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High End Pocket Knives

As you can guess by the title, this page is devoted to high end production pocket knives. I realize that the definition of “high end” varies from person to person, but for purposes of this website I am going to define a high end pocket knife as anything over $300. I may include some knives between the $250-300 range.

I think for the longest time our idea of the high end in the world of production pocket knives was dominated almost exclusively by Chris Reeve Knives, Strider Knives, and Hinderer Knives. There was a time when collectors of production knives would seek out the “Holy Trinity”: a Chris Reeve Sebenza, a Strider SnG, and a Hinderer XM-18.

Indeed even today these are probably the most recognizable high end knives, but we now live in a world where there are more options. Most recently, a number of high end Russian and Chinese companies have been producing knives in the $300+ price range. With the proliferation of CNC machining and the internet, manufacturers all over the world are realizing the demand for a more premium product, and are able to bring high end knives to market in ways that were previously impossible.

High End Pocket Knife Reviews:

What follows are all of the reviews of premium pocket knives that I have reviewed. Scroll further below for commentary on high end knives.

Chris Reeve Knives Impinda Review

Chris Reeve Knives Impinda Review

Chris Reeve Knives doesn’t release many new models. And when they do it’s often a variation on a theme rather than a brand new design. That’s part of the reason why the last time I reviewed a CRK was a review of the Sebenza 25 back in 2014. Another interesting tidbit about CRK is that ...

Begg Knives Steelcraft Kwaiken (3/4) Review

Begg Knives Steelcraft Kwaiken (3/4) Review

I really enjoy Blade Magazine. I’ve subscribed for years, and smile when their magazine finds its way into my mailbox each month. Part of what I enjoy is how they write articles I could never write. Deep dives into the history of custom knife making, coverage of high end customs pieces, and interesting commentary on ...

Microtech Troodon Review

Microtech Troodon Review

I’ve got a couple Microtech knife reviews under my belt at this point, and as far as their automatics go I’ve reviewed the Halo VI and the Stitch. Something that is obviously missing from the picture is one of their dual action Out The Front (OTF) knives. The OTF autos are are the knives Microtech ...

Reate Kirby Lambert Crossroads Review

Reate Kirby Lambert Crossroads Review

I saw this knife on the cover of Blade Magazine and had to have it. That’s the short version at least, but the story goes back way further than that. Buy the Reate Crossroads at BladeHQ I’ve been a fan of Kirby Lambert’s work for years. He was one of those makers that captivated me with ...

Olamic Wayfarer 247 Review

Olamic Wayfarer 247 Review

Years ago, when I was in law school and just starting this web site, Olamic came onto the scene with their damascus fixed blade knives. They actually reached out to me, to see if I would write an article on their knives for the site. I agreed, as I thought it was pretty cool that ...

Spyderco Native 5 in Fluted CF and S90V Review

Spyderco Native 5 in Fluted CF and S90V Review

Several years ago I watched a Nutnfancy video while I was trying to research a new firearm that I had purchased (I did this backwards back then). This led me to the realization that my life wasn’t complete without a pocket knife. My first purchase was a Spyderco and that led to nearly a decade ...

Microtech Halo VI Review

Microtech Halo VI Review

“I tried being reasonable. I didn’t like it.” Buy the Microtech Halo VI at BladeHQ I always enjoyed that quote from Clint Eastwood, and couldn’t help but think about it as I wielded the Halo VI. There is absolutely nothing reasonable about this knife. Any justification that this would be my “new EDC” went completely out ...

Fantoni HB-01 Review

Fantoni HB-01 Review

The Fantoni HB-01 is a collaborative design with William Harsey Junior. Harsey is a well known American designer and custom knife maker. He’s notably popular for producing several knives for, and with the collaboration of divisions in the U.S. Special forces. This design has its production roots in a discontinued iteration put out ...

Custom Knife Factory Decepticon 2 Review

Custom Knife Factory Decepticon 2 Review

Last Updated: August 3, 2019 Ever since the explosion of the Shirogorov brother’s knives, there has been an increased interest in what is being produced in Russia. This has been pushed further along by a growing amount of breakout designers, most notably Dmitry Sinkevich. Buy the CFK Decepticon 2 at BladeHQ Sinkevich, a long time Shirogorov collaborator, ...

Demko Knives AD-15 MG Review

Demko Knives AD-15 MG Review

There are knives that elicit feelings of elegance and delicate class, and then there are knives that make you feel like you’re carrying a tool that can handle damn near any task that you throw at it. Demko Knives belong solidly in the latter camp. Buy the Demko Knives AD-15 at BladeHQ For those of you ...

