Is there such a thing as too many knives? Unless you're going full mall ninja and carrying five at a time, we'd say that having more EDC knives to choose from is never a bad thing. That's why we went all-out and requested knives from 24 companies for our ultimate folding knife buyer's guide. Fourteen of these made it into our print article, which you can also read in its entirety online — check those out first if you haven't already.

Part two of our EDC blade guide begins here and now. These ten knife reviews are exclusive to OFFGRIDweb.com, so read on for our thoughts on each of these folders.

Boker

Model 10 CG
Overall Length: 7.4 inches
Blade Length: 3.1 inches
Weight: 3.7 ounces
MSRP: $389
URL: BokerUSA.com

Subscribe Today and Save!

Get the Mag

We've had previous experience with Boker Plus knives, a mid-priced line manufactured in Taiwan or China, and have generally been pleased with these blades. However, the Les-Voorhies-designed Model 10 CG is part of the core Boker line, manufactured in the company's historic facility in Solingen, Germany. It's apparent that substantial care went into this knife's construction — the “CG” in its name stands for Collector's Grade. The hollow grind on its CPM 154 blade is practically a work of art, and the titanium liner keeps it securely locked open. The handle is composed of C-Tek, a glossy resin-infused aluminum honeycomb, flanked by titanium bolsters. This knife lacks a pocket clip, but includes a microfiber drawstring pouch for storage.

Pros:

• Gorgeous glossy finish and interesting choice of handle materials make this knife a real looker.
• Modified wharncliffe blade is razor-sharp and highly effective for everyday cutting tasks in an urban environment.

Cons:

• Considering its price and features, this knife doesn't wow us from a bang-for-the-buck standpoint. It's more of a collector's item than a practical choice.
• Lacks a pocket clip, and only has a one-sided thumb stud.

Brous Blades

Parallax Acid Stonewash
Overall Length: 8.8 inches
Blade Length: 3.8 inches
Weight: 4.7 ounces
MSRP: $539
URL: BrousBlades.com

Looking like it escaped a biomechanical Engineer spacecraft from the Alien movie franchise, the Brous Blades Parallax is a sleek premium folder with a price some may consider equally out-of-this-world. This knife is available in four finish options — satin, stonewash, blackout, and acid stonewash. Our sample features the last and most costly finish, and we think the dark, weathered appearance perfectly complements its sinister shape. The handle is constructed from 3D-milled 6AL4V titanium, with a frame lock and ultra-smooth ceramic detent ball. The slim upswept 4-inch blade is formed from durable D2 steel, and includes a flipper for quick opening.

Pros:

• Unique and beautiful design reminiscent of something penned by H.R. Giger.
• Ceramic ball bearing makes flipping this knife open lightning-fast and smooth.

Cons:

• Brous Blades couldn't have picked a more boring font to etch onto the pocket clip, and it contrasts starkly with the aggressive knife design.
• Lockbar release feels sticky rather than smooth. The Brous Blades site offers instructions on how to alleviate this through application of a Sharpie pen or graphite pencil, but in this price range, we'd expect it to feel smoother out of the box.

Browning

Wihongi Attachment
Overall Length: 8.8 inches
Blade Length: 3.8 inches
Weight: 4.2 ounces
MSRP: $40
URL: Browning.com

The Wihongi Attachment is a new model for 2017, and its etched tribal motif was inspired by New-Zealand-born martial arts instructor Jared Wihongi. The design was directed by Jared, penned by Russ Kommer, and manufactured in China to keep the price at an affordable $40. The hollow-ground drop point blade is constructed from 5Cr15MoV/7-Cr stainless steel, and the handle is aircraft aluminum with an interchangeable G10 or carbon fiber insert. It includes a removable tip-down pocket clip with the Browning Buck Mark logo.

Pros:

• The handle design and jimping on the blade's spine produce a secure grip.
• The tribal motif creates a unique and eye-catching appearance.

