12 Recommended Folding Knives! Also made of carbon steel
Folding knives are small foldable knives. It can be used for outdoor activities such as camping, leisure activities on the sea and rivers, cooking, and cutting branches. Some are easy to handle for beginners, some can be opened and closed with one hand, and some are sturdy and durable for firewood-breaking butting. This time, we will introduce how to choose a folding knife and recommended products such as bags, gerbers, and opinels.
What is a folding knife?
A folding knife is a compact outdoor knife that can be stored by folding the blade. Because it is highly portable, it can be conveniently used outdoors such as camping and mountain climbing. It is highly versatile and can be used in various ways, such as cutting twigs and ropes and cooking fruits and vegetables.
How to choose a folding knife
Choose by blade material
Made of rust-resistant stainless steel
The stainless steel folding knife is rust-resistant, so it is easy to maintain its sharpness. It can be widely used for cutting ingredients and cutting ropes, so it is recommended for those who want to use one for multiple purposes.
Made of carbon steel that cuts thick things well
The carbon steel folding knife is sharp and can smoothly cut hard objects such as thick ropes and thick meat. However, if care is not taken, it will rust immediately, so it is necessary to perform regular maintenance such as applying oil.
Made of blue paper steel suitable for cooking
The folding knife made of blue paper steel is sharp enough to cut fish and meat cleanly and is suitable for cooking. It's a sturdy blade, so it's tricky to sharpen, but once sharpened, the sharpness lasts for a long time. However, it is vulnerable to rust, so maintenance is required after use.
Made of H-1 steel recommended for leisure at the waterside
Some steel folding knives are made of H-1 steel. Although H-1 steel is inferior to blue paper steel, it has high corrosion resistance so that it will not rust even when immersed in seawater, so it is recommended for fishing and leisure at the beach.
Choose by blade shape
Convex grind type that can crack firewood
A convex grind is a blade that bulges in a convex shape and is also called a clam blade. The blade has a solid thickness and is sturdy, so it is recommended for batoning when breaking firewood with a knife.
Flat grind type that is easy to handle even for beginners
A flat grind is a flat blade with a V-shaped cross-section. It has a good balance of durability and sharpness, so it is recommended for those who want to use a folding knife that is easy to handle. If you drive it into a tree, the blade will go straight in and you will not be able to pull it out, so you need to be careful when adjusting the force.
Hollow grind type with long-lasting sharpness
The hollow grind is a blade with concave sides. Since the angle of the tip does not change even after repeated sharpening, it is characterized by maintaining sharp sharpness. Since the blade is relatively thin, it is more suitable for cutting soft things such as meat than hard things.
Check the safety of the lock function
Choose a folding knife that can be safely locked with the blade folded. There are lock types such as a lockback type with an unlock button on the back of the grip, a ball lock type on both sides of the grip, a liner lock type at the base of the blade, and a button-type where the blade comes out when the button is pressed. For beginners, we recommend the Lockback type, which allows you to safely remove the blade with both hands.
Check out the universal tool type with integrated scissors, etc.
For folding knives, a versatile tool-type product that integrates scissors, a screwdriver, a file, etc. in addition to the knife is also on sale. It can be used for various purposes such as opening cans and bags, and it is also useful as a spare for other knives.
12 Recommended Folding Knives
Shieldon Knives
Can be used for a long time from beginners to professionals!
A folding knife made of sharp steel. The blade has an appropriate thickness and runs along the cutting edge, making it suitable for cutting ropes and cutting firewood. The grip has an easy-to-grip shape and is not slippery. It comes with a leather case for carrying around, so you don't have to worry about the blade opening unexpectedly and you can carry it safely.
Buck Folding hunter FG
Made of highly rigid stainless steel, it can cut hard objects and prevent rust!
A stainless steel folding knife. Since it is heavy and highly rigid, it can stably scrape hard objects such as wood. It is also resistant to rust, so it can be used for cooking such as cutting ingredients. It also features a wavy grip that allows you to hold it firmly with all your strength. With a special leather case, you can carry it safely.
Gerber Folding knife para frame
The lightweight skeleton handle is attractive.
