Going Gear carries more than 3,000 knives from the most respected manufacturers in the industry, spanning everyday carry folders, tactical fixed blades, hunting knives, high-end collectibles, and everything in between. That breadth is useful once you know which category matches your actual needs. This guide walks through the major knife types, what distinguishes quality in each, and what the brands at Going Gear bring to the category.
Folding Knives: The Daily Driver for Most Carry
A folding knife is the most carried knife type for good reason. It rides in a pocket, deploys quickly when needed, and handles the range of daily cutting tasks that most people encounter without the carry considerations that a sheathed fixed blade requires.
Within folding knives, the variables that matter most for daily use are blade length and geometry, steel selection, lock type, and opening mechanism.
Blade length for everyday carry typically falls between 2.75 and 3.5 inches for most environments, balancing useful cutting capability against the social and legal considerations of pocket carry. Blade geometry shapes what the knife does well: a drop point with a strong tip handles general tasks including food prep, packaging, and light utility work across a wide range of situations. A wharncliffe with its straight edge and minimal tip drop excels at controlled cuts on flat surfaces and in tight spaces. A tanto with its reinforced tip handles penetration and harder material better than tip geometries optimized for slicing.
Steel selection in quality folding knives has advanced significantly over the past decade. Mid-range stainless steels like 154CM and S30V provide the balance of edge retention, corrosion resistance, and sharpening ease that suits most daily carry users well. High-performance steels including S90V, M390, and MagnaCut push edge retention further at the cost of requiring more specialized sharpening equipment to maintain. The right steel depends on how the knife is used and how the user maintains their edge.
Lock mechanisms affect both safety and deployment preference. Liner locks and frame locks are the most common on quality folding knives, using a sprung metal component to prevent the blade from closing under load. The AXIS lock found on Benchmade knives is an ambidextrous design with a different mechanical approach that many users prefer for its ease of one-hand closing. Button locks, increasingly common on premium folders, provide positive lockup with a distinct release that suits some carry preferences and deployment styles over others.
Going Gear carries folding knives from Benchmade, Spyderco, ProTech, and Tenable among others, spanning the range from refined everyday carry folders to tactical and collector-oriented designs. Benchmade's AXIS lock folders and Spyderco's Compression Lock designs are among the most consistently well-regarded options in the category for users who carry and use their knives regularly rather than collecting them.
Fixed Blade Knives: When Simplicity and Strength Matter More
A fixed blade knife has one significant advantage over every folding knife: nothing to open, nothing to fail. The blade and handle are one continuous unit with no mechanism between them. Under sustained heavy use, in the dark with cold hands, and in situations where reliability matters most, the simplicity of a fixed blade is a genuine functional advantage rather than just a preference.
Fixed blades suit outdoor and working applications more naturally than urban EDC for most users. Field dressing game, processing camp food, batoning firewood in wet conditions, and tasks requiring sustained lateral force on the blade all favor fixed blade construction over folding designs.
Blade length in fixed knives varies more widely than in folders. Camp and hunting fixed blades in the three to five inch range handle most backcountry tasks efficiently. Larger blades extending to seven or eight inches suit game processing and heavier field work. Full tang construction, where the steel extends the full length and width of the handle rather than tapering to a narrow point, is the construction standard for fixed blades that will see demanding use.
Handle material affects grip character, weight, and durability across conditions. Micarta handles are dense, textured, and grip well when wet. G10 is similar but slightly harder and lighter. Rubber overmolds provide the most secure grip in wet or cold conditions but are less durable over time than harder synthetic materials. Natural wood handles are visually appealing and comfortable in hand but require more care in wet environments.
Going Gear carries fixed blade knives across the range from compact everyday carry options with short blades designed for discrete carry to full-size field and hunting knives built for demanding outdoor use. The fixed blade collection includes options from North Mountain Blade, whose Damascus and premium steel designs represent the high end of the handcrafted fixed blade category.
What Brand Actually Means in the Knife Category
Knife brands vary enormously in what the name actually represents. At the high end of the market, established brands represent consistent quality control, genuine steel specifications, and manufacturing standards that produce knives performing as described across a production run. At the lower end, brand names represent marketing without the manufacturing investment that produces consistent results.
Going Gear's knife collection focuses on brands with established reputations for delivering what they represent. Benchmade manufactures in the United States and maintains a consistent standard across their production line. Spyderco designs knives with ergonomic and deployment innovation that has influenced the entire industry. ProTech produces automatic knives to a standard that commands respect from users who care about mechanism quality. Tenable and North Mountain Blade represent current design approaches with premium materials and construction.
Buying a knife from a brand with genuine manufacturing standards means the specifications listed are the specifications delivered. Steel is the steel stated. Tolerances are within the range advertised. Hardware is properly finished and assembled. These qualities are not guaranteed on knives from less established sources regardless of what the listing claims.
The Collector Dimension
Not everyone buying from a knife collection like Going Gear's is buying a tool they will use hard in the field. A significant portion of the knife enthusiast community collects knives for their design, craftsmanship, materials, and the combination of art and function that premium knife making represents.
Limited edition collaborations, Damascus patterned blades, premium handle materials including stabilized wood, carbon fiber, and exotic composites, and knives representing the work of recognized designers attract buyers who appreciate the object as much as its function. Going Gear's inventory includes options at this end of the spectrum, including the Damascus and premium material designs from North Mountain Blade and limited edition offerings from established makers.
The line between collector and user is not always sharp. Many serious collectors also carry and use their knives, and many heavy users develop appreciation for the craft behind their tools over time. Going Gear's collection accommodates both orientations across the full range of budget and preference.
Navigating the Collection
The knife collection at goinggear.com/collections/knives can be navigated by the folding and fixed blade subcategories, or by brand if you already have a manufacturer preference. The brand filter is particularly useful for buyers who know they want to stay within a specific manufacturer's offerings and want to see the current available range rather than searching broadly.
For buyers without a strong brand preference, narrowing by intended use, blade length, and carry style produces a more useful starting point than browsing the full collection. Knowing whether you want a daily carry folder under three and a half inches, a field knife for outdoor use, or something at the premium end of the design and materials spectrum narrows several thousand options to a manageable consideration set.
Disclaimer: Knife laws vary significantly by location covering blade length, opening mechanisms, and carry method. Always research applicable regulations for your specific location before purchasing or carrying any knife. GoingGear.com provides this guide for educational purposes. Users are responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable local regulations.