The Ultimate Knife Gift Guide For 2022

Gift Ideas For Knife Lovers. We Tested a Variety of Survival, Tactical, Kitchen And EDC Pocket Knives To Make This 2022 Gift List.

There are so many choices these days when it comes to choosing the perfect knife to give as a birthday or holiday gift. We understand that it can be overwhelming, so each year the writers here at Nothing but Knives choose their favorites in different categories including tactical, camping, survival, and kitchen knives.

We personally test, curate, and update this guide every year. We like to pull from newer knives that came out over the last year in the interest of making everyone look trendy, but there are also some classics (or updated classics) that will make a cool gift every year. This guide is broken up into categories by use so you can find a gift based on what someone likes to do, and we’ll link to some of our more specialized articles throughout if you want to dive really deep into a rabbit hole for a certain kind of knife.

EDC Folding Knives That Make Great Gifts

This is a sort of catch all category that includes casual folders and hard use beaters. We have a wider range of recommendations in our Best Hard Use Folders article, though, if you’re set on going that direction.

Benchmade Redoubt

What’s Cool About It

This is a lightweight hard use design that can be carried left or right handed thanks to the double thumb studs, reversible pocket clip, and the AXIS lock. It’s kind of a larger alternative to the Benchmade Bugout, which means it’s very easy to carry but has a really comfortable, full-hand grip. It also has the powder version of D2 tool steel, which means the blade has a good mix of edge retention and stability.

Who Might Like This Knife

As part of Benchmade’s Black series it’s officially made for “professional use”, meaning law enforcement, first responders, and other people operating in harsh, emergency situations. Honestly, though, I think anyone who has big hands and a lot of hard work to do would appreciate the Redoubt.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

The steel is semi stainless so it’s a little more susceptible to rust and chemical wear than other knives might be. The black coating helps with that a lot, but the edge of the blade will still be sensitive to moisture and acidic things. It’s not a big deal, just tell your giftee to keep the edge dry, especially if they’re working outside or using it on food.

For more details and pictures, check out our full review of the Redoubt.

Olight Oknife Beagle

What’s Cool About It

We haven’t seen too many harpoon blades on folders. Possibly because the harpoon shape tends to emphasize heavy work with the tip, and that’s typically a sketchy spot to focus on with folding knives. The Beagle has a solid build. When the lock clicks into place you feel it. This thing is solid.

Who Might LIke This Knife

There’s something like a high-speed, low-drag element here, but it’s cooled by the blue accents, and all of that really pops when you see the knife in person. The action when you deploy that blade feels like it matches that slick look, too. It reminds us of Kizer or Bestech action (which is probably not a coincidence).

So if you have someone in your life who’s a fan of Kizer, Bestech, or Civivi, The Beagle will probably fit into their collection nicely.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

There’s not much in the way of caveats with this design, so I’ll leave that at pointing out that the handle scales have screws for the pocket clip on both sides, so this can be switched over for left-handed carry.

CRKT Facet

What’s Cool About It

It’s small and minimalist, but surprisingly comfortable and usable for its size. It’s an assisted open knife (so partially spring loaded, but not fully automatic), but the spring is very subtle. The knife doesn’t snap open, it glides. It’s just a pleasant thing to hold and use.

This is also one of the best representations of CRKT’s manufacturing. They can be hit or miss with a lot of great designs, but the fit and finish on the Facet feels right on point.

Who Might Like This Knife

This is a more universally accessible knife. It’s the kind of thing I’ve seen non-knife people take an interest in because it’s nice and non threatening. It’s a good office knife, even though the blade length puts it over 3 inches, which might be an issue in some places.

It’s just a good, low-key carry knife that looks good and cuts well.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

This is an assisted open knife, so it’s not to be taken apart lightly. The D2 steel blade is also a little more prone, especially since it doesn’t have any kind of coating. The knife should be kept dry, and stored with a light coat of mineral oil for long storage.

If you want to see some more cool pictures check out our photo tour of the Facet.

