Determine How You Plan to Use Your Knife
Christmas giving has long become a point of contention for various scholars. Some argue that it dates back to early Christian celebrations, while other maintain it was a coopted pagan practice. In America, though, the details regarding the practice of providing presents near the end of December is much less cloudy. According to The Week, giving Christmas gifts took off in America at the end of the 17th century. “Rural Americans carved wooden toys and made pieces of needlework in the agricultural offseason to give to family members and neighbors. The Industrial Revolution saw those handmade items replaced with mass-manufactured trinkets and toys. By 1867, the holiday present industry was healthy enough for Macy’s in New York City to keep its doors open until midnight on Christmas Eve for the first time.”
With the advent of the internet, the options available to us have only expanded, including every sort of gift from the exotic and outrageous to the particularly practical. So what if you’re looking for a knife to serve as a stocking stuffer or a centerpiece present, but you don’t want to break the bank? Here are five options from TacKnives that are sure to please.
TacKnives Firecracker Double-Action Mini OTF
Decent double-action OTFs tend to be on the pricier side of things, and there’s good reason for it. Out-the-front knives are highly engineered pieces of machinery with tight tolerances and high-performance pieces that must stand up to significant stresses without deforming or breaking. However, we have an option that allows you to purchase a reliable OTF at a bargain price.
Designed to be slipped into a a coat or pants pocket, the TacKnives Firecracker Double-Action Mini OTF ($29.95) measures a mere three-and-a-quarter inches when closed and contains a 2.19” blade for a total length of five-and-a-quarter inches. Its textured MN8 aluminum handle melds strength with comfort, and the whole knife weighs a mere 1.3 ounces. TacKnives offers multiple blade styles for this small knife, including tantos, drop points, serrated drop points, recurved points, and doubled-edge spear points. These knives come with a tactical black finish and feature a variety of handle colors, making them perfect for everyday use.
Despite this model’s advantages, though, understand that it lacks certain features found on our more expensive OTFs, such as a pocket clip. Additionally, its deployment mechanism may occasionally misfire. For those with somewhat flexible budgets and a desire for greater convenience and reliability, the TacKnives Medium-Size Double Action OTF Knife ($59.95) remedies those concerns. In addition to the pocket clip, it boasts an aircraft-aluminum handle and many different types of blades, such as serrated and non-serrated spear points; serrated and non-serrated tantos; recurved points; and drop points.
TacKnives Micarta Folding Knife
Simple and sturdy, sleek and reliable, the TacKnives Micarta Folding Knife ($34.95 to $39.95) is the perfect blend of trustworthy EDC and stylish prestige piece. Thanks to their Micarta handles, these knives will stand up to hard use while continuing to look good and remaining easy to grip. (A compressed paper-and-resin composite, Micarta has existed for over a century and is renown for durability both in practical and aesthetic terms.) All of our Micarta Folding Knife models feature blades made of either D2 or 8CR13 steel, both of which are hard, retain an edge, and are reasonable easy to sharpen. For super-speed opening, these knives include either a flipper tab or thumb stud and button lock for reliable one-handed opening. Blade finishes are either satin or stonewashed.
TacKnives Double Action Italian Stiletto 9"
Thanks to an ongoing sale, you can own an example of one of the earliest types of automatic knife for a very reasonable sum. The TacKnives Double Action Italian Stiletto 9″ ($49.95) is styled after the classic Italian stiletto and normally retails for $69.95. With its iconic flat-ground, bayonet-style blade and handles that either imitate snake skin or come in a variety of colors like black, blue, pearl, or nacre, these knives look as though they just arrived from Bel Paese itself. However, the observant will note that our stilettos like a very specific feature: the stiletto’s signature switch. We’ve replaced it with a sliding switch — and an entirely different opening mechanism! Yes, rather than opening from the side, our switchblades are OTFs, melding traditional looks with modern technology.
TacKnives Tactical Pen OTF Knife
The penknife earned its name from the fact that scribes carried them, and while today we would call such a blade an everyday carry or simply a pocketknife, their original owners used them to turn quills into writing implements, hence the name. But the TacKnives Tactical Pen OTF Knife ($49.95) is a very different kind of pen knife. Measuring six inches, its aluminum body comes in colors like gold and silver, blue and red, purple and forest green, and (of course) black. To the uninitiated, it looks like little more than your standard writing implement, albeit a uniquely stylish one. But unscrew the cap at one end, slide the pocket clip up, and voilà! You have a hidden OTF with a one-and-three-quarters-inch blade. These pens are perfect for common office tasks such as opening letters, preparing boxes, or breaking down cardboard for recycling. Our tactical pens can even protect your life in a self-defense situation.
TacKnives EDC Keychain Box Cutter
Since we’re discussing utility, do you primarily need a knife for completely quotidian tasks? Do you like always having it at hand? Would you prefer one small enough to fit on your keychain without making an unseemly outline in your pocket? Then check out the TacKnives EDC Keychain Box Cutter ($19.95). The ideal stocking stuffer for the knife lover in your life, these four-inch-long box cutters come in two versions, an original with a bottle-opener notch and a cutout for a keyring and a second version with a carabiner and hex nut driver slots. Both box cutters use replaceable SK5 razor blades, so you can always have a sharp edge available.
Looking for other options? Here at TacKnives, we pride ourselves on providing top-quality knives at budget-friendly prices. Peruse our entire selection here.
