The Cutting Edge

The official blog of Knife Depot

Category: Knife Lists (page 1 of 5)

Top 10 First Knives to Give to a Kid

Getting your first knife is a step into adulthood. You’re given the knife with the implicit agreement that you’re responsible and old enough to be trusted with a tool that’s often misused by those who are reckless, untrustworthy, and immature.

Whether you’re giving someone their first knife or receiving it, there are some knives that are more appropriate for the occasion than others.

I first wrote this post way back in April 2012, so I decided to take a fresher look at some of the best first knives to give someone. Not only do I have two kids now but I’ve also learned a lot more about knives in the ensuing years.

Keep in mind that the knife is dependent on the age and maturity of the person  (for example, you wouldn’t want to give a Smith & Wesson MAGIC assisted opening knife to an immature 7-year-old).

The knives range in prices, designs, and styles. Check them out. For more recommendations, check out our first knives for kids and teens collections page.

Let us know your first knife in the comments!

Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Tinker

Swiss army knife classic

The Swiss Army Knife is the quintessential first knife for anyone. It was my first knife and probably yours. There are many reasons why you wouldn’t want to get an SAK for a first-timer but the opposite is true as well.

Since the Tinker is a bit smaller and still has a variety of tools, it could potentially come in handy more often and further empower the knife’s owner.

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Spyderco Ambitious

Spyderco makes an array of excellent knives that could work well for younger audiences. For example, there’s the Delica or Dragonfly (the latter of which you could get a wooden version as a trainer), but those tend to be a little more expensive. That’s why I argue the Spyderco Ambitious is the top choice from Spyderco.

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Top 10 Knife-Wielding Horror Movie Killers of All Time

This post was originally published in 2012 but was updated in 2022 to include more fear-inducing killers and their knives.

The slasher movie is the bread-and-butter of the horror genre: give a guy a mask, a giant, glistening blade, and a few busty cheerleaders to carve up and you’re almost guaranteed to sell a couple million tickets.

At the Cutting Edge, we’re, of course, not encouraging you to use your knives for anything violent, but at the same time, we’d be remiss if we didn’t spend a second during the Halloween season to recognize some of the most brutal slashers in film history.

I originally created this post way back in 2012 with a meager four movie killers. So, I decided to revisit this ancient post to give it new life with 10 horrific movie killers.

Patrick Bateman | American Pyscho

Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale in the 2000 movie American Psycho, is a yuppie, status-obsessed Wall Street banker with a penchant  for bloodshed. Whether he’s carving up a defenseless homeless man with a pocket knife or slaughtering a rival with an axe, this guy’s got a bevy of murderous blades in tow at all time.

He’s also a big fan of unleashing deeply profound, sensitive critiques of ’80s pop music before commencing murder.

Knife of Choice: Ax

Cold Steel Trail Boss

Even though he’s featured on the cover art with a kitchen knife, I don’t remember him actually using one in the movie. Instead, he uses a bunch of different weapons to murder people, ranging from his teeth to a pocket knife.

However, he seems to have the most “fun” with the ax. The one in the movie is most similar to the Cold Steel Trail Boss.

Jason Voorhees | Friday the 13th

When it comes to knife-wielding villans of the silver screen, few can match the body count of Jason Voorhees from The Friday the 13th Series.

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10 Seriously Small Knives

This post was first published in 2016 but updated in 2023 to include different models.

In this world of big-box stores and 128-ounce sodas, some say the bigger, the better. In the world of knives, however, that’s not always the case. Sure, you could get a truly massive folder like the Cold Steel Counter Point XL (which has a 6-inch blade) for hard-core tasks, but what about when you need to carry something light that can cut some twine or open a package.

That’s when smaller is better.

For those who want a lightweight knife that will slip unnoticed in any pocket or attach easily to a keychain, we searched our store for the smallest knives around. There are a lot of tiny knives out there, but these come with blade lengths around 1.75 inches and under.

CRKT Squid Compact

Blade length: 1.75 inches
Overall length: 4.65 inches

The Squid was already a small yet bulky folder that was consistently called one of the best little big knives ever made.

So when CRKT decided to shrink some of its popular folders even more, the Squid was a natural choice. The Squid Compact has a small but capable 1.75-inch blade and an overall length of 4.65 inches.

Despite its small size, it’s still a very capable knife.