Cons:

• The frame lock on our sample failed to engage reliably when opening the knife slowly. This is a major safety concern, though it may be an isolated quality control issue.
• The Chinese 5Cr15MoV/7-Cr steel is hard to pronounce and wouldn't be our first choice for long-term durability, though it's acceptable at this price point.

Buck

710 Volt
Overall Length: 7.6 inches
Blade Length: 3.3 inches
Weight: 2.8 ounces
MSRP: $75
URL: BuckKnives.com

The Buck 710 Volt is an American-made folding knife with a recurved skinner shape inspired by the fixed-blade Buck Kalinga. The blade is constructed from 420HC steel with a black oxide coating and oblong thumb hole, and paired with an anodized aluminum handle. Textured inlays and milled ridges on the handle scales add grip. The backlock mechanism will be familiar to Buck fans, and produces a sturdy lockup. There's also a removable black-oxide-coated pocket clip.

Pros:

• Good ergonomics thanks to a large forefinger groove and textured handle inlays.
• Slim and lightweight design makes it ideal for minimalist EDC loadouts.

Cons:

• Backlock creates resistance in the closed position, making it tough to open the knife one-handed.
• 420HC steel dulls quickly, though it's also relatively easy to re-sharpen.

W.R. Case

Tribal Lock Antique Bone
Overall Length: 7.2 inches
Blade Length: 3.2 inches
Weight: 3.3 ounces
MSRP: $100
URL: WRCase.com

If you're a real traditionalist, or simply want to add a vintage-style blade to your EDC rotation, the Tribal Lock from W.R. Case is an appealing choice. This American-made compact folder is simple yet classic, and features a mirror-finish stainless steel blade with a nail nick for opening. The handle is composed of a backlock sandwiched between more mirror-finish stainless steel, fluted bolsters, and the handle scale of your choice. Nine scale options are available; we went with smooth antique bone. It may not use high-tech materials or fancy blade geometry, but it's a beautiful iteration of the timeless gentleman's pocket knife.

Pros:

• Nicely-crafted with excellent fit and finish.
• You can practically use the flat of the blade as an emergency signal mirror — it's that polished.

Cons:

• Too small to be used for any sort of heavy-duty survival tasks.
• Lack of a clip or key ring means you'll need to be OK with this free-floating in your pocket.

Cold Steel

Immortal OD Green
Overall Length: 9 inches
Blade Length: 4 inches
Weight: 5.9 ounces
MSRP: $200
URL: ColdSteel.com

Inspired by the Roman gladius sword shape and designed by Mike Wallace, Cold Steel's Immortal folder is a huge and hefty knife. The company says its distinctive 4-inch blade is “almost like an extra wide tanto point, but with an angular chisel ground false edge”. It's made in Taiwan from Carpenter CTS XHP steel, and fitted with a rectangular thumb plate and strong backlock. The handles are scalloped and ridged OD Green G10, though the knife is also available with Coyote Tan scales. The polished stainless pocket clip is reversible for left- or right-handed tip-up carry.

Pros:

• Razor-sharp and impressively-durable CTS XHP steel.
• The solid backlock and stout blade leave no doubts in our mind that this knife can take a beating.

Cons:

• While the pointed blade shape excels at piercing, it's less adept at delicate slicing tasks.
• We're not wild about the thumb plate, especially when paired with a stiff backlock. This knife is tricky to open one-handed.

Extrema Ratio

BF0 CD
Overall Length: 5.5 inches
Blade Length: 2.1 inches
Weight: 1.8 ounces
MSRP: $84
URL: ExtremaRatio.com

It may not be apparent in the photos, but the BF0 CD knife is truly tiny. As the smallest of the Extrema Ratio Basic Folder series, this 2.1-inch blade fits nicely into the palm of your hand, but its small reversible clip allows it to be carried normally without remaining loose in the bowels of your pocket. The nylon polymer handle contains a small liner lock, and the stonewashed drop-point blade is made in Italy from high-quality Bohler N690 steel. There's also a small lanyard hole so you can carry it on a keychain, if you prefer.

