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The holidays are rapidly approaching, and that means it’s time to get gifts. So before they sneak up on you unawares, here are 5 slipjoints worthy of being gifted to your friends, family, and loved ones. I have done my best to include options across a range of prices and styles, and ones that are available to purchase. Giving knives as gifts always brings me joy because it allows me to share my enthusiasm for these pieces of practical art with others, and I hope this article helps you do the same!

Slipjoints are non-locking folding pocket knives. They most often use a backspring to hold the blade closed within the handle and in the open position, but there are other mechanisms that can be used (all the examples on this list use a backspring). Slipjoints are most often associated with traditional knives, but more and more modern knife companies are introducing slipjoint models. With the rapid increase in their popularity, a slipjoint knife can make a great gift for anyone who appreciates a good pocket knife.

Rough Ryder Barlow

Rough Ryder is a brand owned by Smoky Mountain Knife Works. They’re made in China, but consistently provide quality well above their price point. They also come with a warranty backed by, and fulfilled through, Smoky Mountain Knife Works (from whom I have always had good service and positive warranty experiences). A Rough Ryder makes a great using slipjoint, being that they come at such an affordable price point, but they can sometimes be really aesthetically pleasing as well. Although there are A LOT of options when it comes to Rough Ryder knives (you can find the whole brand catalogue at this link), I would suggest a tried and true classic Barlow in smooth natural bone. You can get them from SMKW at this link for $10 plus shipping. I suggest this model in particular because it is a classic pattern that many recognize, because it is shieldless (Rough Ryder doesn’t pin their shields, and I try to avoid glued shields), and because I’ve been impressed with their quality. However, Rough Ryder offers a multitude of different series, handle materials, etc. so if the barlow doesn’t fit your taste I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that does!

Victorinox Alox Cadet

The Victorinox Alox Cadet is a knife that packs a lot of utility into a small (and slim!) package. It features a full sized blade, nail file, bottle opener, can opener, wire stripper, large screwdriver, and small screwdriver all in just two layers. With only two backsprings and the thin yet tough Alox (aluminum) handles, the Cadet is slim enough to slip into a watch/coin pocket or purse and can even be carried on a keychain with the included splitring. Aside from all the utility provided by the tools, it’s just plain well made. Victorinox has an incredible level of consistency and quality control, so that you know when you buy one of their knives you’ll be getting a highly functional and well made knife. You can get Victorinox knives from lots of dealers, but GPKnives has the red version at this link and the silver version at this link both for about $35.

Case Trapper

The Case Trapper is a classic. It’s a knife that has been carried and used by countless people, from ranchers to wall street brokers. The Trapper pattern is a quintessentially American knife, and Case’s version is as well known and recognizable as a Trapper gets. The full sized version is big enough, especially with the two full sized blades, to be able to tackle all your every day cutting needs but still easy enough to carry on a daily basis. Like most Case knives, it is made in the USA. It comes in a staggering variety of handle materials, colors, and finishes. However, the most widespread and (usually) cheapest version is the yellow synthetic, and the one I’d recommend in general as a gift because it has character in simplicity. You can buy the Case Trapper at a lot of knife dealers, but you can find lots of different version at KnifeWorks at this link. You can find the stainless steel yellow synthetic version at this link, and the carbon steel yellow synthetic version at this link both for about $45.

GEC Farm & Field Bullnose

Great Eastern Cutlery is making the best factory produced slipjoints on the market right now and because of that they can be expensive and difficult to get. Sometimes GEC knives stay on dealers’ sites/shelves for a while, but many of them are bought up quickly upon release. However, GEC has an in house brand called Farm & Field under which they manufacture working knives. These knives have less exotic materials and slightly less refined finishing than GEC’s other in house brands. Still, they are made by hand at a quality level mostly unmatched in the slipjoint market. The flagship of the Farm & Field brand is the #71 Bullnose. It is GEC’s take on the classic sodbuster pattern; one of the most well known working knives. It might not be the slimmest or sleekest knife, but it is rock solid with great action and timeless styling. Like all GEC knives, the Bullnose is made in the USA. It has a handmade feel that’s difficult to describe, but a joy to behold. GEC makes these often, but hasn’t in about a year so get yours before they run out. They can still be found at a few dealers, but I recommend getting yours at Blue Creek Cutlery. They have both the #71 Bullnose, at this link, and its larger brother the #21 Bullbuster, at this link, in stock now for $55 and $65 respectively.

