All Black Pocket Knife Guide: 11 Blackout EDC Knives Tested From $25 to $212

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Looking for an all black pocket knife? Black blade, black handle, black clip. If your car has limo tint and your closet is ten black t-shirts, this one’s for you.

I lined up 11 all black EDC knives, from a $25 FLISSA to a $212 Spyderco, and sorted them into four price tiers. For every knife I looked at how it opens, how it locks, what it weighs, and the question that matters most with blackout knives: how the black finish holds up once you actually use it.

All Black Pocket Knife Comparison: All 11 Knives

Sorted cheapest to most expensive. Click a column header to sort. Prices are MSRP; most of these sell for less, so check the links for today’s price.

Want to know how these steels compare? See my blade steel comparison chart and D2 vs M390 vs MagnaCut.

Tier 1: Under $35

1. FLISSA TRAK ($24.99)

D2 · G10 · 2.40″ blade · 3.52 oz · thumb hole, liner lock

The cheapest knife here, and the smallest. The TRAK has a 2.4-inch D2 blade with a black titanium coating and G10 scales, and it’s only about 3.5 inches long closed. It’s heavy for its size at 3.52 ounces.

[YOUR TAKE: action, centering, how it carries, coating wear.]

If you want a keychain-size knife that still has real steel, it’s a lot of knife for 25 bucks.

Check Price on Amazon

2. FLISSA Button Lock ($29.99) 🏆 Tier 1 Winner

D2 · G10 · 3.10″ blade · 3.40 oz · flipper, button lock

Same brand, different approach. This FLISSA is a flipper on ball bearings with a button lock: press the button and the blade drops shut. It has a 3.1-inch black titanium-coated D2 blade and G10 scales, and it’s actually lighter than the TRAK at 3.40 ounces despite the bigger blade.

[YOUR TAKE: flipper action, any blade play, and why it won Tier 1.]

Check Price on Amazon

3. Sitivien ST133 ($29.99)

D2 · Micarta · 3.50″ blade · 5.33 oz · flipper, liner lock

Same price as the FLISSA, but a bigger knife. The ST133 has a 3.5-inch D2 blade and black Micarta scales, a nice touch at this price. Micarta is grippy and looks better the more you carry it. At 5.33 ounces, you’ll feel it in your pocket.

[YOUR TAKE: action, fit and finish, pocket feel.]

Check Price on Amazon

4. Microtech Exocet Clone, OTF ($32.90)

440C · zinc alloy · 1.97″ blade · ~7.05 oz · out-the-front slide

Something completely different: a clone of the Microtech Exocet out-the-front knife. To be clear, this is a copy of Microtech’s design, not a Microtech. Push the thumb slide and the 440C blade fires straight out the front. The zinc alloy handle makes it the heaviest knife in Tier 1.

[YOUR TAKE: blade play, how crisp the slide is, edge out of the box.]

Two notes: OTF knives are restricted in some states and cities, so check your local laws before buying or carrying one. And the listing defaults to blue, so make sure you pick black.

Check Price on AliExpress

Tier 2: $35–$50

5. Artisan Cutlery Revel ($39) 🏆 Tier 2 Winner

AR-RPM9 · FRN · 3.54″ blade · 3.70 oz · thumb hole, button lock

Designed by Ray Laconico. The original Revel is a titanium frame lock; this is the budget version, with FRN scales and a button lock. The 3.54-inch clip point is Artisan’s own AR-RPM9 steel, and it opens with a thumb hole on ceramic bearings. At 3.70 ounces, it’s easy to forget it’s in your pocket.

[YOUR TAKE: slicing, how the clip point feels, button lock action.]

It has the cleanest design in the lineup, and it looks like it should cost more than it does.

Check Price on Amazon

6. Off-Grid Knives Fat Boy Blackout ($44)

AUS-8 · stainless steel · 2.24″ blade · 5.10 oz · finger hole, liner lock with button release

From the slimmest knife to the chunkiest. Off-Grid calls the Fat Boy a “pocket tank,” and that’s fair. The blade is only 2.24 inches of AUS-8, but it’s wide, and the whole stainless steel body is coated in black titanium nitride.

The neat trick is the lock: it’s a liner lock you release with a button in the center of the handle. Open with the finger hole, press the button, and close it, all one-handed.

[YOUR TAKE: grip, coating wear on the steel body, who this knife is for.]

Check Price on Amazon

Tier 3: The Titanium Tier ($95–$125)

This is the big price jump, from under $50 to around $100. In exchange you get titanium handles and frame locks, and two of these four have M390 blades.

7. TwoSun TS553 ($94.99)

Sandvik 14C28N · TC4 titanium · 3.86″ blade · 6.24 oz · frame lock

The longest blade in the lineup: 3.86 inches of Sandvik 14C28N with a tall flat grind, hardened to 60–62 HRC, which is high for 14C28N. The skeletonized TC4 titanium handle has a steel lockbar insert, so the frame lock doesn’t wear against the blade, and it comes with a matching milled titanium clip. See more in my TwoSun knives review.