Kizer Slicer

What’s Cool About It

This is a big, comfortable EDC that can double as a camping knife (at least, that’s what I ended up doing with it). There’s a lot of blade to this thing, but it cuts beautifully, and there’s miles of handle to grip onto that makes hard use tasks easier.

The fact that it’s a lockback is one of the bigger highlights for me. It has a really strong lock up, and it gives a more classic look and feel to an otherwise modern-looking design.

Who Might Like This Knife

I think everyone should like the Slicer, but I think it would be especially good for someone who’s been walking around with a Buck 110 and wants to dip their toes into something that looks and feels a little more modern, but not outlandish.

Honestly, we would have put this knife in the Camping section of this blog, but that category was getting crowded, and the smooth scales of the Slicer make it a pretty decent EDC, so here we are.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

While the blade looks nice out of the box, it smudges really easily. I had a hell of a time trying to get it to look clean for most of the pictures we took of it. The steel is plenty stain resistant. You shouldn’t have to worry about rust, but your fingerprints will definitely show up on the blade.

If this knife sounds cool, you can read a little more in our full review of the Slicer.

Camping Folders and Fixed Blades

The knives mentioned in this section are perfect for a weekend getaway into the mountains or a family camping trip. They are great at a lot of outdoor tasks from carving up some weenie-roasting sticks to campfire food prep. They are generally not quite as tough as bushcraft or survival knives, but they’re a little more nimble and better for carving. There’s a lot of crossover here with our article on the Best Horizontal Fixed Blades, if you want to poke around some very carriable options.

White RIver Knives Exodus 4

What’s Cool About It

This was designed to be a bushcraft knife that’s small enough to wear as an EDC. It’s probably the lightest belt knife on this list.

Who Might Like This Knife

This strikes me as a good fishing knife, and it’s not a bad EDC if you live in a place where walking around with a 4 inch fixed blade on the belt is legally and socially acceptable, but more than anything I enjoyed carving wood with it. This is a good knife for a whittler.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

The handle is made of a fairly dry Micarta that’s going to discolor a little over time with use. It’s not a sign of erosion or bad staining; it’s just the nature of the material. It’s also worth noting that the White River makes a smaller version of this knife called the Exodus 3.

You can read a bit more in our full review of the Exodus 4.

Buck 110 Sport

What’s Cool About It

It’s the classic Buck 110 updated with new steel, a pocket clip, and thumb-stud open.

Who Might Like This Knife

The Buck Hunter has been one of America’s favorite camping and hunting knives for longer than some of the writers here have been alive, so… someone who likes doing those things. This update makes the 110 a lot easier to carry, and the steel holds an edge a lot longer than the 420HC of your standard version, which also makes this a good option for someone who doesn’t particularly like sharpening.

What Should the Gift Receiver Know About This Knife

While it’s mostly the same Buck 110 design, the steel is a little chippier, and the pocket clip can create a bit of a hotspot in a tightened grip.You can stare at this knife a little more in our Buck 110 photo tour.

Sencut Waxahachie

What’s Cool About It

There’s a lot to like about an EDC-sized bowie-ish fixed blade. Especially one that looks this nice and carries this well. Besides being super light and comfortable for having a skeletonized frame, you can switch the sheath to carry horizontally, which makes this a pretty understated carry.

Who Might Like This Knife

I’ve seen the word “tactical” thrown around for this knife, which I understand but don’t really like. It’s a lightweight fixed blade in a budget range with a tough stainless steel. This feels more like a backpacking option than anything to me.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

The Waxahacie ships with a lanyard attached to the handle that just felt in the way to us. It’s easy to take off if you don’t like it, though. Also, apparently no one can agree on how to pronounce the name.

You can see a little more detail about it in our Waxahacie photo tour.

Katsu Camping Knife

What’s Cool About It

This is a hefty update of the Higo no Kami design, which was originally a very simple friction folder (you’ll find a more classic version of it down in the gentleman’s carry section). There have been a lot of variations of the design over the years, but Katsu really took it big, bold, and modern with a stainless steel handle and thick frame lock.

