Why You Need a True Pocket Knife
We often use the term pocket knife for all folding knives, and it is probably angels on the head of pin to insist they are always different, but there is a class of knives that I think have fallen out of favor for no real good reason. For purposes of this article, when I am referring to “pocket knives” I mean small folding knives that are carried solely in the pocket. Some slipjoints and traditional knives fall into this category, like a Peanut or Copperhead pattern, but others, like a Elephant Toe Nail or a Buck 110 do not. The key is that the knife needs to be small and clipless—something that can genuinely be carried in a pocket.
There are a few reasons to carry such a knife.
First. they tend to be smaller than most knives I review here. Blades under 2 inches are often seen as useless, but whole generations of folks used and carried nothing else. My grandfather’s favorite knife, the only one he ever made a sheath for, was a tiny gem—a very small Case knife (picture above, knife on the left). It has a sub-2 inch blade. He did all kinds of stuff with that knife. He carried it when he worked on a farm and tended to the horses. He took it with him when he and his brother Walt ran an impromptu towing service in the hollers of Southern Ohio (they found a broken winch, fixed it, and attached it to their father’s truck and then drove around country roads pulling people out of ditches for a dime…they were 10 and 8 at the time). He also had it in his pocket when he would make runs to his father’s stash of moonshine in a hidden location, often in the dead of night. Because it was so small it was easy to carry and thus it was always on him, even in school…but that is a whole different subject.
Second, especially on hot days (which, if you haven’t noticed have been on the rise over the last couple of decades…), these tiny gems don’t weigh you down, cause you to get sweaty, or become pocket pendulums. A tiny knife can just disappear. And when it is not sweltering, you can add a slip and they stay put all day. If you have carried something like the Espada XL or the CRKT XOC you know it is a chore, but even something as “small” as the Spyderco Spydiechef feels a little bit like a piece of flat stock in your pocket. Big, wide, and flat knives are just not that pocket friendly in the summer months.
Third, and critically, these tiny blades, which often (but not exclusively) open with a nail nick, are just about perfect for using around people. I took my Spyderco Jester on a train and used it to open snacks, divvy up food, and even cut small packages. Given its size no one batted an eye. It attracted 0% attention. Had I done that same work with a “penis compensator” sized knife, I would have probably been arrested. The latest clacky flipper with a 4” blade just makes people uncomfortable. We can have a conversation about whether or not it is because people are irrationally afraid of inanimate objects, but that is beside the point—they are and big knives are attention grabbers. If you want to just get work done, carry a knife that won’t result in a spotlight. If you want to be a 2A Crusader, you are carrying a knife for a reason other than use.
Interestingly, when my Grandfather was carrying his Case, he wasn’t making political statements, he was doing work. And that is where these small pocket knives excel. Their almost paper thin blades and hollow or high flat grinds make for excellent slicing. Their blade shapes also tend to have very acute points, allowing for precision work. Normally these things in combination creating a scary looking knife, but, as if by magic, putting a nail nick on a knife and making it a bit smaller transforms the knife into something of a nostalgia act.
I have a few favorites here. Of course slipjoints of the right size work. You can’t go wrong hunting down a Tom’s Choice Barlow from GEC. I also liked the Case Tony Bose collaborations. The two slipjoints I have in my collection are the North River Knives Indian River Jack, which is one of my favorite knives of all time, and the truly special AG Russell Boy’s Knife from Canal Street Cutlery. Both of these are, like the TC Barlow and Bose collaborations, hard to find. One knife that is NOT a slipjoint but still undoubtedly counts as a true pocket knife is the AG Russell Gent’s Knife.
It is an excellent option—it can be purchased with a pocket slip, it has a lock, runs Elmax steel, and has impeccable finish. Its a tiny gem of a thing, too, looking and feeling more like something found in a jewelry box than a tackle box. The aforementioned Jester is probably my favorite true pocket knife done in a modern style, but it too is hard to find. The Manbug with a leaf-shaped blade is a good readily available alternative. Among these choices the Gent’s Knife is worth considering—its less than $150 with the Rucarta covers.
Swiss Army, of course produces knives I would count as a true pocket knife. The super slim Bantam is probably one of the few items that I could universally recommend to people and its proportions are slim enough to make it a true pocket knife.
Interestingly, QSP makes a line of knives that I have not handled called Hedgehog. C. Risner has some special covers and the design and the exclusive covers look incredible. I can’t endorse them without handling them, but the steel is good and the other QSP knives I have had have been pretty good in terms of fit and finish. My one concern is that these might be too heavy. Still, there are a bunch of other knives on that site that would count as true pocket knives that are worthwhile. One last caveat—because of their design there are a lot of exposed rear tangs in the true pocket knife category. It drives me crazy, but almost all of the knives have them. Think of it as price of admission.
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