After having the Mini Griptilian in our pocket for a week or so, we came to like the handle for its overall feel, which was light and durable. With the knife folded, it’s a good size for a pocket—big enough to find easily yet small enough that it can share the space with a set of keys, a wallet, or a small flashlight. The Drifter has a 2⅞-inch blade, https://www.instructables.com/Relief-carving-made-easy/ a folded length of 3⅝ inches, and a total length of 6½ inches. The blade is long enough to slice up an apple or cut a sandwich in half. In our tests, we also liked that the underside was long enough to accommodate a sawing action if necessary, such as when we were cutting twine from hay bales; it was harder to do the same with shorter blades.
Still, the Buck Knives 55 has a very sturdy body and nice overall construction, which is evident in how the lock snaps open and closed. To us, the biggest drawback is that you need two hands to open and close this blade, but if you’re okay with that, this Buck model is a fine choice. If you have a larger budget and want a https://alaskawoodcarvings.com/2021/04/07/biltmore-project/ knife that nails all of the little details, we recommend the Benchmade Mini Griptilian 556. Compared with our other picks, it’s simply a better knife—better pivot, better blade steel, better ergonomics, and better locking system. Because of the lock and the reversible pocket clip, this model is a fully ambidextrous knife.
Benchmade Mini Griptilian 556
Although the Drifter’s handle is small, it’s comfortable in both big and small hands. Small and medium hands will be able to get a full four-fingered grip on the handle, while larger hands will get only three. But even with the three-fingered grip, the contoured back end of the handle tucks right into the base of the thumb and remains comfortable. In our tests, knives with even slightly larger blades—anything over 3 inches—had handles that started getting big for smaller hands.
- Jackson writes that AUS-8 “offers a good balance of toughness, edge sharpness and corrosion resistance.” Experts consider AUS-8 as being on a par with, if not a whisker better quality than, 8Cr13MoV steel.
- The more you carry around a pocket knife, the more uses you’ll find for it.
- The blade is long enough to slice up an apple or cut a sandwich in half.
- The Zancudo is manufactured by Blue Ridge Knives but designed by ESEE, a popular maker of fixed-blade knives.
Assisted-open knives are not illegal by virtue of the opening system, but in many cities and states, switchblades are. The Kershaw Fraxion is also a flipper, but the handle isn’t as great https://www.finewoodworking.com/2007/03/06/freestyle-relief-carving as those of our picks . The praise that the knife community has heaped on the Drifter is unanimous. Across all the professional reviews of the Drifter, we couldn’t find a bad one.
Ranger Grip 78
A second benefit of the Axis lock is that it allows for an additional open/close option. With the locking bar pulled back, the blade sits loosely enough https://alaskawoodcarvings.com/2009/09/07/bear-carvings-2/ for you to snap it open or closed with a slight flick of the wrist. Again, this is a great touch, but not essential to the operation of the knife.
Most knife reviewers as well as the retailer Blade HQ call it the ESEE Zancudo, but a few other retailers, such as Amazon, call it the Blue Ridge Zancudo. The downside is that it’s a flipper, and once we were done with testing, we decided that we preferred the thumb-stud opening for its fast and slow deployment. CRKT also sells a version of the Drifter with an all-metal handle , but both Dan Jackson and https://alaskawoodcarvings.com/2013/05/03/the-right-kind-of-wood-for-carving-for-decorating-your-home/ Tony Sculimbrene write in their Drifter reviews that they prefer the version with the G10 handle. When you need a little extra muscle check out our Power Carving Tools & Power Sharpening. Assisted-open knives are not switchblades, which is a common misconception. While switchblades are button operated, assisted-open knives are manual, because you have to open the blade before the spring kicks in.