I camp and overland constantly, so I鈥檝e tested my fair聽share of quality knives. But my hands-down, all-time favorite is the , which I think is the best outdoor knife money can buy.
Made in small batches in California by Brian Selby, the knives come sharp but are easy to sharpen thanks to an ultrahigh-quality A2 steel blade that鈥檚 double tempered to a Rockwell hardness of 60鈥61 HRC. (For the layman, most knives only have a hardness of 57-59 HRC.) The blade itself is four inches, and that鈥檚 matched with a four-inch textured handle and thumb notch, so you get incredible purchase on the knife and can slice through everything from raw meat to tree limbs with full confidence. At the same time, the Folsom isn鈥檛 so big that you feel ridiculous pulling it out to break down a box.
Before the Folsom, I only carried flipper knives, because they folded down nicely and fit in my pocket. The Folsom does not fit in my pocket, but every knife comes standard with a svelte Kydex or carbon-pattern sheath聽and a quick clip on the outside that neatly attaches to a belt. It took me awhile to get used to reaching for my knife on the outside of my jeans, but after a couple of weeks, it was second nature. (I usually wear the knife at three o鈥檆lock, near my hip.)聽For those of you worried about looking like Crocodile Dundee, don鈥檛 worry: the Folsom is still small enough that it easily hides under your untucked shirt.
Because Selby聽builds every knife himself, they have that handmade look and are truly beautiful. The shape of the blade, the matte-black blade finish, and the color choices for the handle (simple colors like coyote brown and hunter orange) make the Folsom something you鈥檙e happy to pull out at camp and show off. 聽
Nearly $200 is a lot for a knife, but as I鈥檓 keen on saying, a big investment like this always pays off. You鈥檒l have a knife that will be with you for years, if not decades, and you鈥檒l find so many uses for the Folsom that $200 will eventually start to feel like a bargain.