Accessorize Tactically with the Best Neck Knives of 2021

SOG is a tough guy’s brand, and the Instinct Mini is a tough guy’s neck knife. The brand builds the Instinct Mini to withstand the most demanding conditions, with a thick blade, robust edge, and stout fiberglass components.

I’ve owned several SOG products: I always have one of their key knives on my ring, and I also have a discreet bottle opener/multitool. I’ve never experienced a product failure or had a complaint in several years of experience with SOG. At a reasonable $35 MSRP, the Instinct Mini’s heavy-duty construction and solid feel were no surprise to me.

The small knife was noticeably heavy — that’s because it’s a substantial chunk of steel, even with its aeration hole. Its full-tang blade is thick, and its secondary bevel is robust. The lightweight G10 handle helps mitigate the knife’s weight. 

The SOG Instinct Mini uses 5Cr15MoV steel, which is corrosion-resistant and relatively soft. The steel retains an edge moderately well and resharpens easily, but I found I had to give the SOG’s low-angled edge a lot of attention to make it as sharp as I wanted.

A dog-tag-style chain and stout, serrated sheath (fitted with adjustable-angle clip) complete the Instinct Mini package.

I found the SOG Instinct Mini to be a little more heavy-duty than I needed: it weighs enough that I never really forgot it was around my neck, and its rough textures tended to catch my attention. However, its stout profile and sturdy construction encourage repeated heavy use. Read the in-depth review here.

Lightweight and comfortable to carry, I found the CRKT Minimalist Bowie to be a top-neck knife and an easy EDC option. It held an edge respectably well and resharpened easily. Its sheath, handle, and lanyard felt smooth and comfortable even against bare skin. Its $40 MSRP ($28 street value) seemed fair.

The CRKT performed well out of the box, cutting paper smoothly and handling household tasks. Its 0.11-inch-thick blade bevels to a pretty fine edge, so I was concerned it would be fragile. However, this bowie knife held up well under regular use — up to and including batoning firewood.

I tested the playful “Cthulhu” design, featuring baby blue plastic and a kooky sci-fi illustration. It sounds gaudy (and it is), but it turns out the embellishments aren’t superficial. Much like its namesake outer space/underwater humanoid squid, the CRKT Cthulhu glows in the dark. This feature could be pretty helpful, especially in outdoor settings.

Its textured thermoplastic handle and deep finger grooves were also helpful. The knife was easy to grip but non-abrasive. The sheath is the same material. The parachute cord lanyard adjusts with a spring stop, and overall, the whole rig was very comfortable to wear.

Treat the CRKT Minimalist Bowie right, and it will perform under the pressure of everyday carry. In my testing, it held an edge well, resharpened easily, and carried unobtrusively.

It’s worth noting that the CRKT Minimalist series features a variety of blade shapes, including self-defense specialty karambit neck knives. Read the in-depth review here.

The ESEE Izula embodies utility. A thick, full tang 1095 coated steel blade is the heart of the knife. Various scales (or handle covers) are available through ESEE, and the kit includes a molded polymer sheath with a detachable clip plate. The Izula is named after the world-famous Bullet Ant (“Isula” in Peruvian), which ESEE explains enthusiastically: “The Bullet And is known to be independent, tough, light on its feet, and a real aggressive survivor — the Izula knife is built the same way.”

I’m not sure how a knife can display “independence,” but I think I get the gist: the Izula is a tough, utile EDC knife designed to do every job in the harshest environments. Its 1095 steel is renowned for edge retention and ease of sharpening, and it’s tough to snap a thick blade (like on the Izula).

The CRKT SPEW (or Small, Pocket, Everyday, Wharncliffe) neck knife leverages the Wharncliffe blade shape to deliver an uncommonly effective cutting tool in a small EDC package. I can’t go too far into blade shape science because a) it’s not pertinent here and b) even after a lot of research, I don’t fully understand it, but the Wharncliffe shape means pressure gets applied evenly down the edge during a cut. As well, dulling and resharpening the tip won’t reshape the blade.

Knife aficionados will find that the SPEW delivers a unique cutting experience. The blade is bead blasted to reduce glare. A lightweight yet sturdy G10 handle, molded sheath, clip hardware, and paracord are included with the package. With a 6.25” overall length and 3” blade, the knife is big enough to handle various tasks. 

Here are some of the best gentleman’s knives you may be interested in, as well. Check them out.

