Tested: The Best Small Pocket Knives For Everyday Carry

Because they are still widely regarded solely as weapons by governing bodies around the world, knives are often met with many restrictions — two of the most common of which are on the length of the blade or overall length of the knife. And while opting for a smaller knife often means making a major sacrifice in terms of utility, there are plenty of diminutive folders out there that punch well above their weight in regards to functionality. To demonstrate this point, we’ve rounded up some of the best sub-6-inch options for this hands-on review of the best small pocket knives. 

Selection & Testing

With so many available options for small EDC knives, we kicked off our search by first defining what exactly a “small pocket knife” is — in this case, we’re considering it to be any EDC knife spanning no more than 6” overall and with a blade measuring less-than-2.0” in length. From there, we then began looking at criteria such as overall dimensions and design, handle material, deployment, locking mechanism, and blade steel, blade length, blade shape, and blade thickness. Prioritizing these areas, we then made a shortlist of knives to get hands-on with in order to determine how each actually performs in practice. 

This hands-on review cycle also allowed us to gain insight into other key areas such as ergonomics and grip, deployment action, and craftsmanship and build quality. To judge how these small knives performed under more hard-use tasks, we performed a stacked cardboard cutting test, and a paper-cutting test to determine factory edge sharpness. With the information from our hands-on testing, we were then able to narrow our original shortlist of candidates down to a final hard selection of what we found to be the very best small everyday carry knives. 

CIVIVI Baby Banter

A scaled-down version of the brand’s full-size Banter model, the CIVIVI Baby Banter is a small utilitarian EDC folder offering solid performance and utility in a pocketable package with an unthreatening appearance. Spanning 5.46” in total, the Baby Banter features a Nitro-V blade — that’s offered in multiple blade shapes including the 2.34” flat-ground drop point item seen here — mated to a liner-locking handle that’s produced in a myriad of colors and material options such as G10 and Micarta.

Using a titanium thumbstud to deploy its blade, the entire knife weighs in at under 2oz. Though it places the user’s fingers very close to the cutting-edge, the oversized and jimped finger choil at the base of the blade serves as an extra contact point for the user’s hand that supplements the full handle length and allows it to provide stellar grip and ergonomics despite the small handle size. 

CIVIVI is the budget sister brand to WE Knife Co (just like Kershaw is to Zero Tolerance). And, like all CIVIVI knives, the Baby Banter benefits from the same top-notch craftsmanship, tight tolerances, and overall fit and finish as its pricier WE-branded counterparts. As such, the Baby Banter’s overall craftsmanship is not only great for the price, but just great in general — as is the blade’s deployment action (though this area is also owed to the use of a caged ceramic ball bearing pivot).

The use of an anodized titanium thumb-stud is a nice touch — and an unexpected one on a knife at this price point. Unfortunately, while the Baby Banter is made in the same factory as WE’s knives and boasts the same level of fit and finish, it’s brought to life using decidedly cheaper materials in the form of a budget Nitro-V blade and some particularly cheap-feeling low-grade G10 or Micarta scales. 

Spyderco Manbug Wharncliff

While it makes everything from top-shelf USA-made blades to budget-friendly cutting tools, all of Spyderco’s knives possess a certain level of quality and performance that have made it a go-to brand for laborers, military, law enforcement, and EDC enthusiasts alike. Case in point; the Spyderco Manbug. Boasting a slew of the Golden, Colorado company’s signature design traits, the Manbug is comprised of a 1.95” wharncliffe blade made from Japanese VG-10 steel, mated to an ergonomically-shaped backlock-equipped handle crafted from FRN.

All in all, this knife offers pretty solid bang-for-your-buck, plus is extremely lightweight at just 0.65oz — making it a fraction of the weight of some of the other knives on this list. Though this Japanese-made knife offers great value and solid performance in a compact package, those are just two parts of what make it so special — and makes it deserving of a spot on this list. 

Shipping with a razor-sharp factory edge, its blade is fairly thick for a knife of this size at 0.11”, allowing it to better stand up to some hard-use tasks, and the blade’s  non-reflective titanium carbonitride coating not only looks great, but also helps to fortify the underlying VG-10 construction. What’s more, the use of a jimped thumb ramp set just over the blade’s circular thumb hole opener (a bonafide Spyderco hallmark) affords the Manbug with a surprising amount of control for a knife of this size, while the shape of the handle coupled with the brand’s patented Bi-Directional texturing pattern allows it to offer ample grip.

While it’s a great little knife, the Manbug isn’t without its issues here and there. And, while it’s super grippy, the Bi-Directional handle pattern does make the knife a bit more difficult to clean — plus it gives the knife a somewhat cheap and plasticky feel. I also found that the blade was difficult to flick open and typically required my to use my thumb to swing it all the way around to lockup. It’s also worth mentioning that Spyderco produces this knife in multiple blade profiles, blade edges, and handle colors. 

