Choosing a Neck Knife

In simple terms, a neck knife is a small knife with a blade of three inches or less that is attached to a cord hung around the neck. These knives are popular for outdoor activities and can be used to peel fruits, cut rope or leave messages on wood. (This blog highlights the basics of a neck knife.) Here we’ll discuss how to pick a good neck knife.

Style

First, let’s get familiar with the styles. You can’t take a random knife and hang it from a cord around the neck and call it a neck knife. Well, you could, but nobody would think you were right in the head. True neck knives deliver some functions of bigger knives but come in small packages. Typically these are fixed-blade knives, small and light.

• Tip-up carry: Here, the knife handle hangs down enabling you to draw the knife quickly and fluidly from its sheath.
• Mountain carry: This is opposite to the tip-up in that the handle faces up. You need two hands to draw the knife and while this style is less cool than the tip-up, it’s safer too.
• Others:  These have more to do with use. For example, a self-defense neck knife can have dagger blades, karambits, and other tactical-style functions. Others come with functions that aid in outdoor activities, from hunting to camping.

Size

While almost all neck knives are small in size, you will find a few that are as big as EDC fixed blades. The small size of a neck knife has practical purposes – it is safer and it is not comfortable to walk with something heavy around your neck. Still, if you feel a larger blade serves your purpose better, there is nothing to stop you. Neck knives typically have blades up to three inches long and that is enough for simple cutting tasks or for cleaning a fish. However, really small blades make no sense outdoors.

Construction and materials

Check the material that has been used on the neck knife.  For simple household chores, you do not need top-of-the-line steel or the toughest handle. However, harder outdoor tasks necessitate a higher quality steel and more durable handle. Some handles even have accessories like paracord integrated into them.

For a better understanding of these tools, we recommend you check out our amazing catalog of neck knives and see if you fancy anything.