimensions, including a 6-inch blade, Zytel handle, and impressive reach. What really sets it apart is the blade.

The blade takes inspiration from the asymmetrical Javanese dagger with a wavy edge. The daggers were mostly ceremonial, but they also excelled at self-defense.

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10 Best OTF Knives

best OTF knives

When you need a knife that can open and close in a blink of an eye with a single hand, there is only one choice: an OTF knife.

An OTF, which stands for Out The Front, is a type of knife where the blade comes out of the front of the handle rather than the side.

These types of knives have become increasingly popular with tons of varied and compelling designs from the top brands like Kershaw, Boker, Benchmade, and more. We’ll know they’ve finally crossed the mainstream when we finally get an OTF version of the Buck 110!

Our team took on the unenviable task of narrowing down some of the best OTF knives you can currently buy. Before we get into the list, let’s take a quick look at the background of the OTF.

A Brief History of the Best OTF Knives

Although the OTF seems like a modern invention, the first OTF was supposedly patented in the late 19th century, but I couldn’t verify the information widely spread across the Internet.

Instead, some of the earliest OTF knives that were widely used date back to the World War II when paratroopers used OTF knives as emergency tools. Unlike modern OTF knives, these were gravity knives, meaning the user disengaged a lock and used gravity to slide the blade out.

The designs have gone through multiple evolutions like the Kershaw Ripcord, Smith & Wesson Power Glide, and even box cutters. More recently, we’ve settled on dual action automatic OTF knives that open and close with the push of a switch as the default OTF design.

Let’s just into the best OTF knives you can currently buy.

1. Benchmade Infidel

Let’s start with an obvious entry on this list of best OTF knives: the Infidel.

The Benchmade Infidel has been by far one of the top-selling OTF knives since it was introduced in 2006. If you collect knives, this is likely a prized center of that collection.

What made the Infidel such a big hit at the time (and even these days) is its robustness and utility. It caught the eye of military and law enforcement personnel because of its dual action design and general toughness.

Over 15 years later, the Infidel is still a top-seller, thanks to its 3.95-inch D2 steel dagger blade and aluminum handle.

2. Kershaw Livewire OTF

From the  oldest knife on this list, we go to the newest. In 2023, Kershaw released its very first automatic OTF knife to much fanfare.

Kershaw is well-known for its high-quality Launch series of automatic knives and the brand has been exploring manual OTF designs like the Kershaw Interstellar and Kershaw Kapsule. It only made sense for them to merge its knowledge of OTFs and automatics into something amazing.

The result is the Kershaw Livewire.

It has a pretty tried-and-true design that doesn’t break barriers. Its aluminum handle is comfortable and durable with welcomed texturing. Its 3.3-inch blade features a stonewashed finish.

The three main selling points of the knife are its use of MagnaCut super steel, its US-made reliable construction, and its competitive price tag for what it’s offering.

3. Boker Plus OTF

Boker itself makes some really great OTF knives like the unique Boker Plus USB OTF and Boker Kalashnikov OTF, but its collaboration with Hogue Knives is off the charts.

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