Who Might Like This Knife

I’d be lying if I said I could pin down a specific kind of person who likes this knife. It’s a great call back to a historical design, but it doesn’t feel classic or historical. It feels like a brick that can cut like a laser. I think the two most certain types of people to like this particular design are the Japanese knife fanatics (especially the ones into tanto blades) and people with very large hands.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

On the large hand note, this is kind of a front flipper, and it can be tricky to open for people with smaller hands or unfortunately shaped fingers. Larger folks seem to get along just fine with it, though.

Check out our full review of the Katsu Camping Knife for a little more detail.

Bradford Guardian 3

What’s Cool About It

This has become a modern classic in the realm of outdoor knives. It has a small handle with a three-finger grip, but something about the shape of it makes that grip secure and comfortable. It’s got a powerfully simple shape that just makes it good to take on pretty much any outdoor activity you have in mind.

Who Might Like This Knife

Normally I’d say this is a good knife for camping and hiking. It’s so nice to cut, whittle, and carve with the Guardian 3 that it finds its way into being used for pretty much everything when I have it on me. The thing is, everyone seems to like this knife. Knife people love it, non-knife people love it. The lady pruning her rose bushes in the yard seems to like it as much as the ranch hand tying a calf to his saddle.

Point being, if you’re getting a knife for someone who spends a lot of time outdoors, they will like the Guardian 3. But it seems like the odds are decent they’ll like it even if they don’t go outside much.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

The belt loop on the leather sheath is very snug. It’s still leather, so it’ll loosen up over time, but you’ll need to be patient with it at first if you normally wear a thick belt. Or, if you aren’t feeling patient, you can just get one with the Kydex sheath. Those are a little easier to work with.

Check out our review of the Guardian 3 for more words and pictures and a breakdown of all the available variations of this knife.

Survival and Bushcraft

These are fixed blade knives designed for the wilderness. These knifes can help start a fire, skin an animal, carve tent stakes and much more. Survival and bushcraft knives are similar to the camping knives listed above, but they are a little tougher and, in some cases, bigger.

In short, they’re the kind of knives people think about walking in one side of a forest with the intention of walking out the other end. If you have an outdoors man or woman on your gift list, we think they would be happy with any of these knives.

Condor Plan A Bowie

What’s Cool About It

It’s a giant Bowie knife, so that really feels like the only thing you need to know.

But if have to get specific, it’s fun. The Plan A Bowie is big enough to be used as a machete, scary looking enough to be called tactical, and practical enough to be pretty handy on a camping trip. The Micarta handle is really comfortable and super grippy.

Besides all that, Julio Diez is really good at designing sheaths. The Plan A rides really well on the belt for such a big knife.

Who Might Like This Knife

Big ass Bowie knives make great gifts. Period. End of story. Almost nobody needs one, but pretty much everybody wants one. They are just plain fun.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

The 1075 carbon steel on this knife is the softest and possibly most rust prone of any knife on this list. The edge geometry does a good job of keeping up its chopping and slicing ability, but it’s up to you to keep it dry and clean it off after using it.

If you are considering this knife for a gift, check out our in depth Condor Plan A Bowie review.

Off-Grid Ridgeback

What’s Cool About It

Knives with scandi grinds are pretty much always cool, and the Ridgeback has a very well done scandi grind. This thing chops and carves like a champ, and even though the handle is big, the shaping and texture of the handle do a lot to keep the knife in your hands with a lot of control over where the blade goes.

Who Might Like This Knife

This knife will do it all at a campsite, so active campers will definitely find a use for the Ridgeback, especially if they like to go all out and build their own shelters. I think the only outdoor activity I wouldn’t suggest getting this knife for is hunting.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

If you like to start fires with a knife and a ferro rod, the Ridgeback can do that really well, but only off the sharpening choil. Once you find the spot, it works really well, but it takes a little bit of technique.We say a hell of a lot more about it in our review of the Off Grid Ridgeback.