RZE HexEdge Ti

When companies that operate in other spaces attempt to produce a knife, it’s very seldom that these blades can legitimately go toe-to-toe with folders or fixed blades made by dedicated knife brands. So, while rare, that’s precisely what micro brand RZE has managed to do with the HexEdge Ti, as this pocketable and keychain-friendly folder not only looks fantastic with its sleek geometric-inspired design, but it also performs wonderfully.

The HexEdge Ti is crafted from the same signature HexEdge-coated Grade 5 titanium construction used to make RZE’s watch cases and comes fitted with an ultra-sturdy titanium framelock mechanism. Coming in at 4.09” overall, the knife features a uniquely-shaped sheepsfoot blade design that’s brought to life in rugged D2 tool steel. 

Despite its small size, this knife has a lot going for it. The 0.09” blade thickness (the same spec as the Benchmade Bugout) also affords the knife excellent slicing abilities while being just beefy enough to not have to worry about it bending or snapping under harder use tasks. Another component of what makes the HexEdge Ti so noteworthy is its immense versatility, as it lends itself to everything from outdoor applications to everyday carry use. And, unlike a lot of small EDC knives with thumbhole openers, the blade on the HexEdge Ti is super flickable. The buttery-smooth deployment action also makes using the knife’s flipper tab particularly satisfying.

Lastly, it’s just a stellar-looking knife with an undeniably idiosyncratic industrial design — plus I love that RZE sells an optional titanium lanyard bead for it that’s modeled after the crowns on its titanium-cased watches. And, though I really did thoroughly scrutinize the HexEdge Ti, I honestly couldn’t come up with a single area that I felt could be improved upon (aside from perhaps offering the thing in other finishes or with a more premium blade steel option like CPM S30V or S35VN). 

Kershaw Launch 4

Tipping the scales at under 2oz in total, the Kershaw Launch 4 is a pint-sized auto-firing everyday carry knife that’s completely legal to carry in California — and other regions where auto knives are restricted to blades spanning less-than-2”. Part of the American brand’s automatic Launch Series, the 4 Model spans just over 5.0” overall — 1.90” of which is comprised of its CPM 154 single-edge dagger blade.

Mated to an aluminum handle, the blade is backed by a powerful spring that results in a super snappy auto deployment. Offered in multiple handle color options — and in a version with a layered Damascus blade — the Launch 4 uses a red bullseye firing button as both its means of auto deployment and unlocking. 

With a thickness of 0.12”, the Launch 4’s blade is a good deal beefier than most small folders — and is pretty beefy for an auto knife, especially of this length. And, just like how CIVIVI’s Baby Banter benefits from the same level of build quality as WE’s knives, Kershaw’s Launch 4 very much boasts the same level of overall craftsmanship as the premium knives from its more premium sister brand Zero Tolerance — a fact that’s frankly unsurprising considering the Launch 4’s USA-made construction.

There are a few downsides to the Launch 4 when viewed through the lens of an EDC knife. For starters, its dagger blade shape is a bit lacking in terms of utility compared to drop point and wharncliffe profiles — plus its symmetrical dagger blade is only sharpened on one side, slightly mitigating its piercing power and in turn lessening its effectiveness as a self-defense weapon (though it’s still a great self-defense knife). I also wished it featured some type of sidearm-style safety switch.

Pro-Tech Runt 5 Reverse Tanto

If you’re ever in the market for an American-made automatic knife, Pro-Tech is a brand that should legitimately always be considered, as the California company’s catalog boasts what are unequivocally some of the best-designed and best-crafted options on the planet. And while it’s a good deal smaller than flagship models like the Godfather or TR-3, the Pro-Tech Runt 5 Reverse Tanto no doubt benefits from the same premium materials, ultra-stringent quality control, and small batch production as its larger counterparts.

Legal to carry in California, the knife measures 5.12” overall and features an aluminum handle paired with a reverse tanto-shaped 1.96” blade composed of ultra-premium CPM MagnaCut. At $165, the Runt 5 doesn’t come cheap, though when you consider its premium material selection and equally-top-shelf build quality, I’d actually argue its MSRP is wholly justifiable — in fact Pro-Tech could probably get away with charging closer to $200 for the thing. 

The Pro-Tech Runt 5 Reverse Tanto boasts a long list of highlights and selling points — to the point where it’s hard to even know where to begin. Its blade looks and feels amazing, ships with an almost irresponsibly-sharp factory edge, and is practically devoid of any blade play whatsoever. In typical Pro-Tech fashion, the Runt 5’s build quality is off-the-charts, and furthers its unmistakably top-shelf feel.

