Photo by Zoltron
It used to be that a pocket knife was an essential item that a man carried with him. You had your wallet, your keys, and your trusty pocket knife.
The History of the Pocket Knife
1st Century Romans created the first folding pocket knife. They made for easy carrying for soldiers and other explorers on their journeys and conquests. However, as the use of sheathed knives became more popular, the use of pocket knives fell somewhat into disfavor.
By the late 16th Century, pocket knives began to regain popularity. They were especially popular in the American colonies. From farmers to lawyers, men from all walks of life started to carry them. The ultimate portable tool, the pocket knife was a useful aid in various tasks, including eating on the go.
Pocket knives have been an essential tool for soldiers throughout American history. New York and New Hampshire required their militias to carry pocket knives during the American Revolution. Even George Washington toted one around as he led his troops. The U.S. Navy began issuing pocket knives to sailors during the Civil War. During WWII, the pocket knife was standard issue for American GIs.
Men have been carrying pocket knives for centuries. But with increased security at the airport and other buildings, knives have been disappearing from men’s pockets. Yet these minor obstacles are not sufficient reason to give up carrying a knife completely. The carrying of a pocket knife is a man tradition that should be continued.
Why a Man Should Carry a Pocket Knife
How many times have you been in a situation where you’ve said to yourself, “Damn, a knife would be really handy now!” Here are a few instances when a pocket knife can come in handy or just make the simple things in life more enjoyable:
1. Opening a box.
2. Cutting rope, tags, and string.
3. Cutting an apple. I love eating an apple that I’ve cut with my pocket knife, slice by slice. You feel like a bad ass doing it. You hold the apple in your non-dominant hand and then make a slice with the knife using your dominant hand. After you make the slice, pinch it between your thumb and knife blade. Bring the blade to your mouth and deposit the apple slice.
4. Opening a letter. Sure, you could use your finger, but using a knife is just more manly.
5. Weapon. Not the most effective, but it’s better than nothing.
6. Camping. How else will you sharpen the point of a stick in preparation for stabbing your prey? And by prey I mean hot dog.
7. You never know when you’re going to have to MacGyver your way out of a crisis. Be prepared.
8. You need something to clench in your teeth when swinging from a rope.
What kind of pocket knife should you get?
Picking out a knife is a personal thing. It’s like picking out a wallet. It all comes down to personal taste. Men have a bond with their tools. Pick something that feels good in your hand, and that you’ll take pride in and want to carry around.
There are three common designs of pocket knives: the jack knife, the pen knife, and the multi-purpose knife. We’ll discuss the features and benefits of each one, in order to help you decide what kind of knife you should get.
Jack knife. A jack knife has a simple hinge at one end, and may have more than one blade. The jack knife is popular among hunters, fishermen, and campers.
Pen knife. A pen knife is hinged at both ends of the handle, and usually has two or three blades at each end. The pen knife was originally designed to cut or sharpen pen quills for writing. The pen knife is good if you want more than one type of blade. It’s also small and lightweight and won’t be noticeable in the pocket of dress clothes.
Multi-purpose knife. These are probably the most popular pocketknives. The Swiss Army knife and the Handyman are probably the most well known of the multi-purpose knives. Boy Scout knives are also multi-purpose knives. In addition to the knife blade, multi-purpose knives have can openers, scissors, leather punchers, tweezers, or even screwdrivers. These can come in handy on camping trips. However, if all you’re looking for is a sharp blade, the extra features will probably annoy you.
There are variations of these knife designs that you should take into account as well. Here are few to think about:Lock blade knife. The name of the blade explains it all. When you open the blade fully on this type of knife, the blade locks in place. Closing the blade requires you to release the blade by pressing down on a lever located near the back of the knife handle to disengage the hook from the notch that keeps the blade in place. A lock blade is useful for more heavy duty use. A good example of a lock blade knife is the Buck knife.Slipjoint knife. On a slip joint knife, the blade doesn’t lock, but is held in place by a spring device that allows the blade to fold only if a certain amount of pressure is applied. Most pen knives or multi-purpose knives use the slipjoint blade. Because the blade is less stable, it should only be used for light jobs.
Friction folder knife. This is another method of a non-locking blade. Friction folder knives use friction between the blade and the scales to hold the blade in place once opened.
