Top Knife Brands For Lightweight EDC Folders

January 19, 2024 iluvknives

Are you in need of a high-quality, lightweight folding knife that you can carry in your pocket on a daily basis and rely on? Faaaaantastic. Then look no further than these top 4 manufacturers: Benchmade, SOG, Spyderco, and Gerber. These brands offer a range of folding knives with features and designs that make them ideal for a variety of uses and lightweight carry. Each of these manufacturers brings their own unique approach to making durable, lightweight, and functional knives. Alright, time take a closer look at these options and see what makes each of them stand out. I’ll start off with a basic summary of each brand and then give you my top model for each manufacturer.

Benchmade

Famous for their sleek designs and durability, Benchmade is one of the major leaders in the knife industry. If you need a reliable and lightweight option, the Bugout 535 is a top pick. Made with G10 handles and an S30V steel blade, this knife is built to last and can handle just about any task you throw in front of it. Let’s talk about the weight… It’s quite light, weighing in at just over two ounces – PERFECT for everyday carry. You won’t have to worry about carrying a giant hunk of steel around, like you would with most Cold Steel products. Another great, even lighter, Benchmade option is the Mini Griptilian 555, but take in mind that it is smaller than the Bugout 535, so there are some limitations, but it may be perfect for someone who needs a more compact knife.

SOG

If you’re looking for a knife that can handle anything you throw at it, look no further than the SOG Flash II. This knife features a durable stainless steel drop-point blade and a grippy zytel handle. It also has a comfortable, ergonomic design that will fit your hand perfectly – even if you’re wearing gloves. And with its ambidexterous pocket clip, you can carry it however you prefer. If you’re looking for a more compact option, the SOG Vulcan is a great choice. It features a similar blade size with a more flashy design, making it perfect for everyday carry.

Spyderco

If you’re looking for a high-quality folding knife that you can count on, Spyderco is a great option. The Yojimbo 2 is a popular choice thanks to its lightweight design and strong, durable blade. It features a compression lock for easy one-handed operation and a G10 handle with a grippy texture. For those who prefer a stronger blade shape, the Manix 2 is another great option.v It features a full-flat grind and a solid lock mechanism, making it perfect for heavy-duty tasks.

Gerber

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, look no further than Gerber. Gerbers knives are known for being high quality knives that won’t break the bank. My favorite Gerber folder is the Gerber E-Z Out. Now, DON’T get the non-serrated version of this knife. Why? Because the serrations on this particular blade are AMAZING. Something about the geometry of the serrations made me EDC this knife for over a year exclusively. Now, this was before I had two nickels to rub together. So, if you are looking for a budget-friendly folder from one of the top knife brands, but still want a GREAT knife – Gerber E-Z Out.

Alright folks, that’s all I’ve got for this one. The bottomline is that you really can’t go wrong with any of these brands. These are world-class knife manufacturers that have a proven track record and numerous happy customers. If you end up picking up a blade from one of these knife makers then you’ll end up smiling from ear-to-ear knowing that the manufacturing process they used was well-above the ‘cheaper’ brands. Thanks for reading, and as always – Have a lovely day.

Best Budget Folding Knives

June 4, 2017 iluvknives

Best BUDGET KNIVES That Are PURE QUALITY

quality budget blades

Some of those in the knife community think that inexpensive or cheap means that a knife isn’t going to be the best of quality. Good news – That couldn’t be further from the truth. Some inexpensive blades have incredible attention to detail. Below is a list of what I believe are the best budget folding knives to date. All of these knives are below $50 as of June 3rd, 2017.

1. Kershaw Cryo

The Kershaw Cryo was the talk-of-the-town in the knife community when it first came out, and for good reason. With a low price and quality construction, this knife has quite the reputation. The Kershaw Cryo is an assisted knife, meaning that when you press on the back flipper, a spring will assist the knife into the locking position. The only real drawback to the Cryo is that the blade steel is a little soft. The Cryo sports a 2.75 inch 8Cr13MoV stainless steel blade. However, this opening and closing the knife is as smooth as butter. If you have never used a SpeedSafe knife by Kershaw before, then you have seriously been missing out.

2. CRKT Tighe Rad

The Tighe Rad is a fully functional EDC blade with a dual blade grind. While this knife is a little difficult to sharpen, it feels amazing in my hand. The ergonomics of the handle make this knife great. The blade shape and grind are a good look, but until you have actually had this knife in your hands, then you have no idea what you are missing out on.