Pros:

• Tiny and lightweight, making it ideal for carry in a shirt pocket or as a backup keychain knife.
• Extrema Ratio didn't skimp on the steel quality even though this is a small blade. Bohler N690 is also used on the company's larger blades.

Cons:

• The liner lock has a very small textured release lever, so closing the blade can be difficult, especially with wet or gloved hands.

Liong Mah

Endevour
Overall Length: 8.7 inches
Blade Length: 3.8 inches
Weight: 5.5 ounces
MSRP: $445
URL: LiongMah.com

This American-made knife is the creation of legendary designer Liong Mah, who also designed the CRKT Remedy we featured in part one of our guide. The Endevour name appears to be a clever play on the words endeavor (an attempt to achieve a goal) and devour (to consume quickly). Its 3.8-inch blade is crafted from S35VN steel sourced from Texas, then hand-ground and finished. The Endevour can be opened via a textured recess and machined slot in the blade, or via a low-profile flipper which nestles into the handle as the blade pivots into place. Speaking of the handle, it's machined from a half-inch-thick billet of titanium, and includes a titanium ball bearing and slick blind-screwed titanium pocket clip.

Pros:

• Modern and elegant design with many cool details, such as the blind-screwed Ti pocket clip that blends almost seamlessly into the handle.
• Highly functional blade size and shape makes this a practical choice for EDC, assuming your budget permits it.

Cons:

• The low-profile flipper lever is a little too low-profile, and can be difficult to use reliably without concentrating and adjusting your grip.

Ontario Knife Company (OKC)

Cerberus Folder
Overall Length: 9.25 inches
Blade Length: 3.75 inches
Weight: 6.2 ounces
MSRP: $165
URL: OntarioKnife.com

Named after the three-headed hound of Hades in Greek mythology, the OKC Cerberus folder is not to be confused with the company's Cerberus fixed blade, an unrelated design. This large knife is made in Taiwan from respectable materials — namely D2 tool steel for the blade and titanium for the handle. Said titanium features a simple satin finish, frame lock, and matching titanium backspacer. There's also a reversible skeletonized pocket clip. The drop-point blade features a prominent thumb ramp and ambidextrous thumb stud.

Pros:

• Thumb ramp provides added force and control for precise cuts.
• Durable D2 steel and a simple drop-point blade make this a good choice for utility or combat.

Cons:

• While we have no complaints about the materials used, the design isn't what we'd call exciting. A little added texture on the handle would improve both appearance and grip.
• The overall length of over 9 inches seems a bit excessive for most EDC applications, and makes the knife heavy despite extensive use of titanium.

Zero Tolerance

0095BW
Overall Length: 8.4 inches
Blade Length: 3.6 inches
Weight: 5.3 ounces
MSRP: $275
URL: zt.kaiusaltd.com

Zero Tolerance calls the styling of the 0095BW “dramatic”, and we agree. Its new BlackWash finish accentuates the aggressive angles of the titanium handle, and highlights details like the ridged milling marks on its perimeter and the machined hardware surrounding the KVT pivot bearing. Its frame lock includes a hardened steel lockbar insert. The blade is composed of S35VN steel, with a large flipper and a small thumb ramp on the spine. The pocket clip is reversible for left- or right-handed tip-up carry. Like all Zero Tolerance knives, the 0095BW is made in the USA.

Pros:

• Of all the knives in this guide, this is the one I found myself carrying most consistently. It cuts beautifully, flicks opens smoothly, and quickly found its way into my EDC rotation.
• With a cohesive blend of smooth curves, geometric angles, and a deep black finish, the 0095BW has visual appeal in spades.

Cons:

• Out of the box, the detent felt excessively stiff, causing the flipper's hard edges to dig into your finger as the knife opens. However, after a short break-in period, this improved substantially.
• As a result of the handle and clip design, it rides fairly high in the pocket. A deep-carry clip would've been a welcome addition.

Written by Patrick McCarthy