The Best Utility Knife Buying Guide (5 Sharp Choices)


best utility knife

In order to be a well-equipped prepper, you need to posses two things — skills and tools. The skills/knowledge that you have is perhaps the most important component of the prepper lifestyle, but shortly following this are the gadgets and tools you outfit yourself with. Every prepper has their favorite piece of equipment that they tend to call upon the most, and for a lot of people, that favorite piece of equipment is the best utility knife that they own.

Utility knives are extremely versatile tools, and they can be real life-savers in a variety of different situations. However, not all utility knives are made equal. There are some that are built better than others, and some that have considerably more features than what you’ll find with cheaper options.

In order to help you determine what is the best utility knife for your needs and budget, we’ve pulled together the 5 best options currently on the market and organized them in the list below.

Without further delay, let’s take a look at it —

1. FC Folding Pocket Utility Knife Heavy Duty

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A product that is considered to be the #1 choice by a lot of preppers is the FC Folding Pocket Utility Knife Heavy Duty. This knife is made by Fancii, and for the price, it offers one of the most well-rounded experiences that you could ask for.

The body of the knife is very sleek and lightweight, and a lot of this is thanks to the anodized aluminum construction that’s combined with an anti-slip material on the outside. The handle of Fancii’s knife doubles as a pocket or money clip, and this added functionality is just one of the ways that the FC Folding Pocket Knife goes above and beyond what you’d expect it to do.

A lock-back design securely and safely locks the blade into place when you aren’t using it, and the quick-change mechanism makes it super easy to open and close the blade depending on when you do and don’t need it.

Add this all together with a free knife holster and 5 blade replacements that are included at no extra charge, and the FC Folding Pocket Utility Knife really is the complete prepper’s package.

2. Gerber EAB Lite Pocket Knife

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If you’re looking to spend less money than what Fancii is asking for its knife, Gerber has you covered with the EAB Lite Pocket Knife. This utility knife may not be quite as full-featured as the FC one, but it still provides you with all of the basics.

Deep finger grooves throughout the body of the knife allow you to get an extremely snug and secure fit, and just like with the FC option, the handle can also function as either a pocket or money clip. The knife measures in at around 5.1-inches with the blade open, and it goes down to 2.8-inches when it’s closed.

A stainless-steel handle keeps the Gerber EAB Lite Pocket Knife feeling very premium and well-built, and the included lifetime warranty provides for great peace of mind over your purchase.

3. Kobalt Utility Knife & 11 Blades

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Next up is the Kobalt Utility Knife, and this is another great option if you’re looking for a lot of power and function at a surprisingly low price. The aviation-grade aluminum handle means that this knife has maximum durability, and a stainless steel cup acts as a great way for attaching the knife to your belt or for holding money.

Kobalt’s Quick-Change mechanism allows you to swiftly and easily pop out the blade for quick use, and this also makes swapping out old blades for new ones as simple as can be. And, speaking of swapping out blades, the Kobalt Utility Knife comes bundled with a total of 11 blades — one of which is installed and the other ten available to use later on.

This adds for a tremendous amount of value to the package as a whole, and when you add this together with the fact that the knife itself does a fantastic job at cutting through pretty much anything, it’s hard to say no to what Kobalt is bringing to the table — especially for the price that’s being asked.

4. Three-Pack Utility Knife Set

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Having extra blades for a single knife is great, but sometimes, having multiple utility knives is just the way to go. If you’d rather have more knives than extra blades, the HDX Three-Pack Utility Knife Set is one of the best knife bundles around.

For about the same price as the single FC utility knife, HDX offers three individual knives so multiple people in your group/party can have access to a blade while on the move. Each knife features a rubber handle for a secure grip, and the 3-position locking blade allows you to get the perfect blade length depending on the work that you need to do.

All of the knives are well-made and feel very substantial, and the orange color means that you can easily find them back if you happen to drop or misplace them. Plus, thanks to the pre-drilled hole at the end of each one, you can quickly attach a bit of string or something else so you always know where each knife is at all times.

5. Premium Quality Hand-Made Dual Blade Utility Knife By Vermont

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Lastly, if you want to buy the absolute best and money isn’t an option, we recommend checking out the Premium Quality Hand-Made Dual Blade Utility Knife By Vermont. This is easily the most expensive utility knife on this list, but if you’re okay with its price, Vermont packs everything you could ever want from this sort of product into one sleek, awesome package.

With the dual-blade system, you can easily clean fish, scrape hides, cut rope, and plenty more. Each blade is made using stainless-steel, and they’re some of the most durable that you’re going to find in a product with this form factor.

Vermont uses real wood and anti-corrosion 420J2 stainless steel for the construction of this utility knife, and the end result is one of the most heavy-duty utility knives in existence. Add this together with a 100% money-back guarantee, and this becomes the knife that every prepper wishes they had.

Final Thoughts

The Vermont utility knife might be the best of the best, but all 5 of the products talked about deserve to be on your shortlist. Each knife on here has its own unique set of features and strengths, and no matter what your budget is, there’s something here for you.

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