Spyderco Bug


Blade length: 1.27 inches
Overall length: 2.9 inches

Spyderco makes some minuscule knives like the Ladybug and HoneyBee, but the Spyderco Bug is the tiniest of all. This cute little guy fits in the palm of your hand with a 1.27-inch blade. When engaged, the knife comes in at less than 3 inches long.

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Father & Son Knifemakers

This post was originally published in 2015 and has since been updated.

My son is only two years old, but I’m already looking forward to all things I’ll teach him about my trade. Unfortunately, the things I work with aren’t necessarily cool. Sure, blogging and the occasional graphic design is fun, but it’s not nearly as badass as making knives.

A select few fathers and sons have traded thoughts and ideas surrounding knives, and some have even collaborated on designs.

Since it’s the time of year when fathers and sons get together, we decided to take a look at the father and son duos in the knife world. Let us know in the comments if we made any glaring omissions.

Michael and Baltazar E. Martinez

michaelmartinezandhisfather2_fullMichael, along with his father Baltazar, invented a number of items over the years, but what they were best known for was the CRKT Ultima Fixed Blade. Michael Martinez is a sculptor, inventor, and martial artist who helped reinvent the fixed blade with the Ultima.

Here’s what Michael said at the CRKT site: “In my edged weapons training, I kept noticing how many knives didn’t feel right, didn’t have a grip that gave both control and comfort in the four fundamental tactical grips.”

His father, who was a mechanical engineer working on classified nuclear system design for the defense department for more than 30 years, contributed to the project by injecting his own design into the knife.

The result was a knife that achieved 22 out of 23 ideal contact points with its comfortable handle. Even though this father and son duo is mainly known for designing this one knife, they definitely deserve some recognition.

Sal & Eric Glesser

Few knife makers have brought such innovation and legitimacy to the knife world like the legendary Sal Glesser. Sal—the founder of Spyderco—not only pioneered features like the pocket clip, serrations, and ambidextrous opening hole but he’s also a very down to earth guy. You can find him frequenting knife forums and answering people’s questions with honesty and modesty. He designed the Delica, Endura, Military, Persistence, and many others.

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Top 20 Knives with D2 Steel

top knives with D2 steel

This post was originally written in September 2017 and updated in March 2023 to include newer models.

Finding the perfect steel is tough. Not only are there so many types available but there are also tons of factors to consider — price, ease of sharpening, hardness, corrosion resistance, and more.

The perfect steel is ever elusive, but you can pick the right steel for the job. If you want a steel that’s nearly stainless but has great edge retention and wear-resistance, opt for D2.

D2 tool steel has been around for a very long time. It became popular as a tool steel during World War II in factories. In terms of knives, knife makers Wayne Goddard and Bob Dozier pioneered the use of D2 steel in knives. In fact, Dozier is sometimes called Dr. D2.

Here is an excerpt from Steve Shackleford’s Blade Magazine post on why D2 is still so great after all these years:

While D2 may not be stainless, it remains a top performer due in no small part to its high wear resistance/edge-holding ability. “It will hold an edge for a very long time before it will go dull,” says Paul Tsujimoto, director of engineering at Ontario Knife Co.  Combined with its relatively inexpensive price, this makes D2 a favorite of manufacturers and custom makers alike. “For us, it’s the perfect combination of performance and an affordable price,” notes Dietmar Pohl of Pohl Force Knives. Agrees Devanna, “It’s the best bang for the buck because it’s priced reasonably and works well.”

While D2 does sacrifice ease of sharpening and some corrosion resistance, it remains an excellent choice for knife users everywhere.

If you’re interested in seeing what D2 has to offer, I collected a list of 20 knives that showcase the variety of D2 knives. Take a look.

1. CRKT Pilar III

The CRKT Pilar has been an unexpected hit the last few years. Although the larger Pilar was fine, it didn’t live up to the original. But the Pilar III definitely does.

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Top 6 Titanium Spyderco Knives

The Native 5 Fluted Titanium photographed by the spydercollector

The Native 5 Fluted Titanium photographed by the spydercollector

This article was first published back in May 2016. It was updated in November 2022 to reflect newer models.

Behold the wonders of titanium.

This metal alloy has so many advantages in its favor—from superior corrosion resistance to excellent durability—that it’s a coveted material. Even though it’s heavier than other materials like carbon fiber, titanium is surprisingly lightweight for a strong metal. The amalgamation of all these characteristics makes titanium one hell of a material for knife handles.

No company has done a better job at making titanium handles than Spyderco. So, we decided to take a look at six Spyderco knives that expertly utilized titanium handles.

