Hey, everyone.
David C. Andersen here coming at you from the KnifeCenter, and today we’re looking
at the best folding pocket cleavers that you can get in 2019.
Let’s check ‘em out.
Let’s talk a little bit about why pocket cleavers exist.
You’ll hear some people saying that they’re great for food prep, like chopping veggies
or breaking down a chicken, but I don’t really buy that.
You can kind of do some things if you’re hanging off the end of a cutting board, but
pocket cleavers are really more about style.
They’re basically big sheepsfoot style blades, and they make great EDC companions.
They typically have broad blades that offer great strength, and they work well when using
the tip, especially on the draw cut, scoring, or cutting on a surface.
The first one we’re going to look at had a big impact when it was released, and that’s
the Gerber Flatiron, and these have sold like hotcakes, partly because it looks cool, but
also it’s a great price.
We’re at less than $40 right now in 2019.
This is a frame locking knife with anodized aluminum handles, although G10 is also available,
and the hollow ground cleaver style blade uses 7Cr17MoV steel, and it looks almost like
a straight razor.
The blade on the Flatiron, as well as the frame on the back, feature a real heavy stonewashed
finish that’s going to hide scratches, and they’ve continued to improve upon this knife
since it was first released, too.
Current versions of this knife have rock-solid lockup, and they also have a longer thumb
cutout for easier opening compared to early ones.
With a nice design and low price, the Gerber Flatiron is a great inexpensive way to get
into the world of pocket cleavers, but it isn’t the only option.
The first that immediately comes to mind is the newly released Kershaw Static.
Now, we recently did a heads up comparison between this knife and the Flatiron.
Be sure to check that one out for the full highlights, but here’s the rundown.
We get a stainless steel frame lock that houses the blade, and it rides on a KVT bearing pivot
for smooth flipping action.
The blade is flat ground from 8Cr13MoV steel, and it has a really nice flow with the handle.
This is a smaller knife with less than three inches of blade, and it also only has a three
finger length handle, but in order to get more usable handle length, there is a broad
finger choil here at the front that you can use to choke up.
The benefit of this type of design is that it folds up nice and compact.
It’s great for not taking up too much room in the pocket, but thanks to the machined
handles, it looks fantastic.
We’ve got one more entry level knife before we start taking a look at some more premium
offerings, and this is the CRKT Ripsnort, designed by Phillip Booth.
This knife is definitely a statement piece, with thick substantial handles, a beefy liner
lock, and a powerful blade.
It’s flat ground from 8Cr stainless steel with a consistent swedge along the length
of the spine.
It gives the cross section of the blade a very angular geometry that’s going to be
highly efficient when you’re moving through materials.
It flips open nicely, too.
There’s no bearing in the pivot, but that doesn’t stop the blade from flicking open
with authority.
The handles themselves class up the whole package; makes it almost worthy of carrying
as a gentleman’s knife.
The black is a thermoplastic material, which is sanded to a matte finish that makes it
look almost like it has a grain similar to wood, which is quite nice.
The cherry on top is a diagonal strip of stainless steel that is inlaid, giving it a faux bolstered
look.
All in all, a classy pocket cleaver that’s capable of throwing down when you need it
to.
Now it’s time to step up the ladder, and we’ll start with the Spyderco Roc.
This is actually Spyderco’s first collaboration with Serge Panchenko, and it’ s pretty easy
to see his style in this knife.
This one comes with a liner lock and G10 handle scales, nothing too exotic, but we do see
an upgrade in the steel, and a definite upgrade in the fit and finish department.
The blade is bead blasted VG10 stainless steel.
It features a flat grind and a swedge along the leading edge for an extra bit of flair.
It opens with their signature thumb hole, and in addition to the standard style of opening,
it’s also placed far enough down the spine of the blade that you can do the Spydie Flick,
using your middle finger to flick the blade open.
As you can see this is another knife with nice lines whether it’s open or closed.
And speaking of closed, this knife carries pretty deeply in the pocket, too, thanks to
Spyderco’s folded wire deep carry clip, a great option for maintaining a low profile.
We’ve looked at some classic companies so far, but it’d be pretty fair to say that
the newest crop of import companies has really led the charge on the whole pocket cleaver
trend.
ArtisanCutlery has been a big part of that, releasing several different cleaver models,
but today we’re going to look at the Tomahawk.
There are several variants of this knife at this point, from D2 and G10 equipped budget
models all the way up to full titanium flippers with M390 steel.
This one right here is actually a limited edition with G10 and stonewashed copper handles.
This is a fairly big knife with nearly four inches of blade, althought there are smaller
versions with just over three inches of blade, too.
The bottom of the grip features a long sweeping curve that fits your hand quite well, and
the copper on this model looks absolutely stunning.
The blade on this one is made from D2 semi-stainless tool steel, and it sports a stonewashed finish
and a flat grind.
One thing I really love about this knife, apart from how great it looks, is the action.
We get a ceramic ball bearing pivot, and even with the long blade, resistance is kept to
a minimum, and it rotates open very smoothly.
For high style and hard work, this knife is hard to beat.
Artisan has also decided to jump into the entry level segment with a new sub brand called
CJRB, and the Crag is one of their initial releases.
Like the first knives we looked at, this one comes in at around $40.
Now, to get the price down, they’ve carefully considered the materials and the construction
that they’re going to use on these knives, but they’re built on the same line as the
full ArtisanCutlery offerings.
That brings high quality to the table, too.
We get dual full liners with a liner lock, open backed construction and G10 handle scales,
although carbon fiber is also an option.
The steel is stonewashed and flat ground from D2, just like the Tomahawk, but what really
sets this knife ahead at its price point is the pivot.
Using high quality bearings, it flips exceedingly well, and that’s something you can hear
every time you flip it.
All in all, the Crag is a great cheap knife, and along with the rest of the CJRB lineup,
it’s one of the best new budget releases of the year.
And finally, you know we had to do it, we can’t talk about cleavers without talking
about the Kizer Sheepdog, and these knives are pretty much the champions of the genre,
designed in collaboration with knife maker Chris Conway.
There are two sizes available.
The full size has a three and a quarter inch blade, and we have the even more popular Sheepdog
Mini, with two and five eighths of an inch of edged steel.
There are affordable Vanguard versions of these knives with G10 handles and 154CM steel,
as well as higher end models like this one with fully contoured titanium handles and
either Damasteel or S35VN blades.
There’s a reason these knives are so revered.
The fit and finish is impeccable, and the action is stellar.
The lines are dynamic, and the knife feels alive in your hand.
It’s a good working blade on these knives, too.
Broad to take a beating, flat to slice well, and a usable tip.
The stonewashed finish on these S35VN models is icing on the cake for me, and honestly,
it’s really hard to go wrong with a Kizer Sheepdog.
So what do you think of our list of best pocket cleavers?
Would you add one to your collection?
Be sure to let us know in the comments, and let us know if you think we left anything
out, as well.
In the meantime, to get your hands on one, you can click the links in the description
to head over to KnifeCenter.com, and be sure to sign up for our KnifeRewards program while
you’re there.
Because the only thing better than a new knife is free money to spend on your next one.
I’m David C. Andersen from the KnifeCenter, signing off.
See you next time.