When things get rough or situations are unknown, there’s nothing more comfortable than knowing you’ve got a back-up plan tucked away in your steel-toe boots.
Boot knives can be used for everything, from survival situations to last resort self-defense. Since they’re often concealed and frequently feature dual-edged blades, you should check with your local laws to see whether there are any restrictions.
But if you’re looking to pick up a new boot knife, these seven are among the best on the market.
CRKT Sting
Forged from one solid piece of steel, the Sting is a knife from the great A.G. Russell that features a simple but effective design as reliable as when it was first introduced in the 1970s. The overall length is just under 7 inches with a roughly 3.2-inch dual-edge blade. The blade and handle are made of 1050 carbon steel coated with a black powder finish.
A good sheath is essential in a boot knife, and the Sting delivers on that end. It comes with a custom nylon-stitched sheath with a glass reinforced nylon insert. Russell updated the design not long ago with the Sting 3B, but the original remains one of the best.
Smith & Wesson SWHRT9B H.R.T. Boot Knife
There are three boot knives on this list with nearly identical designs as the Smith & Wesson SWHRT9B H.R.T. Boot Knife, but we’ve received nothing but praises about the knife. This is one of the best-selling knives at Knife Depot. As I’ve written before, the knife is the perfect choice for a last-ditch weapon when things get rough.
A 4.74-inch double-edged blade is made from 7Cr17 high carbon stainless steel and coated with black Teflon. Its shapely handle is wrapped in black rubber while the grooved rings provide extra grip when holding the knife.
The leather sheath holds the knife in place with snap fastener.
Cold Steel Kobun
The Cold Steel Kobun is less of a dedicated boot knife than the others but it is more than capable of hanging around on your boot in wait of some action. At 4.4 ounces, the Kobun weighs less than the S&W boot knife with a longer blade. The 5.5-inch blade is made from Japanese AUS 8A stainless steel and features the American-style tanto blade that offers a durable design. It’s definitely on the larger end of a boot knife.