People often ask me for knife recommendations, and I’m always happy to oblige. It gives me a legitimate excuse to pour over all the incredible knife offerings available to us in this golden age of pocket cutlery. In this article I will share my method of how to choose the perfect knife for YOU!
Budget
The first question to ask yourself is how much you want to spend on a knife. Knives come in all price ranges, from a couple bucks to thousands. As long as you stay within reason, you should be able to find a knife in your budget. Usually the upper limit is the focus, but I will give a recommendation of a lower limit of $7. There are some legitimately serviceable knives just above that bedrock price, but I haven’t found anything worth the price any lower and the options are sparse below $15. On the upper end, I think everyone has a price point past which the quality doesn’t increase enough to keep up with the cost. Everyone’s range is different, but I generally stay between $15 and $150 (with some exceptions down to $7 and up to about $225).
Knives of quite different price ranges: $225 ZT0561, $15 Kershaw Thistle, $7 Geralt
Intended Use
How you intend to use the knife is just as important as budget, because if you have the wrong knife for the job, the price won’t matter. You have to decide how you plan to use the knife; whether that’s as a wilderness survival tool, a work implement, a fidget toy, or anything in between. The uses for knives are unlimited, and it’s up to you to decide which are important to you in relation to this particular knife purchase and filter the choices accordingly.
Two knives with similar aesthetics but very different practical purposes
Aesthetic Preference
Practicality isn’t all that matters; if you don’t like the way your knife looks and feels you won’t be happy with your purchase. That’s why you should consider your own personal aesthetic preferences along with the practical characteristics of a knife. One of the main aesthetic choices for me is modern versus traditional. I enjoy both types of knives, but I more often buy traditionally styled knives. For you it could be tactical versus practical, or flashy versus subdued, or any number of other spectra within which knives fall.
A slipjoint, a double edged automatic knife, and a one hand open locking knife. All of these are legal some places, all are illegal some places… as silly as that might be!
Legal Considerations
Finally, the most unfortunate consideration of what knife is right for you are the relevant legal restrictions. Many places have automatic knife laws, blade length laws, laws regarding the locking mechanism, and even the edge configuration. I highly suggest looking into your local knife laws before making a purchase. There are several ways to do this, but one good source is the American Knife and Tool Institute.
As you have probably surmised, a lot of individuality goes into choosing the right knife for you. That’s one of the best parts of the exercise; it gives you the opportunity to express yourself in a meaningful but practical way. Although the method for choosing a knife I present here is vague, I hope it provides a useful framework in your search!
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I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts
Yesterday I posted the above picture on my social media (make sure to follow me!), and promised a fuller description of all the items. I know this is a lot to carry, but I don’t find that it weighs me down or is too difficult. Of course, I don’t absolutely need all this stuff but much of it does come in handy on a daily basis. More importantly, like many who appreciate every day carry gear, I also just plain enjoy having high quality tools on my person!
Knives
I typically carry, aside from my keychain, a modern folding knife and a traditional folding knife. I don’t always carry a fixed blade, mostly because I often don’t find them as comfortable as folding knives. Also, let’s be honest, I probably have enough knife on me without a fixed blade. However, I’m carrying the Spyderco Reverse. It’s an interesting fixed blade designed by two different well respected self defense instructors, Craig Douglas and Michael Janich, with the ability to switch the handle scales to match each instructors respective tactic style. Craig Douglas, aka “Southnarc” of ShivWorks, is the instructor of Shawn Lupka who teaches his AntiFragile self defense class at Stout PGH where I work. Aside from it being a unique and effectively designed fixed blade, it is extremely easy to carry with the incredible DarkStar Gear sheath. Tom of DarkStar Gear also trains at Stout PGH, and was kind enough to make this sheath with a Team Renzo Gracie pattern. This sheath takes the knife to a whole ‘nother level, and proves why the carry system is an integral part of a fixed blade. Make sure to check out DarkStar for their sheaths and their specialty, kydex IWB holsters.
My modern folding knife for today is the Spyderco Watu. This is a new knife from Spyderco for 2020, but it’s based on the well loved but discontinued Chokwe. Both the Watu and its older brother, the Chokwe, are part of Spyderco’s Ethnic Series. The Ethnic Series is a line of knives based on traditional fixed blades from around the world. The Watu is based on a traditional African fixed blade design of the Chokwe people. It might look like a strange design, with its triangle shaped blade and almost coffin shaped handle with two holes passing through, but I’ve found it to be extremely utilitarian. The Watu has several upgrades over the Chokwe with carbon fiber overlay g10 handles, a compression lock, the wire clip, and CPM20CV steel. It is also smaller than the Chokwe. Many will find the smaller size welcome, as it is closer to what many consider an ideal EDC knife, but I slightly prefer the larger size of the Chokwe. I am really enjoying the Watu, and you can find my full review below.