One handed opening. Newer knives have a feature that allows for one handed opening. On the top of the blade, there is a hole that enables you to place the pad of your thumb in. Just press up and BAM, you got an open knife. This feature makes using a pocket knife much easier, especially when you have your hands full.
Where to Get a Pocket Knife
The best pocket knifes to have are the ones with a sense of history. I carry around a pocket knife that my father gave to me. It’s still in really good shape, and with regular sharpening cuts like new. It’s something tangible that reminds me of my father. One day I hope to pass it down to my son. So ask your dad if he has an old pocket knife that he can give to you. I’m sure he’ll be happy to pass it along.
If you can’t get a hand on an old pocket knife, or the one your dad or grandpa gave you is no longer usable, pick yourself up a new one. You can find pocket knives at any outdoor store. Better yet, find a knife store in town so you have a wider selection to choose from.
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The knife should be “sharp”, more people are injured with a dull knife then with a sharp one. A “real” man always carrys a knife.
Benchmade. Lion Steel. Uncle Henry. Amnd a very few others. Avoid stainless for the most part and powder steel like the plague because they chip. D2 is the best common steel today, though most places temper it too damned hard. If I were to pick one out of the current lineup it would be a Benchmade McHenry & Williams despite its considerable size. Traveling, beware that some countries like the UK ban lockbacks. I don’t care so much if a knife is a lockback but I do want one-handed opening.
Need me a hardcore knife this year for sure.
I carry a simple Gerber that serves me pretty well. I work in an office so a basic knife suits me well. My father and grandfather carried poket knives for simple day to day things. Sheathed knives for working in the yard. I can slide the Gerber in the watch pocket in my jeans along with a disposible lighter. I also have an Opinel folding knife that I have found to be great as well for light daily use.
Gerber : http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-22-08448-Paraframe-Knife-Stainless/dp/B000VL4G08/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hg_3
Opinel No.7: http://www.amazon.com/Opinel-Carbon-Folding-Beechwood-Leather/dp/B00B0YE7LS/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1359488164&sr=1-4&keywords=opinel+7
I usually carry my old Swiss army knife – use it as a key chain and opening tins every now and then.
Here in the Philippines, we have something called a “balisong” or butterfly knife. They used to be owned mostly by Filipino men for self-defense in the old days. Now, they’re more of a tourist souvenir. Maybe you would want one for your collection when you happen to visit my country.
Cheers gents!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balisong_%28knife%29
My dad gave me my first knife, a Barlow, when I was nine which I promptly lost in a creek. I returned day after day looking for it with no success. I felt terrible even though he never said a word about it.
Over the last fifty something years I have passed on more pocket knives than I can count (always with parents permission and always with a short talk about responsibility) to youngsters along the way.
These small tokens are often the first real tool a boy can call his own and I’ve always enjoyed facilitating a rite of passage.
I have 10 grandchildren, and at age 8, each was given their choice from my collection of pocket knives. Despite cautionary words, all but one of them cut a finger within the first 1/2 hr. All but one still has their knife. The one’s knife was taken away by her mother for “safekeeping” but it can no longer be found.
I carry a tactical 4 ” that opens up with a flick of the wrist and it looks
really cool (and manly) when you
do this. I have found the day I don’t carry it’s the day I could have used it.
Great information as usual keep up the good work.
Hey gents. Few extra words about the pocket knife…. First, I only carry American steel if I can. Cost can be more, but the quality and length of time the knife holds an edge is worth it to me. I like Gerber’s Auto 06 as my everyday carry. S30V steel is an excellent Mix of strength, hardness and toughness for a daily tactical type blade. Here is a neat tip though…
*Your state probably has an outlet for all those seized knives from TSA at the airport. In Texas, we do. I buy Victorninox blades for $2-$8. I’ve seen Gerber XL para frames for $5… By the dozens or more. Might save you some cash.*
I teach edged weapons and they are excellent weapons. Most people are about as likely to have about as much time and opportunity to use a knife for self defense as they are to use a sniper rifle for the same thing. That said, it is effective. Check out Boker, Kershaw, and Spyderco for the most bang for the buck. My personal favorite, and my EDC is a Chris Reeve Large Sebenza.
