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How to Buy a Good Pocketknife or Multitool

Opinel's No.07 My First Opinel Folding Knife

Opinel’s No.07 My First Opinel Folding Knife ($17, opinel-usa.com) is sharp but without a point. The 3.5-inch blade is made from Sandvik stainless steel, and it holds an edge. The outdoors version ($26, scoutshop.org) also has a built-in whistle to call for help in an emergency.

With proper training, many Scouts can use a knife — a valuable tool for camping or working on a whittling project. A multitool provides multiple blades and other tools. Examples are saws, drivers and even forks and spoons.

A knife is not a toy. If you’re a Bear, Webelos or Arrow of Light Cub Scout, earn your Whittling Chip. If you’re in Scouts BSA, earn your Totin’ Chip. Then you will know how to safely carry and use one of these tools.

CRKT Minimalist Drop Point knife

The CRKT Minimalist Drop Point ($36, crkt.com) has a 2-inch fixed blade with a tough handle that’s comfortable to hold. The carbon-steel blade sharpens quickly, and the half-ounce durable thermoplastic sheath has multiple mounting options.

KNIFE BASICS

There are several types of knives.

All-purpose folding pocketknives are common in Scouting. Most come with tools such as a can opener, screwdriver, tweezers and, of course, knife blades — all in one compact package. Though they can be extremely handy, a downside is the knife blade doesn’t lock into place, so it may fold up on your hand while you’re using it.

Lockbacks are simple folding knives with a single blade that can be locked. So you get the benefits of a sturdy fixed blade-style knife but in a convenient pocket-size package that can be folded open with just one hand.

Victorinox Swiss Army Huntsman knife

Scouts have been using Victorinox Swiss Army knives for a long time. The Victorinox Swiss Army Huntsman ($50, victorinox.com), a multitool with first-aid functions, has a suite of transitional tools, including a can opener, scissors and tweezers — plus large and small blades, saw, awl, leather punch and more. It pretty much has everything you need.

Fixed blades, are no-nonsense knives with a beefy handle and stationary blade. If you need a knife to accomplish the everyday tasks you come across in the outdoors, from whittling on things and cutting materials to spreading peanut butter on your sandwiches, a short, no more than four-inch-long, fixed-blade knife will accomplish all of that. Avoid large sheath knives; they are heavy and awkward to carry.

You’ll also find specialty knives such as river rescue knives with serrated blades for slicing rope, whittling knives designed for carving wood, and multitools, which are compact, handheld tool boxes. Most are built around a pair of folding pliers.

Leatherman Sidekick

The Leatherman Sidekick ($70, leatherman.com) is a stainless-steel toolbox on your belt. The 7-ounce Sidekick has spring-action needle-nose and standard pliers, wire cutters and stripper, knife and serrated knife, saw, ruler, can and bottle openers, wood and metal file and three screwdrivers.

FOLDING OR FIXED KNIFE? KNOW THE POLICY

Knife policies vary among packs, troops, councils and camps when it comes to what blade types and lengths are allowed. Learn your unit’s policy before buying a blade of any kind. When it comes to types of knives, the Guide to Safe Scouting recommends “choosing the right equipment for the job at hand.”

BLADES

Most blades are made from strong and durable stainless steel. Blades are available in straight edge, serrated (jagged like a saw) or both. Bigger is not always better. A small, sharp four-inch-or-smaller blade can cut just as well as bigger knives but is much safer to handle and easier to maneuver in tight spots.

Stansport's Folding Knife, Fork, Spoon Multitool

Stansport’s Folding Knife, Fork, Spoon Multitool ($15, stansport.com) has more than eating utensils. The tool, which separates into wo so you can use fork and spoon together, also has a can opener, corkscrew and chisel all in a belt-ready nylon carrying pouch.

PRICE AND QUALITY

You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a quality tool. Often, an inexpensive knife will do everything you want it to do. As prices go up, you’ll see small improvements in the quality and size of the blade.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Knives and multitools can last your whole life if you care for them. Wipe your pocketknife with a damp cloth to clean it, and add a drop of food-safe oil at pivot points to keep it at its best. Use a sharpener to keep your blade sharp.

“A sharp knife will work for you, while a dull one works against you,” says Kyle Owens of Work Sharp, a company that makes sharpeners.

