Top 10 Folding Knife Brands

TOP 10 Folding Knife Brands

10 Zero Tolerance Knives

The case when the age of the company is not at all an indicator of current regalia and merits. Zero Tolerance was founded only in 2006, but in more than a decade it has managed to make more noise than some centenarians in this market segment. Having enlisted the support of the pillar of the production of folding knives in the face of Kershaw, having come up with an original style and thoroughly working for the benefit of improving quality, this manufacturer has managed to win over many true fans of edged weapons.

Despite the high price, absolutely all product lines are in a rush: both those that have already come out and those that are just getting ready for mass sale. The following models can be noted as the most promising developments of the brand:

• Zero Toilerance Titanium KVT® Flipper ZT 0095 with titanium handle and S35VN blade;
• Zero Toilerance 0223 Tim Galyean - with a diamond-like coating of a blade made of 60-62 HRC steel and a titanium handle.

9 cold steel

Quite a young company for the production of folding knives, founded in 1980 in the California city of Ventura. It is positioned on the market as one of the most “strange” manufacturers, since in addition to knives, the range of their products is represented by broadswords and other exotic weapons. However, this dispersion does not in the least prevent Cold Steel from saturating the knife market segment with quality products: the equipment of the brand's production lines is truly chic.

As for the characteristic details, a whole set of merits prevails here, however, with one small caveat. All knives of this brand are distinguished by a rather low cost, a high degree of durability of the locks, as well as optimal hardness values ​​​​of the steel blade (from 57 to 60 HRC). The only drawback is that there are not so many folding knives in the Clod Steel line: tourist and tactical fixed models have taken over the main representation.

By virtue, two representatives of the brand can be distinguished:

• Cold Steel Pocket Bushman - a model with a straight sharpening, a reliable blade locking mechanism and a belt clip;
• Cold Steel Recon 1 Tanto (27BT) is both concise and incredibly practical, with a diamond-like coating on the blade and a comfortable fiberglass handle.

8 VICTORINOX

The official manufacturer of knives for the Swiss army, VICTORINOX is a full-fledged monopoly company in its country.From the very moment of its foundation (1884) to this day, the main specialization of the brand has been the production of multifunctional folding knives - only their number has changed with age.

However, recently VICTORINOX has been experimenting with the development of single folding blades for hiking and everyday wear. It turned out pretty well. The range of the brand was quickly replenished with both very inexpensive and exclusive models with a price noticeably above average. From the best and most popular knives can be distinguished:

• VICTORINOX Hunter Pro 0.9410.9 with ergonomic plastic handle and X50CrMoV15 stainless steel blade;
• VICTORINOX Hunter Pro Alox Damast Limited Edition 2020 - a model with a Damascus steel blade and a cost of around 100,000 rubles.

7 Gerber

A well-known and revered knife manufacturer whose short name is often confused with a brand of baby food. It was founded back in 1939 in the state of Oregon, during the craze of the population with edged weapons. Despite the mastery of the hammer and anvil, historically the first holders of the company did not yet master all the intricacies of forging blades for knives (and even more so for specific folding ones). In many respects, therefore, the "chip" of the company has become a constant desire to methodically improve the quality of its own products.

To date, Gerber Gear is the most advanced in terms of production equipment, thanks to which they managed to take a leading role not only in the knife segment, but also in the class of all hand tools in principle.

Traditionally strong representatives of this company are:

• Gerber Grylls Folding Sheath 31-000752 - a striking design combined with the convenience of an ergonomic handle shape and a high-strength chromoly steel blade;
• Gerber Mini Paraframe Tanto Clip Folding Knife 31-001729

6 Emerson Knives

The honorary line of the rating goes to another American brand, which has gained the greatest popularity among fans of folding knives. And, it is worth saying, it is quite reasonable: the quality of products fully meets the high expectations of consumers. Emerson's glorious history dates back to 1979. At that time, Ernest Emerson sold his first custom-made knife from his home garage. Extremely inspired by the process, the experienced craftsman continued to do what he loved, and after only a few years he became the founder of a full-fledged tactical knife workshop.

Today, Emerson Knives is famous not only for countless collaborations with other market players (such as Kershaw, Zero Tolerance and Spyderco), but also for fabulous prices on the entire range of products.

Emerson notables include:

• Roadhouse with a tanto blade profile and a hardness of 57-59 HRC;
• Gypsy Jack with a sleek bowie profile and 58 hardness.

5 Benchmade

Another representative of the rating gave a start to the production forces in 1979 - at a time when the market was already saturated with manufacturers of various levels. However, this did not in the least prevent Benchmade from advancing: fame and recognition overtook the company almost immediately.All this became possible for one simple reason: the company concentrated on the production of butterfly knives, which were very popular at that time, of which there were relatively few on the market. However, this vector of development has become only the starting point for success.