My traditional knife for today is the Great Eastern Cutlery made Waynorth Cutlery Real Lambfoot. Charlie Campagna has had many Special Factory Orders made by GEC, including his wildly popular TC Barlows, and was able to convince Bill to manufacture what is likely the first American made Lambfoot knife. This version has smooth white bone covers. Only 27 of this white smooth bone covered version were made, and they were sold by Charlie (aka Waynorth) himself at the 2019 GEC Rendezvous. I have found it to be a great garden knife, for picking produce and peeling apples and such, with the straight edge and a very capable cardboard cutting knife with the thin flat grind. I also added a slight easy open notch to help access the nail nick, as it sits quite low. Overall, this knife is a piece of GEC history and also a great user!
A few Charlie Campagna aka Waynorth SFOs: #98 Texas Camp Knife, #93 Real Lambfoot, #15 TC Barlow
Keychain
Most all of us carry some kind of keychain every day, and I take that as an opportunity to add a couple smaller pieces to my every day carry. The keychain clip system itself is from Nite Ize, but I’m not sure of its name. It is a carabiner style clip that has a slot for a bunch of mini s shaped carabiners, on which I carry my keys and gear.
I always have a Spyderco Ladybug with stainless handles, engraved with my wife’s and my name and our wedding date. Previously I had one with our one year anniversary engraved, but it was stolen (or lost) along with my bag at a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament. It’s both imbued with high sentimental value and a practical little knife. It’s shockingly easy to open and close one handed, and locks up as solid as a full sized knife.
I try to carry a pocket flashlight, but almost always go back to keychain carry. I have tried different lights, but I have carried the FourSevens Preon the most. It’s a nice small single aaa battery light that puts out a solid amount of lumens for its small footprint.
I also carry a small multitool on my keychain off and on. I think the Leatherman Squirt is as small as a plier based multitool can get while still being useful. It offers scissors, a screwdriver, a bottle opener, a small blade, and of course pliers. I wish the bottle opener was a little easier to use, and I wish it had a can opener. Still, it’s pretty nice to have a pair of pliers when you need one. To be honest, I had stopped carrying it on my keys for a while but went fishing over the weekend and needed some pliers. I have been thinking about trying a full sized Leatherman for pocket or bag carry and a one piece multitool for keychain carry.
Notebook and Pen
I have a whole system of notebooks for journaling, tracking workouts and nutrition, and logging work on Knife Thoughts and our garden. I often also carry a pocket notebook, and have tried several brand. I have liked Field Notes, Log + Jotter, Moleskine, but my favorite is Rite in the Rain. I recently decided to try Portage notebooks, a long time made in USA brand. They’re cheaper than some that I mentioned, but seem to be made well enough to hold up to pocket carry.
I have never really gotten into high end pens. I like using fountain pens, and I enjoy the fidget factor of bolt action pens, but I pretty much go for whatever is in reach. That said, I like these Zebra F301 pens because they’re thin, have a sturdy clip, and write well even in a fine point.
Wallet
I am currently using a no name wallet from a discount site. I have used several different wallets, from the classic leather bifold and trifolds to a brass Machine Era slim wallet to just rubber bands. I initially bought this wallet intending to carry a mini edc in it along with my cards, cash, ID, etc., but for now I have left that idea behind. For the low price of about $5, I’m pretty happy with it. I threw one of the Knife Thoughts stickers and Stout PGH VIP / Intro cards, a few each of which I always carry, on top of the ID window.
Handkerchief
Last, but not least, is my handkerchief. This handkerchief was given to me by a friend. It is pretty large as pocket handkerchiefs go but nice and thin so that it isn’t too bulky. I most often carry handkerchiefs hand made by my wife, which you’ll see in many of my social media posts. They’re really great most of all because they’re made with love, but also because they are really cool patterns and made to perfectly fit in a pocket. Handkerchiefs have become more popular recently, but for a long time I thought they were undervalued in the EDC community. I consider them to be extremely useful, and they take up very little space.
