When it comes to the pocket knife you choose to use on a regular basis, you have options. Do you want something cheap? Do you want something functional? Do you want something attractive? Do you want something that blends all of those options while still being an invaluable part of your EDC? Or do you want a knife that’s so good looking you don’t care whether or not it can function as a knife, because you’d never use it to find out?
Opinel No.8 Pocket Knife
Based on the “peasant knife” or “penny knife”, the Opinel No.8 pocket knife is one of the most iconic knives ever created, and one that’s been in almost constant use since it was originally invented in the late 1800s. Made in France with the same authentic French designs and production processes that have always been used, this is one of the best folding pocket knives out there despite the fact that it’s almost too pretty to use and comes with an incredibly affordable price tag. $20
Ontario Knife Company Carter Prime Titanium Flipper Knife
Ontario Knife Company—a.k.a. OKC if you’re into the world of knives—consistently makes some of the best fixed blades, folders, tools, and survival gear on the market, but we’ll always be partial to the Ontario Knife OKC Carter Prime Titanium Flipper Knife. One of the best cleaver pocket knives on the market, this titanium-built and stonewash-finished knife with wharncliffe blade perfectly melds beauty and the beast into a knife that’s as capable as it is attractive. $70
Burnside Knives Strauss
Founded just a few years ago by a husband and wife team with the desire to “create essential tools for outdoor enthusiasts and working professionals like yourself,” Burnside Knives creates pocket slicing tools that are as well-designed as they are beautiful, which is why they’re one of our pocket knife brands you should know. The Strauss by Burnside Knives has a 3.2″ blade made from D2 tool steel in a brushed satin finish that’s so sharp it could do double duty as a scalpel that can also, conveniently, fit in your pocket. $150
Mcusta Yoroi Knife with San Mai Blade
Mcusta distinguishes themselves from the rest of the Japanese pocket knives crowd by producing knives that are decidedly more American in their style than the higonokami options you’d find from their competitors. When you’re talking about pocket knives too beautiful to use, that means a classic Damascus folder with a 3 1/2″ VG-10 closed linerlock blade, dual thumb studs, and a weave pattern on the handle that makes this beaut a work of art as much as it is a functional weapon and/or tool. $176
James Brand Chapter Knife
When you can’t find the precise tool for what you need, you make it. That’s exactly what happened with James Brand and the Chapter Knife. This re-imagine version of the classic single-blade folder uses a 2.81″ drop point D2 steel blade, titanium scale and black-oxide coated 416 stainless hardware to create piece of stealthy EDC gear that, despite the fact it’s sharp enough to cut paper, is almost too pretty to use. If you’re willing to shell out some cash for quality, this is the pocket knife you want. $275
Boker Mokume Damascus Knife
Boker is a name you likely need introduction to, but their Mokume Damascus Knife with 3 1/8″ blade is unlike anything else the brand has produced. It might look like the traditional folder you’ve been using since Boy Scouts, but this particular knife is designed and built with a caliber of materials you simply won’t find in knives that cost less. Really, what other brands are producing knives with 150-layer stainless “typhoon pattern” Damascus and intricate handle details for this price? None of them. $437
Chris Reeve Sebenza 21 Bog Oak Knife
The Chris Reeve Sebenca 21 Bog Oak Knife is made from stabilized wood and profiled to fit precisely inside its own handle pocket. It almost inexplicably blends utilitarian knife functions with clean lines, hand polished finishes, and rare woods in a way that makes you feel like you’re using a piece of history to slash through your everyday tasks with ease. Available in both a left or right-handed orientation, this is one knife you’ll end up passing on to your grand-kids. $550
William Henry Monarch Night Blossoms Knife
If you’ve got close to ten grand burning a hole in your pocket and nothing to spend it on, we hereby present to you the William Henry Monarch Night Blossoms Knife. This edition of five knives features a beautiful hand-forged framed of River Rock Damascus by Chad Nichols, inlaid with a green jade scale embellished with Maki-e. That same Chad Nichols River Rock Damascus can be found in the in the blade, button lock, and thumb stud, which are also set with spinel gemstones. Quite simply, this is a stunning working of art with an incredibly fine point on it. $9,500
