Some things we carry pretty much every day. Keys, cell-phone, wallet and very often even a knife. Depending on what you do, we can guess, what type of knife you prefer.
However, for every day carry we don´t usually choose the large knife with even greater blade, which is highly useful, but also difficult to store (it is only acceptable on the belt in the proper sheath) as well as it is highly visible.
For every day carry we would much rather have something smaller, easier to store, something we could easily put in a pocket. Folding pocket knives are great for such purposes. What are the differences and advantages ? Keep reading...
What are the differences between folding knives, switchblades and pocket knives ?
Switchblades - "side opening automatics" open with the push of a button that releases a spring. There is also another type of switchblades - "out the front automatic knives".
Pocket knives are Swiss-type knives and multi-use knives even know it is not a rule. Simply a knife you can carry all day in your pocket (EDC = „Everyday carry“).
What can I use it for ?
The obvious advantage is that they can be folded as the name suggest. Can you not imagine that ?
Just like with fixed blade knives, these knives consist of a blade and a handle. In addition to these two, they also feature parts that allows quick folding (pivots, flippers). You have small object, that can be with one quick movement changed into the twice as long knife. It has all attributes of fixed blade knife, but it is more compact,which is great for concealed carry.
The knife can stay conveniently in your pocket ( expect of places with metal detectors - airports, authorities) ready for the moment when you need it.
The folding pocket knives also include " pocket clip" , that allows attaching the knife to the pocket. The knife is therefore fixed for quick searching anytime you need it. But you are of course curious what materials are the best....
How does steel affect hardness and durability ?
Even pocket knives deserve to have first-class materials, but those materials are going to be of course more expensive. What material is good enough yet not that expensive ?
Stainless steel, which provides corrosion resistance and sufficient hardness, is often used with these knives. Such steel is 13Cr7Mov aka Chrome molybdenum vanadium steel. Similar is steel Aus-8 or Aus-6. These steels are appropriate for these types of knives.
For the folding pocket knives blades it is always good if they contain some chromium (8-20 %), as they are in contact with body sweat and other liquids which cause corrosion.
There is one more important designation when selection the knife and that is „HRC“ plus some number, for example „HRC 58“. This indicates hardness. The higher it is, the better the knife will hold the blade, but it will be also harder to sharpen. Softer blades will be sharpen easily, but they don´t last as long.
The best numbers would be between 56-62. In addition to steel, there are another materials used. Handles are often made of wood, metal, synthetic rubber (kraton, …), or modern carbon fibers, which are non-slip, lightweight and never dissapoint you.
How to choose folding pocket knife ?
The selection may be difficult. You can go for a beautiful pocket knife for every day carry, but it might not be as good for harder work. You should then ask - what do I need it for ?
There are also so-called HeavyDuty knives, that allow coarser handling. They are from better materials and equipped with a special reinforced part on which the blade is moving. Such knives are made for hard work and can withstand a lot.
Always pay attention to steel. The knife we can buy on the street market is likely to be not high-quality. There is always price for high-quality so we can expect to pay more than just 300 Czech crowns for high-quality knife.
Steel is the most important part. It must be strong and mainly stainless. Some kind of locking-system is also important. Some companies use so-called LinerLock, FrameLock and so on.
You should always feel the knife in your hand to know how comfortably you will handle it. Remember, that you are choosing pocket knife, whose compact size ensures comfortable handling and walking.