Your EDC folding knife is only as good as it can perform, especially when it matters most — under pressure. If your knife’s locking mechanism is the weakest link in your heavy duty tasks, it can be downright disastrous. That’s why a lot of the best and most popular knives for everyday carry rely on a frame lock. It uses the strength of the handle or frame of the knife itself to lock the blade in place, minimizing any play to take on even the biggest cutting jobs. In this guide, we’ll highlight a few of our favorite framelock knives from this year so far that deserve your attention. Whether you’re looking for your first EDC knife or wanting to make an upgrade to something new and refreshing, we’ve got you covered.
ZT 0462
The 0462 continues to improve on Dmitry Sinkevich’s extremely-popular collaboration design by giving it a serious upgrade in steel and a slightly longer blade to play with. This strikingly beautiful knife features an ultra-sharp 3.75” upswept blade made of premium CPM-20CV stainless steel. That makes for a blade that’s even harder than the original, allowing for extreme sharpness while maintaining good corrosion resistance and edge retention. Deployment is made easy with the flipper opening and KVT ball-bearings in the handle. That handle also features gorgeous carbon fiber scaling on one side and a stonewashed titanium frame lock on the other.
Kershaw Natrix
The Natrix is a tactical flipper folder that was originally released last year, but it’s become more widely available in a mix of new materials including copper, carbon fiber, and all-black for 2018. Based on the Zero Tolerance 0770, the Natrix brings that knife’s great ergonomics and performance and makes it much more accessible to the average consumer. What sets this knife apart is its “sub-frame” lock. It takes the strong movable locking bar and builds it into a frame that can be of different composition from the lock itself. This lets you avail of grippy G-10 scaling on both sides of the handle of the knife, something you usually have to sacrifice with regular frame lock designs.
Boker Plus FR Mini
Brad Zinkler’s Boker Plus FR is another popular frame lock knife that’s received an update in 2018. This model, true to its name, brings things down to a more EDC-friendly size. It features a 2.9” sharp VG-10 stainless steel blade deployed with a flipper and held into place with a titanium frame lock. The smaller size also reduces the heft, with the FR Mini weighing a mere 1.4 ounces in total.
CRKT Rasp
You might think Wharncliffe-style blades are meant only for utility, but one look at the CRKT Rasp should change your mind. Designed by a retired Green Beret, the Rasp is made to do more than just cut boxes. Its 3.671” AUS-8 blade comes together at a slight point for piercing power. It also features a bit of a curve in the sharp plain edge to improve its slicing capabilities. The ergonomic handle conforms to your hand during use, and the flipper mechanism acts as an additional guard in rough-use situations. It’s made of 420J2 stainless steel with a frame lock for security in a stonewash finish that adds a nice aesthetic touch to this great EDC knife.
CRKT M16-02KS
The M16 is one of CRKT’s oldest knife designs, and it seemed to be really left behind over the years in the pace of innovation in knife design. This year, however, CRKT has given it new life by removing the thin liner lock of the original and giving it a more serious frame lock. But don’t fret, with its skeletonized stainless steel frame it’s still a lightweight knife, weighing only 3.7 ounces in total. Its black oxide-finished 3.057” 12C27 Sandvik blade has a sharp tanto blade shape and excellent corrosion resistance. All in all, this is a knife you can be confident in when carried for daily use.
Chris Reeve Sebenza 21 Doppler
The Sebenza 21 is still the grail knife for many in the EDC community with its sharp looks, premium materials, and integral lock. The newer Doppler variant makes it even more desirable with a design that’s as functional as it is beautiful. Laser-engraved into the stonewashed titanium handle is a depiction of the doppler effect. More than just for show, the ripples add grip when wielding the Sebenza’s ultra-sharp CPM-S35VN blade.
Medford Slim Midi
The Medford Slim Midi cuts a classy sleek and streamlined look that pairs well in your hand, especially if you’re dressed up for the occasion. It has an ultra-thin yet sharp 0.125” thick CPM-S35VN blade with a 3.25” plain edge that can get what you need done. Its frame lock is strong, yet it doesn’t clutter up the look of the smooth look of the handle in the closed position. The knife opens easily via the thumbstud or the deep channel cut into the blade. That channel, and the handle’s titanium construction, keep it light at 4.18 ounces. The handle is still big enough for you to get a full grip on it when the blade is deployed.
ESEE Expat Medellin
The Medellin takes the excellent ergonomics and performance you’ve come to expect from ESEE’s fixed blades and brings it into a more EDC-friendly frame lock folding knife, and at an affordable price to boot. It features a 3.5” AUS-8 stainless steel plain edge blade with a full-flat grind that excels at slicing tasks. The handle features an attractive finish with frame lock on one side and grippy G10 scaling on the other for improved purchase on the knife, even when wet. The deep-carry pocket clip can be configured for either tip-up or tip-down carry, and keeps the knife low profile in your pockets when its not in use.
Kizer Matanzas
Kizer continues to impress with their EDC knife offerings in 2018 with this Nick Swan collaboration design. It has a modified clip-point blade with a strong curve at the tip that amplifies the cutting area of its sharp 3.44” CPM-S35VN blade. Deployment is made easy with a flipper, but it’s also been made to poke out less from the handle when its not in use. The strong titanium handle and frame lock keeps the blade in place during use, and on its opposite side it features a carbon fiber inlay for some visual appeal.
WE Knife Zephyr
The Zephyr is an original WE Knife design that features smooth organic curves and an ergonomic design that you don’t usually see on something as utilitarian as a frame lock knife. It’s certainly different from the machined edges and straight lines that other knives tend to have. The Zephyr features a super-sharp premium Bohler M390 stainless steel drop point blade that comes together into a strong point for piercing tasks. It also has a slight curve in the belly of the plain-edge blade that improves its performance in slicing tasks. With its flipper opening and ceramic ball-bearing pivot, the knife is also easy to deploy at a moment’s notice. The stonewashed titanium handle’s rounded edges provide a natural grip that conforms to your hand . The frame lock keeps the blade open, and it also features an attractive carbon fiber inlay.
Do you have a favorite frame lock knife? Let us know what it is in the comments below!
