What is a pocket knife?

A pocket knife is simply a knife with a blade that folds out or “opens” from the handle, where it is housed when not in use. The idea being that it will easily fit in the pocket for everyday carry. Generally, a pocket knife is either assisted opening or manual opening.

What is an assisted opening knife?

These knives are opened by the user employing either the “flipper”, which is a lever on the back spine of the knife or a “thumb stud”, which is a small stud on the blade. This action starts the deployment of the blade and a mechanism like a spring or ball-bearing finishes opening the blade and then it locks into place.

What is a trapper pocket knife?

This is a style of manual opening pocket knife that has two blades, which fold out from the handle. Traditionally, there is a spey blade and a clip blade, each having a nail nick so that they can be deployed with just an upward pull on the blade.

What is an OTF knife?

When you see a knife listed as an OTF, it stands for “out-the-front” and means that it is a knife with a blade that extends straight from the handle. An OTF pocket knife can be opened with a manual slide, with assisted opening, with an automatic mechanism or by using gravity.

How do I choose a pocket knife?

A good, quality folding pocket knife should be a tool that you can take for granted because it will be able to perform whenever and wherever you need it. Choose one that will perform the specific tasks that come up for you in your everyday life. For example, if you’re in emergency services, a rescue knife with an integrated seatbelt cutter and glass breaker would be perfect for you.

Pocket Knives - Automatic Knives, Assisted Opening, Butterfly Knives, Pocket Razors, Tactical Knives

351 Results

BEST SELLER

Bushmaster Bushmaster Mamba OTF Knife

$39.99

Black tactical knife with carbon fiber handle

Black nylon knife sheath with Velcro closure

Diagram of Nightpiercer OTF knife with features labeled

Hand holding a black tactical knife with carbon fiber handle

Close-up of knife's glass breaker pommel

Back view of black tactical knife with pocket clip

Nightpiercer OTF

$59.99

Christian Pocket Knife 4" Closed John 3:16 Blade

$29.99

Kissing Crane Genuine Abalone Damascus Stiletto Knife

Kissing Crane Abalone Damascus Stiletto Knife

$84.99

Freedom Strike OTF

$32.99

Viper-Tec Ghost Series Blue Double Edge OTF Knife

$89.99

BEST SELLER

The Armed Force Tactical Black Automatic OTF Knife shown open and closed

Detailed views of the knife's blade and glassbreaker

Armed Force Tactical OTF Knife

$69.99

Stiletto OTF Knife - Automatic

$59.99

The USMC Desert OPS Pocket Knife shown in its open and closed positions

A detailed look at the pocket knife's tough handle

A detailed look at the pocket knife's blade and handle pommel

The full length of the USMC Desert OPS Pocket Knife

USMC Desert Ops Pocket Knife

$24.99

Kissing Crane Burnt Bone Damascus Trapper Pocket Knife

~~Price reduced from $74.99 to~~ $47.98 Save 36%

The Morpheus Extra Large Stiletto Knife closed and deployed

A look at the stiletto otf knife in its deployed position

A detailed view of the stiletto knife handle with the pocket clip

A detailed view of the stiletto's handle

Viper-Tec Morpheus Extra Large OTF Stiletto Knife and Pouch

$99.99

THe Black Carbon Fiber Knife shown open and closed

A side view of the automatic pocket knife

The full view of the length of the pocket knife

Black Carbon Fiber Auto Knife

$34.99

POCKET KNIVES FAQS

What is a pocket knife?
A pocket knife is simply a knife with a blade that folds out or “opens” from the handle, where it is housed when not in use. The idea being that it will easily fit in the pocket for everyday carry. Generally, a pocket knife is either assisted opening or manual opening.
What is an assisted opening knife?
These knives are opened by the user employing either the “flipper”, which is a lever on the back spine of the knife or a “thumb stud”, which is a small stud on the blade. This action starts the deployment of the blade and a mechanism like a spring or ball-bearing finishes opening the blade and then it locks into place.
What is a trapper pocket knife?
This is a style of manual opening pocket knife that has two blades, which fold out from the handle. Traditionally, there is a spey blade and a clip blade, each having a nail nick so that they can be deployed with just an upward pull on the blade.
What is an OTF knife?
When you see a knife listed as an OTF, it stands for “out-the-front” and means that it is a knife with a blade that extends straight from the handle. An OTF pocket knife can be opened with a manual slide, with assisted opening, with an automatic mechanism or by using gravity.
How do I choose a pocket knife?
A good, quality folding pocket knife should be a tool that you can take for granted because it will be able to perform whenever and wherever you need it. Choose one that will perform the specific tasks that come up for you in your everyday life. For example, if you’re in emergency services, a rescue knife with an integrated seatbelt cutter and glass breaker would be perfect for you.