Folding blade knife
Unlike fixed blade knives, the folding blade knife can easily fit in your bag or pocket. If it was initially designed for shepherds, its use has been substantially expanded in recent years, especially among the adventure-loving community. Here's everything there is to know about it.
The different uses of a folding blade knife
When we talk about a folding blade knife, hiking is the first thing that comes to mind. A good part of its users is fond of it. The knife will be used to cut branches, hunt, or fish without the traditional tools dedicated to it. It also excels in simple everyday tasks such as cutting bread and cheese. It can also be indispensable as a complementary first-aid device.
The folding blade knife is also a must for survivalists. Not only does it allow them to find food, but also to light a fire, dig or build a shelter to protect themselves from the weather conditions.
The different types of folding blade knives
Before choosing your folding blade knife or folding pocket knife, be aware that there are several models available to suit your type of use. It can be equipped with one or several blades (multi-blade).
Those with a single blade are especially recommended for hiking, camping, bivouac, or bushcraft enthusiasts.
The multi-blade models, which often include a small and a large blade, are an ideal choice for farmers or other nature adventure enthusiasts.
Folding blade knives can also be multi-functional. In addition to the traditional blade, they include one or more other accessories such as a chisel, corkscrew, small saw, and nail file.
Finally, the different models of folding blade knives stand out for their opening and closing mechanism:
- The most traditional mechanism with manual activation
- Automatic mechanism
- Assisted opening mechanism
How to choose a folding knife?
To choose a knife with a folding blade, you should base your choice on:
- The type and the manufacturing material of the blade: when it comes to resistance, Sandvik is a better choice. However, when we look at rust resistance, nothing beats stainless steel. In terms of prestige, Damascus is way ahead. And if you only look at the price, carbon steel is the cheapest.
- The type of blade: Smooth blades allow you to make clean cuts, while serrated blades are mainly suitable for sawing. Note that there is a mixed category between the two.