Rockstead RYO Review

Rockstead RYO Review

The RYO is the latest folder from Rockstead, coming after their futuristic SHUN collaboration that was the work of Belorussian designer Dmitry Sinkevich. The SHUN was a tangent from the company’s previous aesthetic sensibilities, carrying much more futuristic lines in a larger form factor. Rockstead’s unmistakable mirrored blade grind and stylized fuller aside, ...

Rockstead Higo Review

Rockstead Higo Review

Today I’ll be reviewing an expensive knife. There is no way around it. The Rockstead Higo retails for the better part of $1000. It’s insanely expensive, and it’s taken me the better part of 10 years of writing about knives to work my way up to purchasing one. I’ve considered it before, but always had ...

Benchmade Anthem 781 Review

Benchmade Anthem 781 Review

Last Updated: July 18, 2019 There was a time when Benchmade was kinda the sleepy “Gunshop Knife Brand.” There would always be a few dusty Griptillians sitting in the case next to the preowned Glocks, and while the Grips might be fantastic value-props, they a bit vanilla-icecream-y if you get my meaning. Buy the Benchmade Anthem ...

Cold Steel 4-Max Review

Cold Steel 4-Max Review

This is a knife that requires little in the way of an introduction. The Cold Steel 4-Max is arguably the most overbuilt hard use folding knife of all time. Modeled after designer Andrew Demko’s custom 4-Max folder the 4-Max brings Andrew’s clean design and attention to detail to life. Buy the 4-Max at BladeHQ This isn’t your ...

Microtech Stitch Review

Microtech Stitch Review

Hot on the heels of my review of the Microtech Sigil, I decided to pick up the Stitch. This knife was designed by Sebastijan Berenji of Borka Blades. Buy the Microtech Stitch at BladeHQ What I find interesting about Sebastian’s story is that he started out as an enthusiast. If I recall correctly, he was a ...

Todd Begg Steelcraft Bodega Review

Todd Begg Steelcraft Bodega Review

Todd Begg is known for his heavily machined and highly ornamented knives. A few years ago it would have been inconceivable to think that his Bodega folder could be recreated as a mass market production piece. Buy the Bodega at BladeHQ | Buy the Bodega at KnivesShipFree But there it was, staring back and Andrew ...

Microtech Sigil MK6 Review

Microtech Sigil MK6 Review

There is depth to the knife industry. So much depth that a reviewer can review knives for 5 years, hire on 3 other writers to review knives, amass a catalog of over 300 knife reviews, and still not review knives from all the major manufacturers. That’s case with this website and Microtech at least. ...

Mission Workshop x Kingdom Armory Unagi Review

Mission Workshop x Kingdom Armory Unagi Review

Last Updated: August 11, 2019 The Unagi is a collaboration with boutique bag company Mission Workshop and David Rydbom of Kingdom Armory. I have long been a fan of David’s work. His Mini Samaritan is especially intriguing. The PR team for the Unagi was kind enough to provide me with a sample to review. What follows ...

Grant and Gavin Hawk MUDD Review

Grant and Gavin Hawk MUDD Review

Last Updated: August 12, 2019 I haven’t reviewed many mid-tech knives. This is because I find a lot of them to be expensive and boring. Many follow the standard formula of slab sided titanium handles with a stainless steel blade. In theory, mid-techs can be a great way for a custom knife maker to get their ...

WE Knife Company Model 605 Review

WE Knife Company Model 605 Review

WE Knife Co. (or “WE Knives”) is a relatively new manufacturer from China. Technically that isn’t true as, they produced OEM knives for other brands for years, but WE Knives has recently garnered attention from knife collectors under their own brand. This is thanks to a combination of precision machining, high end materials, and a ...

Hinderer MP-1 Review

Hinderer MP-1 Review

It seems like every time I write a review of a Hinderer knife I can’t help but open with a commentary on the state of the Hinderer market. Maybe it’s the finance degree talking. At any rate, a few years ago a Hinderer XM-18 would sell for well north of retail. Some were selling for ...

Pohl Force Mike One Review

Pohl Force Mike One Review

Last Updated: July 31, 2019 I have lusted after the Pohl Force Mike One for years. I wanted one for years. For the uninitiated, Pohl Force is a tactical knife company owned by Dietmar Pohl, a long time knife collector, knife designer, knife enthusiast, and author of books on knives. I have met with Dietmar, and ...

Zero Tolerance 0888MAX

Zero Tolerance 0888MAX

First of all, this is not really a review. The 0888MAX is a pure collectible for me. A collectible I was able to acquire through a trade with my good friend Andrew of the Edge Observer. The knife has been admired and “fondled” (as much as I hate that word – it’s right up there ...

