Pocket knives Explained

Pocket knives have been around since at least 500BC a pocket knife made from animal bone was found at Hallstatt in Austria but it was not until the past 200 years that they become popular. They became more popular when it became illegal to carry fixed bladed knives originally they were carried in a sheath on your belt but as pockets became more common the folding knives started being carried in pockets leading to the modern name pocket knife.

When you are choosing what type of pocket knife you want to buy you need to be aware of their limitations before you spend your money. Make a list of the tasks you want your pocket knife to be able to do before you start looking at the thousands of pocket knives on the market today if you find that you can’t find a pocket knife to do all the tasks required you may need to buy a fixed bladed knife as well as a pocket knife this is common for fisherman, hunters and survivalists.

Pocket knives come in four main categories the first is the basic slip joint knives this means the blade dose n

Pen Knife

ot lock when folded out it is held in place by a small spring. This type of pocket knife is only for light use as the blade can be folded back with just a small amount of force on the back of the knife this can lead to accidental closing of the knife on fingers if you are not carful. This type of knife is not suitable for hunting, fishing and has limited uses in camping. Pen knifes and some Whittler knives are basic slip joints.

The second is the multi tool slip joint pocket knives this includes the legendary Swiss Army pocket knife with hundreds of different tools available in one knife format. The original multi tools did not lock but in recent times the increase in sport fishing has led to larger multi tools that fold out into large pliers for removing hooks they also tend to have a filleting knife that locks in place. The modern multi tool can have hundreds of different functions like, tweezers, scissors, wire strippers, nails file, can opener just to name a few. These tools have lots of uses in many areas from handymen to fishing having one of this type of pocket knives is a must.

The third group of pocket knives are the locking knives these knives have a locking mechanism to stop accidental closure when being use protecting your fingers. The first locking knives appeared in Spain in the 15^th century and used a metal ring that was twisted to lock the blade. Buck knives are one of the most popular lock

Swiss Army

knives and this type of pocket knives are the most used in fishing, hunting and camping as they are more robust that slip jointed knives. When looking at this sort of knife take care to pick one with a strong locking mechanism the simplest is usually the most reliable.

The fourth is the military tactical folding knife this is a single bladed knife with a very strong locking mechanism. Though these pocket knives are marketed as tactical knives the fact that they have a locking mechanism means they are less reliable as a fixed blade for fighting but there tough design means they are excellent for hunting and fishing usually they are built to a higher standard than a normal locking knife.

With all knives make sure you know the local law on when and in what areas it’s ok to use them.