Have you read our guide on everything you need to know about knives? If you haven’t, then I’ll urge to do so before continuing. If you did, maybe the decision is close at hand but you’re looking for inspiration to expand your research. Thus, without further ado, allow me to introduce you to 11 of the most popular metal handle knife brands.
All brands on this list offer at least one knife with the following characteristics:
- Handle is made of a metal, either pure (aluminum, iron, titanium) or an alloy (brass, bronze, steel).
- Predominantly folding blade knives, but fixed blade knives may also be offered.
- May include other features such as pocket clip or lanyard hole.
A metal handle is the perfect choice if you are looking for maximum ruggedness without minding a heftier price and weight (except for certain metals). If the intended use or activity requires the highest degree of durability and resistance, you can’t go wrong with any of these metal handle knife brands.
| Brand | Aluminum | Brass | Bronze | Iron | Steel | Titanium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaves Knives | ✔ | |||||
| Demko Knives | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| GiantMouse | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Griffin Company | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| Higonokami | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| JHO Knives | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Spyderco | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Tactile Knife | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| Terrain 365 | ✔ | |||||
| Urban EDC | ✔ | |||||
| WESN | ✔ |
Chaves Knives
- Origin: United States
- Handle materials: Titanium
- Blade materials: Stainless steel – M390
- Opening mechanisms: Flipper, thumb stud
- Lock types: Frame lock, liner lock
- Additional features: Pocket clip
- Prices: $330 – $420 (USD)
- Website: chavesknives.com
American brand Chaves Knives was established in 2010 and it’s headquartered in Pleasant Grove, UT. Inspired by creations from knifemaker Ramon Chavez, they offer rugged and ergonomic knives at a more accessible price. Chaves Knives offers products with titanium handles and blades of a single grade of stainless steel. Their knives come with either flipper or thumb stud opening mechanisms, as well as frame lock or liner lock securing mechanisms. Chaves Knives only adds pocket clip as additional feature to their products.
Demko Knives
- Origin: United States
- Handle materials: Aluminum, titanium
- Blade materials: Stainless steel – 20CV, 3V
- Opening mechanisms: Thumb hole, thumb stud
- Lock types: Shark lock
- Additional features: Lanyard hole, pocket clip
- Prices: $200 – $390 (USD)
- Website: demkoknives.com
American manufacturer Demko was established in 1988 in New Castle, PA. Demko patented a new locking mechanism called shark lock, which is situated on the spine of the knife and operated with a ramp-like fin. They produce only folding knives with metal handles, while the blades are made of a couple stainless steel grades. Demko knives feature thumb hole and thumb stud as opening mechanisms. Additional features found in their knives include typical pocket clip and lanyard hole.
GiantMouse
- Origin: United States
- Handle materials: Aluminum, brass, bronze, titanium
- Blade materials: Stainless steel – 20CV, Elmax, M390, MagnaCut, N690
- Opening mechanisms: Flipper, nail nick, thumb hole, thumb stud
- Lock types: Liner lock, slip joint
- Additional features: Lanyard hole, pocket clip
- Prices: $100 – $290 (USD)
- Website: giantmouse.com
American brand GiantMouse had its start back in 2015 and its headquartered in Lansing, MI. Incorporating Danish design with American spirit, they aim to provide knives with the highest possible production quality at a fair price. GiantMouse produces folding blade knives from various stainless steel grades and finishes. Their knives’ handles are made of various metals, incorporating opening mechanisms such as flipper, nail nick, thumb hole, and thumb stud. Typical lock types in GiantMouse knives are liner lock and slip joint. Additional features in their products include pocket clip and lanyard hole.
Griffin Company
- Origin: Canada
- Handle materials: Brass, titanium
- Blade materials: M390, MagnaCut, S35VN
- Opening mechanisms: Fixed blade, flipper, thumb hole
- Lock types: Frame lock
- Additional features: Pocket clip, sheath
- Prices: $160 – $385 (USD)
- Website: griffincompany.ca
Canadian brand Griffin Company was founded in 2015 in Cambridge, ON. Their philosophy is to employ great attention to detail and technical perfectionism in developing their products. Griffin Co. produces both fixed blade and folding blade knives, using a few stainless steels grades for the blades and either brass or titanium for the handles. Common opening mechanisms found in their knives are flipper and thumb hole, while simply opting for frame lock option for securing it. Griffin Co. include either a pocket clip on their folding knives or a sheath for their fixed blade knives.
Higonokami
- Origin: Japan
- Handle materials: Brass, iron, stainless steel
- Blade materials: Stainless steel – Blue steel, VG10
- Opening mechanisms: Flipper
- Lock types: Friction folder
- Additional features: Lanyard hole
- Prices: $30 – $180 (USD)
- Website: higonokami.jp
Japanese manufacturer Higonokami was founded in 1894 in the small city of Miki, although it was incorporated until 2021. As you can probably guess, they have a rich history of excellent craftsmanship in producing high quality knives using old bladesmithing traditions. Higonokami produces a simple knife designs using various metals in its handles, combined with a couple stainless steel grades. All of their knives utilize a front flipper opening mechanism, which relies on a friction folder mechanism to keep it locked. In Higonokami knives you can only find a lanyard hole a special feature.
