There are many reasons why getting a tactical folding knife is an excellent idea. Whether for self-defense, hunting, fishing, camping, or even basic cutting, tactical folding knives are a popular item to keep around. Part of what makes them so popular is that they are portable and sharp, proving an excellent versatile tool. Since they can be used for an array of different tasks, they are great all-in-one tools for whatever purpose you need it for.
Getting the best tactical folding knife for your personal needs can be a little tricky. This is why we want to help you find the best tactical folding pocket knife which suits your budget. Below you will find many of the best tactical pocket knife products that can be found on the market. Each of them is highly esteemed and come in a variety of sizes and prices for you to consider. In the end, you should be able to make an educated decision on which one is right for you, or if you even want one.
10 Best Tactical Folding Knives Comparison 2018
| NAME | OVERALL LENGTH | BLADE LENGTH | HANDLE MATERIAL | WEIGHT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snake Eye Tactical TAC-FORCE | 7.75-inch | 3.25-inch | Black & Orange Aluminum | 4.0 oz | Check Price |
| Mtech USA Ballistic MT-A845 | 9-inch | 3.75-inch | Black Aluminum | 8.0 oz | Check Price |
| Valtev Pocket Knife | 7.5-inch | 3.125-inch | Wood Grain & Stainless Steel | 4.3 oz | Check Price |
| Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops SWA24S | 7.1-inch | 3.1-inch | Black Aluminum | 2.4 oz | Check Price |
| TAC Force Extra Large Tactical Pocket Knife | 10.5-inch | 4.5-inch | Orange & Black Aluminum | 11.2 oz | Check Price |
| Case Bermuda Green Bone Tiny Trapper Pocket Knife | 4.25-inch | 1.85-inch | Genuine Stag | 1.0 oz | Check Price |
| Case Small Executive Lockback Pocket Knife | 5.2-inch | 3.13-inch | Bone | 1.9 oz | Check Price |
| Victorinox Swiss Army Climber Pocket Knife | 3.6-inch | 2.5-inch max | Metallic Silver Housing | 3.0 oz | Check Price |
| Master Cutlery MTech USA Ballistic MT-A705 | 8.25-inch | 3.75-inch | Aluminum | 3.5 oz | Check Price |
| P Graham Dunn Single Stainless Steel Blade | 5.75inch | 2.5-inch | Wood | 1.6 oz | Check Price |
Snake Eye Tactical TAC-FORCE
This is a 440 stainless steel pocket knife that comes with a high number of quality specifications that might make many people consider it to be the best cheap pocket knife. Constructed with an aluminum handle, a decently long blade, and a beautiful design, this knife will last you quite a long time if you correctly use and maintain it.
Two common issues arise with this knife. Although they aren’t always true, they are still worth mentioning. First, the lock that holds the knife open can sometimes be defective. If you purchase one of these knives and the lock works perfectly, make sure to not play with it too much to keep the lock strong. Secondly, this knife is a tad harder to open than some of the other tactical pocket knives you may find.
Special Features
- 3.25-inch blade
- 440 Stainless-steel
- Aluminum handle
- Orange and black design
Pros
- Beautiful design
- Great for EMTs
- Clips on pockets easily
Cons
- Might not always lock open
- Doesn’t open easily
Mtech USA Ballistic MT-A845
If you are on a tight budget, this might be the best spring-assisted pocket knife to suit your needs. Since it comes at an affordable price, many might even consider it to be another best cheap folding knife option. Constructed with a black coating, a sturdy aluminum handle, and 3.75 inches of pure stainless steel, this is a great stainless steel pocket knife for anybody on a tight budget who wants a spring-assisted pocket knife. Clocking in right under 4 inches, this is also a large pocket knife when compared to other models.
There are two things which could be improved upon with this model. First, it is a heavy and large design. This is great for smashing out windows, but any other type of use makes this inconvenient. Lastly, it is recommended that you sharpen the blade on arrival to make it good for cutting rough objects.