Yeah, the comment about a pocket knife NOT being the most effective weapon is largely a perspective thing. If you really really need to blow something up, us a grenade, or an ICBM. If you NEED to take out an insurgent from three miles away while compensating for the borealis effect, then, yeah a pocket knife isn’t necessarily your first choice. If your state or area doesn’t have CCW/CPL laws, then a pocket knife (with proper training) is an eminently effective defensive weapon… A CRKT Crawford Kasper or one of their M-16 series blades, is a great choice at a working mans price (and carrying a knife named after a gun sounds cool too). For training check out Pekiti Tirsia or some other Phillipino/Filipino arts … those guys are NOT fooling around. Jim Grover, from Paladin Press fame has some good stuff too. Rock on. Rock hard. Save Your life, and look cool doing it … Remember, It’s the American WAY!!!
I think that in the article it should not suggest that the only one hand opening knives have a hole at the top. The Spyderco patented design that is being alluded to is certainly not the only one hand open option. If they are going to use that wording they should give credit to Spyderco, as they did to Buck and others.
One thing to remember is that all states have laws regulating knives and even some cities have local ordinances. Blade length is restricted in many places as well as the method of opening. I think most people know that switchblades are illegal, but so are gravity knives and in many states in the U.S. Balisong/butterfly knives.
Case makes some nice pen and jack knives in CV (non-stainless) steel, and they won’t break the bank. The Buck 55 and Gerber LST are both good choices, and the K-Bar Mini_Doziers are terrific for the cost. If you really want traditional function, get a stockman from one of the major manufacturers.
I second the recommendation for the Benchmade McHenry & Williams. Great all-around utility blade shape, and the axis lock is slick and secure. The small 707 Sequel model is significantly handier for every day carry. I was lucky enough to score a limited edition with D2 steel and walnut inserts. Had to leave it behind when I traveled to Japan because of their laws and felt undressed the whole time. It’s hard to open those bento boxes without one!
Kershaw Ken Onion Leek 1660CKT in Silver, without serrated edge. It will make you happy every day you carry it. Ebay has ‘em for under $40.
CRKT and Kershaw are good ones: good steel, proper heat-treatment, quality materials and workmanship. ;And they’ll hold an edge well.
Unless rust-resistance is a top factor for you, stay away from 440-series stainless; it won’t rust, but won’t hold an edge very well, either. Stain-resistant steels like D2 and ATS34 are very good, and if you take care of your blade a good carbon steel works just as well as it has for, oh, a couple of thousand years or so.
While living in the Rockies I carried a Leatherman Charge TTi on my belt every day and everywhere – home, office, shopping, and never felt out of place.
Since moving back east I stopped wearing the Charge since it tended to attract stares or leave people with the impression that I was the maintenance man. Now I carry a CRKT Ignitor clipped in my front pocket, but I miss the all around usefulness of the Charge. One day I will find a craftsman who can custom make a carry pouch that looks like a cell phone case.
If Leatherman was smart they’d do it themselves.
FWIW, There’s a rhyming expression in Czech: “Kazdy muz ma mit nuz.”, ie., “Every man should have a knife.”
I like the steel in Kershaw knives, but every one I’ve ever had broke in the mechanism within a year or two.
Just remember when travelling that it is illegal to carry a knife in the UK (there is a distinction when it comes to length, however it is best not to have one at all).
CASE, hands down. American made, and real quality. They come in a variety of patterns and handle materials so your pocket-knife can be as personal as you want it. Personal favorites include the Medium Stockman, Gunstock, or Doctor’s knife.
i used to carry a knife with me everywhere. unfortuantely, my job bans knives other than basic box cutters from thier site, (Although usually the old “Swiss army knife” gets a pass) so i stopped carrying one. Also, I’ve found that as I’ve gotten older, that hard lump in my pocket isn’t comfortable. (my cell phone tends to take up that space now.)
For awhile I carried a neat little lockback clip knife. Basically a 3 inch long very flat folding knife that had a spring clip on it so you could just clip it to the inside of your pants pocket. Not terribly durable, as knives go, but mighty convenient. I lost it a while back, but I might pick up another of those. Much easier to carry around than a bulky multi-tool knife or traditional horn handle lockback.
Matt, I recently lost the little clip knife I used to carry and just bought a replacement on
Amazon for $18. Three inch Gerber Paraframe. Good shape for self-defense (if small), but I’ve only used it to open letters and packages. In a manly manner, of course.
After reading this article back in 2008, I bought a cheap, used Stockman Sabre 630 to carry in addition to my $150+ 154CM Benchmade defense knife. Today, I discovered “The Art of Manliness” of this cheap little pocket knife.
I was walking through a big-box home improvement store when I saw a gentleman approximately a decade older than me trying to remove, by hand, a long piece of plastic that had become entangled in the wheel of a shopping cart a lady was pushing. Seeing that he was making no progress, I walked up, removed the knife from my pocket, opened the blade and handed it to him handle first. He very politely accepted it and proceeded to cut the plastic from the wheel. Amazingly, he knew proper knife etiquette and returned it to me in the manner in which it was received.
Then, the amazing thing happened – The lady whom he was helping thanked him, but then turned to me and said, “You remind me so much of my grandfather: Quiet, unassuming, but always prepared. Men like him are hard to find these days.” She thanked us both again and then left.
The gentleman then turned to me and thanked me for bailing him out. “You really helped me save face there. Thanks for letting me use your knife instead of just taking over and doing it yourself. . . but I think you got the girl anyway!”
The Art of Manliness – respect from the men and admiration from the ladies. It’s a win-win.
I’ve actually always carried a pocketknife. The small town I’m from, all the men and boys did. I used to carry my grandfather’s old Imperial Scout knife, with a deer on the handle. I carried it up until last month, when I replaced it with a Swiss Army Knife. I did so because I was beginning to become afraid of losing it or damaging it, so it sits in my duck head valet now(it was his valet as well, and it has a duck’s head on it, not made by duckhead). It’s one of those things I can’t imagine not having, along with my Zippo, handkerchief, and wallet.
Lisa-
To answer your question, the proper age to receive a knife is left entirely up to parents. My parents let me have my first knife when I was 7, and I was in Cub Scouts from that time until I was 10(I would’ve made Eagle Scout, but I’m from a town of 375 people in Alabama, and no one there believes in progress, which is why I left). A year later, I was shooting a gun for the first time. It sounds like you guys have drilled safety into his head, which is what my father did to me as well. It sticks. All my guns are unloaded with the chamber open so I’ll know they’re unloaded, and while my pocketknife stays razor sharp, I don’t play with it. It sounds like the police and other people in your town are closed-minded, and obviously don’t believe a boy should be a boy. 4″ and over is usually considered a weapon, and 3 1/2″ and below is not. So, with that being said, it also sounds like y’all are being picked on for no reason. From what I’ve learned, if a boy learns how to use a knife or a gun at an early age, along with the safety, they’re less likely to stab themselves or shoot themselves in the foot. There was a kid I went to school with who shot his thumb off because he didn’t know diddly about guns, and his parents were the type to take him to the ER for a scrapped knee. I’d say you two were being picked on above all else.
Matt B,
There is no hard and fast rule for a knife being considered a weapon or not. Every locality and state varies.
At the end of the day, knives are just tools. They can be used as weapons if needed, but they’re tools.
I even consider firearms tools, but knives are purely tools in my eyes. Just like a hammer or a screwdriver.
I guess that is just how I was raised.
I’ve carried Cold Steel knives off and on for about 8 years, and they’re pretty good value-for-money. Ryan (above) mentioned this, but definitely check out your state and local weapon rules. Cleveland, where I live, for example, has an absurd 2.5″ blade length limitation for a knife not to be considered a concealed weapon.
I’d also recommend considering your office culture. In smaller offices, where your colleagues know you well enough to feel they can trust you, you’ll probably be safe, but most schools (obviously), colleges, and large corporations are paranoid about weapons these days and have hard-and-fast rules about bringing a knife of any size on company property. Getting caught without your handy knife bites, but losing your job because you didn’t read the handbook is worse.
@ Setter Rob,
Stainless steel for a knife is just fine, provided you use the knife the way it’s supposed to be used and not as a prybar or shovel. Knives cut and pierce.
I was wondering where one would carry this pocket-knife. In a jacket pocket? In a trouser pocket? Elsewhere?
Here is the one I bought as a souvenir when I left my military school. It’s very handy and has a hell of a design:
http://www.foxknivesusa.com/en/product/1956/black_fox_pocket_knife.html
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