American-made knives may be, in general, a little more expensive than some imports, but at the same time they are renowned for steel quality and consistent, general, quality control, and fit and finish, especially if you stick with established brands and do your research before you purchase.
On that very note, here’s a good place to start: here are 5 great American-made knives, some of which have been around for quite a while.
Benchmade Bugout
Among the most popular of all Benchmade knives, the Benchmade 535 Bugout is very light, at only 1.8 ounces. The standard configuration sports lightweight yet tough Grivory scales with a practical texture that improves traction, along with an S30V blade that will both take and hold an edge.
And, of course, like other Benchmade knives, this one sports an AXIS Lock, which is one of the strongest and safest folding knife locks ever devised.
Spyderco Paramilitary 2
Not just one of the most popular Spyderco knives of all time, but one of the most popular folding knives of the last 30 years, the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 is a winner by any standard, American-made or not.
Though available in several configurations, your typical Spyderco Paramilitary 2 sports G10 scales and an S110V blade. The blade is of the familiar leaf-shaped profile and sports a Spyderhole that not only lightens the overall knife but enables easy deployment for both right and left-handed users.
Buck 110 Folding Hunter
The Buck 110 Folding Hunter may be a little heavy and clunky by modern standards, but it has been an exceptionally popular folding knife since its introduction more than half a century ago.
The classic Buck 110 Folding Hunter has a 420HC steel blade with Buck’s signature heat treatment, wringing more than your typical performance from this budget steel, along with brass bolsters and ebony scales.
It is not just a beautiful knife, it is also a solid performer, and a very brusque knife that can weather a lot of hard use, especially when used as a hunter’s companion.
Chris Reeve Sebenza 31
Like all Chris Reeve Knives, the Sebenza is American-made and delivers extraordinary value and performance. Variety is one seller here, as the Sebenza 31 is available in several profiles, but either way, they are made with high-end steels like MagnaCut, and with beautiful and practical scale materials like ebony and Micarta.
But with the Sebenza, it’s mostly about the silky smooth pivot mechanism and the rock-solid lockup. Some of the tightest tolerances in the industry, deliver exceptional performance.
ESEE Izula
Lastly, if you’re looking for a dependable fixed blade knife that can take serious abuse despite a small footprint, the ESEE Izula is hard to beat.
Though small, the ESEE Izula sports a stout, flat-ground drop point blade (the standard model is 1095 steel) with a powder coat. The skeletonized tang can easily be outfitted with scales, wrapped in paracord, or just run the way it is.
Plus, on top of the fact that it is a relatively affordably priced and highly reliable knife, it is also covered by ESEE’s legendary warranty that will cover repair or replacement of the knife if it fails for any reason, and which follows the knife for life, regardless of original purchaser.
Explore These and Other American-Made Knives at River’s Edge Cutlery
The models featured here only represent a very small cross-section of the many excellent American-made knives available to the discerning purchaser. If you want to learn more about these, or others like them, visit River’s Edge Cutlery or get in touch with their customer service team for more information.
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