Category: Best Knives (Page 4 of 4)

10 Best Benchmade Knives

February 19, 2019 / Glenn / 11 Comments

We’re continuing our trek through the best knives from each brand. This time we take on the formidable butterfly brand.

What’s interesting about Benchmade is that this list is populated by a lot of newer models, which is somewhat surprising from such a storied brand. That’s partly due to the fact that Benchmade has been going on quite a tear recently with some excellent new knives.

As always, these lists are highly subjective, so let us know which models you think are the best in the comments.

Benchmade Griptilian

We’ll start with a no-brainer: the Griptilian. Despite being around for such a long time, the Grip family remains one of Benchmade’s best offerings — both because it’s an excellent design and because it’s almost become a budget option from the brand.

At this point, the Griptilian has undergone a lot of changes and you can get the knife in different blade steels, blade profiles, handle colors, and handle materials. The standard is now S30V steel and nylon scales.

Because we want to keep this list somewhat clean, we’re including Mini Grips here too. I still carry my Mini Grip frequently.

If I had to pick the best Grip, it would be the 555-1.

Benchmade Freek

The Freek was talked about as a Griptilian killer when it was introduced a few years ago. While the Freek did not kick the Grip to the curb, it did prove itself to be one of Benchmade’s best. In 2019, Benchmade released a premium version of the Freek with M4 steel and G-10 handles.

10 Best Victorinox Knives

October 5, 2018 / Glenn / 10 Comments

Availability note: Selected Victorinox models are available again at Knife Depot. Shopping links below identify the stocked models and versions; other descriptions and photos remain for reference.

We’re continuing our trek through the best knives for each brand. It’s time for Victorinox to step up to the plate. After Wenger closed down for good and was acquired by Victorinox, the Swiss knife company is the definitive maker of the Swiss Army Knife.

Boasting more than 13 decades of existence, the knife company has continued to evolve and bring hundreds of different SAK designs. Narrowing down the 10 best is kind of a fool’s errand simply because there are so many options that you can get the exact model you like.

Still, there are a few standout models that showcase the best Victorinox has to offer.

Let’s get to it.

Victorinox SwissChamp

We’ll start with the company’s flagship model — the SwissChamp. In terms of actual carrying, the SwissChamp is far from the best. But it allows Victorinox to showoff its knife-making prowess. It has eight layers with 33 functions that range from a magnifying glass and saw to fish scaler and pliers.

Even though it’s not meant for EDC, this is a knife you can conceivably carry in your pocket or on your person without feeling insane.

Victorinox Pioneer

The Pioneer is the civilian version of the Soldier, which is considered the “true Swiss Army Knife.” The only difference is that it adds a keyring. Unlike many of the other SAKs on this list, the Pioneer features handsome Alox scales that give it a different look and feel. The tools are pretty pared down with only eight functions, such as a large blade and reamer.

Top 15 Folding Knives with CPM-S30V Steel

October 27, 2017 / Glenn / 16 Comments

The quest for the perfect steel is never ending. Just as one steel is praised as the perfect steel, another one comes along to claim the title.

There is no perfect steel. Some of the super steels these days like S110V and M390 are at the top of the line for edge retention but can be very difficult to sharpen without the right tools. Beater steels like 420HC and 440A dull pretty quickly but can be brought back to razor sharp without effort.

For a while CPM-S30V was the top of the line steel. The premium steel boasts some of the best qualities of a good knife steel: it has great edge retention, solid corrosion resistance, and average ease of sharpening. Here’s what Buck Knives says about S30V: “We consider this the absolute best blade steel available, and it is made in America.”

The steel was developed by Chris Reeve and Crucible Industries and contains a 1.45% carbon, 14% chromium, 4% vanadium, and 2% molybdenum. The alloy composition creates an even distribution of vanadium carbides that improve sharpness and edge retention.

S30V has become pervasive in the knife community, though it does vary depending on who does the heat treatment.

If you’re interested in getting a knife with S30V steel, here are 15 of the best knives with S30V steel blades, including a few currently in stock at Knife Depot.

Spyderco Paramilitary 2

We’ll start off with the legend. The Spyderco Paramilitary 2 is widely billed as one of the best all-around EDC knives ever made and part of what made it so great is the S30V steel. These days, the PM2 can also be found in S110V or in many other steels during special runs (CTS-XHP, M390, M4 Cru-Wear).

The knife itself is a bit on the larger side with a nearly 3.5-inch leaf-shaped blade and grippy G-10 handle scales. The knife uses Spyderco’s popular Compression Lock and all the pieces seem to fit together just seamlessly.

If you don’t have one in your collection, get one now.

Browse current pocket knives

Gerber 06 Manual Combat

Gerber? Oh, yes. Gerber actually has a few knives in S30V steel, but the first we’re highlighting is one of the best American-made folders the company has to offer: the Gerber 06 Manual Combat.