CollectorKnives LionSteel Dom / Roundhead / Shuffler

If the receiver of your gifted slipjoint has more of a modern style, prefers high tech materials, or deserves a little pricier fare, the CollectorKnives LionSteel collaboration modern slipjoint barlows might be a great option. CollectorKnives is a longtime dealer of slipjoints from lots of brands, but recently they introduced their line of modern slipjoint barlows manufactured by LionSteel. These knives have an elongated bolster and the classic shape of a barlow, but they have screw together construction and modern materials. The blades are M390 super steel, the liners and bolsters are titanium, and some of the handle materials include carbon fiber. They are also offered in several more traditional handle materials like ram’s horn, ebony wood, olive wood, and micarta. Some even boast damascus (actually Damasteel, stainless damascus) bolsters and blades. They come in several different options: the Roundhead with a spearpoint blade, the Dom with a sheepfoot blade, the Shuffler with a clip point blade, and the WarHorse with both a clip point and wharncliffe blade. You can find all versions at this link for between $120 and $335.

Knives can make an extremely thoughtful, as well as useful, gift. I know that anytime I give or receive a knife as a gift it feels meaningful. No matter which of these you choose, I think the receiver will be thrilled when they open their gift! Don’t forget to check out my other articles, enter your email to get updates when I post new articles, and follow me on Instagram and YouTube.

In this article we’re looking at a very unusual knife from CRKT, the Snap Lock. This knife was loaned by a friend so huge thanks to them! I’m always excited to get to check out a new knife, especially one with such an interesting design from the mind of Ed Van Hoy.

The draw and namesake of this knife is its locking and opening mechanism, the Snap Lock. It’s a very unique lock where the blade is kept safely in the line of the handle with posts on the blade that are held in place by the spring pressure of the integral handle. When a lever attached to the blade, where the pivot would normally be, is depressed it presses the handle bars open thereby freeing the posts and unlocking the blade. The blade runs on a pivot that transects the blade vertically, rather than horizontally. You push the blade out horizontally, rather than vertically, with your thumb. Once it reaches the full open position the handle bars fall back down, enclosing the posts and locking the blade in place. It did lock up really solidly with no play, to my surprise, in both the closed and open positions. It’s a locking and opening mechanism that turns basically everything about the typical folding knife on its head, and it definitely makes for a unusual knife.

That said, I have to admit that it’s not an intuitive or easy to use knife for me. I tended to fumble with the opening, even after cycling it many times in an attempt to create some muscle memory. In the process, it would definitely be possible for your thumb or fingers to slip and get cut on the blade, moreso than on a typical locking folding knife. For that reason, I would recommend the Snap Lock as a novelty rather than a utility/EDC knife. If you’re looking for an every day carry that is easy to use, I wouldn’t recommend this knife as a first option. However, if you appreciate unique mechanisms and want a cool knife to mess with and enjoy, the Snap Lock might be a good option.

Do you hate when your knife blade rusts just because you left it setting in a puddle for ONLY A FEW days? Does it bother you when you can’t cut something just because you haven’t EVER sharpened your knife? Well boy have I got a knife for YOU!

Obnoxious infomercial intro aside, this article will focus on the Spyderco Pacific Salt. I’ll paint you a full picture of the knife, and tell you why it excels in certain realms of use.

Materials and Specifications

The Pacific Salt is part of Spyderco’s Salt line of knives. The Salt line is purpose designed for use in marine environments. Specifically, it is comprised of knives with extremely rust resistant steel and design elements that lend themselves to uses like boating, fishing, and diving. The Pacific Salt follows suit, with H1 steel. H1 steel is a precipitation hardening steel with .1% Nitrogen, taking the place of much of the carbon found in most steel alloys. This unique makeup allows H1 steel to be heat treated to 57-58 hrc for admirable edge holding, while providing near absolute oxidation resistance. My specific knife is fully serrated. The internal hardware is also treated to resist rust, including a black coated titanium pocket clip. The handle is made of fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN for short) which is a lightweight and durable material, and it does not have liners. The blade is held in the open position with a classic Spyderco mid-lock, which is just a slightly modified back lock. The Pacific Salt’s blade is 3.81″ with a cutting edge of 3.375″, so it’s not a small knife. The handle is 4.938″ closed. The blade is .125″ thick, pretty standard for modern knives but not as thin as many Spydercos. Still, despite being a relatively large knife in size, it weighs in at a lean 3oz, so it won’t weigh down your pocket. All told, the Pacific Salt is a relatively large knife with function driven materials.