A lightweight folding knife with a skeleton handle. Both the blade and handle are made of matte stainless steel and have a stylish design. The blade is short, and when folded, it becomes compact to about 10 cm, so it can be easily carried in outdoor scenes such as mountain climbing.
Gerber Folding knife Ultralight LST
Convenient for everyday use! Light and compact stainless steel.
A lightweight and compact stainless steel folding knife. With a size that does not get in the way of carrying around, it can be conveniently used in outdoor scenes such as touring, mountain climbing, and fishing. It is also recommended for daily use such as opening the luggage. The nylon handle has a high fit and can be gripped firmly despite its small size.
Opinel Knife carbon steel
Can also be attached to a belt! Made of carbon steel that can cut even thick ones.
A knife made of carbon steel. With its sharp sharpness, it can also be used for cutting hard objects such as cooking thick meat and peeling fruits. With a lock ring to fix the blade, it can be used safely both when the blade is out and when it is stored. It is also possible to carry it by attaching it to a belt by utilizing the leather case with Naskan.
Opinel Carbon steel
Equipped with a safety lock function so you can carry it with confidence.
Opinel's carbon steel knife. From high carbon steel blades to beech handles, they are all made in France and handcrafted by skilled craftsmen. Although it is compact, it is sharp and foldable with a safety lock function, so you can carry it with confidence without the cutting edge popping out even after folding. Recommended for those who like the outdoors and crafts using knives.
Spyderco Dragonfly 2 VG-10
You can easily open it with one hand, so you can work crisply.
A steel folding knife with a thumb hole on the blade. The feature is that you can use it without interrupting your work because you can put your finger in the hole and open it quickly with one hand. It is a highly versatile flat grind-shaped blade and is recommended for those who want to use it for many purposes such as fishing and mountain climbing. Since the clip can be replaced on the left and right, it can be used regardless of the dominant hand.
Cold steel 20MWC Crawford
Equipped with a slide switch that makes it difficult to accidentally unlock.
A stainless steel folding knife that can be safely used with a double lock. A liner lock type with a slide-type switch on the handle, so there is no need to worry about the lock being released by mistake. A versatile flat grind-shaped blade that can be used in a variety of outdoor scenes such as trekking and fishing.
Jisakai Lip Gentleman Knife Damascus
Made of Damascus steel using VG-10, which has a sharp edge.
A folding knife made of Damascus steel with a distinctive wood grain pattern. Since VG-10, which has high wear resistance, is used for the core steel material, sharp sharpness continues for a long period. Both the blade and handle are decorated with taste, so it is recommended for those who want to use a knife that has both practicality and design.
Nagao Kanekoma Seisakusho Higonokami Kanekoma Higonokami Aogami Single-edged HG-_10
Recommended for those who mainly use cooking such as meat and fish.
A folding knife made of blue paper steel. It is made by sandwiching hard blue paper steel with soft iron. With its delicate and sharp sharpness, it is suitable for cutting ingredients such as fish. Since it is a V-shaped double-edged blade, it can be used by both left and right-handed people.
Spyderco Folding knife Pacific salt C91PBBK2
Recommended for leisure at the waterside! Uses H-1 steel that is resistant to saltwater and rust-resistant.
A folding knife made of H-1 steel. You can open the blade with one hand using the hole in the blade. Titanium-coated H-1 steel is resistant to rust even when immersed in saltwater and has excellent sharpness. The uneven design of the handle makes it difficult for your hands to slip even when working near the water.
Victorinox Classic SD 0.6223
Equipped with 7 tools! Recommended for emergency disaster prevention goods
A versatile tool-type folding knife equipped with 7 tools. Equipped with useful tools such as nail files, scissors, knives, toothpicks, tweezers, keyrings, and flat-blade screwdrivers. It can be used for multiple purposes with one, and it is also recommended for outdoor scenes such as camping, mountain climbing, fishing, and as emergency disaster prevention goods.
summary
Folding knives are great for camping outdoors. I hope this article will help you choose the right folding knife for you.
If you want to learn more about folding knives, follow us – Shieldon，a professional custom pocket knife manufacturer that owns a factory and designers. Check out our blogs for tips and tricks around outdoor knives and multi-tools! Or contact us if you need help with sourcing hinges.
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Article source: 12 Recommended Folding Knives! Also made of carbon steel - Shieldon
