Humans hold a special bond with tools-in particular, those used for work. If your job involves significant manual labor or work outdoors, you need a good knife that can produce exacting results, where minimal margins of error are important as well as be the single tool used to carve, dig, prick, pry, unscrew, scrape and many other on-the-spot or emergency cutting chores required on the jobsite. No other tool can substitute for the indispensable work knife.

When purchasing a knife for work or the outdoors, the knife of choice must be not only of lasting performance and quality, but also have an attractive design and finish that gives the owner a sense of pride. Long-time sportsmen usually keep their tools in clean working order and often display their tools for others to admire.

Most of the world’s countries have a knife related to their work culture and history. Long, slim bolo knives were uniquely suited to the sugar cane and jungle work of the Philippines. Machetes from South America are a heavier jungle knife suited for clearing dense rain forest vegetation. Curved, wicked-looking Ghurka knives are used by the renowned Ghurka fighters of India. Of course, America’s own Bowie Knife has made its place in history. The Bowie was handcrafted, and those looking for the finest in knives today still must look to the hands of the skilled craftsman.

Today, the knife continues to be an important tool, though more for work and sport than survival, as in the past. As knife technology and production methods have advanced, knife uses have expanded and knife forms have become more specialized. Today, you can get a knife in a wide assortment of configurations and materials. And, much the same as yesteryear, when specialized craftsmen made custom knives as prized possessions, today you can still do the same through eBladeStore.com’s  Day-to-Day or Outdoors Knife Departments.

Important features to consider:

• Get a handle that won’t slip from your hand if you perspire or get wet during work. Rubber, G-10, Kraton and leather lamination handles work well.
• Get a serrated blade (a blade with teeth!) to give you added cutting power, especially useful for cutting boxes, rope, cord and other materials.
• For heavy use, get a full tang knife, meaning that the blade steel extends into the full length of the handle. This not only provides a way of attaching the handle (handles usually attached by rivets), but improves the weight and balance of the knife, and adds strength and durability.

Some suggestions for a good work knife or tool:

Suspension Multi Plier

iD Works Zilla Tool

Brush Thinner

Gator Exchange A Blade Saw

Imperial Tradesman Lockback