Work Tuff Gear Apex

What’s Cool About It

I mean, just look at it. Everything about this thing is telling you to go outside with too many beers and do increasingly irresponsible activities. It takes some muscle and leverage to get it going, but once it’s going it clears a quick path.

It’s basically the trailing point alternative to the Plan A Bowie for people who feel like they already have too many Bowie knives.

Who Might Like This Knife

Someone with some property to take care of seems like the most likely fan. But I’m not sure you should be considering this thing in terms of a “practical” option.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

A couple of things: first, this is heavy. It’s a hell of a workhorse, but it’s a big weight investment if you’re planning to spend a few hours clearing brush with it.

Second, the sheath might be a little funny. It’s hard to make sheaths for big curvy blades. They ship it with a shoulder strap, so it’s easy enough to carry, but you’ll need to learn how to negotiate with the thing before you’re really comfortable with it.

Finally, SK85 steel is a high carbon tool steel, which is pretty reactive. You can beat the hell out of this blade, just make sure you wipe it off and oil it afterwards.

If this seems cool, you should probably check out our review of the Work Tuff Apex.

Tactical Knives

These knives are primarily designed for self defense. They may be capable at survival or hunting type tasks as well, and also at making boring people feel cooler sometimes, but their primary purpose is helping you survive emergencies and get out of danger as quickly as possible. You can find more recommendations in this category in our Best Tactical Knives from Our Favorite Brands article.

Hogue SIG K320 AXG

What’s Cool About It

From the company that started out making really good gun grips then started making really good knives, this is the conceptual descendent of the Sig P320. It’s also a tough, comfortable design with a slide lock and four possible carry positions for the pocket clip, so it’s completely ambidextrous.

Who Might Like This Knife

Gun folks are a pretty safe bet for this knife, especially someone who owns a Sig Sauer (and especially if that Sig is a P320). But as good of a design as the knife is, one of the benefits of it is that it doesn’t have an aggressive “tactical” vibe. It’s just good, which makes it a nice hard-use EDC too.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

There are quite a few variations of this knife available, including automatic versions. It is possible to find a Hogue K320 that matches the handle materials and color of your companion Sig if that’s really how you want to live your life, but you might have to dig for it a bit.

Check out our review of the Hogue K320 for a little more info.

Off-Grid Stinger

What’s Cool About It

A good folding dagger is hard enough to find; it’s even harder to find one that’s made this well. Even though the blade is huge, the edge has a thin-cutting quality, but can still handle a surprising amount of a work before the edge starts to see any wear.

Who Might Like This Knife

This is definitely a knife for someone who lives in an area with very slack laws regarding the size of knife you can carry. Outside that, it’s pretty much a purebred tactical design. It’s tough, slicey, and pokey. If you have the pocket space to spare, it’s a great tool and a great deterrent.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

It’s worth spending a little time working with this knife if you’re concerned about getting it out of the pocket fast. The pocket clip tends to hug tight when you press it, so it takes a careful grip to pull the knife smoothly.

You can read our full review of the Off Grid Stinger here.

Spartan Blades Alala

What’s Cool About It

This has a pretty remarkable sheath. It’s kind of a locking sheath that has a little lever you push to get the knife out. That might sound bulky on paper, but in practice it’s incredibly fast and intuitive, and one of the best retention methods we’ve seen on any fixed blade design.

Who Might Like This Knife

If you know anyone who jumps out of planes regularly, they would be the obvious choice. But the sheath retention and overall size of the knife make it a great choice for anyone who has to spend a lot of time crawling, or climbing, or squeezing into tight spaces where the environment tends to tug at all their clothes and gear.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

Pretty much everything about this knife is ready to go out in the field. But it doesn’t ship with the sharpest edge (at least, not when we picked it up). Obviously it’s all about personal preference and use cases, but you might want to test the edge and put it to a sharpening stone before you try putting it to work.