JHO Knives
- Origin: Singapore
- Handle materials: Brass, stainless steel, titanium
- Blade materials: Stainless steel – 14C28N, 154CM, M39, VG10
- Opening mechanisms: Flipper, thumb stud
- Lock types: Frame lock, friction folder, liner lock, slip joint
- Additional features: Lanyard hole, pocket clip
- Prices: $100 – $260 (USD)
- Website: jho-knives.com
JHO Knives was founded in 2016 and operates out of Singapore. They aim to have simplicity as a discipline to minimize, refine, or edit back their designs, always looking to make an impression. JHO produces folding knives with blades made of several stainless steel options, while incorporating a few metal options for the handles. Their knives utilize either flipper or thumb stud as opening mechanisms, whereas frame lock, liner lock, and slip joint are used for securing the blade open. JHO knives may have a lanyard hole or pocket clip as additional features depending on the model.
Spyderco
- Origin: United States
- Handle materials: Aluminum, stainless steel, titanium
- Blade materials: Stainless steel – 3CR13, BD1, S90V, VG10
- Opening mechanisms: Thumb hole
- Lock types: Frame lock, lockback, slip joint
- Additional features: Lanyard hole, pocket clip
- Prices: $30 – $920 (USD)
- Website: spyderco.com
American producer Spyderco was founded in 1976 in Golden, CO. Perhaps one of the most recognized knife manufacturers, their renown derives from designs and features that revolutionized the industry. Spyderco offers folding knives with blades produced with various stainless steel grades, incorporating this material plus a couple more metals in their handles. Their knives incorporate exclusively their patented opening mechanism (thumb hole), in combination with securing mechanisms such as frame lock, slip joint, or back lock. Per industry standards, most of Spyderco knives include a lanyard hole and/or pocket clip.
Tactile Knife Co.
- Origin: United States
- Handle materials: Aluminum, titanium
- Blade materials: Stainless steel – MagnaCut
- Opening mechanisms: Nail nick, thumb stud
- Lock types: Liner lock, slide lock, slip joint
- Additional features: Lanyard hole, pocket clip
- Prices: $200 – $600 (USD)
- Website: tactileknife.co
American brand TKC (Tactile Knife Company) started as Tactile Turn in 2012 out of Dallas, TX. Initially, they only focused in making quality machined pens and other EDC items, before incorporating knife making as a new endeavor. TKC produces folding knives with handles of either aluminum or titanium, while the blades are made exclusively of MagnaCut stainless steel. Typical opening mechanisms in their products include nail nick and thumb stud, combined with liner lock, slide lock, or slip joint securing mechanisms. TKC knife may include additional features such as lanyard hole and pocket clip.
Terrain 365
- Origin: United States
- Handle materials: Titanium
- Blade materials: Terravantium – dendritic cobalt super-alloy
- Opening mechanisms: Flipper, nail nick, thumb stud
- Lock types: Frame lock, liner lock, slip joint
- Additional features: Pocket clip
- Prices: $240 – $390 (USD)
- Website: terrain365.com
American brand Terrain 365 was founded in 2018 in Visalia, CA. They design and craft high performance, technical edged tools and accessories aimed for outdoor and EDC use. Terrain 365 uses titanium as handle material for some of their knives, whereas all blades are made from a proprietary rustproof cobalt alloy called Terravantium. Typical opening mechanisms found in their knives include flipper and thumb stud, while relying on frame/liner lock and slip joint securing mechanisms. Some Terrain 365 knives may include a pocket clip as an additional feature.
Urban EDC
- Origin: United States
- Handle materials: Titanium
- Blade materials: Stainless steel – M390, S35VN, S90V
- Opening mechanisms: Flipper, thumb stud
- Lock types: Frame lock, liner lock
- Additional features: Lanyard hole, pocket clip
- Prices: $330 – $350 (USD)
- Website: urbanedcsupply.com
Urban EDC was started in 2015 out of San Francisco, CA, as a retailer community for EDC enthusiasts and manufacturers. Eventually they began producing their own products with a keen awareness for providing innovative and original creations. Urban EDC manufactures folding knives exclusively, with a couple titanium handle models and blades made of a few stainless steel grades. They use typical opening mechanisms like flipper and thumb stud, as well as frame and liner locking mechanisms. Urban EDC knives usually includes both or at least one additional feature such as lanyard hole or pocket clip.
WESN
- Origin: United States
- Handle materials: Titanium
- Blade materials: Stainless steel – 12C27, D2, S35VN
- Opening mechanisms: Flipper, nail nick, thumb stud
- Lock types: Frame lock, friction folder, slip joint
- Additional features: Lanyard hole, pocket clip
- Prices: $100 – $180 (USD)
- Website: wesn.com
WESN (which stands for West, East, South, North) is an American EDC producer established in 2017 in Detroit, MI. Their aim is to create goods that you can put your life on (metaphorically speaking, of course). WESN manufactures knives using various grades of stainless steel for the blades and titanium for the handles. Their knives employ common opening mechanisms such as flipper, nail nick, and thumb stud, as well as frame lock, friction folder, or slip joint to secure them open. Traditional additional features present in WESN knives include lanyard hole and pocket clip.
Key takeaways
In conclusion, here are some pros and cons of choosing a product from any of these popular metal handle knife brands.
Pros of a metal handle knife:
- Rugged and durable material
- Stronger and more scratch-resistant, compared to plastic materials
- Easier to clean and maintain
Cons of a metal handle knife :
- Lesser grip compared to plastic and fabric materials
- Usually more expensive than plastic or fabric materials
- Heavier (in most cases) than plastic or fabric materials