Special features
- 3.75-inch blade
- 3.5mm thick stainless steel
- Glass breaker
- Seatbelt cutter
Pros
- Spring-assisted pocket knife
- Great for emergency use
- Included pocket clip
Cons
- Heavy design
- Not extremely sharp
Valtev Pocket Knife
This is a stainless steel pocket knife which is not the cheapest blade, but not the most expensive either. It has a beautiful design which features a wood grain and polished stainless steel handle. Since it comes with an included nylon pouch and 3.125 inches of blade, this is a great blade to take on-the-go.
Although this blade has a beautiful design, featuring polished wood and stainless steel on the handle, it isn’t the sharpest tactical pocket knife that you can find. It is great for cutting things like fish and other soft objects, but it shouldn’t be depended on for heavy-duty cutting. Make sure to keep the included nylon pouch handy to keep water and dirt away from the blade.
Special features
- 3.125-inch blade
- 3Cr13 Stainless-steel
- Wood grain and polished stainless steel handle
- Included nylon pouch
Pros
- Blade locks in place smoothly
- Comfortable wood handle
- Works great for fishing
Cons
- Not extremely sharp
- Best for light use
Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops SWA24S
Although Smith & Wesson is widely known for their firearms, they also make some pretty sturdy knives. This one has a high carbon stainless steel blade and is designed in all black. The handle contours well to the human hand and features jagged edges on the blade for rough cuts. This is a great single blade pocket knife for a variety of different uses.
This knife requires you to take special care of it if you want to maintain the factory sharpness around the edges. The jagged edges are nice but placed close to the handle. Additionally, you might choose to sharpen the tip when you receive this knife since it isn’t extremely sharp. Definitely not what you might expect.
Special features
- 3.1-inch blade
- High carbon stainless steel
- Contoured metal handle
- Attractive all-black design
Pros
- Jagged edges on both side of the blade
- Perfectly placed knobs for opening
- Clips easily on your clothing
Cons
- The tip isn’t very sharp
- The blade is shorter than other options
TAC Force Extra Large Tactical Folding Knife
This is a great single-blade folding knife, which is great for EMTs since it comes with a glass breaker and seat belt cutter. Since these features, as well as the jagged blade, can be used for other purposes, this is considered by some to be the best folding hunting knife for limited budgets. Since it has a nice range of features, an affordable price, and long blade, this is heavily worth considering.
Before you purchase this blade, make sure that the blade length is legal in the state which you reside. The size of the blade is 4.5 inches, making it a tad too big for some people. Since a large pocket knife like this can serve an array of different purposes, this is great for EMTs, hunters, fisherman, and campers. The seat belt cutter and glass breaker make it worth keeping in your car.
Special features
- 4.5-inch blade
- 3.55mm stainless steel
- Included glass breaker
- Included seat belt cutter
Pros
- Large pocket knife
- Jagged edge on the blade
- Great for EMTs
Cons
- Size can be overwhelming
- Blade length illegal in some states
Case Bermuda Green Bone Tiny Trapper Pocket Knife
If you want the best pocket knife under $100 or the best folding hunting knife in general, make this your top option. Featuring a design that has two blades and a nice bone handle, this is an attractive blade which is great for all sorts of outdoor activity. Each of the blades are considerably sharp when compared to some of the lesser-expensive tactical pocket knives.
This is perfect for the person who wants the best folding hunting knife and doesn’t have much space in their pockets. Although the longest blade is 3.75 inches, it is only 2.38 inches when it is closed. Just keep in mind that it is a little expensive for some budgets and that many might even consider it too small when it is folded.
Special features
- Two blades, the longest is 3.75 inches
- High carbon stainless steel
- Jigged bone handle
- Corrosion resistance
Pros
- Two blades in one
- Only one ounce
- Small and portable
Cons
- A tad expensive
- Maybe too small for some
Case Small Executive Lockback Pocket Knife
This single blade pocket knife is great for people who want to have a design that is easy enough to be found while it is folded up. Although the blade is only slightly above 3 inches, it is considerably sharp and is made of Tru-Sharp surgical stainless steel.
