In our series on pocket knives so far we have explored a great deal about the common pocket knife; the number of blades, the pocket knife edge varieties, and the different blade lengths available. In this installment we will talk about the different price point options available as well as the different blade types and their ideal uses.
When it comes to price point and pocket knives they can range anywhere from a few dollars upwards into the hundreds. Pocket knives that are in the price point under thirty dollars are considered to be economical pocket knives. Some common brands in economical pocket knives include Colt Knives, Schrade Old Timer and Gerber Knives. Economical pocket knives are limited in some of the extra bells and whistles of more expensive brands however they are good enough to get the job done.
Knives that fall in the thirty to seventy dollar range where you will find most anything you want when looking for a pocket knife. The sky is the limit and the variety is plentiful. The majority of pocket knives will fall into the price point. Although the dent in your pocket book will be small the jobs that can be done with these knives is not. When looking for a mid range knife to purchase look for top brands such as Buck Knives, SOG Knives and Ka-Bar Knives.
Between seventy and a hundred dollars you are looking at top brand name pocket knives such as Spyderco Knives and Kershaw Knives. The higher end price tag comes with better materials than the mid-range price point. You can find a deal of knives at this price point. The difference between these knives and the ones at the price point above is that these will cost you more to replace when they are in need of replacement. The better materials are really the only difference besides the price.
Pocket knives upwards of a hundred dollars are considered premium knives. The blade may be etched with a design; the details will be more intricate. These knives are more of a piece of art then other pocket knives. Boker brand knives carry a great deal of high end quality knives.
There are a number of blade types to choose from including: clip point, drop point, tanto point, spear point, trailing point, hawkbill, straight back, sheepfoot, wharncliffe, needle point, pen and spey. The most popular options in blade types is the clip point, the drop point and the straight-back blade. These are all ideal for everyday uses including piercing, skinning and slicing.
A needle point is really only useful for piercing, spear knives are good for piercing and slicing and the tanto point blade is the perfect design for piercing tougher materials and push cuts. Sheepfoot blades are good for carving wood and cutting where as the spey point is great for skinning and gets its name from old times and being used to castrate animals.
The hawkbill is very distinct in design and is not a wonderful everyday pocket knife but is useful when opening boxes, stripping wires and cutting cords. The point in discussing the different blades available is that a blade type perfect for one person may not serve the needs of another. Consider what you are looking to do with the pocket knife before picking a blade type. A pen knife is not a good survival pocket knife.
When we continue on our series about knives we will look into the steel options for the blade, the knife handle materials, and the different option in opening and locking mechanisms.
KnifeMule.com is an online retailer specializing in a variety of specialty knives including top brands such as Zero Tolerance, Boker Tree Knives, W.R. Case Knives and more. For more information or to purchase a variety of knives online find us at https://www.knifemule.com.
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