Before I get into my favorite knives I’d like go over a couple things. First, this list is based solely on my personal opinion, guided by aesthetics, fit, finish, functionality, deployment, materials used, etc. Some people may disagree with the decisions I’ve made, and that’s fine because these are strictly personal preferences. Second, these are my 10 favorite knives strictly of the knives I own. There are lots of blades that potentially deserve a spot in my top 10 but I don’t own every knife made. With that in mind, I do NOT own a Spyderco Paramilitary 2, so please do not blow up the comments about how it should be on the list. I am fully aware of the knife and have heard nothing but excellent things about it but I simply do not own one, and, therefore, it cannot be on the list. Now that those points are taken care of, let’s get into the blades. P.S. you’re going to notice I like Ti framelocks so be prepared.

Honorable Mentions:

Spyderco Manix 2 Lightweight in S110v

There are two main reasons I like this knife so much. The first is the S110v steel. It’s the only knife I currently own in S110v and I’m impressed. It has excellent edge retention and corrosion resistance, yet it isn’t as hard to sharpen as I would have expected based on similar steels, namely S90v.The relative ease of sharpening does make it particularly odd, though, that this is the only Spyderco knife I’ve ever received that wasn’t lightsaber sharp out of the box. It’s not a huge deal but it really stands out when compared to Spyderco’s usual quality and consistency.

The second reason is that this knife, without a doubt, has the best size-to-weight ratio of any knife I own. It boasts a nice 3.4″ blade (I generally prefer a ~3.5″ blade over a 3″) and comes in at a feathery 2.9 ounces. That’s unreal. Combine that with the S110v blade steel, wire pocket clip, excellent finger choil, perfect jimping, and you have a success.

GEC Tidioute #25 Little Jack with EZ Opener

My daily secondary knife. Top-notch quality, strong pull, easy opening, excellent wharncliffe blade, and small enough to easily slip into your watch pocket. What’s not to like?

10. Benchmade 710

This is the first knife that I spent over $100 on. It was also my second Benchmade (my first being my trusty mini griptilian that lived in my pocket for roughly 2 years) and yet it remains one of my favorite knives to this day. For a knife with a nearly 4″ blade it carries incredibly well in the pocket. The slim profile means it doesn’t take up a lot of pocket real estate, yet you get the reach of the bigger blade. The Axis lock is buttery smooth and it’s incredibly hard to not sit there and play with this knife all day. The D2 blade steel has excellent edge retention, however, it is hard to sharpen and it must be oiled and maintained in order to prevent rust spots. The only other negative is Benchmade’s notorious painted pocket clip that wears easily.

9. Benchmade 940

Like the 710, the 940 does an excellent job of packing a good-sized blade into an exceptionally compact package. With the 940 you get 3.4″ of blade, yet the even narrower profile, good blade-to-handle ratio, and airy 2.9 oz. weight make it virtually disappear in the pocket. S30v is one of my favorite all-around blade steels. It has a near-perfect balance of edge retention, corrosion resistance, and sharpenability. Again the Axis lock works beautifully and Warren Osborne’s ergonomics are top-notch. Overall, this is an exceptional EDC knife (except for that damn pocket clip again). One you can throw in your pocket and not give it a second thought until you need it, and the sheepsfoot blade shape means it has the utility to tackle any job you throw at it.

8. Zero Tolerance 0801

The 0801 is a knife that I didn’t have much interest in buying initially, but I’m glad I did. This, the 0808, and the new 0804cf are the closest most of us are going to get to owning a Todd Rexford knife. I’m a fan of Todd’s clean lines. As with all of my ZT’s the fit and finish is top-notch. The milling on the full titanium handles is well done and lockup is rock solid with no blade play in any direction. The detent is damn near perfect and this knife flips out with authority. Seriously, it opens with a solid thwack. The deep carry pocket clip assures that it carries well in-pocket. There has been a lot of public outcry over ZT’s heat treatment of their Elmax steel, but as far as I understand that issue has been fixed, and I’ve had no issues with the steel so far. My only gripe is that the black hardware doesn’t go well with the full titanium handles, but, overall, the build quality of the 0801 makes it feel like it’s worth far more than the very reasonable $192 price tag.

7. Brous Silent Soldier Flipper

I don’t generally favor sub 3″ knives, but Jason Brous’ Silent Soldier Flipper is a badass little blade. First of all, the build quality is really something. Every edge has been smoothed, there’s not a sharp spot on the knife. Jason has really perfected the flipper on the Silent Soldier. The flipper tab sits pretty far below the pivot (on purpose), dictating a push-button method of deployment rather than the more conventional light-switch method. I can light-switch the flipper and the blade deploys smoothly, but used as intended and the flipper tab essentially turns into a button for a push-button automatic. The beautiful carbon fiber scales with blacked out blade and hardware looks fantastic. The retention hole in the blade provide excellent blade security and offers a comfortable purchase in multiple grips. It is pretty thick and heavy for its size but a nice deep carry pocket clip and good weight distribution make it extremely easy to carry.