Design

The Pacific Salt is very similar in design to the well known Spyderco flagship model, the Endura, with a few modifications. The blade is a modified drop point with a gradually curved belly and a straight portion, which lends it well to both all kinds of cutting. However, the Pacific Salt’s spine has a more abrupt downward curve to the tip at the end, making for a kind of modified sheepfoot / drop point hybrid. This is another design element chosen specifically for the intended use, as it makes the knife less likely to puncture something inadvertently during use (for example, if your hands are wet and slippery or if you’re on an unstable boat). With the fully serrated, or “spyder edge”, my Pacific Salt is best used with pulling cuts (rather than push or rocking cuts). Spyderco offers all of the Salt series knives in a fully serrated blade because they posit that a serrated edge is better suited to cutting rope and for aggressive cutting. The Pacific Salt’s handle is also similar to the Endura’s, with a finger guard and three finger scallop areas. However, I find the Pacific Salt’s handle to be MUCH more ergonomic because the center scallop is longer than on the Endura, which allows me to fit my middle and ring fingers comfortable into that scallop and my index and pinky fingers into the others (whereas on the Endura my middle and ring fingers land directly on the bumps between the scallops, which makes for a less than intuitive and comfortable grip). The Pacific Salt has a slightly smaller finger guard than the Endura, but I didn’t notice that in use. Both the blade and the handle are taller than those on the Endura, making the Pacific Salt a less slender knife that is a little more noticeable in the pocket. Speaking of in the pocket, the Pacific Salt has an ambidextrous tip up only clip. I actually really like the clip Spyderco uses on the Pacific Salt (and some of the other older FRN models) because it can be removed or switched without any specific tools (just two coins). The FRN handle has Spyderco’s bi-directional injection molding, and although it isn’t the same pattern as the Endura (and isn’t quite as grippy) it definitely adds traction. In keeping with the form follows function theme, the Pacific Salt has an enlarged Spyder hole for easy one hand opening and closing, even when wearing gloves or with wet hands. The Pacific Salt’s design culminates in a purpose driven knife that closely resembles the Endura if it were overhauled for marine environment use.

Build Quality

If my knife is an indication of the model as a whole, the Pacific Salt lives up to Spyderco’s high quality standards. Mine is well centered, has no blade play, and can be opened and closed very easily with one hand. It isn’t quite drop closed smooth, but that can’t be held against it; it’s a linerless and washerless knife, and drop closed action isn’t a practical feature. It’s also a pinned knife, rather than a screw construction knife, meaning it can’t be taken apart. Some modern knife enthusiasts dislike pinned knives, but being that I am comfortable carrying and using traditionals that are almost universally pinned, I don’t mind it one bit. I’ve had several Spyderco pinned knives and haven’t had any issues with them loosening significantly, and they’re easy to clean with a little soap and water and an ear swab. So although the Pacific Salt isn’t made to be a flashy knife to surf the current trends and tastes, it is certainly a well made knife ready to be used and worthy of being depended upon.

Usage

So, obviously the Pacific Salt is designed to excel in marine environments. Its rust resistant steel makes it great for any use where it might get, or stay, wet. It’d be a great knife to keep in your tackle box for fishing, whether you fish with worms in a little creek every now and then or are a professional deep sea fisherman. It’d also be a great option for someone who participates in watersports like canoeing, kayaking, rafting, surfing, diving, etc. I have personally carried it on a rafting trip clipped to my personal floatation device and, although I didn’t need to use it in an emergency, I felt reassured knowing it was there if I did need it. Speaking of which, I don’t think I’ve mentioned the very noticeable color! My Pacific Salt is bright yellow, like many of Spyderco’s Salt line (although some models also come in black and / or orange), which makes it extremely easy to see and difficult to lose. I have also taken an Endura, which has VG10 steel, on canoe trips and although it’s a good knife and a good steel it definitely can start to rust by the end of a long float. H1 steel can be in the water for a full day, and probably more, without breaking a sweat (or rather breaking out in oxidation?). I also think the Pacific Salt would make a great gardening knife. Because a knife can often get and stay wet while being used for gardening, the Pacific Salt’s H1 steel could definitely come in handy. I also find a fully serrated edge to be helpful in gardening uses because it allows for more aggressive pull cuts, making for quicker work trimming branches and such. Finally, I think the Pacific Salt would be a good knife for someone who just doesn’t want to worry about maintaining their knife. Some people don’t want to have to wipe down their knife after each use and such, and with H1 steel that’s totally fine! I also think a fully serrated blade is well suited for someone uninterested in taking the time to sharpen their own knife. That is because a serrated blade can continue to cut, or rather tear, even after the edge has dulled. So as it turns out, the Pacific Salt might prove appropriate for more users (and uses) than you might think: outdoor enthusiasts, gardeners, and anyone who doesn’t want to have to maintain their knife to keep it in working order!