The rate at which the blade fires is also perfectly dialed-in, being super snappy, but not to the point where it feels like it wants to jump out of your hand. At the end of the day, I only had one gripe with this otherwise-excellent small EDC knife. Just like with Kershaw’s Launch 4, I really wished Pro-Tech opted to outfitted the Runt 5 with a safety lock or switch — though I admittedly never experienced an accidental deployment during the extensive time I spent testing it.

GiantMouse ACE Nibbler Ti

From the minds of knife design legends Jens Ansø and Jesper Voxnaes, GiantMouse consistently delivers some of the very best knives that merge modern materials with retro-inspired designs. And while it comes in markedly more compact package, the GiantMouse ACE Nibbler Ti nonetheless perfectly encapsulates the brand’s MO — and frankly looks like a scaled-down version of one of the other knives from GiantMouse’s top-shelf ACE line.

Measuring 4.70” overall and weighing in at just over 2.50oz, the aptly-named Nibbler (which takes its monicker from the Tom and Jerry character) sports a titanium handle with a tip-up wire pocket clip, a brass backspacer with an integrated lanyard loop, and what’s unquestionably one of the nicest steel liner locks I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. Deployed via a uniquely-shaped thumb hole opener, the Nibbler’s blade consists of a 1.875” sheepsfoot item that’s forged in super-premium CPM 20CV “Super Steel” and equipped with the sharpest factory edge of all the small knives we tested (even besting the Pro-Tech Runt 5, albeit not by much). 

Like the Runt 5, the Nibbler just has a really solid — and unmistakably premium — feel to it that only further elevates its handsome appearance. Sure, it’s sub-5” overall dimension and 2.80” handle length do limit grip, the knife still proved to be plenty utilitarian in the time I spent testing it. It’s top-shelf fit and finish and generally premium feel also make it a really enjoyable knife to use and carry — and I received far more questions and compliments about the Nibbler than I did any other small EDC knives I tested for this review.

While I legitimately love this knife, I did come across one minor gripe — albeit one that has no impact on the overall performance or user experience of the Nibbler. With its close-to-$200 price point, I assumed the ACE Nibbler was produced in Maniago, Italy like most of GiantMouse’s knives — a suspicion only furthered by the little folder’s absolutely stellar build quality. As such, I was a bit surprised to see that the thing is actually manufactured in China, albeit by Reate which admittedly does excellent work (and manufacturers knives for several other decidedly premium knife companies). 

Zero Tolerance 0022

Designed by Tim Galyean, the Zero Tolerance 0022 takes the brand’s usual over-built and over-engineered approach and sees it applied to a much smaller knife — in fact, it’s the smallest knife Zero Tolerance has ever produced, and by a pretty good margin. The knife features a handle with a carbon fiber show side opposite a titanium rear scale with an integrated framelock mechanism. Mated to the handle is a 1.875” clip point blade design brought to life in super-premium CPM 20CV.

Thanks to borrowing the KVT ball bearing pivot setup from its sister brand Kershaw, the 0022 offers a super smooth deployment action. Thanks to a titanium framelock, the 0022’s lockup is just as sturdy, too. The shape of this knife’s handle allows it to offer shockingly excellent ergonomics and grip —especially for a knife with a three-finger handle design. It’s pretty, pretty rare to see a sub-5” knife that’s genuinely able to take on hard-use tasks, but between its over-built construction and premium material selection, the 0022 stands as a true workhorse of a folder — an area only furthered by its 20CV blade sporting a 0.12” thickness. 

As far as small EDC knives go, the 0022 is nothing short of extraordinary. It genuinely represents everything a good small knife should be. It’s well constructed, compact, and capable, and offers excellent ergonomics and grip, and more-than-its-fair-share of utility. My only real issues with this knife stem from its price. With a $232 MSRP, it’s simply a lot to spend on a knife of this size — as $230 can buy you plenty of petty stellar full-sized premium EDC knives — even if its overall quality and material selection how to justify its price point.

Piggybacking off this first gripe, I also found the 0022’s pocket clip to feel somewhat cheap compared to the rest of the knife, and I would love to see ZT upgrade the clip to a billet titanium item. With that said, this knife clearly wasn’t designed for customers looking for a value-laden EDC folder, and is clearly geared towards a more high-end buyer. 

What To Consider When Shopping

There’s a huge number of factors that can be considered when shopping for any pocket or EDC knife, however, a myriad of these areas undoubtedly stand above the rest in terms of significance — especially when shopping for a more compact cutting tool. In a bid to help streamline your search, we’ve broken down the most pivotal factors to take into account when buying a small everyday carry knife with a sub-3” blade. 