Shirogorov F3 Review

Shirogorov F3 Review

Last Updated: July 27, 2019 The Shirogorov 95t is arguably the nicest knife I have reviewed to date. It is a beautiful piece embodying all the characteristics one would seek out in a high end titanium framelock flipper: top shelf materials, amazing action, a beautiful design, plenty of details, and an otherwordly level of machining, fit, ...

Hinderer XM-18 3" Review

Hinderer XM-18 3″ Review

Last Updated: August 5, 2019 If you have been following Hinderer Knives on the secondary market, you will have noticed that the prices have fallen dramatically over the past couple years. A few years ago, it would have been hard to find a used XM-18 for less than $700. Some were fetching closer to a grand. ...

DPx Aculus Review

DPx Aculus Review

The first time I noticed a gear company use the words “executive protection,” I was browsing the Goruck website. I was in the market for a backpack (my Jansport had succumbed to a combination of heat, dirt, and heavy loads) and saw that Goruck had recently released a sleeker bag that was stripped of ...

Spyderco Slysz Bowie Review

Spyderco Slysz Bowie Review

Last Updated: August 1, 2019 An often enjoyed pastime of production knife collectors is to discuss various “Sebenza Killers” arriving on the market. The Sebenza has long been considered a gold standard in high end production cutlery, and the thought that a competitor might knock the Sebenza off it’s podium has been a topic of conversation ...

Shirogorov 95t Review

Shirogorov 95t Review

I have had folks occasionally confess that they live vicariously through my reviews of high end pocket knives. I have handled some nice stuff over the years, but for the most part my wallet and I have been able to resist the renaissance of mid tech and custom knives. This is despite the deluge of ...

Spyderco Rubicon Review

Spyderco Rubicon Review

Last Updated: August 3, 2019 Spyderco has released a number of high end knives of the past year. Blades like the Slysz Bowie, K2, Firefly, and Burch Chubby are all retailing at north of $200. Meanwhile, there doesn’t seem to be much of interest going on in the ~$100 price point or sub $100 price points ...

Rick Hinderer Knives XM-18 3.5 Review

Rick Hinderer Knives XM-18 3.5 Review

Last Updated: June 23, 2019 In the past I have compared knife collecting to mountain climbing. Certainly there isn’t the element of physical accomplishment, as the only thing that really gets a workout is your wallet, but there is that spirit of pursuit and of course the ascent up a pile of incrementally more expensive knives. ...

LionSteel TiSpine Review

LionSteel TiSpine Review

Last Updated: July 27, 2019 Especially astute readers may note that I debuted a review of the LionSteel SR-1 a while back, and then published the world’s first review of the TM-1 not so long ago, but I conveniently skipped over the other folder in their SOLID lineup – the Ti-Spine. Rest assured it wasn’t because ...

Chris Reeve Knives Sebenza 25 Review

Chris Reeve Knives Sebenza 25 Review

How do you improve on perfection? That may have been a question asked by the engineers at Chris Reeve when they approached the Sebenza 25. I wasn’t in the room, so I really have no idea. The Sebenza has received incremental improvements over the years, but for it’s 25th anniversary CRK really wanted to up ...

LionSteel TM1 Review

LionSteel TM1 Review

Last Updated: August 3, 2019 I hope the regular readers are interested in high end knives, because the next few posts are all going to be doozies. The TM-1 is so mythical a knife, that it isn’t even out yet, although LionSteel tells me that they will be introducing it to market any day now. I ...

Zero Tolerance 0454 Review

Zero Tolerance 0454 Review

Last Updated: July 27, 2018 Every so often as a knife collector I have had my expectations taken up a notch. For purposes of this introduction I’ll call them “game changing blades.” Making the jump from a $25 knife to a $65 knife was one such moment – my move from a CRKT M16 to a ...

Lionsteel SR-1 Review

Lionsteel SR-1 Review

Last Updated: July 28, 2019 A topic knife nuts love to ponder is the age old question of “is it worth it?” This question is probably as old as knife ownership is itself. I imagine that first cave man who showed off his fancy new blade hewn from obsidian rather than the typical rock was met ...

Chris Reeve Mnandi Review

Chris Reeve Mnandi Review

Last Updated: January 10, 2018 When I think Chris Reeve Knives, I first think of the Sebenza, their flagship blade. Then my mind wanders to the Umnunzaan, their amped up tactical offering. Only after sampling both of those knives did I take a genuine interest in the Mnandi. It was one of those knives that I ...

Chris Reeve Knives Large Sebenza 21 Review

Chris Reeve Knives Large Sebenza 21 Review

Last Updated: July 28, 2019 For many the Sebenza 21 is a knife obtained on the steep ascent to the upper echelons of production knife collecting. It’s not a starter knife. It is something to be gradually aspired to, pined over, and then climatically acquired. I had such an experience when I bought and reviewed a ...

