Before you head out on your next camping trip, you need to bring an essential tool. That tool is the pocket knife, and it can open your food or help you cut your way through thick wooded areas. But you don't need just any pocket knife, you need a knife that's going to do the job. And that may very well be a Damascus pocket knife.
Image from Amazon
Sure, Damascus is great, but not only are there choices within the Damascus pocket knife company, but there are also other knife and blade companies out there, too. And it's a tough job weeding through them all.
That's why we're here. We have taken the guesswork out of choosing a pocket knife for your next adventure and wrapped it up in a neat little package for you.
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What Is the Damascus Pocket Knife?
Image from Amazon
Damascus makes knife blades, and many knife companies use those blades. However, Damascus also produces some high-quality knives of their own. When you're about to head on your next camping trip, you want to make sure you have everything you need.
And if you don't already have one, a pocket knife should be at the top of your list. Like any good pocket knife, the blades from Damascus fold up which make them easier and safer to store and take with you.
There are many different kinds of Damascus pocket knives, so you'll probably find one that fits your needs and budget.
Line of Knives
The Damascus pocket knife is actually a line of pocket knives rather than a single product. As mentioned before, Damascus manufactures their own blades, and they offer a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.
For this Damascus pocket knife review, we will be focusing on a few of their most popular folding pocket knives. If you aren't interested in any of the knives we mention, you can still check out their website and hopefully find a knife that better suits your taste.
The DKC-785 Rainbow Laguiole pocket knife has a stunning handle and, naturally, a Damascus steel blade. This knife is 8.5 inches long and has a 3.5-inch blade. The knife weighs 3.7 ounces.
The DKC-785 Rainbow Laguiole has a colored ebony wood handle that is handmade. With over 300 layers of steel, this blade can cut through a variety of materials. The knife comes with a sheath and is perfect for your next camping trip.
You can buy this specific pocket knife for $50 to $60. Amazon customers give it an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
This next pocket knife is the DKC-43 Black Thumb model. The knife is 3.25 inches when folded and 6 inches when the blade is out. At 7.5 ounces, it's heftier than the DKC-785, but you may want that extra weight.
The DKC-43 Black Thumb has a black buffalo handle which looks sleek, and it has a high-quality blade that you can expect from Damascus. This model uses a blade with over 250 layers of steel. Each of these knives is handmade, and they come with a sheath.
The small but tough pocket knife runs for about $80 to $100. The average customer rating is a solid 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
The DKC-136 Chief pocket knife is a bit bigger than the others we have looked at so far. When folded, it measures 4.5 inches, and it's 8 inches when open. The knife weighs 7.3 ounces and has a 3-inch blade.
This knife's handle has a unique design, so you don't have to worry about mixing it up with someone else's. The blade uses over 250 layers of steel, and the knife comes with a sheath. Like the other Damascus pocket knives, this one is handmade.
You can buy the DKC-136 Chief for $90 to $110. Amazon customers give the knife an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
The DKC-45 Golden Ram is perfect if you want a slightly larger folding pocket knife. This knife measures 6 inches when folded and a whopping 11 inches when the blade is out. It has a brass handle with a unique engraving, and the whole thing weighs about 16 ounces.
The knife blade has over 300 layers of steel which makes it great for almost any use. This knife is handmade, and it comes with a protective sheath.
The DKC-45 Golden Ram is a bit on the expensive side with a price tag of $140 to $150. However, the average Damascus pocket knife review is 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Customer reviews
We shared the average customer ratings for the different knives that we looked at, but those numbers don't tell the whole story. In addition to knowing the ratings, you should know what a Damascus pocket knife review actually sounds like.
Each of the knives has their own reviews, but the comments are still relevant even if you don't want that specific knife.
Many customers say they love their knife. Some have received compliments, and others love how the knife looks and feels. The knife blade is sharp, and each one is a work of art.
It was hard to find anything negative, but there were some things. One customer said the inlay on the handle of the DKC-136 fell out and the blade goes in crooked. Another customer complained that the knife was too heavy.
Keep in mind that all of the knives we looked at are handmade so that each one will be unique. One knife might have a problem while the next one is perfect. Luckily, you can take advantage of Damascus' guarantee policy to get a refund or exchange.
Pricing
While we can't cover the pricing of every knife in our Damascus pocket knife review, there are a few things you should know.
Damascus makes and sells a variety of knives, and they all have somewhat different prices. The models we looked at cost $40 to $150. Overall, Damascus pocket knives cost anywhere from $25 to $325.
It all depends on the materials, size, and blade thickness.
How to Choose a Pocket Knife
When finding products for this Damascus pocket knife review, we kept some things in mind. For both the Damascus knives and their competitors, we wanted to find knives that use Damascus blades. That way, we could compare the knives themselves instead of the blades.
However, there's more to knives than their blade. Blade size and thickness also matter. If you want a really small pocket knife, you'll want a smaller blade.
On the other hand, you might want a slightly larger pocket knife. If that's the case, then you can choose a knife with a longer blade.
