The pocket knife is a classic and timeless piece of equipment that has found itself clipped to many a belt over the years. Though the pocket itself wasn’t invented until the 1600s, folding knives date back to as early as 600 BC.
While any pocket knife can be an incredibly versatile tool in and of itself, using a specific kind of knife for its intended purpose can go a long way in improving your knife work.
Though the blade length of a pocket knife is considered to be up to about 6 inches long, the different styles of knives, edge types, and blade shapes are as varied as the many different things you could find to do with them. This simple guide will walk you through some of the most common kinds of pocket knives.
Slip Joint Knives
Though not quite as secure as a locking blade, slip joint knives are probably the most popular style of pocket knife. By using small springs, knife manufacturers learned how to use tension to hold the blade open, though the blade can be shut with relative ease compared to a locking knife.
Despite seeming like a disadvantage, the ease-of-use makes slip joint knives the best choice for light tasks. Most classic pocket knives are in fact slip joint knives. Even if you didn’t know which category they fell into, here are some you’ve probably heard of.
Barlow Knife
One of the more popular offerings in the 1700s and still going strong today, the barlow features a long oval handle, often with one pen blade and one clip point.
Camper Knife
The most recognizable of all campers would be the swiss army knife, though many multi-tools could be considered camper knives. They most often include several different types of blades, as well as common tools such as a bottle opener and corkscrew.
Congress Knife
Another historical classic, the congress knife features four blades, two on each end of the handle, which all fold to meet at the center. The blades most common to a congress knife would be a sheepsfoot, spearpoint, pen blade, and coping blade.
Canoe Knife
Named after the shape of the knife when its two blades are put away, the canoe knife usually includes one pen blade and one drop point blade.
Trapper Knife
Famously useful for trappers, this knife included two blades perfect for working with wild game. The spey blade, used for spaying and neutering herd animals, sits alongside a clip point, a very useful tool when it comes to skinning hides from the hunt.
Pen Knife
A delicate blade designed for the purpose of sharpening a quill as needed over time, the pen blade has maintained its popularity long after its original usage became obsolete. Traditionally a pen knife would include one pen blade opposite another type of blade.
Tactical Folding Knives
Another of the more common types of pocket knife would have to be the tactical folding knife. First developed so that soldiers on the field would be able to open their blade single-handed and without having to dig into the nail nick, tactical folding knives have become a standard for many pocket knife collectors for their durability and ease-of-use.
To circumvent the need for the nail nick, knife manufacturers began adding features such as studs and small holes on the blade where the user could press their thumb against to rotate the blade open. In addition to being easier to open with one hand, tactical knives usually come with a belt clip for easy carrying, as well as having both straight and serrated edges on the blade for greater flexibility of use.
Locking Knives
Locking blade knives are another popular style of pocket knife, finding a middle ground between safety and convenience. While they all accomplish essentially the same thing, these are some of the more common locking mechanisms on the market today.
The most standard of the options would most likely be the liner lock. Once you have opened the blade, the lock sets into place, making it impossible to fold the knife closed again without pressing the steel liner aside to allow the joint to spin back into place.
Very similar is the frame lock, however, rather than pressing on a liner within the frame to release the lock, you would instead press the appropriate spot on the frame itself.
For tasks that require a bit firmer of a hand and might take a lot of strength, some knives come with a lockback mechanism, which is like an arm that can be hooked into place to brace the knife against closures. Much like the lockback, the midlock mechanism braces the blade open, though the trigger was moved to the middle of the handle to avoid accidents.
Another classic lock is, of course, the ring lock, which can be twisted into place after the blade has been opened. Once turned back to its original placement, the lock is disengaged and can allow the blade to return to the handle.
Blade Shapes
Listed before may be some of the more common styles of pocket knife and some of the blades that famously go with them, but here is a more comprehensive description of the different styles and shapes of blades.
Tanto blades
Originating in Japan, the Tanto shape comes from the Katana. Known for being very sharp, Tanto blades are excellent for piercing and cutting.
Clip Point Blade
The clip point is probably the most popular blade you can find on a pocket knife. It is easy to control with a tip that is good for piercing, though it is a little on the weaker end due to how narrow the blade is.
Spey Blade
The spey blade, presumably named after a strange spelling of “spay,” is a very peculiar blade style with an almost flat edge to the top and then a sharp curve to the tip. Its origins date back to the castration of cattle with the purpose of causing as little damage as was necessary. This has become a common shape in many of the utility knives that we use today.
Sheepsfoot Blades
This straight blade was intended to provide a large cutting area for shepherds to be able to trim the hooves of the sheep in their flocks. While trimmers and files have largely filled that need, the sheepsfoot is still an incredibly popular blade for whittling wood.
Gut Hook
Just what it sounds like, the gut hook is a feature that can often be found on other blades, most often those intended for hunting. The hook has a sharpened edge at the center of its curve, used to help skin wild game without damaging anything under the skin.
Spear Point
Spear points are another classic look, often seen in daggers and throwing knives. While it is not always the case, spear point blades often have two sharp edges, as opposed to the standard one. While they have many uses, spear points are, as the name suggests, best for jabbing and spearing.
Serrated Edge
Serrated edge blades are scalloped and grooved, which serve to cut tough materials with a hard exterior and a soft interior. Its teeth are similar to those of a saw, and function in about the same way.
Wharncliffe Blades
Popular among sailors and found on some survival or tactical knives, Wharncliffe blades look strikingly similar to a sheepsfoot, though with a sharper point. Wharncliffe blades aren’t among the most common, but they are still used from time to time.
Drop Point Blade
One of the more versatile blade types, the drop point is very useful for controlled cuts and piercing. They are incredibly similar to clip point blades, but stronger due to having a broader tip.
Luxury Knives
Decorative designer knives come in all combinations of knife style and blade shape, though they often feature a greater flair. This is exhibited in the usage of rare materials, such as meteorite and 10,000-year-old fossilized mammoth tusk, as well as precious gems and stone inlays.
Combined with unique blades such as those with stunning Damascus wave patterns, as well as handles with one-of-a-kind etchings, a luxury knife allows you to personalize your experience a step further. William Henry offers the best in decorative pocket knives for men from all walks of life. Look through our catalogue of artisan blades crafted from the greatest possible materials.