We prattle on about this more in our full review of the Spartan Alala.

Gentleman’s Carry

Gentleman’s folder knives are pocket knives that are kinda dressy looking and can be a good choice for situations where a large tactical or survival knife are apparently inappropriate. We have gone through great lengths here at Nothing But Knives to avoid such situations at all costs, so this is probably the category we are least qualified to give recommendations in. But we have reviewed at least two folders that we liked and could maybe take to a wedding without getting weird looks.

You could probably find a few knives that count as snappy dressers in our nostalgic slip joint article.

Kershaw Federalist

What’s Cool About It

It’s one of those new “modern classic” folders the kids keep talking about. Kershaw did a really good job on this call back knife. It feels like something your grandpa would have carried except the blade is made of a really nice powder steel that wasn’t developed until 2006.

Who Might Like This Knife

This knife was made for the people who missed the salad days of Case, Old Timer, and Buck, when all anybody thought they needed was a sharp blade with a nail nick. As near as I can tell, those people tend to be the ones with a fifty year old truck that is somehow cleaner and in better condition than most cars made after 2010.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

There’s no pocket clip on this, so it’s a floater. On the one hand that keeps it looking nice, but it also makes it a little awkward to carry. It’s thin, though. I usually set it behind my wallet in my pocket and it rides well enough.

It’s also worth mentioning that the detent is pretty light. The integrity of the knife is just fine, but all the things people tell you not to do with a slip joint go double for the Federalist.

Read up a little more on it in the Kershaw Federalist review.

Buck Saunter

What’s Cool About It

Speaking of call backs to Buck, this is an actual Buck knife calling back to its own olden days with a shiny carbon fiber handle that we rarely see Buck use. There are a lot of good things to say about the knife itself, but it’s difficult to describe just how good the handle looks in real life. It doesn’t really have a bad angle, and seems to take on a different hue and shine every time you turn it.

Who Might Like This Knife

Anyone who carries a Buck knife is likely to think the Saunter is nifty. It’s also a good cross over design, though. People who usually carry old school slip joints with a wood handle might discover a new love of carbon fiber with this, and the person who has nothing but anodized titanium flippers in their collection could find they don’t mind a two-hand-open slip joint every now and then.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

This is a limited release. Supposedly, Buck is only making this knife during 2022. We’re hoping they’ll come to their senses and release it as a regular model (hopefully closer to the budget category), but there’s a time limit on getting your hands on a Saunter until that hypothetical day.

There are a few more pictures to stare at in our Buck Saunter photo tour.

Vosteed Nightshade

What’s Cool About It

In a world saturated with three-inch flippers, the Nightshade manages to pull from a tradition that makes it stand out. This is an homage to the Shilin cutter from Taiwan. It was made to be a slicey, hard use folder in its day, and over time it became a highly sought after collector’s item. There have been a couple of knives based on that design over the years, but Vosteed really hit it home with this.

Who Might Like This Knife

The designer, Yue Dong (aka Doctor EDC), has a bit of a following. He’s been clicked in on the crowd that loves snappy, smooth flippers for a few years now, and his designs seem to have a wide appeal. The Nightshade in particular falls into the category of “a nice looking knife that just works”.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

There’s a thinner, lighter, and cheaper version of the Nightshade called the Nightshade Lt. It doesn’t quite pop in the same way, but it’s still a damn fine knife if you want to go down a price category.

We say more cool things about the Nightshade in our full review.

Kize Begleiter V2

What’s Cool About It

What’s really interesting is that even though it comes to over eight inches it feels like a smaller knife. It carries light and has a pretty understated vibe, especially if you get it in all black.

This is a very smooth knife, especially if you get the version with carbon fiber scales. The pivot runs on caged bearings, the thin blade slices with very little effort, and it slides in and out of the pocket easily.

