The Best Pocket Knives of 2026

The Fawkes is actually named after the Phoenix in Harry Potter—and like its namesake, it springs to life. Small and compact, we found the Fawkes to be a delight to open when we used the flipper. However, if you want to bypass the assisted-open flipper, there is a bevel in the blade to peel it open manually.

The handle is made from a composite resin that is smooth on the sides and textured on the edges. It’s fairly comfortable to hold and the divot for the index finger ensures a firm grip. Still, the handle feels on the cramped side.

When it came to the cutting tests, the Fawkes proved itself well. The D2 steel blade cut through rope, paper, and ice with relative ease. It’s not as keen as some of the 1095 blades on this list or as tough as VG-10, but this small knife gets the job done. We think the Fawkes would make a great gift to anyone you know who would want a tastefully orange everyday carry.

The Buck 112 Ranger reminds us of the ones you see in old cowboy movies—which is to say it has a great, rugged look. The unfolded 420HC steel blade is made in America. It’s sleek from the tip of the clip point to the base. However, testing proved this knife to be more beauty than beast. We understand that a thumb stud would ruin the aesthetic, but the trade-off is you need two hands to pry the thing open. The Ranger's good looks don't really hold up during use, either, as the brass over the tang picks up smudges and fingerprints.

On the performance front, the Buck Ranger is just okay. The knife aced our rope-cutting and wood-carving tests, but it was so tough to open and close that it was hard to enjoy the experience of using it. We think it would make a pretty gift, but it's too heavy, weighing over six ounces, and hard to handle for use as a general everyday blade.

The Opinel N°8 is the most cultured knife we tested. In the book A History of the Garden in Fifty Tools, author Bill Laws writes that Picasso favored an Opinel for carving figurines. It makes sense why. The N°8 is super light, weighing 1.59 ounces and has a small 4.5-inch closed length

With a beechwood handle, you should think of the Opinel as more of a folding kitchen knife than a pocket tool. It peels an apple just fine, but the lack of a locking mechanism made us uncomfortable when we were using it for more robust tasks. Light and fairly sharp, the Opinel is a knife to take picnicking or tuck into your camping utensil case. The design won't raise eyebrows if you take it out in a sunny park.

James Brand got started in 2012 and specializes in minimalist everyday carry gear. The Folsom pocket knife represents the epitome of that philosophy. It has a meaty VG-10 blade that made it a great chopper, making quick work of the rope and cardboard tests.

However, the handle materials left a lot to be desired. Its scales felt more like condensed cardboard than G10 resin. The texture on the scales was meant to help ensure a good grip. However, it wore away within the first week of use. While the resulting mottled pattern on the scales made the knife look cooler, our satisfaction with the blade dipped.

Overall, we think the James Brand Folsom will serve people who love wearing skinny jeans well. Its svelte profile and wide blade provide a favorable cutting-power-to-weight ratio. Still, the poor handle design deterred us from really like this knife.

It’s hard to argue against the classics and the Douk-Douk is undoubtedly a classic. Designed in 1929, this slip joint knife has been in continuous manufacture ever since. During testing, the simplicity of the Douk-Douk impressed us the most. It’s the kind of pocketknife could survive for decades upon decades.

We were less enthused during the performance testing. We found the Douk-Douk hard to open. The slip joint will get more pliable over time, but the lack of a finger divot on the blade will always be an issue. During the cutting tests, the Douk-Douk fell behind more modern pocket knives. The clip point blade did below average on our paper and cardboard cutting tests.

The Douk-Douk will always have a place in the pocket knife world. However, it’s a knife from a bygone era and it lacks the quality-of-use features that most everyday carry gear has these days. We think this pocket knife will serve you best as a desk ornament.

The Tac Force TF-723EM is an emergency rescue knife. You'll find a glass breaker and seat belt cutter located at the bottom of the handle, which sets the knife apart from the other ones we tested. However, the blade's assisted-open mechanism was not particularly smooth during testing, and the 440 stainless steel blade didn't prove all that sharp. That said, this is an under-$20 knife with a built-in glass breaker and seat belt cutter, not an intricate whittling tool. Buy one and keep it in your car, just in case.