Pocket Knife Triptych

Tools With A Purpose

Three useful knives listed in the order in which I remember buying them:

Kershaw Baby Boa

Kershaw Baby Boa: photo by Cliff Hutson

Kershaw's Baby Boa knife, designed by Ken Onion. It uses a "SpeedSafe" torsion bar mechanism for assisted opening. This system allows the user to simply press the tang extension to snap the blade open and lock it in place.

Kershaw Chive

Kershaw Chive: photo by Cliff Hutson

The Kershaw Chive, also designed by Ken Onion, is one of the most popular assisted opening knives ever made.

Leatherman Skeletool KBx

Leatherman Skeletool KBx: photo by Cliff Hutson

A versatile combination blade, that can make precision cuts and slice through tougher materials. The built-in bottle opener on the clip is handy as well.

EDC

Knives are tools, functional items many people integrate into their daily lives. I have used the Skeletool as a regular part of my EDC for about two years. However, I will be switching back to the Chive as I believe it is easier to deploy. The Baby Boa is a good knife, but it is not as comfortable for me to handle as the other two and it is important that one be able to use their tools.