The five very best pocket knives (in our opinion)

A pocket knife, for many it might evoke memories of the past – for example camps with the Scouts, Chiro or another youth movement – or some ‘outdoor’ trip. And yes: a pocket knife is an excellent companion for those adventures. It is a tool that is essential for ‘outdoor survival’, but a good pocket knife can serve in many everyday tasks because it is often built to be versatile with multiple tools in one.

Which one is suitable for you? Well, below is The Patriot’s selection and five pocket knives that we consider ‘the best’.

Victorinox Huntsman: Swiss all-rounder

The legendary and iconic Victorinox has existed since the end of the 19th century and supplied the first soldier’s knives to the Swiss army. However, for officers they made more compact knives, which formed the basis for today’s pocket knives.

As such, Victorinox doesn’t so much make pocket knives, but real toolboxes that fit in your trouser pocket. We recommend the Huntsman, a model with no fewer than fifteen functions: a large knife, small knife, mini-scissors, multifunctional hook, wood saw, corkscrew, tin opener with small screwdriver, bottle opener with screwdriver and wire stripper, reamer/punch, key ring, tweezers and… a toothpick.

Ideal for when you’re a few kilometres away from civilisation – or when all civilisation is gone. Very affordable too. Lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects. Still Swiss.

Leatherman Wave +: American trump card

Do you want to take the concept of a toolbox in your pocket a bit more literally? And dare you invest a bit more? The American Leatherman has been making instruments for decades that many tradesmen trust blindly. Are you perhaps an electrician or plumber yourself? Good chance you already have or received a Leatherman – but that doesn’t mean that a Leatherman is only useful for a tradesman.

Leatherman as a brand is much younger than Victorinox and was ‘only’ founded in 1983 by the eponymous Tim Leatherman after his travels through Europe. The man couldn’t get his old Fiat running with his classic pocket knife. Among others, the ‘Wave +’ has grown from this experience: an absolute array of instruments (18), including of course a very good and sharp knife. All whilst the whole thing remains compact enough to still fit in your pocket. Users swear by the quality and durability. You only need to buy one in your lifetime. Or ‘one and done’, as the Americans say. Very robust, then.

We tested the Leatherman Wave Plus. Read here what we thought of it.

Opinel No. 8: elegant simplicity

Perhaps you find all the complications of a Victorinox and certainly a Leatherman rather superfluous. Each tool naturally also adds weight. And the more functions a tool has, the more things can break (although that won’t necessarily happen quickly with Victorinox and Leatherman).

Then the Opinel No. 8 is perfect for you. Founded in 1890 in the French Savoie region by the eponymous Joseph Opinel, the company produces to this day no-nonsense pocket knives that, with the iconic ‘Virobloc’ safety ring, protect the user against ‘accidents’. That ring indeed ensures that the knife blade cannot fold back onto your fingers. The No. 8 is often the choice at scout groups or camping because it is not only simple, but also particularly sharp. It is also the cheapest knife we have discussed so far.

Forge de Laguiole ‘1211INTHBRI’: elegant beauty

However, you may still find the Leatherman and Victorinox overly complex. But the eye wants something too and you may therefore find Opinel a bit too ‘utilitarian’ (which it is 100% and the people at Opinel would in no way perceive as an insult).

But even then there’s something for you. The iconic Laguiole knives exist in all sizes and are produced by all sorts of brands (including not only French ones) – but only the Laguiole knives from ‘Forge de Laguiole’ are made in the village of the same name.

Each knife from this brand is also made by one knifemaker. That being said: at Forge they make all sorts of knives with all sorts of materials and colours. We opt for the ‘1211INTHBRI‘ – with a blade of 9.5 cm and a simple but elegant wooden handle of Thuya wood (or burl wood) – without brass finish and therefore in full steel. Like every Laguiole knife, it also comes with the bee at the top of the blade for your thumb and the ‘shepherd’s cross’ in the handle, for assistance on the way (if you’re religious at least). Such craftsmanship as that of Forge naturally comes at a price.

Spyderco Delica 4: the challenger

Perhaps you want something relatively simple, but not too old-fashioned? Then Spyderco might be something for you. Sal and Gail Glesser founded Spyderco in 1976 in Colorado, initially for sharpening equipment. But their first pocket knife, the ‘C01 Worker’ (1981) had a characteristic round hole in the blade, allowing you to open the knife with your thumb and just one hand in total. Something that has been copied a great deal since then.

The Delica 4 is the most common model from Spyderco. It remains more or less affordable – although Spyderco knives are certainly not the cheapest – and compact. The blade is approximately 7.5 cm and stays open in position through the backlock mechanism. Nearly every Spyderco knife, just like this one, has a pocket clip so you can easily attach it to your clothes anywhere. The handle is not made of wood or steel, but of fibreglass-reinforced nylon: light, robust, wear-resistant and slip-resistant.

Finally

There you go: now you suddenly know what the five favourite knives of the team at The Patriot are. And perhaps your newest favourite companion is amongst them? Still important to know though: when may you carry such a knife and have it with you and when not? What do the current rules say?

We’ll write more about that in a future article.