The next thing you want to look at is the handle. It won't matter how sharp or high-quality the blade is if the knife is uncomfortable.
Next, we looked at the price of the knives. You shouldn't have to spend tons of money on a decent pocket knife. As you start your search for the perfect knife, know that you don't have to break the bank for one.
However, price doesn't matter if the quality isn't there. This Damascus pocket knife review only includes the good stuff so you can comparison shop with ease.
How It Compares
Damascus dominates the knife blade market, but for our Damascus pocket knife review, we found a few knives from competitors. All of these knives use Damascus blades, but other companies make the knives.
While these knives all have similar blades, the handle and overall structure aren't going to be the same as each other. However, we think they're worth looking at because even though Damascus makes great blades, they do have some fierce competition for full knives.
The Sharpest Tool
For our Damascus pocket knife review, we chose a few knives from Damascus to focus on. Each of them is affordable, durable, and handmade. They all have great average ratings, and you can buy them online.
When it came to finding competing products, we used similar criteria in our search. We looked for knives that used a Damascus blade. But we also wanted knives that had good customer ratings, were available to buy online, and were affordable and durable.
The KATSU Handmade Pocket Folding Knife has a Damascus steel blade and a steel handle. Even though the handle is steel, it has a unique design that's similar to what you would find on a wood or bamboo handle. The handle also uses Damascus steel.
This knife has a Japanese style thumb notch that allows you to open the knife with one hand. The blade is super sharp, and the knife is on par with its more expensive competition.
KATSU's knife measures 4.5 inches when closed and 7.5 inches when open. The blade is 3 inches long and 3.5 millimeters thick.
Along with the knife, you get a leather sheath and a sack.
The KATSU Handmade Pocket Folding knife costs $70 to $90. Amazon customers give it an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars.
The KUBEY Pocket Knife is small but mighty. This knife is only 4.4 inches long, and that includes the handle and the blade. The handle is 2.6 inches, and the blade is 1.9 inches.
KUBEY's pocket knife uses a Damascus steel blade that is three millimeters thick. The wooden handle is comfortable to hold and use. You can use a lanyard with the knife to hang around your neck or the outside of a bag.
The small knife has a safety lock, but it's still easy to access the blade. Its size and features make it an excellent choice for camping.
You can choose from a variety of blade types from smooth to engraved, and all of them look unique.
The KUBEY Pocket Knife costs $20 to $40, depending on the style you choose. The average customer rating is 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
The HGDK-002 Mini Pocket Knife from ALBATROSS is another small yet might tool. It uses a Damascus steel blade, and it folds up for safe storage.
Thanks to the Damascus steel, the blade is very sharp and can cut through a lot of materials. A lanyard and lanyard hole make the knife easy to carry and find when in storage. The sandalwood handle gives you a comfortable grip, and it's an excellent choice for camping.
This knife is about 4.75 inches when open and 2.75 inches when closed. The two-inch blade is about three millimeters thick. Along with the knife, you also get a gift box for gift giving or storage.
This folding pocket knife costs $30 to $50. On Amazon, the average customer rating is 4.4 out of 5 stars.
The ALBATROSS HGDK-004 Pocket Knife is a bit more traditional than the HGDK-002. It has a slimmer, longer blade, and the knife itself is longer.
This knife does use Damascus steel for the blade, and it includes over 60 layers of steel. The rosewood handle is comfortable and sleek so that you can use the knife throughout a camping trip.
When not in use, you can lock the blade to keep it, and yourself, safe. The blade is sharp, so when you use the knife, so be very careful. Like the other ALBATROSS knife, you can hang this one on a lanyard for easy access on the go.
You can buy this pocket knife for $30 to $50. The average customer rating is 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Our Damascus Pocket Knife Review
We didn't think any single company could dominate the world of pocket knives. But Damascus is sure trying to do just that.
You can find knives with Damascus steel blades from tons of different knife companies, but Damascus also makes full knives. If you want the quality of Damascus blades, why choose a different company to build the knife?
Well, we looked at some competitors to see if we could answer that question. KATSU, KUBEY, and ALBATROSS all make great pocket knives, but they rely on Damascus for their steel blades.
Those companies don't make the entire knife which means they don't have the same quality control as Damascus. Since Damascus makes both blades and knives, they have complete control over the manufacturing process.
Also, they make all of their knives by hand. That makes each Damascus knife unique, and their guarantee policy means you'll get a good product.
While Damascus knives might be a bit more expensive than the competition, that extra cost is worth the quality and the final product you receive. Finally, there are Damascus knives at just about every price point. We looked at four different knives, and they all costs under $150. Some of them were even cheaper than that.
No matter what pocket knife you choose, you need one with a sharp blade, a comfortable handle, and an affordable price. Make your next camping trip easier by selecting a knife from our Damascus pocket knife review. You won't be disappointed.
Which pocket knife will you take on your next camping trip? Tell us all about it in the comments!
