Editor’s Picks: 6 Great Utility Knives

Popular Knives Built for Utility

When called upon, these 6 great utility knives can do plenty of jobs. For many of us, knives are indispensable tools that we carry either on ourselves, in our packs or in our vehicles daily. It seems that more often than not, they’re currently only used to slice open those brown cardboard packages with smiles emblazoned on them.

No matter whether the job is prying open a can of peaches or cutting an entangled seatbelt to save a life, it’s important that the knife is strong and reliable. In this edition of “Made the Cut,” we take a look at popular utility knives that are dependable as much as they are useful.

01.Bradford USA/3D Guardian 3

OVERALL LENGTH: 6.75”
BLADE LENGTH: 3.5”
BLADE MATERIAL: M390
HANDLE MATERIAL: G-Wood
WEIGHT: 3.96 oz.
MSRP: starts at $179

bradfordknives.com

02.6 Great Utility Knives: Kershaw/Turismo

CLOSED LENGTH: 3.9”
OPEN LENGTH: 6.75”
BLADE LENGTH: 2.9″
BLADE MATERIAL: D2
HANDLE MATERIAL: Stainless steel
WEIGHT: 3.3 oz.
MSRP: $72

kershaw.kaiusaltd.com

03.Buck Knives/252 Trunk Knife

CLOSED LENGTH: 4.0”
OPEN LENGTH: 6.875”
BLADE LENGTH: 2.875″
BLADE MATERIAL: 7Cr stainless
HANDLE MATERIAL: G10
WEIGHT: 3.1 oz.
MSRP: $26

buckknives.com

04.CRKT/Razel GT

CLOSED LENGTH: 4.6”
OPEN LENGTH: 7.56”
BLADE LENGTH: 3.02″
BLADE MATERIAL: 8Cr13MoV
HANDLE MATERIAL: 6061 aluminum
WEIGHT: 4.3 oz.
MSRP: $70

crkt.com

05.6 Great Utility Knives: Havalon/Forge

CLOSED LENGTH: 4.625”
OPEN LENGTH: 7.875”
BLADE LENGTH: 2.75″
BLADE MATERIAL: Stainless 60A
HANDLE MATERIAL: TPR rubber
WEIGHT: 2 oz.
MSRP: $50

havalon.com

06.Zero Tolerance Knives/ 0308BLKTS

CLOSED LENGTH: 5.2”
OPEN LENGTH: 8.9”
BLADE LENGTH: 3.75”
BLADE MATERIAL: CPM 20CV
HANDLE MATERIAL: G10 front; titanium back
WEIGHT: 6.9 oz.
MSRP: $400

zt.kaiusaltd.com

(Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in Tread May/June 2021.)