Category: Knife Lists (page 3 of 5)

Only about 10 percent of people are left-handed.

That means the vast majority of items and tools are made with right-handers in mind. Lefties have to put up with right-handed scissors, right-handed can openers, right-handed desks, etc. While the left-handed industry has grown over the years (they make left-handed everything nowadays like scissors and reverse spiral-bound notebooks), finding the same quality that right-handers are afforded is hard.

But it is not hopeless for left-handers. Right, Ned?

Fortunately, for all you lefties out there, some knifemakers are sensitive to your plight and have created truly ambidextrous knife designs. If you’re tired trying to adjusts to right-handed knives with their annoying liner locks, these 10 knives are great EDC options for left-handers.

1. Gerber Gator Knife

Gerber gets much maligned by knife experts for a number of reasons, including some that are well-deserved, but when they do something right, they do it really right. The Gerber Gator is the perfect example. This knife is a staple of the Gerber line and is made in the United States with quality materials.

The clip point blade is 420HC stainless steel and the textured handle is glass-filled nylon. You can grab the drop point in 154CM steel if your heart desires. But the real left-handed feature on the knife is the lock back mechanism (which is more specifically a mid lock). This mechanism can be used effectively with either hand.

There’s also no thumb studs or nail nicks on either side which means you can open it up by pinching the blade with either hand. Finally, a lack of clip won’t give you anxiety about which direction it should face.

2. Benchmade Griptilian Knife

If you want a truly ambidextrous knife, look no further than Benchmade. Essentially every knife in the lineup works seamlessly with the left hand thanks to the AXIS locking mechanism.

Here is the great Doug Ritter singing the AXIS lock’s praises on his site:

Operationally, the lock can be, and is in all the knives produced so far, completely ambidextrous since the locking bar extends through both side plates. While the lockback is also ambidextrous, the liner lock is not, and with few exceptions, southpaws have been left out in the cold when it comes to liner lock knives.

Because pretty much all Benchmade knives could be on this list, I narrowed it down to the two that are among the best EDC knives ever. The first to make the appearance is the Benchmade Griptilian.

There’s something about the design of the knife that makes it so darn functional and appealing. The originals featured an exceptionally grippy nylon handle with a 154CM blade. For those of us in regions with restrictions, the Mini Griptilian has a blade that comes in at less than 3 inches.

Then, of course, there’s the recently upgraded premium version of the knife with G10 handle scales, blue anodized titanium spacers, and premium CPM-20CV steel. Plus, the knife comes in all types of colors and black or satin blade coating.

There’s a Griptilian for every personality.

3. Al Mar Ultralight Eagle Knife

Al Mar is a legend in the knife community and the brand’s bird of prey line (Eagle, Falcon, and Hawk) are among the best EDC knives around. They’re a bit on the pricey end, but the Ultralight versions weighing in at less than 3 ounces are worth the price.

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We’ve heard it a million times. A knife should never ever be used for prying. If there were a 10 Commandments of Knives, “Thou shalt not pry with your knife” would be number one.

So why do so many people insist on using their knives to pry open cans or boxes when they know it could result in this? We usually have a knife on us and it’s just so convenient.

Fortunately, for every problems, there is a solution. You could simply not pry (but what’s the fun in that?), buy a separate mini pry bar, or pick up a knife that’s built to pry.

Unless you want to carry yet another tool as part of your EDC, I’d opt for a pry bar knife.

If you think pry knives don’t exist, you’re missing out on a whole world of possibilities. Here’s a list of 10 knives with pry bars.

1. KA-BAR BK3 Becker Tac Tool

For all intents and purpose, the BK3 Tac Tool is a sharpened pry bar. This collaboration between Ethan Becker of Becker Knife & Tool and John Benner of Tactical Defense Institute features a wicked 7-inch blade with a blunt tip and a flat, one-sided grind. It has partial serrations on the edge and a hook cutter on the spine.

This blade is 0.250 inches thick and can be used for prying, hammering, cutting, and smashing. This knife is designed to take a beating, which is why you don’t have to feel guilty when you use it to pry open a door.

