Today there are so many different knife brands available in the market, that choosing the right knife can be quite a challenge, its almost impossible to keep up with the different brands, makes and types of knives that are available, however there are a few brands that stand out. Knife brands like Gerber, Kershaw, Buck, SOG and many other have become synonymous with quality and brilliant workmanship.

Depending on the activity you want to carry you out, you should decide on what brand of knife to use, if you plant to do everyday activities like scrape gasket off a car motor, you are better of using a Maxam knife, there is no point in wasting a quality Gerber knife on such a task. Cheap knives have other purposes as well, they make for excellent Christmas gifts for friends, however if you plan to gift someone close to you like a family member or your son a knife, then you should consider brands like Kershaw, SOG or Gerber.

Depending on their utility and type of blade, knives are divided into the following categories:

Folding, Lock back or Pocket Knives - These knives are preferred by women for various purposes like self defence or for other utility purposes, not only are they functional but they are also fashionable and beautiful. Knives come in old fashion styles or in a more contemporary and modern look. Just like there is a story behind every good product, the same applies for pocket knives. The two basic types are locking and non-locking pocket knives. Non-Locking knives are usually referred to as pocket knives, where as the locking variety of knives are known as folding knives. If you plan to use a knife for work, you should consider a folding lock back knife, however if you plant to use a knife for tasks like newspaper cuttings, and for simply showing off to your friends you should consider a pocket knife.

Multi-tool knives- Victorinox is the pioneer in making Swiss army knives, also popularly known as mutli-tool knives, Victorinox Swiss army knives are rugged, durable and never loose their edge, however if you plan to replace your existing tool sets for professional purposes you should consider using a Gerber, SOG or Leatherman multi-tool knife. Just remember never gift anyone a cheap Swiss army knife, they will probably never use it.

Fixed Blade Knives - To put it in plain English, kids don't use fixed blade knives, these knives are built for real men, hunters, fishers and any adult who needs a knife, usually has a fixed blade knife. Fixed blade knives almost always come with protective scabbards. Fixed blade knives are more often than not longer than folding knives and constitute a majority of all the collector's knives available. Many fixed blade knives have beautifully crafted handles. A majority of combat or tactical knives are fixed blade as they are ready to use. More and more rescue workers like firemen, policemen have started using fixed blade knives during rescue operations.

Specialized Knives

Collector's knives

Depending on your liking you can go get yourself a collector's knife, more and more knives are available today that allow you to keep a piece of history, from civil war knives, to magnificently decorated knives with ivory, plastic or wooden handles. Not all collector's knives are combat or hunting knives, you could go out and buy yourself a special edition knife. Collector's knives are usually fixed blade and are available from a wide variety of manufacturers. More often than not collector's knives usually come with decorative scabbards, or storage boxes. Collector's knives are available form Maxam among other manufacturers.