A neck knife is a fixed blade knife designed to be carried around your neck for easy access during critical situations.
It can quite literally save your life, so if you haven’t got one, it may be time to start considering investing in one!
If you don’t have enough pocket space or you simply don’t want to deal with having to fish through your pocket to pull out a folding knife because it could take up valuable time during an emergency scenario, then a neck knife really is your best answer.
A neck knife is super versatile and can be used to help you deal with anything, from small utility tasks to being used for self-defense to fend off an attacker.
I know I’ve definitely regretted not having one before when I went away on holiday and they didn’t have anything sharp in the hotel to open my package with! It’s just simple things like that in which a neck knife can come in extremely useful.
In this guide we’ve made a list of all of the best neck knives available on the market today, so read on to find yourself the perfect one for you – and trust me when I say you won’t regret buying one!
Neck Knives Review
Morakniv Eldris Fixed Blade Knife
They say that neck knives were used by the Vikings, so, fittingly, this Scandinavian award-winning Morakniv knife is on our list of the very best neck knives!
It’s made from Swedish Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel, which makes it razor sharp and super tough, as well as making it resistant to corrosion.
The sturdy blade is attached to a well-designed, comfortable handle that’s anti-slip and also works wonders in wet or cold conditions, so you never have to worry about the knife slipping out of your hand in any circumstance!
You can use it for general utility tasks, such as cutting rope or carving, and it can also impressively be used as a fire starter – the spine of the blade has been ground specifically for use with a fire starter.
With this feature, you’ll be able to create sparks that can light things like dry grass, tinder, leaves or even your barbecue!
Another additional feature of this knife is its Scandi Grind, which stops it from slipping off easily, can bite into a surface without it getting stuck, and allows it to stay sharp for a very long time.
It comes with a sheath and you can choose from a selection of five different colors for both the sheath and handle: black, blue, green, red and yellow.
Pros
- Swedish Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel blade – this material ensures the blade is razor sharp, extremely strong and also resistant to corrosion
- Anti-slip handle – means you’ll have a strong grip on it and it will never fall out of your hand, even in harsh weather conditions
- Fire starter – the spine of the knife can be used with a fire starter to light dry grass, tinder, leaves or even your barbecue!
- Scandi Grind – this feature means it won’t slip off easily, can bite into any surface without getting stuck and it will stay sharp for a prolonged period of time
- Five different color options – the handle of the knife and the sheath come in a choice of black, blue, green, red or yellow
Cons
- Have to buy neck kit separately – the neck kit is sold separately, so if you wanted to hang it around your neck, you’d need to spend extra money on that
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CRKT Minimalist Bowie Neck Knife
This neck knife is extremely affordable, but it still does its job to perfection and it has a unique handle design with grooves that makes it look super cool!
The handle, which is made from fiber infused with polished resin, doesn’t just look amazing, though.
It also allows the knife to fit into your hand seamlessly and the grip you’ll have on it is extremely firm, meaning you never have to be concerned about it accidentally sliding out of your hand in a vital moment.
And the handle also comes with a fob at the end of it for extended grip, if necessary!
The blade is very durable and extremely sharp, with brilliant edge retention, because it’s made from Sandvik 12C27 steel.
The knife itself is a very good size, at around five inches long. This allows you to conceal it easily, for example you can put it under your shirt whilst wearing it around your neck and no one would notice it – they’d most likely just think you had a chain on under there!
It also comes with a sheath and a paracord to help with concealment so you can carry it around even more discreetly!
Pros
- Unique handle design – comes with grooves that allow you to grip it firmly and seamlessly, so it won’t be falling out of your hand any time soon!
- Fob at the end – handle comes with a fob at the end of it for extended grip
- Sandvik 12C27 steel blade – means it has good edge retention, is very sharp and is extremely durable
- Great size – at around five inches long, it’s the perfect size for easy concealment!
- Sheath and paracord included – comes with these to allow you to hang it around your neck for further discretion
Cons
- Might be difficult to hold if you have small fingers – if you have smaller than usual fingers, the grooves might actually make it more difficult for you to grip
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Kershaw Dune Full Tang Neck Knife
Another extremely affordable knife, this Kershaw neck knife is once again great for everyday carry and the shape of it is very cool, making it look a lot like a mini sword!
It’s a full tang design, with a fixed blade made from high quality 3Cr13 stainless steel that gives it great edge retention. It has enormous strength and stability and is also resistant against corrosion.
It’s extremely lightweight, only weighing four ounces, which makes it very easy to carry around with you, especially if it’s hanging around your neck – the last thing you want is to be constantly carrying something that weighs you down all the time!
This is aided by its lightweight injection molded nylon handle, which also gives it added strength, stiffness and stability to make it easy for you to hold.
It comes with a molded sheath and a lanyard to help you carry it around more easily.
The sheath snaps the knife into place when you’re not using it so you don’t have to worry about it falling out of it, and it also allows you to remove it quickly and securely whenever you might need it.
Pros
- Looks good – its full tang design makes it look super cool and like a mini sword!
- 3Cr13 stainless steel blade – this gives the blade good edge retention and also makes it very strong, stable and resistant to corrosion
- Lightweight – it’s very lightweight at only four ounces, which makes it so much easier to carry around with you, especially if you wear it around your neck
- Lightweight injection molded nylon handle – this gives the handle added strength, stiffness and stability
- Molded sheath and lanyard included – these make it easy for you to carry it around, and the sheath will hold it in place no matter what, as it snaps the knife into place when you put it in there!
