Our Five Favorite Pocket Knives Under $100
Invest a little bit more in a good everyday carry pocket knife, and you’ll have an essential piece of gear that will stick with you for the rest of your life. But just how much do you really need to spend to get yourself a high-quality, durable, and reliable folding knife?
We’ve found that the sweet spot for most people is a knife that costs under $100—so that’s exactly what we’ve collected here, in this list of the best pocket knives for under $100. Each of them is a tried-and-true choice to add to your everyday carry kit, or gift to a friend to help them start their own journey into high-quality gear.
The James Brand Folsom Knife
The James Brand offers an entire lineup of enviable EDC knives, from the small, compact, and affordable to the ornate and expensive. But perhaps their best offering is their classic liner lock knife, the Folsom. Made with durable but lightweight micarta scales, it has a deep and reversible pocket clip for easy storage and a super thin profile for even easier concealment.
The real draw here though is the extremely high quality VG-10 blade steel, which offers top-notch corrosion resistance and edge retention so you’ll sharpen it less often. Available in a variety of scale color options and either a straight or half-serrated blade, the Folsom knife is a versatile all-rounder that will last for a lifetime.
WESN Microblade
WESN has begun to make quite a name for themselves in the minimalist EDC space, but it all started with their Microblade. At just 2.25 inches closed (3.75 inches with the blade extended), the Microblade certainly lives up to its name. But in spite of its diminutive size, not a single detail has been spared in making the Microblade every bit as functional as its larger counterparts.
Grade 5 titanium scales make it super lightweight and exceptionally durable, while a D2 tool-grade steel makes its blade a rough-and-ready choice for tough cutting tasks. That all weighs in at just one ounce, making the Microblade the most portable and easily stored pocket knife you’re likely to ever find.
SOG Aegis AT
When you’re looking for a pocket knife that’s going to last a lifetime, it’s especially important to find one that is a natural fit for your hand. And in our experience, the Aegis AT from SOG is a near-perfect fit for most guys, allowing for plenty of leverage and excellent gripping from any angle thanks to a smooth but textured knurling.
It has an ambidextrous design with an adjustable clip as well, so both right-handers and lefties can use it with no difference in functionality. Last but not least, it’s equipped with SOG’s proprietary AT-XR deployment and locking mechanism, guaranteeing smooth one-handed opening and closing as well as rock-solid safety when it’s extended and locked in.
Kershaw Cryo II
Kershaw makes some of the best affordably priced knives on the market, and their Cryo II is our top pick from their deep catalog. Its 8Cr13MoV blade steel has a large proportion of chromium in its alloy, which is uncommon at this price point—and it makes for a blade whose edge can be made startlingly sharp.
The black-washed steel handle gives it a lot of heft and a great look and feel, even though it also makes this knife heavier than many of the others on our list. If you want a pocket knife that looks and feels substantial and can take a razor sharp edge, go for the Cryo II.
CRKT Pilar Frame Lock
Columbia River Knife and Tool’s Pilar Frame Lock knife is almost too good of a deal. For just 40 bucks, it’s made with materials that are usually only used in knives at twice its price—including an 8Cr13MoV blade steel that’s sharp as heck.
An internal ball bearing system makes the pivot and deployment for the Pilar as smooth as silk, and its internal frame lock has a thick lock bar that gives it plenty of strength and durability for every cut you make. And to top it all off, the two-position clip can be adjusted for tip-up or tip-down carry to suit whichever way you’d like to store it.
Disclosure: Clicking on these links and making a purchase may earn us a small referral fee, at no extra cost to you. Learn more here.
