Factors in Selecting a Folding Knife

Selecting a folding knife can be a rewarding experience, whether it's your twentieth knife or your first knife. Now, whether this is a knife for collecting or for practical reasons there are some factors you should take into consideration. In no order of importance here are good ones to keep in mind.

Light Weight

A good point (no pun intended) is the weight of the folding knife. A lighter weight makes everyday carrying more comfortable, though you shouldn't forget about durability and strength for a lighter weight as the difference between light and heavy can be only a couple ounces.

Brand Quality

Choosing a good name brand knife is often the best way to go. When purchasing a knife, you want to make sure the blade is made from a quality grade of steel, so it will keep a sharp edge, and sharpen well it does go dull. Pocket knives are usually used on a regular basis and will therefore surely wear over time. Make sure the knife quality will live up to amount of wear you plan on putting the knife through. Consider Case folding knives, Cold Steel, or Benchmade .

Blade Locking Mechanism

You want a knife with a good blade locking mechanism. You want to keep the blade from unexpectedly closing on your hand. This is a safety feature that prevents the folding blade from closing unexpectedly possibly causing injury.

The Look

You want a nice exterior finish and an overall good look. This of course is in the eye of the beholder. Make sure you can always answer yes to the question “Do you like the look of the knife?” If you don't like they way it looks, don't buy it. Unless of course you collect ugly knives.

Pocket Clip

Though a certainly minor point, you may want a folding knife with a pocket clip. If you want to clip the knife to your pocket or belt. If you carry your knife in your pocket you can skip this one. Pocket clips that switch sides or can be removed may be something to consider.

Pivot

One of the more important factors is the pivot of your knife. The blade connects to the handle and swivels at the pivot where it also locks. For any knife to have a long useful life you will need a high quality and strong pivot.

A folding knife is a useful tool to carry. Primarily used for everyday cutting and prying tasks they are sometimes called into action for emergencies, such as cutting rope or self defense. So select wisely.