I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts
Out of nowhere, Smoky Mountain Knife Works has reintroduced Queen Cutlery. Queen went out of business in 2018, and the future of the brand has been unclear since then. Recently SMKW posted a “Queen Pilot Test Run Mini Trapper” for sale on their site, and this article will showcase that knife and what it means for the Queen brand.
This knife came as a surprise to pretty much everyone. There were no rumors of it on the forums and Smoky Mountain Knife Works did no advertising before its release. Even upon release, there was very little fanfare; at first it wasn’t even featured on the SMKW homepage.
Once the knife was available for purchase on SMKW, there was still little solid information available. The product page said it was a test run Queen knife made in the U.S.A. for Smoky Mountain Knife works with black composite covers and 440 steel.
With so little official information available, the online knife community was abuzz with interest and speculation on the knife’s specifics.
The main question in discussion was; who made the knife? In this area, a consensus seems to have been reached that it must have been made by Bear & Son Cutlery. Here we can apply the old saying “read the knife, not the tang”. This means the best way to know the origin of a knife is to look at its characteristics and how it’s made, rather than what the tang is stamped or etched. In this case, due to the pattern’s similarity to Bear & Son’s Mini Trapper and other manufacturing hallmarks, it looks most likely to have been made in a Bear & Son factory. That said, SMKW has not identified the manufacturer, even when directly asked during a live video.
Another much discussed question was; why is SMKW coming out with a Queen knife? After the Titusville Queen factory closed and its assets were sold off, most believed that Bluegrass Cutlery had bought the machines and trademarks with intention to restart the brands. However, in a video SMKW said that they purchased the Queen and Queen City trademarks and plan to do a full line of knives under each brand. In the same video they explained that this knife was rushed to market because they had to use the trademark to keep it active. They said they have to do the same with a Queen City branded knife. Unfortunately, when asked if the future Queen and Queen City lines will remain made in the U.S.A., the SMKW representative said they didn’t know yet.
Queen collectors might ask what about Schatt & Morgan, Queen’s other well known and respected in house brand? A reputable source told me that Gilbert Cooper purchased the trademark and Queen’s machinery, and has promising plans for the brand. Cooper himself has posted on All About Pocket Knives forum about reintroducing the Schatt & Morgan brand with the goal of restoring its former place at the top quality tier of American pocket knives.
As for this Queen Pilot Test Run Mini Trapper, it’s certainly well enough made for being rushed to market. This knife is not made with the same quality level as a GEC made knife; I would put it in the same realm as Case knives. The blades are pretty well centered. The action is nice with about a 5.5 pull on both blades. The action was a little gritty at first, but after a little oil they’ve broken in to be relatively smooth. Neither blade has any wobble. Neither blade seems to have any rap or proud tips. There are some slight gaps between the springs and liners, and a gap between the pile side liner and cover. So the fit is pretty good. The finish leaves a little more to be desired. The transitions between the covers and bolsters, as well as the edges of the covers, are a little rough. The blades have something between an “as ground” type finish and a satin finish, while the bolsters are between a satin and polished finish. Unfortunately, the etch is not a particularly tasteful font and seems imperfectly placed and is very raised (enough so that it’s easy to catch your fingernail on it). The tang is not stamped, which I would prefer but adds an extra step and cost, but rather etched very plainly. The front tang is etched “Queen” and the back tang is etched “QN1 / U.S.A.”. I am glad they went with no shield instead of an unpinned (glued only) shield, like Case and others use. Overall, it’s a decently made knife for the price that would make a good user knife.
Although this SMKW Queen QN1 would be a great using knife, I anticipate it will become collectible. In the video I have referenced above, SMKW said that only 300 of these were made. Although that’s not a tiny number of knives, it’s a pretty small run compared to recent GEC general runs, let alone compared to Case runs. If SMKW handles the reintroduction of Queen and Queen City well (which I’m rooting for), this will have been what started it all and therefore sought after. If they don’t handle it well, or if they move production overseas, this might be the last American made Queen knife, and therefore sought after. Either way, it has sold out on Smoky Mountain Knife Works’ site so its value will soon begin to be established through the secondary market. That said, SMKW did say they have to bring a knife to market under the Queen City brand to retain the trademark and that it’s coming soon. So keep an eye out for that if you’d like to get one! In conclusion, I’m happy to see the Queen brand living on while being produced by Smoky Mountain Knife Works, and I hope to see great things in the future!
I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts
