We’re also not impressed with Sanrenmu’s customer service, so we question the company’s stated warranty. Thank you for your contribution. © 2020 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, Upgrade pick: Benchmade Mini Griptilian 556, Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) Drifter, Milwaukee 48-22-1502 Fastback Utility Knife with Blade Storage, Messermeister Avanta Pakkawood steak knives. These knives are designed and manufactured using the best materials. But even with the three-fingered grip, the contoured back end of the handle tucks right into the base of the thumb and remains comfortable. The Axis lock has a number of advantages over the standard liner lock of the Drifter or the frame lock of the Zancudo and 710. Fixed blade knives are often also called sheath knives due to the casing (sheath) they are carried in. Go thump on it. CRKT’s Pazoda and Squid are typically less expensive than the Drifter, and both models have robust all-metal bodies and frame locks. At a certain point, the stats fail and only hands-on experience works. As such, the assisted opening or auto just adds parts that can break with no accompanying benefit. You also have legal considerations. In this guide, we'll break down why you might want to consider small pocket knives, what to look for in a pocket-friendly EDC knife, and highlight the best EDC knives around the 2.5” to 3” sweet spot that are a cut above the rest. The Drifter’s single-position pocket clip is set in the right-handed, tip-down configuration; you get no other options. With an overall length of just 4.83" fully deployed and a blade length of just 1.87" total, it might be easy to dismiss Benchmade’s Micro Pocket Rocket as a novelty. This means that they are legal in areas where firearms, stun guns, and pepper spray may not be. Deployment of the blade is easily accomplished with one hand, either from the flipper index tab on the blade itself, or the ambidextrous eyehole cut into its sides. The Buck 55’s blade is made of 420HC steel, which is on the lower side of the steel spectrum, but Buck applies a heat treatment that by all accounts puts it up in the range of 8Cr13MoV and AUS-8. Check out the Best Self Defense Knives And with its CPM-S30V stainless steel drop point blade and AXIS lock, you can take on tasks both big and small with the Mini Bugout in hand. Once the blade is past a certain point, it lightly snaps back into the handle (with a very high-quality and satisfying sound). The Zancudo has a nice, smooth pivot and a frame lock that’s technically stronger than the Drifter’s liner lock. Jackson and Sculimbrene include the Drifter on their respective best-of lists and have given the knife fantastic individual reviews. As blade reviewer Dan Jackson writes, “the Zancudo isn’t a particularly sexy knife, but it is practical, robust, and well made.”, The handle of the Zancudo looks a little odd, but it fit our hands perfectly. I’ve never been surprised by 8Cr13MoV, but never really disappointed by it either.”, A good value for the price: To find an entry-level knife with features that would satisfy an enthusiast, we centered our research on the $15 to $40 range. But the Sanrenmu 710 has a number of drawbacks. Columbia River Knife & Tool CRKT Hissatsu EDC Folding Pocket Knife. Through our testing, we found that the major differentiators between the knives were the handle ergonomics, the ease of unlocking, and the smoothness of the blade pivot. The similarities are such that blade reviewers Dan Jackson and Tony Sculimbrene have both raised the possibility that Sanrenmu may manufacture the Drifter for CRKT (but in our interviews, neither claimed to know that for sure). Its stubby blade profile is well-suited for outdoors cutting tasks, and it’s even designed to work well as a firesteel striker for getting a flame going when you’re camping. 0.1.1 Blade size; 0.1.2 Blade steel; 0.1.3 Grip; 0.2 Laws for carrying an EDC Knife; 1 Highest Rated EDC Pocket Knives of 2020. I’ve also been a daily knife carrier for nearly 20 years. But as always, do your own research and check your local laws to make sure a spring assisted knife is legal to carry where you live. During testing, I attended a number of family gatherings, where we used the knives for cutting rope for a kid’s swing, shaving off an aggressive splinter on a dock, and opening a few boxes. While the CQC-5K is a durable knife, it has a wider, heavier body than our picks. Although the Drifter’s handle is small, it’s comfortable in both big and small hands. The difference is that with the Mini Griptilian, flicking the blade open is nearly effortless. In addition, we looked at two traditional folders with lockbacks; these models, from Buck Knives and from Case, also have a two-handed open, relying on the fingernail nick. Every ¼ inch of blade adds ½ inch to the total length of the knife, and there is a significant overall size difference between a knife with a 3-inch blade, for example, and a knife with a 3½-inch blade. In a guide to blade steels, reviewer Dan Jackson writes that it is “actually excellent steel for the money.” Jackson continues: “Like AUS-8, it lacks the edge retention of the higher end steels but can take a wicked edge and is reasonably tough and corrosion resistant. The lock itself, positioned at the rear end of the handle, takes two hands to disengage. The handle is made of fiberglass-reinforced nylon. The Besttech Reticulan is a collaboration design made with custom knifemaker Elijah Isham, and it has a distinct look that looks as sharp as its premium S35VN blade can cut. The Coast FDX302 feels durable and has a secondary blade lock, but at over 7½ inches it’s a larger