The MTech MT-673 is a diminutive workhorse at a bargain price point. It’s far from the flashiest knife on our list, but it’s hard to argue with a cheap neck knife that has a positive reputation. The knife’s black blade is stonewashed finished (an acid bath etching process). It’s cut from 440C stainless steel, a longtime industry standard that’s fallen out of favor due to a perception that it can be fragile.

MTech builds the MT-673 with a full tang blade for added resiliency. The handle scales are G-10 fiberglass, and the sheath is Kydex, a common molded holster material. It’s too bad there are no reliable weight stats for the MT-673 because it’s minuscule and probably competes among the lightest in our lineup. A 2-inch Tanto-style blade may be irritating to use; a sharp corner on such a short edge could effectively separate the blade into two very short segments. Still, it’s hard to argue with a cheap EDC neck knife with a bundle of good reviews. And for more top-quality blades, be sure to browse our list of the top whittling knives.

When we think of the word “magnum,” we think “big” — for one reason or another. The Boker Magnum Lil Friend Micro is anything but. Executed by time-tested German knife maker Boker, the Lil Friend micro is just 3 ⅜” long and weighs 1.3 oz., making it by far the smallest neck knife on our list. That’s both an asset and a liability: it’s hard to imagine snapping the Boker’s 1 ⅜” 440 stainless steel blade, but it’s equally hard to imagine chopping vegetables with it. (But, you’d never have to worry about bending the blade by opening a bottle. And so on).

It may take some trial and error to get used to using the Lil Friend Micro as a tool for EDC, but its concealed-carry efficacy is evident right off the bat. Its G10 scales give it a bit of a thick handle, so it may not hide under skin-tight clothing, but otherwise, it’s minuscule — and its sturdy stature could prove to be a tactical advantage in a fight. The Boker Magnum Lil Friend Micro’s tiny size and curious shape make it an interesting entry in the neck knife field. Buyers can take confidence in its established brand pedigree. 

If you’re in America and you’re aware of tactical knives, you’ve heard of KA-BAR knives. The brand achieved immortality with its WWII-era design for the Marine Corps, and the rest is history. It’s so historical that the company offers up a 50-minute documentary about itself on its website (with a prompt to “read about our full history” immediately below the video player).

Now that we’ve established that, we can talk about KA-BAR neck knives. The KA-BAR BK11 “Becker Necker,” named for its designer, is a drop point neck knife with a 3.25” 1095 Cro-Van Steel blade (why it’s not a Bowie, like the original “KA-BAR,” is beyond me). KA-BAR appears to manufacture no compatible handle scales for the BK11. You can either be a true American pioneer and make your own or order this set.

Cold Steel’s dagger-pointed Counter TAC II would make for a hell of a self-defense neck knife. Its stonewashed blade is sharp on both sides, and its deeply textured handle has an aggressive front guard so that it won’t slip out of your hand. Cold Steel makes other neck knives, but this is a weapon. The Counter TAC II can conceal in any position, with a removable clip, lashing slots, and a dog tag chain. Its Japanese AUS8A steel is relatively hard but easy to sharpen — maintain the edge, and it will perform over the long haul.

That said, you might find yourself taking it to the stone reasonably frequently, depending on your habits. A spear point blade can be difficult to maintain, especially if it’s in and out of a sheath a lot. The Cold Steel Counter TAC II may not be the most practical knife for EDC, but its spearpoint shape, lightweight, and grippy handle make it a solid self-defense option. Be sure to also browse our list of the best-rated boot knives and pick your favorite.

The Smith & Wesson SW991 runs away with my in-guide award for simplicity. If there were a generic dictionary definition for “neck knife,” this little blade would be it. 5.5 inches long, a mere 1.5 oz., a 2.5-inch blade (generous for such a short knife), all cut from one piece of easy-maintenance 8Cr13MoV black oxide treated steel. Stick it in the hard polymer sheath, where reviewers confirm it clasps securely, put it on with the dog tag chain.

That’s it. There are no handle scales, and there is no belt clip. The only other thing to report about this simple drop point knife is the bottle opener machined into the blade just above the handle. It’s a worthy inclusion, but I almost wish it weren’t there — does it help open bottles? Absolutely. Is it needed? No. Still, if you want a neck knife that embodies the essence of neck knife-ness, look into the utile Smith & Wesson SW991.