2. Boker Pry-Mate

Next up is a knife with a punny name: the Boker Pry-Mate. This robust knife is designed with an eye toward prying. The blade is nearly 7mm thick—thicker than the Tac Tool—but only 3.38 inches long. The blade is made from N690BO stainless steel. This is an Austrian steel made especially for Boker with a focus on performance and durability. That’s a must if you’re going to be using it to pry lids off paint cans.

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Our look at the best-selling knives in different categories continues this week with the top-selling Swiss Army knives. Just like the previous entries into the best-selling knives, this is a general look at the knives our customers have been buying the most

This information is fluid and will change as time goes on. In fact, it has already changed. If you take into account the best-selling Swiss Army knives of the past few years, you’d see the Black Anodized SwissTool near the top, but since the item is no longer available, we’re not including it here.

This also takes into account some of the different variations. Here are some of the best-sellers.

5. Victorinox Huntsman

The Huntsman is a pretty recent addition to the list. It’s hard to say why this one is on the list, except for the fact that it’s a solid SAK. This model is essentially a lighter version of the Camper with tools like a large blade, small blade, corkscrew, wood saw, scissors, and a few others. It only weighs 3.5 ounces.

4. Victorinox Tinker

The Tinker is another one of those models with a small selection of tools. This 91mm SAK has similar tools as the Huntsman but without scissors. What gives the Tinker a leg up is the fact that it comes in a variety of colors, including black, sapphire, and red.

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Click here for 20 more ways people have tried to sneak knives on planes.

Don’t try to take your knives on planes!

We know the restrictions can be pretty stringent and unnecessary (at one point the TSA was going to allow knives back on planes before people flipped out), but knives are not allowed on planes.

Not only will your knives get confiscated but you will also be pulled aside and maybe even charged, depending on the situation.

We’ve written about this before way back in 2012 when the TSA shared how someone tried to smuggle a knife inside a jar of mayonnaise, but the organization has only become more brazen in sharing the things they’ve found. The TSA is still reviled by most people, but their Instagram account is a must-follow to see what kinds of things people try to take onboard planes.

In honor of the impending holiday season, here are 10 ways people have tried to smuggle knives on planes. (This isn’t counting the concealed knives like belt buckle knives and comb knives—only regular knives hidden in different places. We’ll save concealed knives for another post.)

By the way, if you’re planning on flying this holiday season, here is a post on TSA knife rules and ways to prevent your knife from being taken.

1. Inside a shoe (hidden beneath the sole)

Apparently this dude tried to take two knives onboard the plane—a bullet knife and what looks to be a balisong. A cutout was made in the heel.

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Machetes are among the most versatile and widely used tools in the world. In some regions, the machete is used as a household tool—chopping vegetables, cutting hair, doing yard work, etc.

As you can imagine, the widespread use of the machete has resulted in tons of variations. If you take a look at our Ultimate Machete Guide, you’ll notice at least 11 common types of machetes.

One of the most popular types of machetes is the kukri machete. Hailing from Nepal and neighboring countries, the kukri features a unique design with a high curved blade that’s mainly designed for chopping. However, it has a pretty sharp and strong point that also makes it useful for piercing. This is a tool that was historically used by the Nepalese military, but it’s now most commonly used as an everyday utility tool.

Because of its versatility and interesting look, the kukri machete has quickly become one of the go-to machetes in the United States. If you’re thinking about picking up one of these bad boys, here’s a list of the five best-selling kukri machetes at Knife Depot to help get your juices flowing.

5. Condor Tool & Knife Kukri Machete

In our machete guide, I pointed out that Condor Tool & Knife is not only a company with roots that date back to 1787 but it also specializes in outdoor tools like machetes. Condor TK really displays its talents with its iteration of the kukri. The Condor Tool & Knife Kukri Machete features a 13-inch 1075 carbon steel blade with a full tang that extends into the hardwood handle.

The butt of the handle is reminiscent of a parang, which helps keep your kukri from flying out of your hand during rigorous use. It comes with a black leather sheath.

4. Cold Steel Kukri Machete

Here’s what Cold Steel has to say about the kukri: “There’s no single edged tool that we can think of that can out-chop or out-cut a good Kukri.” Their version of the kukri is also 13 inches but uses 1055 carbon steel a polypropylene for its handle.

