Best Knives for Self Defense

Knives for self defense can help you get out of dangerous situations. They are also among the best personal safety devices because they’re multifunctional. Even if you never need it to defend yourself (fingers crossed), you can use a knife to open packages, cut your apple at lunch, and so much more. 

The best knives for self defense are easy to use in high-stress situations and stay sharp throughout whatever else you use them for. The Spyderco Chaparral Prestige meets these criteria and then some, but don’t miss our other top picks.

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CTS XHP stainless steel blades are high-quality, sharp blades. They’re tough, easy to sharpen, and the blades tend to not corrode as easily.

The blade material isn’t the only reason we chose the Spyderco Chaparral Prestige as the best self-defense knife. It also has a loop at the top that you can use to flip open the folding blade with one hand. Plus, the carbon fiber/G-10 laminate handle is light and tough. It won’t look beat up in a few years like knives with plastic handles.

Along with the carbon fiber style, the Spyderco Chaparral Prestige is available in a lightweight style, Raffir Noble, and Sun and Moon. 

It’s made from 9Cr17MoV stainless steel, which is durable, easy to sharpen, and resists corrosion well. It also has a handle with a built-in grip, so there’s no need to worry about it slipping and cutting your hand. It comes with a sheath that can be attached to your belt too.

The only drawback of this knife is it’s on the larger side. It won’t fit in a pocket or a smaller purse.

The feature we really like about this budget pocket knife is it has an assisted opening. With just a slight push on the opening tab, this self-defense knife pops open. This is great for those with one hand, arthritis, or other hand issues. 

The blade is also partially serrated. A serrated edge is perfect for cutting fruit during a picnic.

This folding knife comes with so many built-in features. It includes a seatbelt cutter and glass breaker to help you escape a car crash, a magnesium fire starter for when you need a fire in a pinch, and the LED light can help you unlock your front door when you forget to leave the porch light on. The built-in bottle opener may not save lives, but it’s a handy addition as well.

This knife looks like a little samurai sword, and we love it for that alone. But it made our list of best knives for self defense for some other loveable features, too. The blade is made from durable 440C stainless steel and has an easy-open design. Plus, you can choose from various color options.

The only downside to this knife is that its handle is narrow, so it might not be as easy to grasp as other knives on our list.

The Spyderco Chaparral Prestige is one of the best knives for self defense, and our top pick because it has a strong, easily sharpened blade, tough handle, an easy opening mechanism, and small, easy-to-carry size. It’s rare to find such a well-rounded knife.

To find the best knives for self defense, I used decades of safety experience combined with decades of experience collecting and carrying knives. I have carried a self-defense knife with me since the 90s. I’ve only needed them for self-defense once, and luckily just making it appear out of my purse was enough to scare away my potential attacker.

While there are arguably better pocket knives on the market (like  , one of my favorites) those knives are meant for people who use their pocket knives rigorously. And they come with a steep price. In this review, I opted for knives at a lower price point that still make reliable self-defense knives. I also considered knives for casual use to open mail or slice an orange every now and then.

To learn more about how we review products and services, please see our Safewise methodology page.

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1. The American Knife and Tool Institute, "Texas Knife Laws," Accessed July 1, 2024.