Cons
- Might be a bit too long for some people – the whole knife is seven inches long, which might be a bit too long if you only wanted something small
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Ka-Bar BK11 Becker Necker Neck Knife
This Ka-Bar knife is quite popular amongst people who are big on self-defense, so you can guarantee it will do the job if you ever come up against someone trying to attack you! It’s even used by branches of the military and by service members!
The blade is made from 1095 Cro-Van steel, which makes it extremely sharp and strong. This material also makes it very easy to sharpen it whenever you think it might be starting to get a bit blunter than you want it to be.
At 3.25 inches in length, the blade is big enough to do some serious damage to disable an attacker, but also small enough to conceal under your shirt if you’re wearing it around your neck.
It’s also very lightweight, only weighing around 2.5 ounces, which helps make it easy to carry around with you everywhere!
A sheath comes included with it in the package, which is made from injection-molded glass-filled nylon. This makes it great quality and is very impressive – you can be sure it will protect your knife perfectly!
Pros
- Good for self-defense – popular amongst people who are big on self-defense, and is even used by branches of the military and by service members
- 1095 Cro-Van steel blade – this material makes the blade extremely sharp and strong, and it also makes it easy to sharpen if you ever think it’s getting too blunt
- Good size – it’s 3.25 inches long, making it big enough to seriously damage anyone who attacks you but also small enough to conceal easily and discreetly
- Very lightweight – weighs around 2.5 ounces, making it super easy to carry around with you, particularly around your neck!
- Sheath included – comes with a sheath made from injection-molded glass-filled nylon, which means it’s of a high quality and you can be sure your knife will always be protected by it!
Cons
- Handle could be better – the handle can potentially be a bit difficult to hold and you might not be able to get as firm a grip as you’d like on it
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Spyderco ARK Salt Fixed Blade Knife
This Spyderco neck knife is perfectly small for everyday carry and can be used for everything from cutting rope to self-defense – the name even suggests this, as ARK literally stands for Always Ready Knife!
It has a deeply curved clip-point blade made from H-1 steel, which is classed as a nitrogen based alloy and makes the blade resistant to corrosion.
As well as very sharp and sturdy. The advanced nitrogen alloys also mean the knife can endure any weather conditions, no matter how extreme.
The handle of it is made from fiberglass-reinforced nylon, which is extremely durable. And, despite the handle not having any finger ridges, it’s still very easy to grip it firmly, so it’ll never fall out of your hand when you need it the most!
It’s a great size at only 2.5 inches long, and is again very easy to conceal under your shirt if you’re wearing it around your neck.
For further added concealment and discretion, it also comes with a sheath made with injection-molded polymer, meaning it’s of a high quality.
Added to that, it only weighs 0.96 ounces, which is insanely lightweight, making it even easier to carry around with you everyday – even when it’s hanging from your neck you’ll barely be able to feel it there!
Pros
- H-1 steel blade – this is classed as a nitrogen based alloy, which makes the blade resistant to corrosion, no matter what the weather conditions, and also makes it sharp and durable
- Fiberglass-reinforced nylon handle – this makes the handle very durable and easy to grip, despite not having any finger ridges
- Good size – it’s only 2.5 inches long, making it very easy to conceal
- Sheath included – comes with an injection-molded polymer sheath, making the sheath high quality and the knife well protected, whilst also being great for concealment purposes!
- Extremely lightweight – only weighs 0.96 ounces, which is insanely light and you’ll barely even feel it around your neck when carrying it!
Cons
- Sheath is a bit bulky – the sheath might be a bit too bulky and heavy for some
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Buyer’s Guide
You may think that buying a neck knife is an easy task – just find one that looks good and like it might have a good blade on it, right? However, this is far from the case!
Purchasing a neck knife requires you to understand which particular factors to look out for when you’re buying it, otherwise you could easily end up with one that looks good but isn’t capable of doing what you specifically need it to do.
For example, if you need a knife for self-defense but you only buy one designed mainly for small utility tasks, it could become a costly and life-threatening decision that you’ve made!
For this reason, I’ve created a list below of some of the main factors you’ll need to consider before going ahead and purchasing the perfect neck knife for your own personal requirements.
Size
The whole point of neck knives is that they’re meant to be small and easy to conceal. Because of this they tend to be anywhere under four inches long.
The size you choose will depend on what exactly it is that you require the knife for.
For example, if you need one for survival tasks out in the wild or for self-defense purposes, you might need one that’s a bit on the larger side.
However if you only want one for everyday utility tasks, you’ll only need something very small.
Weight
Another key feature of neck knives is that they should always be lightweight.
This is because they’re designed to be carried around your neck, and no one wants to be carrying something around with them all day that will eventually weigh them down – it would just be super uncomfortable!
For this reason, make sure you choose something that’s lightweight enough for you to handle, as everything is relative depending on your own bodyweight.
As long as after a while you actually manage to forget it’s even hanging around your neck, it should be the correct weight for you!
Material
Naturally, the material used to make it is a very important factor of any knife. At the end of the day, it has to be made from high quality materials, otherwise it will eventually break whilst you’re performing tasks with it.
When it comes to the blade of a neck knife, it should always be made from a high quality, anti-corrosion steel, as that will ensure it’s both sharp and durable.
In terms of the handle, it should be made from any material that is non-slip, therefore making it easy for you to grip it properly, so that it won’t slip out of your hand during a vital moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Neck Knives A Practical Tool To Own?
Yes, neck knives are practical. This is because they’re designed for easy everyday carry around your neck and, due to their small and lightweight nature, they’re also easy to conceal.
Are Neck Knives Good For Self-Defense?
Yes, neck knives are good for self-defense. Just because they’re small, it doesn’t mean they can’t also be lethal.
They’re also easily accessible, which would help in a self-defense situation.