Blade Size & Shape: Both a blade’s profile and size will play monumental role in how a knife performs, and what type of cutting tasks it lends itself to. For this guide, every blade will be limited to 3.0” or less in length, though there’s still a decent range of sizes even within the sub-3” segment. You’ll also want to look at the shape of the blade, as different silhouettes — such as a drop point, clip point, tanto, reverse tanto, or sheepsfoot — will also profoundly impact how the knife performs. Additionally, you’ll also want to review the thickness of the blade, as this factor will play a decent role in determining how conducive the knife is to hard-use applications. 

Blade Grind: Whether a blade has a straight edge or is serrated will massively effect its cutting abilities, as well as what type of cutting tasks it best lends itself to. As a result, this is another area you’ll want to review when shopping. Though admittedly more difficult to sharpen, knives with partially-serrated blades typically offer the best of both worlds in this regard, as they give their user the option to select between either type of edge depending on the task at hand. 

Blade Steel: A blade’s shape, size, and edge will play huge roles in how it performs, though the blade’s ability to hold and retain a razor-sharp edge is owed almost entirely to the material that the blade is composed of — i.e. its blade steel. It’s also worth pointing out that more high-end blade steels — like CPM 20CV, Böhler M390, and XHP — do admittedly do a much better job of holding an edge compared to cheaper blade steels — like D2, AUS-8, or Sandvik 12C27 — though are significantly more difficult to sharpen once the time finally comes to service the blade’s edge. 

Blade Deployment: Another element that hugely impacts the overall user experience is the manner in which the blade is deployed from the handle. Alongside assisted-openers and fully-automatic setups, some of the most commonly-used blade deployment methods on contemporary knives include thumb-studs, thumb-hole openings, and flipper tabs — though there are also knives that sport more than one of these items, providing their user with multiple blade deployment options. And, while they’re largely limited to more old-school friction folders and slip joints, you do occasionally see some modern EDC knives that feature two-handed nail nick-opening deployment setups. 

Locking Mechanism: Also of tremendous importance when shopping for a small knife — or really any EDC knife for that matter — is the locking mechanism, as this element holds (or “locks”) the blade in place while it’s being used. Some of the most commonly-used locks on modern everyday carry knives include liner locks, frame-locks button locks, and lock-backs, though there are also plenty of knives that feature proprietary locking mechanisms such as Spyderco’s Compression lock or Benchmade’s AXIS lock. 

Handle Construction: Because it plays such a large role in determining a knife’s overall durability, level of grip, and overall user experience, it’s massively important to look into the material or materials used to construct a knife’s handle. What’s more, you’ll want to pay close attention to both the handle’s scales, as well as the underlying material used to construct its liner or frame. Some examples of common contemporary handle constructions include G-10, Micarta, and various polymers, as well as alloy constructions such as brass, aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium, just to name a few. 

Ergonomics & Grip: The shape of a knife’s handle and how well it fits in your hand unsurprisingly play major roles in how that knife will perform. While a handle’s level of traction and grip largely comes from the material used to craft its scales, the thing’s ergonomics largely boil down to its shape and contours. And while this area is always of extreme importance when shopping for any type of knife, it becomes even more crucial when dealing with compact knives, as it’s markedly more difficult to design a small handle that delivers stellar ergonomics — though there are plenty of reputable knife brands that have pulled off this illustrious feat. 

Secondary Elements: Though a knife’s blade, lock, and handle should get most of your attention when shopping, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also be keeping a close eye out for smaller secondary elements, as these items can play a massive role I distinguishing more premium blades from their more budget-focused counterparts. Secondary elements to consider when shopping include a knife’s back-spacer,  thumb-stud construction (if applicable), pocket clip, and the actual hardware used to piece everything together. 

Build Quality: Another factor that helps to separate the more high-end knives on the market from more value-focused blades is craftsmanship and build quality — making this another crucial area to consider when shopping. While there are some exceptions, the more boutique brands that hand-build and hand-assemble their knives tend to feature much better fit and finish compared to mass-produced knives. 

Price: The should always be taken into account when shopping for any knife, though small EDC knives present an interesting opportunity, as the fact that they’re smaller and require less raw material to produce, means manufacturers can both ship and sell them at lower prices than normal full-size knives. As such, you can acquire a surprisingly high-end knife when shopping in the more compact end of the spectrum. On the other side of the coin, smaller knives from more budget-focused brands can often be had for a bargain — again, making this yet another important area to review when shopping. 

Tested: The Best Compact Fixed Blade Knives For EDC

If you possess a proclivity for compact cutting tools then there’s a good chance you’ll also appreciate the diminutively-sized selections on our list of the best fixed blade knives for everyday carry.