1. Spyderco SpydieChef

titanium Spyderco knives

Let’s kick things off with one of Spyderco’s best knives available: the Spyderco SpydieChef. Back when this article was first published, it wasn’t out yet. Since its release, this titanium folder has vaulted up to become not just one of best titanium Spyderco knives but one of Spyderco’s best knives ever.

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15 Best Keychain Tools

Quick, empty your pockets.

If you happen to be outside the house, you’ll likely have at least three items: a wallet, phone, and keys. We’ve already talked about credit-card knives that fit into wallets and the iPhone multitool case, but that leaves us with keys.

Since your keys are always within reach whenever you’re outside the house, they’re a natural place to attach essential tools.

If you’re looking to make your keys even more useful, we’ve assembled this list of tools that fit right on your keychain.

Some of the tools we first wrote about when this was published in May 2015 have gone the way of the dodo, so we decided to give this list an update.

Gerber Shard

Gerber Shard

The Gerber Shard is a small and easy to carry piece of steel that doesn’t overwhelm with functions. The small tool has two screwdrivers, a pry bar, a nail remover, a bottle and can opener, a scraper, and whatever else you can get out of it.

The tool is 2.75 inches long and made of stainless steel with black titanium coating.

Victorinox Classic SD

Victorinox Classic SD

Perhaps the best-known multitool ever is the Swiss Army knife. The Victorinox Classic SD is not only one of the best-selling Swiss Army knives but it is also small enough to fit on your keychain.

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13 Best UK-Legal Pocket Knives

SOG Folding Knife

This post was originally published in April 2017 but was updated to include newer models.

There’s nothing like living in the great United States of America, but sometimes you simply have to get out to see the world. Unfortunately, not all of your knives can make the trip with you.

If you’re traveling to the United Kingdom (or live there), your knives will be heavily regulated and subject to confiscation if they don’t meet stringent requirements (and sometimes if they do).

Despite bin campaigns, increasing regulations on knife purchases, and a general demonization of all bladed tools, knife and gun crime saw a significant spike last year. That means knives will be under even more scrutiny.

You can still carry knives in the United Kingdom under very specific circumstances.

UK Knife Laws

Before we get into the actual knives you can carry, here are the basic knife laws in the UK.

British Parliament

“It is illegal to carry a knife in public without good reason – unless it’s a knife with a folding blade 3 inches long (7.62cm) or less.” It seems like it is therefore legal to carry a larger knife or even a fixed blade as long as it’s for “good reason” but I wouldn’t push my luck.

All locking knives are banned, including those in multitools (RIP Victorinox SwissChamp). There’s also a host of banned knives and weapons in the books, such as butterfly knives, flick knives, gravity knives, disguised knives, zombie knives (even those that fall under the regular regulations!), and more.

With that in mind, here are 12 UK-legal knives.*

*It’s very possible these knives will still be taken away so exercise caution no matter what.

1. Spyderco UK Penknife

Spyderco UK Penknife

Let’s start with the quintessential UK knife: the Spyderco UK Penknife. This knife typically tops all of these UK-legal lists because Spyderco designed this knife specifically with those laws in mind. The UK Penknife uses quality materials with a 2.93-inch CTS BD1 steel blade and an FRN handle. It weighs only 1.7 ounces and represents the best a typical US-made Spyderco has to offer.

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10 Folding Karambits For EDC

The karambit is an ancient agricultural tool created by the Minangkabau people of Indonesia and modeled after the claws of big cats. These days, the karambit has entered the knife realm as a versatile self-defense tool that allows for different fighting techniques, thanks to its curved design and finger ring.

While karambits are probably best known for their self-defense qualifications, they can also make great everyday carry tools. Not only do they have comfortable, ergonomic designs but the blades also sometimes work much better than straight edged blades in certain situations (like cutting rope, for example).

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10 Badass Knife Money Clips

This post was updated in April 2021 with more current models. It was originally published in August 2017.

Wallets are large, uncomfortable and bulky (if you’re lucky). But if you’re the kind of guy who’s bent on keeping your pockets as unobtrusive as possible and aren’t bogged down by rewards cards from places like Petco or Panera Bread, ditch the wallet for something a little more discreet and fashionable: a money clip.

The money clip is straightforward, unassuming, and typically boasts a nice metal design that’s more durable than any leather wallet. And to kill two birds with one stone, many money clips also double as a pocket knife.

To help you in your search for a new money clip and pocket knife, we’ve broken down some of the most interesting knife money clips. Continue reading

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