knife, and we much preferred the smaller CRKT Drifter. The downside is that it’s a flipper, and once we were done with testing, we decided that we preferred the thumb-stud opening for its fast and slow deployment. Product Recommendations. The Zancudo opens with a good, grippy thumb stud, and with a little practice, you can flick open the blade without any issue. These are the models worth your hard earned buck. We believe that most people will be more than satisfied with the CRKT Drifter, but if you take good care of your knives and want one with premium touches, the Mini Griptilian is a great investment. The Snake Eye Tactical Knife is definitely a contender for the best multi-purpose pocket knife on our list. Key Features. The CRKT Drifter shares the two basic characteristics of most of the knives we tested: The blade is about 3 inches long, and you can open and close it with one hand. Generally speaking, pocket knives are fairly small. We believe that the Drifter, due to its smaller size and smoother operation, is the better pick for most people, but in our tests, when we knew we would be working a knife extra hard, like heading into a house project, we preferred having the Zancudo with us. One unique element of the Mini Griptilian is Benchmade’s Axis lock. Still, in our tests the Zancudo was our choice for tougher jobs, such as when we headed into a DIY project. The legal carry knives in the UK that we offer are good enough to go the distance. We did not look at the Opinel N°6 for a couple of reasons. ", A reliable model: We kept our search to established, time-tested models. A second benefit of the Axis lock is that it allows for an additional open/close option. He also raises sheep and has a dairy cow that he milks every morning. For a knife typically priced under $20, that’s an expected sacrifice. On his best-of list, Sculimbrene names the Drifter the “Best Budget Folder” and writes, “This is my favorite CRKT and one of the best knives out there under $30.”, Jackson writes in his review that the Drifter is “both well made and inexpensive” and that it offers “[e]verything you would expect from a much more expensive knife.” He also makes the point that it’s a “great ambassador for the knife world.”. For one, it makes the knife completely ambidextrous. The Insistent is a budget-friendly compact Spyderco knife that doesn’t skimp on performance. I like how the shape of the knife is thin at the top and wider at the bottom and almost guides the hand into the pocket onto the knife. After that, we simply spent the majority of our testing carrying the knives around and using them daily. The small handle has a simple arcing design that provides a nice grip and is easy to hold in a variety of ways. Roughly a 3-inch blade length: Blade reviewer Dan Jackson called a 3-inch blade the “sweet spot” for size and explained to us that a 3-inch blade is “a functional size and provides plenty of cutting edge and plenty of handle to hang on to.” Tony Sculimbrene, writing at his site, says he doesn’t see the point of going larger than 3 inches for an EDC blade. With only a few dollars separating them, we think the added investment in the Drifter is worth it. The blade unlocks with Benchmade’s proprietary Axis lock, which is fully ambidextrous and very easy to use. Here are some popular types widely available today: Barlow Pocket Knife: This pocket knife features two blades, along with a longer, thinner handle. The Drifter offers a compact size and a butter-smooth blade deployment. All the knives in this review are rated considering real-time customer rating and feedback. Choosing a knife is a personal decision, and 10 different people are likely to have 10 different favorites. Flippers can open only one way: extremely fast. If you have a larger budget and want a knife that nails all of the little details, we recommend the Benchmade Mini Griptilian 556. The Pilar quickly became one a community-favorite compact EDC knife when it was released two years ago. The Buck 55 is a small knife, less than 6 inches fully open, but it has a comfortable handle given its size. Do you carry a knife on the smaller side? Spyderco Lil Native Pocket Knife. The Buck 55 didn’t have the grab of the Drifter’s G10 handle, but it wasn’t as slippery as the Sanrenmu 710’s polished metal. Between the knurling on the handle and the smartly placed jimping along the spine, it’s easy to see where the Mini Grip gets its name. The body design of the 710 bears a significant resemblance to that of the highly regarded Chris Reeve Sebenza, which retails for $350 to $500 depending on the features and blade steel. Popular design. But what makes The Elis even more useful than other small pocket knives is the fact that it comes with a separate screwdriver, scraper, and bottle opener, making this a veritable multitool for your everyday carry needs. The 5 in 1 Ultimate Firefighter & Military Training Knife is one of the best folding pocket knife for self-defense due to its solid construction and the fact that it is jam packed with features. With the locking bar pulled back, the blade sits loosely enough for you to snap it open or closed with a slight flick of the wrist. Lightweight. Our experts test each knife while exploring backcountry terrain throughout the United States, preparing food, camping, mountain climbing, and more. These are the best pocket knives in my kit. Anyone who owned the Drifter would be unlikely to covet either of these subtle touches, and they’re by no means essential features, but they are nice, and they are the marks of a high-quality knife. Kershaw is a giant in the knife industry. 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