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The carabiner is a simple yet important tool that was first used back in 1911. The metal loop with a spring-loaded gate is widely used in rope-intensive activities like mountain climbing and window cleaning, but the tool has also been adapted over the years to accomplish smaller, less extreme tasks.

Aside from mountaineering and similar activities, the carabiner has become most commonly known for clipping keys to one’s belt loop.

Since these are becoming more and more common, the carabiner has begun to make it on knives (and vice versa). If you’re interested in attaching your knife to your bag or your keys to your knife, these knives with carabiners will do the trick. Note: Bear in mind that these aren’t designed for actual hard-core use.

Gerber Curve

The Gerber Curve is a unique multi-tool with an interesting design and a clip resembling a carabiner. Its spring-loaded gate is a dead giveaway. The knife itself comes with a few tools, including a knife, screwdrivers, nail file, and more. The tools lock with a cool device.

Again, this isn’t something you’d want to use while rope climbing, but it is something you could clip to a bag or a belt loop.

Leatherman Crater C33

Leatherman made more of a proper knife with a carabiner than the Curve. The Leatherman C33 Crater features s 2.6-inch blade made from 420HC stainless steel with a glass-filled nylon sheath. The Crater has a proper liner lock that makes it a functional knife for harder tasks.

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You’re never too old for video games… or at least that’s what I tell myself. Video games allow you to explore worlds where the laws of physics need not apply, worlds where the impossible becomes possible, worlds that make you reconsider your own moral compass.

But, of course, one of the best aspects of games is the variety of weapons game designers envision. Because swords in video games are often impractical but thoroughly impressive, we decided to compile a list of video game swords you can own in real life.

Many places, including the folks over at Man At Arms, have recreated some of the best video game swords, but the ones we’re highlighting are those you can actually buy for a reasonable amount.

Check out these replicas.

1. Sword of Altair – Assassin’s Creed

Over the eight or so year’s since the very first Assassin’s Creed came out, the series has spawned a whopping nine games as well as a ton of supporting games. One of the assassin’s the game explores is Altair Ibn-La-Ahad, and this is the sword he wields. According to the game’s Wiki page about the sword, it features cross guards shaped like an eagle’s wings with a pommel in the shape of an eagle’s head.

This is an excellent replica of the sword, coming in at 31 inches in length with a 440 stainless steel blade. The sword boasts some nice flourishes that make it worthy of any collector or cosplayer.

2. Rebellion – Devil May Cry

Devil May Cry was never a game on my radar. I nearly played the reboot, but my subscription to PS Plus expired. While I don’t have any special insight to share about the game, I do appreciate the iconic sword of Dante, the protagonist of the game. The large sword—dubbed the Rebellion—is a claymore with magical qualities.

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Spyderco is an institution in the knife industry. Even though they started off making knives without any care for aesthetic qualities, Spyderco knives are some of the most mimicked around.

People often ask me about the best or most popular model from Spyderco. Each Spyderco has its own attributes and qualities that may appeal to one person and not to another. I usually point them to our thorough article, which also has a list of the most iconic Spyderco knives. However, that doesn’t tell the full story.

Since people oftentimes speak truth through their wallet, I went into the sales of Knife Depot to look at the best-selling Spyderco models. Although this doesn’t mean they’re the best or most popular elsewhere, it’s a good indication as to what Spyderco knives people are looking to buy.

5. Spyderco Endura 4

It’s no surprise the Endura 4 is in the top five. Not only did it make our list of most iconic knives ever but it’s also touted as an important and game-changing knife that defines the brand. The Endura, now in its fourth iteration, was released in 1990 and looked unlike many other knives back then. Along with the Delica (which only missed this list of best-sellers by a hair), the Endura remains one of Spyderco’s masterpieces.

4. Spyderco Tenacious

Try to find a bad review of the Spyderco Tenacious. We’ll save you hours of searching and just tell you that there’s not much negative stuff out there. Spyderco can be polarizing, but they seemed to have found a sweet spot with the Tenacious. This knife is a budget EDC with a leaf-shaped blade, G-10 handles, and a liner lock.

3. Spyderco Military

The Military was the other Spyderco that made it on our list of most iconic knives ever. This knife is the cornerstone of the Save and Serve lineup and remains one of the most copied knives around. Like some of the other models on this list, the Military comes in a few styles, including models with a black blade and camo handle scales.

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