Find valuable information for selecting the proper knife for day-to-day use or an addition to your collection. How the type of steel used in the blade or the handle materials, affects your choices. You will find many different types of knives that range from relatively inexpensive to very expensive. Before buying a knife, it is important that you consider the knife's use, features and materials. After reading this article, you should feel more comfortable when comparing different brands and models of knives.

There are many different types of knives, which are intended for use in very different ways. Here are the most common uses:

• Everyday: Are you opening boxes or cutting twine?

• Outdoor (Backpacking/Climbing/Hiking/Camping): Does your activity involve using rope?

• Hunting/Fishing: Are you field dressing game or cleaning/filleting fish?

• Tactical/Survival: Do you need a heavy-duty knife that won't fail?

• Limited Edition/Custom: Are you a collector?

Each knife that you find will have a different set of features, usually associated with the blade, handle, and sharpness.

• Fixed-blade: Always ready for use and dependable.

• Folding knife: Compact, safer to carry; improved dependability with locking blade.

• One-handed opening: Has a thumb rest stud, blade hole or other feature to facilitate one-hand use. Some models are one-hand opening and one-hand closing as well.

• Gutting/skinning blade: For field dressing game.

• Thick Blade: For heavy-duty tasks.

• Light weight: Use of composite or other materials to minimize weight.

• Saw edge: For cutting wood or bone.

• Sharpness: Stays sharp and is easy to sharpen.

The materials of the blade and handle with have a significant impact on the use and longevity of your knife.

·         S30V is the best blade steel available. It is a high vanadium stainless steel with even higher edge retention.

·         ATS-34 and BG-42 are two custom steels with much higher carbon content, giving them higher hardness ratings and dramatically higher edge retention.

·         420HC is a stainless steel that provides excellent rust resistance, is easy to re-sharpen and has medium good edge retention.

·         An ergonomic design provides comfort.

·         A rubber or textured handle provides a sure grip in wet conditions.

·         A wooden handle adds beauty to the knife.

·         Plastic/composite handles are durable under extreme conditions.

Maxam Black Liner Lock Knife Comes with rubber handle halfserrated blade clip and finger hole. Measures 5" closed 8 5/8" open. Lifetime warranty. Gift boxed 1 lb.