When it comes to carrying a classy everyday carry knife, a gent’s knife exudes class without sacrificing the usefulness of carrying a blade in the first place. Not only do gent’s knives look good, but they can also be carried in more formal occasions where a large, tactical knife would be out of place. However, because many of these knives look like something your grandfather would have carried decades ago, they also use outdated technology and materials that belong in that timeframe as well. Luckily modern knife manufacturers are putting their own design chops to work with relevant takes on the gentleman’s knife, with the features and materials you’ve come to expect out of the rest of your high-performance everyday carry. Since these “modern gent’s” knives are becoming so popular, finding the right one for your EDC can be daunting. To help you out, we’ve laid out 10 of our favorite recent modern gent’s knife designs for you to consider in this round-up.
CRKT CEO
The CEO cuts a slim and sleek look that’s stylish yet conservative enough to not draw unnecessary attention in an office environment. It’s a design made in collaboration with custom knife maker Richard Rodgers, sporting a low-profile 3.1” blade that’s thin enough to work well as a penknife. It features a traditional thumbstud opening and a locking liner, but the IKBS ball bearings in the pivot make this easy to accomplish, even with one hand. The textured glass-filled nylon scaling on the handle strikes an attractive look, but it also makes this slender knife easy to hold in hand for critical tasks in and out of the office.
Quiet Carry IQ
True to its name the Quiet Carry IQ is designed for smart, discreet everyday carry, with its low-profile minimalist design that hearkens to traditional folding razors. The 2.9” blade on the IQ features a useful modified sheepsfoot shape with a flat grind that makes the IQ ideal for frequent utility work. And because it’s made out of super-hard ELMAX steel, it’ll be able to handle repetitive cutting, even through rough cardboard boxes when you have to open them up for deliveries at home or in the office. The flipper opening makes operating this knife an easy one-handed affair, but the low-profile index tab helps prevent that convenience from breaking up the clean aesthetic of the minimalist design. It even comes with a grade 5 titanium handle in stonewash and satin finishes, and black anodized treatment with or without carbon fiber embellishment to match your style.
Benchmade Proper 318
With its 2.82” clip-point blade and slipjoint mechanism, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a more traditional everyday carry gent’s knife, but the materials set this particular Benchmade knife apart. The S30V blade gets sharper than those older knives, and it stays sharp through hard use to boot. And the lightweight micarta scaling on the handles offers you a more durable tool that’ll last through the years.
WE Knife Gentry
With the Gentry, WE Knife has taken the traditional gent’s ‘toothpick’ folding knife and given it a decidedly modern makeover. It starts with the combination titanium and carbon fiber handle, which resembles the looks your grandfather would have appreciated, but with significant weight savings over what he carried in his pockets decades ago. And then there’s the modern S35VN clip-point blade, with a superior Rockwell hardness of 59-61 RC, making this a slim toothpick knife that’ll cut better than most. But while the materials, and the blacked-out aesthetic of the blade, represent a modern turn, those appreciating the more traditional comforts of old will like the nail nick opening and slipjoint construction.
MKM Burnley Fara Slipjoint
The Fara fits a niche that lets you get a capable yet handsome cutting tool in your pocket in more restrictive areas where locking knives can get you into a bit of trouble. That’s because it pairs a 2.99” Bohler M390 stop-point blade with a slipjoint mechanism and a more traditional two-handed nail nick opening. But despite the lack of a lock on this knife, the handle design lets you get serious control out of the blade during delicate work. That’s because the ergonomic design lets you get a full grip. And by cutting out excess material, the Fara keeps it all lightweight at 2.29 ounces.
Kershaw Method
The wicked-sharp looks of the Kershaw Method, made in collaboration with custom knifemaker Jens Anso, paired with the more-than-capable design of the blade itself, made this flipper knife one of the most popular tools of 2018. The tapered handsome all-black design extends from the grippy G10 handle scaling to the attractive blackwash finish of the 3” 8Cr13MoV blade.
Boker Plus Kwaiken Flipper Framelock
The Kwaiken needs little introduction to the field of modern gent’s flippers, because it’s been a perennial favorite in the category for years now. But this updated edition of the blade steps up the potential of that sharp 3.5” upswept D2 steel blade with a strong frame lock, making this new Kwaiken more suited for bigger tasks.
StatGear Slinger
With its intelligent skeletonized frame and compact palm-sized design, the StatGear Slinger puts a workhorse of a knife in your hands that cuts like a full-sized knife while sporting a minimalist look that puts it solidly in the modern gents category. At 2.125” the D2 steel blade features a modified clip-point blade shape that invokes a cleaver feel, making the Slinger excel at light chopping and slicing tasks. The flipper index is easily identified when the blade is closed, making for an easy one-handed opening. The stainless steel handle, while skeletonized to save weight, conceals a sturdy frame lock to hold everything open during use.
Buck 110 Slim Pro
For many, Buck is the be-all-end-all of the traditional gent’s knives category, but in recent times they’ve been updating their older designs with more modern materials, like this 110 Slim Pro. Instead of bulky stainless steel paired with wood or bone in the handle, the 110 Slim Pro swaps that out for lightweight and durable micarta scaling. Aside from the weight savings, this means the 110 Slim Pro can stand up to moisture better than its older cousins, and it offers a better grip as well. For even more control, it’s even available with G10 scaling as well. And while the 3.75” clip point blade might look familiar with its clip-point shape, nail nick opening, and lockback design, it’s made out of modern S30V steel, making it perform with a sharp edge longer than the traditional tool.
The James Brand Ellis
The Ellis is a modern minimalist gent’s take on a traditional folding knife, with its sharp blade and integrated swing-out bottle opener and driver tool. The versatility of this knife is complemented even more with its partial serrations on the 2.6” drop-point blade, making it handy for rougher tasks like cutting rope and string. In keeping with its traditional roots, the blade opens with a nail nick and it’s held in place with a secure lockback mechanism. But unlike with your grandfather’s old knife, the Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel on the Ellis will stand up to the elements better, while holding a better edge than a legacy knife. And the anodized aluminum handle helps keep everything light at only 2.8 ounces in weight overall.
For more gent’s knives, check out our round-ups from the archives.