Strider SJ-75 Review

Strider SJ-75 Review

I have come to really enjoy my Strider SnG. Perhaps its because I won it in a contest, and therefore, had no qualms about carrying and beating the crap out of it. Regardless, it is a knife I have really enjoyed. But honestly, if my money was on the table, I’m really not sure the ...

Strider PT Review

Strider PT Review

Last Updated: August 3, 2019 One of the best parts of blogging about knives is checking out other people’s blogs, and seeing what they really like. It often piques my interest and expands my collection into all sorts of unhealthy directions. Case in point, I had absolutely zero interest in the Strider PT until I read ...

Strider SnG Review

Strider SnG Review

Last Updated: February 13, 2018 For many knife collectors the Strider SnG is a holy grail of sorts. Much like the Chris Reeve Sebenza, the Strider SnG represents the top of the line for production grade folders. Toss in a Hinderer XM, and you have what many knife collectors like to call “the holy trinity” of ...

Chris Reeve Knives Umnumzaan Review

Chris Reeve Knives Umnumzaan Review

Last Updated: July 28, 2019 The ink had barely dried on my Small Sebenza review. I was sitting peaceably at my desk and distinctly remember saying how it would be a good while before I got my hands on another Chris Reeve knife. Shockingly enough it was only a couple weeks before the sweet Siren that ...

Chris Reeve Knives Small Sebenza 21 Review

Chris Reeve Knives Small Sebenza 21 Review

Last Updated: June 2, 2019 I don’t think many people get into the hobby of collecting knives with the idea that one day they will buy a pocket knife that costs hundreds of dollars. Well, at least I didn’t start out my little edged adventure with the thought of purchasing a $300+ knife. However, as I ...

Why High End Pocket Knives?

Invariably when I set down to write a review on a $300+ folding knife, the subject of price and value comes up. People want to know if it’s “worth it” to buy a $300, $400, or $1000+ pocket knife. This is a very personal question and it’s impossible for me to divine whether an expensive knife like this is worth it to you.

At the end of the day these are luxury goods, and it’s all relative. No one “needs” a $500 pocket knife. A $50 or $100 knife will work just as well to cut things. Hell, some people will argue that a $15 SanRenMu or a $5 or $10 box cutter at the hardware store works just as a well as a $50 or $100 pocket knife. It’s all relative.

Buying a high end knife is like buying any other luxury good. You are paying more for incrementally better performance, higher levels of machining, more expensive materials, and perhaps because you perceive some value in the brand of the knife. This is not unlike buying a German car, or a Swiss watch. Much in the same way a Honda can get you to work as well as a Mercedes Benz, or a quartz Casio can tell the time as good (if not better) than a Rolex, buyers of high end knives don’t necessarily buy them because they are better than a cheaper option. The marginal utility of a knife shrinks with each additional dollar you spend. At some point the idea that you are buying a legitimately better pocket knife goes out the window, and the decision to buy a very high end knife is simply because you want it.

There is also collectibility to consider. Some people simply enjoy collecting high end knives, admiring the materials, the fit and finish, the nuances of the design. There is nothing wrong with that. I collect knives myself and I totally get the appeal.

There is no right or wrong answer when exploring the merits of a high end knife. You buy it because you can afford it and because you want it. You don’t buy it because you can’t afford it, or simply don’t want to spend the money on it.

As an enthusiast of all kinds of knives, expensive ones and cheap ones, I can see both sides to the argument. I enjoy checking out expensive knives, but I also get excited when I get my hands on a truly great $40 knife. That is part of what makes this hobby so enjoyable to me.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bob says

    February 3, 2018 at 10:03 pm

    Awesome point I’ve been collecting knives my whole life and I have some incredibly high quality ones I’ve gotten for relatively cheap years ago, not that I thought they were cheap at the time (being younger with less resources) LOL. And like most collectors I’ve got some pretty expensive ones people would think I’m nuts buying. The fact is I like them all. I just decided to collect knives instead of rock several decades ago 🙂
    Bob

    Reply
  2. Roland S. Gove says

    March 14, 2018 at 10:19 pm

    I recently (at 70 yrs.) began scrimshawing knives. I’ve collected many beautiful blades for many years, but to practice the art I bought several very inexpensive Rough Rider folders. Guess what? I think you already have. These “Chinese pieces of crap” are not only very, very well made for the money, but as good or better than lockbacks 20-30 times the price!!!!!

    Reply
    • Jonny jonnymoorman says

      July 26, 2018 at 9:32 am

      I have a Areso knife with gold in lay in handle lee is on handle do you know any thing about it what year it was made

      Reply
  3. Mike H.? says

    January 29, 2021 at 1:06 pm

    V Nives Olympian should be mentioned here it’s an amazing knife made in America

    Reply

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