A pocket knife ranks among the most symbolic coming-of-age gifts a father can give a child, but that doesn’t mean reversing the act is a Father’s Day faux pas. Coming from you, a knife or multi-tool or related product says you respect him, but you want to ensure he’s prepared for his day. With any of the tools on this list, you can also gently communicate that if he keeps using that dull old blade, he’s going to cut his damn finger off. And nobody wants that.
The James Brand Chapter
The James Brand’s Chapter is among the finest pocket knives you can add to your EDC, so naturally, it’s also one of the finest pocket knives that you could possibly give as a gift. It was the first product that the brand launched with, and like all products that have followed, The Chapter is designed to excel at both form and function. It features a striking Damasteel Rose DS93X™ blade, which offers the beautiful grain look of a Damascus blade but with the edge retention of traditional knife steels. Add to that a lightning-quick action provided by ceramic ball bearings, a frame-lock, 6al4v titanium scales and a steel lock-face insert and the result is a knife that will own the space in anyone’s pocket for many years.
1. Skinth Solutions Toollet
If you’re going to turn your dad into an EDC guy, at least give him a way to stay organized.
2. Outdoor Element Firebiner
This carabiner isn’t for rock climbing; it’s for starting fires, cutting wires, opening bottles, and then, of course, serving as a handy clip.
3. Gerber Devour Multi-Fork
Multi-tools don’t have to include pliers or scissors to be useful. For many dads, a spoon combined with a can opener, bottle opener and more might be more practical.
4. Keysmart CleanKey
Germaphobe dads will appreciate this keychain-ready button pusher-slash-door opener.
5. Bellroy Notetaker
If the pen is mightier than the sword, some dads may consider it more potent than the knife. Especially when it’s made of ceramic anodized aluminum, like this one.
6. CRKT CEO
The award-winning CEO is a gentleman’s pocket knife, meaning that it’s handsome, slim and fits easily in a pocket.
7. Work Sharp Benchstone Knife Sharpener
Work Sharp’s new sharpening tool comes with angle guides and three surfaces that’ll help Dad keep his blades at the finest possible edge.
8. Gerber Armbar Cork
Gerber’s latest multi-tool slims the selection down to the few most essential implements: a knife, scissors, can opener and a corkscrew for wine.
9. Kujira Carbon Steel Whale Knife
Made in Japan’s Kochi Prefecture, these carbon steel knives come in the simple form of the planet’s largest animals, making them ideal for either collecting or cutting.
10. Spyderco Tenacious
A pocket knife doesn’t get more classic than a drop-point blade with a G-10 handle, but Spyderco added a little color for style.
11. Grovemade Task Knife
If you’re searching for a knife that Dad can use at his desk, get him one that looks good enough to display in the open.
12. Leatherman Free K2X
The final entry in Leatherman’s Free Series emphasizes the knife part of a multi-tool but still squeezes in screwdrivers, a bottle opener, awl and more.
13. Castillo Knives Navaja
In Spanish, navaja means razor. That word not only describes the sharpness of this Spanish-made knife’s blade but also pertains to its acute style, which is achieved thanks to a curly birch handle.
14. WESN Allman
If your dad questions the value of any pocket knife over $30, the combo of a titanium frame-lock handle and a premium S35VN stainless steel blade is likely to convince him.
15. Quiet Carry Current
Dad’s camping bin probably includes a cheap, beat-up kitchen knife that can barely take on an onion. Here’s the replacement: a compact fixed-blade that sports corrosion-resistant LC200N steel to handle all the rigors of life at camp.
