BESSEY D-BKWH Quick-Change Folding Utility Knife - Wood Grain Handle, One Color

I previously carried a Milwaukee Fastback utility knife daily for over a year before the wire form clip broke. It was a nice knife, albeit large, and had the slickest switchblade-like opening/closing feature. I carry a Victorinox multi-tool on my belt at all times which has a knife, but the convenience of an easier to access knife with a disposable blade became a habit.In searching for a replacement I first tried a Stanley plastic-sided folding utility knife. Compact, light, overall decent, but the clip was molded as part of the side and pretty useless. It was always falling off.I then ordered the Besse folding utility knife with the wood grain handle, very similar to this knife. I carried it for a couple weeks and it had a great clip, but it is heavy (6.0 oz.) and thick. It seems hand made and finished (rather crudely) which adds some charm, but I am not looking for charm in a utility knife. It was so poorly finished I had to file the case edges as they were uncomfortably sharp out of the box. Also it has a peg for single handed opening with your thumb but I could never do it, it is too stiff. The patented blade locking feature is just okay. The Milwaukee and many other utility knifes have a more secure method. The Besse has a hinged cover holding the disposable blade, and a flip-up lock over the cover. It is possible to swing the blade cover down without flipping up the lock, and the tab on the lock can easily be mistaken for a pull tab to open the knife. But it holds the blade and I got used to it. The lock to secure the blade open is very strong and safe; it won't accidentally close in use. My main gripe was the weight and thickness.I decided to give Besse one more try as I did like the compact size so I ordered this aluminum sided version. It is mechanically the same as the wood grain one, but what a difference the alum sides make. The manufacturing is much more precise and does't feel handmade. The sides are thin and light with full knurling. The clip is the same, and very sturdy. The strong clip and knurled sides make it almost impossible to lose or accidentally fall off your belt even when crawling under a car. The knurling does however wear the finish off your belt if that matters. It weighs 3.9 oz. which is not super light, but compared to the 6.0 oz. of the wood-sided Besse it is much lighter.After the first week of use the knife has broken in where I can open it with the thumb peg and one hand but still no where easy to flip open as the Milwaukee. Opening and closing is still mainly a two-handed operation but it can be done if one hand is tied. My method for one-handed closing is to depress the lock release with the blade pointing down and give a shake - gravity will swing the blade down and toward your fingers which is unnerving, but it only partially closes and then I grab the blade to fully close it.Overall the light weight, compact size, slim section and strong clip of this Besse has ended my search for an EDC (every day carry) utility knife and I will buy it again should I lose it. I wish it came in other colors, namely black, but if you are looking for a sturdy knife for belt carry that won't easily get lost, you could do much worst than this.

Arrived on time, in one of those blister packs that is a nightmare to open. Even with a utility knife it took several minutes and a few cuss words.The first thing you notice is this thing is built solid and looks great. It is meant to last. I am surprised that something this well made cost so little.It is easy to open and close. It comes with a protective sleeve, kinda triangle shaped, for the tip. I removed this sleeve because I will lose it. When closed, the sharp part of the blade is not exposed. The blade locks, the release is on the back of the knife and is easy to operate.It weighs quite a bit for a knife ( 6.25 ounces ). I tried carrying it in my scrubs at work and my pants kept falling down. In jeans I was able to carry it without any problems but I can tell it is in my pocket. If you drop it on your toe, it will hurt.I have not changed the blade yet but the blade issued with the device is easily removed and replaced without an engineering degree. The blade is super sharp, does not wobble and feels very secure. The best part though, is that I can easily replace the blade cheaply. I bought a large box of extra blades for less than $15 at my local hardware store. Don't buy cheap blades that will break easily.I plan on this being the knife I carry most of the time. I have paid a lot more for knives that were no where near this quality. I may order several more for gifts. I wanted to deduct one star for the blister pack but this knife deserves five stars.Update: The blade that comes with the knife if a Bessey brand. Also, when you replace the blade, if you do not push the bottom guard ( the part that says PATENTED on it) all the way into secure position, the top guard (the piece that say OPEN on it) the top guard will not close properly and appear damaged. It will just kinda flop loosely. I thought the top guard should fit very snugly. If not, it is probably because the blade or bottom guard is not in correct position.