3. Buck Bantam BHW

The Bantam BHW by Buck Knives is one of the first knives that I have ever bought. The reason that I love the BHW version of the Bantam series is because of the big 3.5 inch stainless steel blade that it sports. The Contoured Injection-Molded Textured Handle gives you a tight grip even when the knife is wet.

4. Kershaw Skyline

The Skyline is one of Kershaw’s top selling knives, and for good reason. For a budget knife that is made in the USA, it boasts a 14C28N stainless steel blade that can take a beating. Also the Skyline is extremely thin. I don’t even know that I have in my pocket half the time. This knife is the ultimate folding food preparation knife. It is also quite useful for camping.

5. Spyderco Spy-DK

This knife is legal almost everywhere in the world. I thought I should add a non-locking knife to the list, and this is the best one that I have ever used. While I am personally not a huge fan on non-locking knives, the Spyderco Spy-DK is one of my favorite knives of all time. It slides perfectly and doesn’t noticeably show in your pocket.

Awesome Blades & Unique Looking Knives

May 19, 2017 iluvknives

Here Are Five of the Most Awesome Blades and Unique Looking Knives That Man Has Ever Created. (Also They Are Completely Mall-Ninja Knives)

1. Edge of Sanity Full Tang Knife

Ever needed a knife with a handguard, glass breaker, serrations, and a saw all at the same time? No? Me either. But, dont get me wrong, this thing looks awesome. With an overall length of 14.50 inches and a blade length of 8.25 inches, this thing is essentially a small sword. While this knife looks completely useless, it is quite fun to take out into the woods and practice splitting wood and other soft materials. I wouldnt recommend this knife for anyone who is looking for the utmost quality, but this list is mostly just for fun, so dont take any of the knives on this list as serious contenders for an every day carry knife. I couldnt think of anyone who would want to carry this big chunk of steel around every day anyway.

2. Golden Assisted Stiletto

Here is another mall-ninja type of knife. This is definitely a unique blade. It is supposed to be a Scarface knife, but I doubt you will be scaring anyone up with this guy. This thing looks and feels awesome, but has the most flimsy liner-lock that I have ever witnessed. I have almost cut myself with this item numerous amounts of times. Beware, if you decide to get one of these awesome blades, you will have the urge to stab things, but I warn you not to. The blade will fold up on you if you apply too much pressure on the lock. The gold coat doesnt wear off easily though and this would be an awesome blade to have underneath a glass case.

3. TAC Force Chain Knife

No awesome mall-ninja knife list would be complete without putting a TAC Force knife into it. TAC Force makes some of the most awesome blades that tons of people buy and the quality is always hit or miss. With this knife in particular, I was actually surprised by the quality. I would actually carry this blade on a day to day basis. It definitely wouldnt last as long as my other, higher quality knives, but the construction is quite solid for a TAC Force knife. Also, this knife is bound to get some compliments if your friends are into knives. The Faux-chain on the back of the knife looks quite nice and the handle is actually decently comfortable to hold. Good job on this one TAC Force, maybe some day you can get your other knives up to this quality.

4. Spear Point Assisted Knife

I couldnt think of a more pointless knife, I mean, this knife only has a point. If making a useless knife wasnt enough, the manufacturer of this knife also decided to add assisted opening to it. Just like as with the above stiletto, this knife also has an absolutely terrible liner-lock. Terrible quality, completely useless, and totally awesome, this item has mall-ninja written all over it. Awesome blades unique looking knives it definitely is. The blade is so small, I dont know if I can legally consider it to be a knife. Bottom line, if you like wasting money, then you will love this knife.

5. CRKT Heiho

Alright, alright, I can see serious knife nuts cringing at this list So I decided to add one completely bad-ass and high quality knife. The CRKT Heiho comes razor sharp straight out of the box. The polished G10 handle looks great and feels amazing in your hand. I love this knife. CRKT has a custom locking system called LAWKS, which makes it a lot more difficult for the knife to accidentally close on you. If you like stabbing into lots of random items around the house, then you will love this knife. My favorite thing about these awesome blades is the clip. The clip is super low profile and sits really deep in your pocket, so nobody will know that you are carrying a knife. If you have the money, then the CRKT Heiho is worth every penny.

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