Small Folder Recommendations

A Kershaw Ken Onion Leek , $44.95 made in USA or any made in USA Kershaw . They have some under $40 and some over $100 , you choose . You might find the Leek under $45 if you search , that was just the first place I looked . I found one lying in my driveway last weekend , I took it in and sharpen it up . It was my brothers , it fell out of his pocket when he was getting
in his truck I guess . That was the second time I have found it , I told him if I find it one more time that I am keeping it .

It took me less than 30 seconds I searched , Amazon $38 plus free shipping .

I also like the Kershaw Leek.
A visor knife is very handy. We have them in all our vehicles since our friend and her son turned her SUV over on a country road and hung from her seat belt until her husband arrived. He couldnt release the buckle either anf finally cut them down.

I own two Leeks. USA made, light weight and very sharp .

Sounds like a Kershaw 1620ST Scallion would fill the bill nicely as well.

For that I would just grab one off the local counter of an auto parts or farm supply store. My local napa usually has one ine that fits that bill for < 10 bucks.

Another vote for a Leek. Easy one handed opening, and very sharp from the factory. Also fairly light weight for pocket carry. Has a clip and a lock, so it should cover your parameters.

An all black one would be less visible to prying eyes, partially serrated for rope if necessary.

Home Depot carries the Coast line which should have something that fits your needs.

The first thing I thought of was the LX236 / LX239 liner lock twin pack:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Coast-LX239-LX236-2-7-in-Knives-Combo-Pack-21281/206159394

Also the cheapo lockback that accepts Stanley utility blades work pretty good too.

There are many good options in that price range that will do what you want. When it comes to budget folders the Ontario Rat knives are very good for the money. The Rat II is smaller and can be had for under $30. Kershaw has a few different options that are very serviceable. The leek has been mentioned multiple time, the Cryo is also a very good knife that you can pick up for $25 or less. In the sub $30 price range it is hard to beat the Cryo and Rat II. You can even step up the price on the Rat II to about $35 or so and get it in D2 steel. However Aus8 is going to be fine for the type of use you describe.

If you are looking for something with a 2-2.25 inch blade, my recommendation is the Spyderco Dragonfly. IMO, it can perform tasks that other 2 inch folders cannot due to a better handle design & its use of spine serrations, VG-10 steel holds a good edge, has great toughness and corrosion resistance, and is easy to sharpen, and the flat ground blade provides the ideal performance attributes for an EDC. It's a little bit more at around $45-50, but IMO the design warrants the investment. Compared to the 8Cr steel on Ambitious or AUS8 steel used on many folders in this price, I find that VG-10 performs noticeably better.

(This is the pricier G10 model - photo to illustrate how the handle enables a better grip than many other knives of this size)


I like the Kershaw Chive, Scallion, and Leek lines a lot, but I do not like the base steel they use on the Chive and Scallion (and the upgraded steel options generally cost more.) You can often find these as blems for a pretty reasonable price (and sometimes you can find blem models using the outstanding S30V steel.) However, the Leek model uses 14C28N steel, which performs much better than 420 IMO, but the Leek is a larger sized knife.

The buck vantage line are surprisingly good for the money and come in 2 different sizes. You may even be able to step up to the avid instead of the select and get the better steel in your price range.

Something for the truck visor? Why a folder there? I keep my Cold Steel Finn Bear in my visor. For a folder, your basic cheap Wal-Mart $3.87 folder is good enough for what you want. Look in the Clearance at Wal-Mart, the Xmas gift set knives are on their first price drop right now.

I would also get a glass breaker , that could be the most important tool in your vehicle .

I 2nd the glass breaker I posted a thread a awhile back where i flipped over my chevy suburban, Had to break the glass with a small axe.

I'm not sure I'd want any knife or flashlight on my visor during a wreck. It just seems a good way to add debris (projectiles) to go flying if there was a wreck. Maybe your visor organizer has a way to strongly secure those items though. Is there some reason you can't just carry a folding knife on your person?

bratch said:

I carry a folder on my person 95% of the time but there have been a few occasions I have been out without one and needed it. This usually happens at some sort of race where my clothing and activity doesn't lend itself to carrying but I want a knife to cut a bib or timing chip.

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When I deployed to Iraq we had to be in uniform at all times when we left our quarters, and PT gear (uniform gym shorts and T shirts) was an acceptable uniform when off duty. I carried a Benchmade 530 clipped IWB at about 3 o'clock on PT shorts. It's super slim and weighs in at under two ounces, so it might be something to look at for your needs. John Shirley's ARK neck knife made by Spyderco might be an even better solution.

A neck knife seems to be a good option.

bikerdoc said:

A neck knife seems to be a good option.

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My neck knife hangs from my rear view mirror. I guess it's a "thing" among the guys at the bp club. Several of us keep our neck knives and medicine bags there.

Check out the Ka-bar Dozier with the Orange scales. AUS 8 steel and very thin.