Who Might Like This Knife

This is one of the few knives I would slip into a suit, if I ever made the mistake of needing to wear one again. So I imagine regular suit wearers looking for a knife would be into this. It’s also a very fidget-friendly knife, though. It’s fun to just sit and play with, if you happen to know someone who tends to tap their fingers when they’re still.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

There are a lot of different variations of this knife. The one pictured here is actually the second iteration of one of Kizer’s earliest popular designs, and they have been busy trying the design in every material they can get their hands on. If you want a different look or feel, you should be able to find it if you dig a little.

You can read more in our review of the Kizer Begleiter.

Boker Barlow Fixed Blade

What’s Cool About It

You don’t often see something that could be called a gentleman’s EDC fixed blade, but that’s definitely what this thing is. All the handle options for the Burnley Barlow have a sort of “classy outdoors” looks, and the pocket clip on the leather sheath gives it a fairly unique style of carrying that keeps handy and understated (if a little bulky in the pocket sometimes).

Who Might Like This Knife

I’ve always pictured this thing being carried at an outdoor wedding, but I do everything in my power to avoid weddings, so it’s better seen as a classic curiosity. The design is based off old barlow knives, so it fits in well with the old timer crowd (not just the old ones). It also handled camping tasks pretty well when we tested it. The handle is about as neutral as anything can get, which makes it workable in a lot of different grips, so it’s not a bad way to spruce up the next trip into the woods.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

The clip on the sheath is strong enough to keep everything in your pocket, but not strong enough to keep itself in place when you pull the knife out. At least not at first. You’ll need to hold the sheath in place yourself to get the knife free.

Check out more eye candy for this thing in our Boker Burnely BFF photo tour.

Multi-tools

Even non-knife types usually light up at getting a multitool. It’s like getting twelve presents hinged inside one pocket-friendly package. Even if someone doesn’t plan on using the knife part, odds are pretty good they’ll end up needing the phillips attachment and the bottle opener.Speaking of which, you might find some more streamlined options in that vein in our article on our favorite knives for opening beers.

Benchmade Weekender

What’s Cool About It

The toothy blades and grippy handle make this a great whittling knife. It’s one of my new favorites to have around a campfire for that reason. I also like how the bottle opener is tucked into the spine of the handle. It looks awkward at first, but once you get a feel for the angle, it works incredibly well.

Who Might Like This Knife

My own experience says that anyone who likes whittling and drinking will like this knife. But I would extend that to people who like fishing and drinking too.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

There isn’t really a good way to carry the Weekender. There’s no pocket clip, and it doesn’t ship with a sheath, so it’s the kind of thing that’s best kept in your tackle box or small backpack pockets if you don’t like the feel of it floating around in the pocket.

We go into more detail in our review of the Benchmade Weekender.

Revo Duo

What’s Cool About It

It’s a small package with a lot of utility. The blade isn’t much to look at, but it’s thin and slices well, and the handle does a good job of staying out of the way, so to speak.

The tool bar on this is an especially good example of an efficient use of space. It’s small, but it contains a seat belt cutter, a flathead driver, and a bottle opener, all of which work very well. I also really like the little back lock tab the rescue bar operates on. There’s just a lot of clever little design features in the Duo.

Who Might Like This Knife

The fact that it’s so small and offers so much utility should give it a pretty broad appeal, but I think it’s especially good for the person who just wants something that works. This isn’t a high-end, fine-tuned flipper with space-age metals all over it. The Duo is a worker more than anything.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

It can be a little rough on the pocket. The G10 liners have aggressive jimping, which is good for keeping a grip on the thing, but it will start to wear on the jeans after a while.

Chef Knives

The kitchen is where many of us really use knives, so we figured we should include a few of our favorite chef knives in case you have a busy home cook on your gift list. We think just about any serious cook would be happy with these knives even if they already have a chef knife or two in the kitchen.

Kramer By Zwilling EUROLINE Essential Collection Chef Knife

What’s Cool About It

Besides the fact that this is a Bob Kramer design, and is the closest thing most of us will get to a legitimate knife with his name on it, this also happens to be a surprisingly usable option for people with arthritis. It’s fairly light, and the big handle makes for easy gripping.