Although this blade has a handle length with is big enough to stay visible, the proportion of the blade to the handle seems a little strange, making it a little unattractive. If this is what you want, then there are few options which will compare to this product. Since it has a pretty sharp blade, it is great for both indoor and outdoor use.
Special features
- 3.13-inch blade
- Surgical stainless steel
- Bone handle
- Nice handle length
Pros
- Lightweight and sharp
- Great for all sorts of uses
- Included lanyard hole
Cons
- The blade may be too small for some
- Not extremely attractive
Victorinox Swiss Army Climber Pocket Knife
With a nice range of different tools and potential uses, this is the best pocket knife under $50. Each of the parts are made of the utmost quality and sit safely in its metallic silver case. Weighing only 3 ounces and measuring 3.6 inches long, it is portable and lightweight.
If you have a slightly more-than-modest budget, this is perhaps the best pocket knife under $50 that you will find. Unless you are heavily familiar with pocket knives, you may find that this one will be a bit hard to catch on to since it has many different tools which can easily become overwhelming. However, for this same reason, this is perhaps the best pocket knife under $50. Once you learn how to use it, you’ll take it everywhere.
Special features
- One long blade and one small one
- Corkscrew, can opener and even toothpick
- 14 tools overall
- All-in-one outdoor pocket knife
Pros
- Plenty of different tools
- Many different uses
- Top-quality parts
Cons
- Tools may be hard to open
- Requires a learning curve
Master Cutlery MTech USA Ballistic MT-A705
With a beautiful design, both on the handle and blade, many will consider this to be the best cheap pocket knife. There are many different colors to choose from, and the design of the tactical pocket knife is very attractive in each of them.
You might consider this the best spring assisted pocket knife if your budget is low. Especially considering how attractive the blade is. As long as you’re not using this blade for hours at a time, the oddly contoured handle won’t bother you much. You should also consider sharpening this blade before using it.
Special features
- 3.75-inch blade
- 3mm stainless steel
- Aluminum handle
- Several colors to choose from
Pros
- Very attractive design
- Excellent glass breaker
- Jagged edge on the blade
Cons
- The handle may be a tad uncomfortable
- Not extremely sharp
P Graham Dunn Single Stainless Steel Blade
This is another one of the best cheap tactical pocket knife designs which features a decent range of specifications. This one, in particular, has an old-fashioned traditional look that is great for taking with you on-the-go. Since it has a 2.5-inch blade, it is easily stored in your pocket. It comes in secure plastic packaging making it easy to wrap up as a gift.
Keep in mind that some of the other inexpensive blades have longer blades, and can be sharper. This is great for the person who needs a knife to take with them to cut loose objects. Since it has a nice contoured design, however, it will perfectly fit in your hand.
Special features
- 2.5-inch blade
- Stainless steel
- Wood and stainless steel handle
- Classic design
Pros
- Great for gifts
- Cuts soft objects easily
- Traditional look
Cons
- The blade isn’t very long
- Only for light use
Best Tactical Folding Knife: Summary
Finding the best tactical folding knife is easy if you know your budget and what features that you want. More than likely, you will settle for a stainless steel blade. However, not all stainless steel pocket knives are as sharp as the name might imply. If you want to get the best pocket knife under $100, start by considering the Case Bermuda Green Bone Tiny Trapper Pocket Knife. If your budget requires you to find the best pocket knife under $50, start by looking at the Victorinox Swiss Army Climber Pocket Knife.
Finally, not everyone can afford to spend much money on a blade. However, this doesn’t mean that they can’t take home a tactical pocket knife that suits their needs. One option to consider for the best cheap pocket knife is the Master Cutlery MTech USA Ballistic MT-A705. If you don’t like the design of this one, you might instead choose the Snake Eye Tactical TAC-FORCE.
