Is this your first EDC? I am genuinely happy for you.
If you have gone through some buying guides before you got here, though, you already know that pocket knives can have varying prices.
So, how much is a pocket knife supposed to cost?
A good pocket knife costs between $50 – $70, especially for first-time users. The budget for a good EDC pocket knife can be bumped up to $150 to take advantage of premium manufacturing, sharper blades, and improved handle materials, among other benefits.
Besides the price, a lot of things go into the purchase of a good pocket knife and I discuss all that in-depth in this piece.
Table of Contents
Is buying an expensive pocket knife worth it?
Before I answer this, it might help to let you know that what I consider expensive might not be the same as what you see as expensive.
For example, I cannot put $300 on a pocket knife for any reason. Not in the foreseeable future anyway.
However, there is someone else out there that doesn’t consider this to be too steep a price to pay for a folding knife.
That said, a well-made knife is surely going to be more expensive than its cheaper counterparts.
You cannot expect that manufacturers of the former would cut corners as the latter did. Thus, they bring you parts that last for longer and serve you better also.
For example, I would pick a $100 pocket knife that lasts me about 5-6 years over a $20 knife that constantly loses its edge sharpness, has a flimsy blade, and would only last me about 1-2 years.
In the 1-2 years of using the latter knife, I would have been frustrated by the lack of functionality and dependability.
If you are serious about getting a true EDC or pocket knife for other uses, make sure you are ready to pay for a fine one.
What pocket knives are worth any money?
There are a lot of pocket knife brands out there today that it might be hard to sift through them all. You can also consider a swiss knife in place of standard pocket knives if that is more of your thing.
Overall, I would recommend any of this serrated folding EDC from CRKT or the Kershaw 3-inch precision blade knives for beginner users of pocket knives. Both knives are well-made, provide great value for money, do not leave a dent in your pocket, and are fine knives are own overall.
For more experienced knife users looking to add one more to their collection, these are the brands that I trust for their knives:
Depending on what you’re looking for, you should be able to find that with these reputable manufacturers.
Can you buy a pocket knife under 18?
This depends.
On two things:
Store policy, and state laws.
There are no explicit federal laws that prevent you from buying a pocket knife under the age of 18. As long as you are getting ordinary pocket knives and nothing fancy (like gravity knives, switchblades, balisongs, assisted opening knives, and the likes), you should be in good standing.
However, these laws differ by state and you should make sure to check them out,
For that, I have developed two resources that you should find helpful below:
- How old should you be to buy a knife in certain US states?
- What are the open and concealed carry laws across the US?
Besides the state laws, some stores have a policy of not selling knives to minors. Even if the state laws permit it, the stores might be able to enforce such a rule to reduce their liabilities.
Make sure everything is right before you go for your first pocket knife.
Wrapping Up
If you have always wondered what the cost of a pocket knife should be, I believe you should have the answer here already.
I also threw in some resources on where to get the best pocket knives if you are just starting with them, or would like to expand your collection.
Finally, make sure to go through the legality guides to know if you are old enough to buy/ own these knives – as well as if your state isn’t against carrying them openly.
With that, I wish you the best of luck in your pocket knife search.