The real fame came to Benchmade after the release of a series of folding knives, which was awarded the right to crown the Griptilian 550 model. An affordable and high-quality EDC class knife had a calm and original appearance (later nicknamed "sheep's hoof"), complemented by excellent mechanical characteristics and convenience. The blade material was 154CM steel, which was heat treated to 60 HRC. But the main touch was the cutting edge, which stretches along the entire blade in a very practical way.

Other notable models include:

1. Benchmade Griptilian 550 Series - compact and lightweight, with a satin-finished blade and a comfortable plastic handle;
2. The Benchmade Bugout is a popular folding knife that isn't exactly cheap, but overall the quality justifies the price.

4 Opinel

The oldest knife company that has never deviated from the chosen canons of behavior in a large market. Opinel is the most respected regular of the most prestigious tops, whose history will soon exceed the mark of 200 years. Starting the production of knives with the simplest peasant blades, a small family workshop from the city of Savoy slowly but surely walked towards its true goal.

The desire to become a "people's" company prevailed over the desire for profit, which had a beneficial effect on the future of good production.The main characteristic of Opinel folding knives is their low cost and excellent blade hardness. In the vast majority of cases, the price hardly crosses the threshold of 2000 rubles, and the average hardness reaches 59-60 units on the Rockwell scale (HRC).

Models confirm such optimal parameters:

• OPINEL No. 8 Trekking Hornbeam - simple and reliable, suitable for both hiking equipment and everyday use;
• OPINEL No. 12 Beech - a model with a wooden handle and a blade made of Sandvik 12C27 steel with a hardness of 57-58 HRC.

3 Buck Knives

Since its inception in 1902, Buck has consistently been recognized as one of the best suppliers of folding knives in the world. Despite the fact that manufacturing technologies, in general, did not differ in novelty and innovation, the company's products have always been of stunning quality. The reason for this is simple: the blades were crafted by renowned blacksmiths who made the most of the properties of the hardened steel. The change of era had a significant impact on production methods, but did not affect the mechanical performance of the products - all knives have a quite decent level of hardness (average 57-59 HRC).

Since 1967, Buck's mascot has been the 110th folding knife model. Made using a classic back-lock, which securely fixed the blade in the open state, it has become a great companion in hunting small and large predators. The seasoned Vantage model is no less distinguished, the price of which is rather low at the present time, and the performance inspires hope for a very long use.

Also noteworthy:

1. BUCK 112 Ranger - relatively inexpensive, but incredibly stylish and sold complete with a genuine leather case;
2. The BUCK 110 Folding Hunter is a knife with a high carbon steel blade, wooden handle and leather sheath for storage and carrying.

2 Kershaw

The timely appearance on the market of the American giant in the face of the Kershaw brand is a fatal oversight by Gerber Gear. After leaving his well-known employer in 1974, talented craftsman Pete Kershaw decides to open his own trading shop, the first products of which are fixed knives of his own production. After a series of new challenges and local victories, Kershaw Knives takes to the creation of folding models, relying on selected vectors of high quality and low price.

Today, the company is perhaps the most loyal supplier of folding knives on the market, providing users with a huge range of purely inexpensive designs at incredibly low prices. In addition, it is not uncommon for Kershaw to work with other companies such as Emerson, Zero Tolerance, etc.

Some of the most iconic representatives of the company include:

• Kershaw Link, with a 420HC steel blade with a hardness of 57 HRC;
• Kershaw Cinder is a multifunctional concealed carry knife, very compact, but solid and actively used in everyday life.

1 Spyderco

In 1978 (the year before Benchmade was founded), Spyderco, a very daring and wayward company, saw the light of day, which has now acquired the status of an international corporation. While other manufacturers tried to saturate the product range with assorted products, this manufacturer focused on the production of knives with characteristic "spider" features. The origins of this kind were not immediately accepted: they were preceded by a painstaking search for the “same” original configuration.

The Spyderco Endura is one of the most recognizable knives with aggressive looks, sharp features and a very clear opening click. Made from VG-10 steel (corrosion resistant alloy steel), the blade of this model has an optimal toughness value and hardness in the region of 60-62 HRC.

It is also worth highlighting from the assortment of the brand model:

1. Spyderco Tenacious Black - completely black, with a flawless straight-cut blade made of 8Cr13Mov stainless steel;
2. Spyderco Para 3 Compression Lock - useful for both mushroom hunting and hunting, incredibly sharp due to the use of special CTS-BD1 steel from Carpenter Technology Corporation.

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