[YOUR TAKE: action, lockup, how it carries. Confirm your sample’s blade is black; the standard TS553 is stonewashed.]

Check Price on Amazon

8. TwoSun TS346 ($99)

D2 · titanium · 3.75″ blade · 7.58 oz · thumb groove, frame lock

Same brand, almost the same price, very different knife. The TS346 is a Night Morning design, and it’s a beast. At 7.58 ounces, it’s the heaviest knife in this article. The 3.75-inch D2 blade is almost 0.2 inches thick, with a TC4 titanium frame lock and ceramic bearings.

It has one feature nothing else here has: a stop pin lockout that turns it into a fixed blade.

[YOUR TAKE: action, the lockout pin in use, whether it’s too much knife for pocket carry.]

Check Price on AmazonFind on eBay

9. Pterosaur, EMP EDC Nymble Clone ($108) 🏆 Tier 3 Winner

M390 · titanium · 3.07″ blade · 3.99 oz · front flipper, rear flipper, thumb hole · frame lock

Right up front: this is a clone of the EMP EDC Nymble, designed by John Rusk. If you want the real one, look up EMP EDC.

The Nymble is all about fidget factor, and the clone keeps that: a front flipper, a rear flipper, and an oval thumb hole, all on a titanium frame lock, with a 3.07-inch M390 blade. At 3.99 ounces, it’s way lighter than the TS346 and only a little heavier than the FLISSAs. The listing defaults to grey, so pick black.

[YOUR TAKE: which deployment you actually use, how the M390 cuts, why it won Tier 3.]

Check Price on AliExpress

10. Strider Clone ($122.75)

M390 · TC4 titanium · 2.83″ blade · 5.11 oz · flipper, frame lock

The last clone in the lineup is a copy of a Strider folder. Strider makes the real thing; this isn’t it. It has a 2.83-inch M390 blade with a NanoDLC coating and a TC4 titanium handle. It’s the priciest knife in this tier, but it’s often on sale.

[YOUR TAKE: how the DLC is holding up vs. the cheaper coatings, lockup, action.]

Check Price on AliExpress

The Finale: Spyderco Manix 2 Lightweight ($212 MSRP)

11. Spyderco Manix 2 Lightweight

CTS BD1N · FRCP · 3.37″ blade · 3.00 oz · round hole, Ball Bearing Lock

The only name-brand, made-in-USA knife here, and the most expensive. Here’s the twist: it’s also the lightest. At 3.00 ounces, it’s lighter than both FLISSAs and less than half the weight of the TS346.

It has a 3.37-inch CTS BD1N blade with a black DLC coating and a full flat grind, Spyderco’s round hole, and the Ball Bearing Lock. The FRCP handle has Spyderco’s bi-directional texture, so it grips without tearing up your pocket. MSRP is $212, but it usually sells for much less on Amazon.

[YOUR TAKE: lockup, cutting, and what the extra money buys you vs. the clones. Is it worth it?]

Check Price on Amazon

How the Black Coatings Hold Up

Every all black pocket knife looks great out of the box. The real question is what they look like after a few months of cutting boxes and riding in a pocket. In this lineup:

• Black titanium / TiN-style coatings (both FLISSAs, the Fat Boy): common on budget knives. [YOUR TAKE: wear you saw.]
• DLC (diamond-like carbon) (Strider clone, Manix 2): generally much harder and more wear-resistant. [YOUR TAKE: wear you saw.]

Expect some wear on any coated blade near the edge and where it rubs the clip. Light wear is cosmetic and doesn’t affect cutting.

Final Verdict: The Best All Black Pocket Knife

• Best value: [YOUR PICK + one sentence why]
• The one I’d actually carry: [YOUR PICK + one sentence why]
• Best blackout look (blade, handle, clip, and hardware all black): [YOUR PICK + one sentence why]

Which all black pocket knife would you carry, and is there one I missed? Let me know in the YouTube comments.

FAQ

Is an all black pocket knife legal to carry?

The color doesn’t matter legally; the knife type and blade length do. Most folders here are legal in most of the US, but out-the-front knives like the Exocet clone are restricted in some states and cities. Check your local laws.

Does the black coating make a blade worse?

No. The coating on an all black pocket knife doesn’t change how the steel cuts. It adds some corrosion protection and the stealthy look. It will wear over time, especially near the edge.

Are clone knives worth buying?

Three knives here copy other makers’ designs: the Exocet, Pterosaur, and Strider clones. They’re priced far below the originals, but the original designers aren’t paid. I name the original maker for each so you can buy the real thing if you prefer.