6. Spyderco Sage 2

This knife is often referred to as the “poor man’s Sebenza”. I view that as a compliment. The sage series from Spyderco was design to highlight a specific locking system designed by famous knife makers. The Sage 2 highlights the Reeve integral lock (aka framelock) designed by Chris Reeve and made famous by his flagship Sebenza. Let me say, Spyderco did Chris Reeve justice. The fit and finish of the Sage 2 is outstanding . The knife is made in Taichung, Taiwan and from what I’ve seen the quality of knives coming from Taichung equals, if not surpasses, the ones coming from Golden, Colorado. The titanium handles are beautifully finished, S30v is a great blade steel, and the finger choil makes the Sage extremely ergonomic, far more so than I was expecting for a relatively small knife. My favorite part of the Sage 2, though, is how exceptionally thin it is. It’s about as thin as my Kershaw premium Skyline, which is saying something. Overall, the Sage 2 has outstanding fit and finish, great ergonomics, and successfully pays homage to the legendary Chris Reeve.

5. Zero Tolerance 0452cf

I like this knife for many of the same reasons I like the Benchmade 710. It has a lengthy 4.1″ blade yet carries extremely well in the pocket thanks to the slim profile. Aside from ease-of-carry, the 0452cf is also very light for its size (4.6 oz) thanks to the beautiful full carbon fiber scale. The small size of the deep carry pocket clip relative to the large size of the knife do make it seem out-of-place, but it functions well. The S35vn blade steel, originally designed in a collaboration between Carpenter steels and Chris Reeve, is a great all-around steel. The fit and finish are excellent and the rock solid lockup exudes Zero Tolerance.

4. Spyderco Southard

I have to start by saying that if weren’t for the after-market shred carbon fiber scale and deep carry pocket clip, this knife would definitely be a few places lower on this list. The Southard comes stock with a tan G-10 scale and a properly terrible clip from the factory. The G-10 scale wasn’t bad and offered great grip, but it was slightly uncomfortable due to the cut out for access to the lock, and it really just didn’t have that ‘wow’ factor. The pocket clip, on the other hand, was truly bad. It had a high polished finished that stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the knife, it carried awkwardly due to the mounting angle, and the tip was sharp and uncomfortable. After those two components were replaced (scales thanks to /u/milligan1888) this knife became one of my favorites. The fit and finish are great. Ever single part of the knife (with the exception of that stock clip) has been smoothed beautifully. The spine of the blade and the edges inside the spydie-hole are even rounded. Lock up is solid. The prehistoric alligator/bird shape of the blade and knife is extremely pleasing to me, and the matte shred carbon fiber scale really just takes it to the next level.

3. Chris Reeve Large Sebenza 21

The legendary Sebenza. What hasn’t been said about this knife? I love Chris Reeve’s clean, minimalist lines. Couple such simplicity with top of the line materials and off-the-chart build quality and you have one of the finest production folders ever to be produced. The tolerances are ridiculous and the action is buttery smooth running on washers, as opposed to all my ZT’s, my Southard, and my favorite knife, which all run on bearing systems. This near-perfect knife is a tool that can last several lifetimes, and you’ll smile every time you take it out of your pocket.

2. Zero Tolerance 0562cf

I don’t now, nor have I ever, owned a Hinderer XM-18, but if I did I’m fairly confident that I would still like the ZT 0562cf more. It takes all the best elements of the XM-18: excellent ergonomics, lockbar stabilizer, and good design; and combines them with the best elements of Zero Tolerance knives: lightening quick action, beautiful carbon fiber, deep carry pocket clip, first-rate fit and finish, and a price tag well south of an XM-18 to create one of the best all around knives I’ve had the pleasure of owning. Rick Hinderer really got the ergonomics right in his design. The 0562cf just disappears in your hands, and Zero Tolerance produces a noticeably thinner knife than Hinderer, allowing it carry very well in the pocket. Speaking of carrying well, the 0562cf also has the absolute best factory pocket clip I’ve ever seen on a production knife. As with all my ZT’s, the detent is spot on and the knife flies open with the flipper. This knife gets a lot of pocket time in my rotation, and for good reason.

1. Shirogorov Model 95 Nudist

If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m a fan of clean lines, titanium framelocks, and flippers, and the culmination of all of those features is the Shirogorov 95 nudist. Shirogorovs are known for their clean lines, but the nudist edition takes the understated beauty to the next level with its plain jane titanium handles. Shiro’s are also known for their silky smooth action, and I can confidently say that mine did not disappoint. This is the smoothest knife I’ve ever handled or owned, by a mile. The model 95 is the perfect size (95mm blade length) for my personal preference. The sculpted titanium pocket clip is beautiful and highly functional. The full flat grind lets it slice like a laser. I really can’t say enough good things about the Shirogorov 95, and mine takes up the majority of my pocket time. It is my favorite knife.