Knives are one of the most used and convenient tools one can carry. People carry a foldable pocket knife if they need to cut, break, or tear things in general and this can involve multiple tasks, from the gnarly to the mundane.
What is a foldable pocket knife?
Folding pocket knives can have more than one blade that generally folds into the knife’s handle. These knives are also called jack knives or penknives. The average blade length of a typical pocket knife is five to fifteen centimeters (two to six inches).
A pocket knife is a versatile tool that might be required for woodcarving, whittling, butchering small animals, opening a package or envelope, slicing fruit, cutting twine, or just as a mode of self-defense. There are specialized designs for pocket knives used to hunt mushrooms.
The earliest acknowledged pocket knives were found from the early Iron Age and many pocket knives were also found from the era of the Vikings.
How to choose an appropriate foldable pocket knife?
When searching for knives to carry regularly, one should look for folding pocket knives that can easily fit on a belt or pocket (when it is closed). The knife should also be lightweight to be carried comfortably but along with a handle and blade according to own choice. The majority of the pocket blades in this category normally measure from 2” to 3.5” in length and should consist of an ideal drop point shape. The handles should range from 3.5” to 5”.
Folding knives with a lock system is even better as it won’t close on anyone’s finger and it makes the knife safer and the strength of the blade lock will let anyone manipulate the pocket knife at various angles.
One should always check the material of the blade before purchasing. The most common materials used are stainless steel, tool steel, and carbon steel. Stainless steel is not as strong as carbon and if chromium is added to it then, it corrodes less. One can choose VG10 or 8CR13MoV stainless material. Tool steel contains molybdenum, titanium, vanadium, and other elements. This type of steel is corrosion resistant along with good edge retention. One can choose from D2, CPMS35VN, or CPMS30V tool material. Carbon steel is durable but it is prone to corrosion. One can choose from XC90 or HC420 carbon material.
What are the types of foldable pocket knives?
- Peasant or farmer knife: This is the most basic and original design of a folding pocket knife. It uses a basic pivoted blade which helps it to fold in and out of its handle freely. It does not contain a slip joint, blade lock, or back spring.
- Slip joint knives: Most light-duty knives are slip joints. The blade can’t be locked but if opened, it stays in place due to the tension from a flat back spring. Types of this knife are Barlow, camper, canoe, congress, toothpick, elephant’s toenail, sodbuster, stockman, sunfish, trapper, sowbelly, and many more.
- Lock-blade knife: This is also called a clasp knife. It has a lock mechanism that helps the blade to hold its position when opened. Different locking mechanisms are, lock-back, frame, crossbar, and collar.
Endnote
Apart from the various utilities of the different types of folding pocket knives, there is one more worth mentioning, Multi-tool knives. This type is an assortment of multiple blades of different types and sizes along with other tools like corkscrews, scissors, and bottle openers.
