Are you familiar with folding knives? If not, a  folding knife is one with one or more blades that can fit inside the handle. The typical blade length varies as do many other characteristics of a folding knife. Folding knives are one type of custom, hand-forged knives and hand-forged blades that custom knife collectors like. If you are a knife collector, you may be interested to know a little more about the types of folding knives.

The Types of Folding Knives

Below are 3 common types of folding knives. Out of the many types of folding knives you may choose to purchase, it is highly likely they will belong to this group–though there are certainly some very special knives out there that are in a category of their own!

Manual Folding Knife

One type of folding knife is a manual folding knife. What is a manual folding knife, you may ask? Well, it is one that requires you to physically open the blade, well, manually. This can be done using a blade, a thumb stud a cutout or something else.

Assisted Opening Folding Knife

Conversely, an assisted opening is a type of folding knife n which you have to start opening the blade to engage it. It is in an in-between of manual folding knives and automatics. Automatic knives, however, are not legal. Assisted opening folding knives, however, are legal in all 50 states.

Automatic Folding Knives

Automatic knives are another type of folding knives, but they are illegal across the country, unless you are a member of the military or a police officer or other law enforcement personnel. A lot of the policies surrounding switchblades stem from movies such as “Blackboard Jungle” and “West Side Story,” that depict knife-wielding hooligans.

Knife Maintenance Tips

So how do you keep your folding knife sharp and in ship shape condition? Well, one important thing for a knife owner or custom knife collector to know is that you should start sharpening your knife immediately, even if you think it may not need it. Don’t wait until your knife is dull to sharpen it. So how do you sharpen your folding knife? Well, Some people swear by whet stones, others prefer honing rods, and others use ceramic or carbide sharpening devices and even pocket sharpeners. Of course, you also have the option to take your custom folding knife to a knife expert or other custom knife collector or knife dealer. An authorized knife dealer will have the wherewithal to help you sharpen your knife and tend to any other maintenance needs you and your custom folding knife may have.

However, that’s not the only maintenance your folding knife may need. Benchmade brand manager Jason Boyd has some other suggestions. “Whatever brand knife you have, contact the company and ask them what the angles are for sharpening it,” he says. “Run a Sharpie pen over the blade edge before sharpening- that tells you how much steel you need to take off. Your goal is to roll that steel back over.”

If you’re looking for somewhere your perfect folding knife, look no further than Exquisite Knives. Exquisite Knives has a wide selection of tactical knives, folding knives, grail knives, custom knives, custom blades, hand-forged knives and more. We also offer Jason Knight knives and Bob Loveless knives. You’re sure to find the right custom knife for you.

For any questions, contact us today!