Conclusion

I wrote this article because I think the Spyderco Pacific Salt is a cool knife with some interesting features. If you would like to get one for yourself you can use my Amazon Affiliate links below. If you purchase through them it doesn’t increase the price for you at all, but helps me out by giving me a small portion of the sale. You can find the fully serrated Pacific Salt at this link and the plain edge Pacific Salt at this link. You can also get it for a great price at Northern Knives at this link, and get free shipping with code: KNIFETHOUGHTS. Tell them I sent you!

Opinel; It’s a name brand name synonymous with a whole type of knife, and for good reason. If you are into knives, it’s pretty likely you’ve heard of the Opinel knife. If you haven’t, don’t worry! In this article I’ll explain what (an) Opinel is and give you 5 reasons why it makes a great every day carry knife.

First, what is Opinel? Opinel is a knife company based in Savoie France that has been making knives since 1890. They manufacture a variety of knives and knife related accessories including classic kitchen knives, specialty knives (mushroom, cheese, etc.), gardening tools, and outdoor multi-feature folding knives with modern materials. However, they are best known for their traditional wood handled pocket folding knives. These knives have an extremely recognizable design, with some great features:

1) There’s an Opinel Sized Just Right for Everyone

No matter what your knife needs or preferences, you can be pretty sure Opinel offers a knife that will work for you. Opinel offers 10 different sizes of pocket knives from teency tiny keychain knives (like the No. 2 with a 1.38″ blade) to massive camping knives (like the No. 13 with a whopping 8.75″ blade). Somewhere within that range there’s bound to be an option that fits your hand, pocket, and cutting needs.

2) The Handles are Great

Not only are the handles surprisingly ergonomic, there are lots of handle color and material options also! The classic standard handles are Beech harvested mainly from sustainably managed French forests, which are a nice light color. They also offer some colored handles, handles with designs, synthetic handles, and handles in more exotic woods. The classic wood handles are contoured with a palm swell to fill the hand and make for comfortable and easy handling in use.

3) The Price is Right

Opinels are eminently easy on the wallet. The different sizes of the standard models range in the $15-$25 range, which makes them a great budget option. You can get one for the house, one for your EDC, one for camping, and one for the car for under $100. Of course, the models with more exotic materials and limited editions cost more but they’re still not big ticket items.

4) They’re Safe and Non-Knife Enthusiast Friendly

The Opinel’s two hand opening and Virobloc lock features make them both safe to carry and use, and unalarming in public. Although I (and I’m sure you if you’re reading this) wish it weren’t the case, there are times when a big fast flashy modern knife isn’t situationally appropriate. Whether local laws disallow one hand opening or your work or social engagements require a more subtle touch, sometimes you might have to ditch the tactical knife for something more old school. The Opinel’s two hand opening nature along with the size and non-locking options make it a great choice in less knife friendly environments.

5) The Blades are Ground for Performance

Thin is in, and Opinel blades are ground to making cutting a breeze. Although a thick blade like those found on most modern or tactical knives can be useful and handle more rough work, the vast majority of cutting that the vast majority of people do is best done with a thin blade. A thin blade makes for less drag when moving through material while cutting. If you’re used to modern tactical knives, I think you’ll be surprised at how well a thinner blade like those on Opinels, and many other traditional knives, cut. The grind of the blades is probably my favorite thing about Opinel knives.

BONUS) You Can Exercise Your Creativity

Opinel’s wooden handles also offer the option of customization! Not only are the standard handles just asking for embellishment with carved or woodburned designs, Opinel even offers knives with handles specifically designed so that you can carve them to your liking.

In conclusion, there are many reasons to put an Opinel into your EDC rotation! In Opinel’s own words, an Opinel knife is a must have for “savoir-vivre”, or “knowing how to live well”. Opinel has a long history that is worth checking out. I would write more about it here, but Opinel offers a fascinating look into that history on their site (linked here). If you’re looking for an Opinel knife, Northern Knives offers a great selection at this link.