Work Sharp's Pocket Knife Sharpener

A great knife deserves an equally great sharpener. Work Sharp’s Pocket Knife Sharpener ($15, worksharptools.com) is small enough to stash in your pack, with a diamond sharpening plate and ceramic honing rod that have built-in angle guides so you can get a perfect edge on your pocketknife.

CARRY IT SAFELY

The smartest, safest place to stash your knife is in an easy-access spot in your backpack. You’re asking for trouble by wearing a fixed-blade knife on your belt. If you fall, the knife could rotate inward and you could land right on the blade.

Gerber's Armbar Trade

At only 3.1 ounces, Gerber’s Armbar Trade ($50, gerbergear.com) has eight essential tools, including a knife, saw, awl, driver, pry bar, hammer and bottle opener, packed into a surprisingly small and effective pocket clip tool.

TREAT YOUR KNIFE WITH RESPECT

Treating pocket knives with respect not only ensures your safety, but also keeps others safe. Here are a few major no-no’s:

  • Throwing a knife
  • Using a dull or dirty blade
  • Handing a knife to someone blade first
  • Cutting while others are within your “safety circle” (arm’s length)
  • Carving into something that doesn’t belong to you
  • Cutting toward your body

Using a knife requires responsibility. Bear Scouts can start carrying a pocketknife after completing the Whittling Chip requirements. Members of Scouts BSA must earn their Totin’ Chip, which also gives them the right to carry and use axes and saws.

32 Comments on How to Buy a Good Pocketknife or Multitool

  1. Where can I get a kabar?

  2. I have 6 knives some of them are a sog seal pup,butterfly knife, and a spyderco.

  3. hippiescout151 // September 25, 2010 at 9:13 am // Reply

    Where can I get a good old fashioned boy scout knife?

    • A Lonely Potato // November 13, 2010 at 10:16 pm // Reply

      Some people might say Case knives.. but theyre losing quality. and theyre expensive.. I would say get a victorinox swiss army knife. The swiss army farmer pocketknife is a good knife but it isnt considered a boy scout knife, but it will last a lifetime. I carry a Great eastern cutlery stockman pocketknife (a lot of birthday money)

    • Ok it may be exspensive but get a swis champ model. it has 33 attachments including a ballpoint pen and a small spatula. lokin for smaler? cant help ya there 🙁

    • you could buy a imperial kamp king they are nice (i have one) and they are cheap on e bay the official boy scout knife is based on it or you can buy old fashioned scout knives at almost any scout shop

  4. i have 10

  5. Switchblades are completly legal and BSA doesn’t like them because they don’t trust younger scouts to not be instinctive and start fighting with them. So to those of u such as hippiescout115 and replyer befor u start spouting off, u should do ur research. In the case of sheath knives, they are completely safe if kept in their sheath when not being used

  6. i want a swichblade

    • if you want a fast draw knife get the kershaw volt you press the flipper and opens really fast and the steel is really hard its Rockwell hardness is 58-60 its reliable and practically a switchblade buts perfectly legal blade stay sharp for a long time and its shavein sharp

  7. Survivor Man // August 12, 2010 at 5:45 pm // Reply

    i have a 7 inchblack hawk survivil knife it does its good and good
    but it was 125 dollorsbut it relay is worth it. unbevlible sharpness.
    -Survivor Expert

  8. the knives that i like are Gerber, they are very reliable and i have kept my 2.5 inch Gerber and it still works very well. As long as u sharpen it after every other campout it will last you forever.

  9. does anyone remember that article that was written about a waterproof, no-slip knife? I think it was called the ladybug or something

    • The 100% rustproof (scientifically proven) knife is made with H-1 Japanese steel. Spyderco is the only manufacturer that I can find that makes knives with H-1. They are pricy about 100 bucks, so if anyone knows of a cheaper alternative that would be great.

    • hippiescout151 // September 25, 2010 at 9:08 am // Reply

      firefly

    • ya its a spyderco i think they are high quality but actualy a pretty long blade ( my dad has one for work) the main thing is they are all serrated good for some things but bad for whittling

  10. The Esee Izula is a great knife, I use it for everything. It is a fixed blade knife, so it is much sturdier that the average pocket knife. The knife is meant to be worn around the neck (with sheath) for fast access. It is great for jobs more commonly associated with scouting, such as cutting rope, being used with fire starting tools, etc., and also is good for hunting and fishing.

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