On a more technical side, the edge is ground to a very thin 9 to 12 degrees, and the angle from there up the very tall blade to a thin spine makes this a very gentle, precise cutter with an excellent bite.

Who Might Like This Knife

As a western-style knife with a very pronounced belly, this was made for rock chopping (going tip to heel). So if you happen to know that someone cuts that way, and also keep complaining about how thin or uncomfortable their kitchen knives are, they might be a good prospect here.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

These things have a pretty unique shape that includes a very tall blade. That makes it a little tricky to fit them into most standard kitchen knife blocks. Zwilling makes a Bob Kramer block, but if you’re planning to mix it into a block you already own, you should probably check to make sure it’s got a slot that’s around 2.5”. Either that or just pick up a magnetic strip.

We liked the Kramer by Zwilling Essential Collection knives so much we included the 7-piece set in our Best Professional Knife Sets of 2022 article.

Read up more about Zwilling Bob Kramer Euroline Essential chef knife in our full review.

Xin Cutlery XC126 XinCraft 8.4″ chef knife

What’s Cool About It

If nothing else, the Xin Craft is a unique knife. It’s technically a full chef’s knife size, but the cutting edge is only 7 inches and when you hold it in a pinch grip, it really turns into a small but nimble tool.

The blade is also a san mai construction with a 440C core, so as kitchen knives go this is incredibly durable, especially in the Japanese knife category.

Who Might Like This Knife

Someone with a small kitchen or just very little counter space. When I was in a small apartment kitchen most of the time I tested it, and was incredibly grateful to have a blade this particular size. It’s small knife to use freely in a small space, but long enough to still function well as a proper chef’s knife.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

This doesn’t have the sharpest bite. It has decent cutting performance, and it holds its edge well, but I wouldn’t expect anyone who’s used to mid-range kitchen knives to be blown away by the sharpness of this thing.

We go into more detail about that in our full review the XinCraft.

Vosteed Morgan

What’s Cool About It

This won’t sound very exciting, but the Morgan is a really easy knife to take care of. That’s not a super common feature with Japanese style knives, but this one has a fairly soft steel that responds really well to stones and honing rods.

Who Might Like This Knife

This is a great intro knife for someone who’s either just getting into cooking or wants something lowkey but still unique. It would also be a good way to get more familiar with using thinner Japanese knives without risking a three-hundred dollar edge.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

The Morgan has an asymmetric grind favoring the right side of the blade. There might be a few moments where you start to cut and it just doesn’t feel sharp enough. Sometimes you just need to adjust your angle to the grind. It takes some getting used to, but once you get comfortable with it, the cutting action is very smooth.

You can read more in our review of the Vosteed Morgan.

Mattia Borrani Bowie Chef Knife

What’s Cool About It

For a design that looks it would just be a fun novelty, this bowie chef knife is ridiculously useful. It has a great edge, and decent steel in a San Mai plating which gives it a pretty high range of durability for a kitchen knife.

It’s also surprisingly comfortable for something with such an extreme ratio of blade to handle. It’s definitely going to be more blade heavy than most chef knives out there, but after adjusting to the weight distribution a bit, the height and shape of the blade come in really handy for all kinds of things from scooping up food trimmings to processing chicken.

Who Might Like This Knife

It’s technically a western style chef’s knife, so someone who’s looking for something different in that vein could be interested in this. Especially if the chef you’re buying it for is tall, because this seems to be a much easier knife to use for tall folks.

What Should Your Friend Know About This Knife

This knife has a slightly convex edge, which is great for the performance of the knife, but it can be a tricky edge to maintain at first. The easiest way is to just use a leather strop but eventually this thing will need an actual stone, and then it might be worth taking it to sharpener.

If you want to trudge through a couple thousand words of me gushing about my favorite kitchen knife, here’s the full Mattia Borrani bowie chef knife review.