The utility of a good knife is undefeated. You can use one to slice open mail and boxes, shorten rope or loose clothing threads, prep food on-the-go, get rid of splinters and so much more. Basically, a solid pocket knife is an underrated everyday carry tool — granted, you’re mindful of where you’re bringing it around.
Today we found one that’s inoffensively compact but still razor sharp and heavy-duty. What one reviewer says is “probably the best mini pocket knife for the money on Amazon,” this tiny Smith & Wesson blade is made with high-quality carbon and it’s a 3-in-1 design with a built-in keychain, bottle opener and belt/money clip. And don’t let its size fool you — one reviewer claims it’s “built like a tank.” For such a handy multi-tool, we’re shocked that Amazon has it on sale for 35% off right now!
This knife is as compact as it gets for ultimate convenience.
Folded up, this pocket knife measures just 2.5 inches and carries a 1.75-inch blade. Unfolded, it’s 4.53 inches in length total. Either way, this thing is super compact.
It has a keychain attachment so you can attach it to your car and house keys, plus its backside has a nice bottle opener for prying things open. There’s also a small belt/money clip, though some reviewers say you can easily take it off with a small screwdriver.
People really love that it’s heavy-duty and ultra-reliable.
As far as longevity goes, so many users say it’s super durable and has some surprising heft to it. You won’t need to use a knife sharpener on it anytime soon, either. “I use it near daily for work,” says one reviewer, “]and] it’s still very sharp, despite nearly a year of use. […] I have yet to need to sharpen it.”
In case anything does go wrong, this tiny blade is also conveniently covered by Smith & Wesson’s lifetime limited warranty.
And of course, it’s sharp.
The tanto-style blade is super sharp, and several users say they’ve used theirs to slice everything from veggies to paper. “The blade is small, sharp and solid,” raves one reviewer. “You could easily use this for some light prying work and not damage the blade. It’s a beast.”
If you’re looking for a new tool to keep in your everyday carry rotation, check out this pocket knife while it’s only $12 today. And check out what happy reviewers have to say about it down below.
“Very short sharp blade, and I love it! I mostly use it for opening boxes, but I have used it when out in the garden harvesting limes, veggies, etc. I can stick the blade into a lime and work it around to cut it cleanly in half, very easy to use if a bit small in large hands. I actually bought two of these, on one of them the bearing is much smoother and flicks out really easily, the other seems to have a bit more resistance. Both have worked really well for me, could easily fit them on a keychain and the blade stays secured. A bit heavy to maybe wear around the neck, but also easily fits in your pocket. You can feel the quality, good weight for its size, and comes nice and sharp!” — Tyler Minard
“Like many guys out there I collect and use a lot of different knives. This is by far may favorite knife in terms of versatility. I use it near daily for work, it’s still very sharp despite nearly a year of use and I have yet to need to sharpen it.” — William Burner
“I used to carry a small Swiss Army Knife and found the blade use mostly-disappointing for small ropes. I ran across the Smith & Wesson Benji and figured I would give it a try. The blade configuration takes a little getting used to, but it works for what I need. The obtuse point on the blade is very useful for opening packages. It is fairly heavy for it’s small-sized blade, but you do get the belt-clip and bottle opener. Overall, I’ve found it very durable and have not had to sharpen it yet. It looks pretty cool with the red accent and I attached a few keys to it. The belt clip is removable if you don’t use it with just a couple small Allen-head screws. It’s a pretty good choice for a small knife with a beefy little blade.” — OntheWeb
“I was tired of always needing a knife to open packages and whatnot, so finally bought one. I didn’t want a key chain knife, but something I could clip on my shorts, pants, or belt instead. This one is perfect.
A few things to note, you can open it with one hand, but you have to sort of snap your hand at the same time you flip the tab at the same time. Its completely silver on one side. Which is nice. And the clip is actually super tight. So tight that I couldn’t easily get the knife on my waist band. But that’s easily fixed by bending the clip out a bit. Before making it wider, this could easily have been used as a money clip. Although it might be a bit thick and heavy for that.
It’s got a super sharp edge that I imagine will be easy to sharpen. Oh, and it’s got a limited lifetime warranty. So that’s cool. Overall, I’m totally happy with with knife!” — Zero Dean“This knife is sturdy, sharp, and heavy. It is probably the best small knife I have bought for under $30 in a very long time. It actually pushed me to buy the full-size version as well. I am also going to buy a second probably the best mini pocket knife for the money on Amazon at the moment. The locking mechanism clicks in place perfectly. 110% recommend this product.” — John a
“This is the kind of utility knife you can run over with a car/truck/bus and not worry about it. And they kindly added a bottle opener, which, IMHO, should be standard on any small tool like this. The blade/pivot is stiff out of the box, so it can’t be flipped open one handed, at least not at first. I’ll probably pull the frame and dry/clean/lube the pivot and bearing if there is one. But that’s just because I would like it to be an easy flipper. And I like to rebuild my knives to my liking. The blade is small, sharp and solid. You could easily use this for some light prying work and not damage the blade. It’s a beast. It also comes with a clip on the back/lock side, which I didn’t notice from the pics. Nice addition, and easy to remove if you don’t need it. I was able to pick up this knife during a speed-sale, so I got it REALLY cheap. But I think the normally discounted price is more than fair.” — S. Kosloske
Looking for other versatile, emergency and preparedness tools to have nearby? Check out these picks from senior Shopping writer Tessa Flores below.
An indoor-safe space heater
Amazon
An indoor-safe space heater
Powered by propane, this radiant portable heating system by Mister Heater can safely heat indoor spaces of up to 225 square feet for over five hours on the lowest setting. For added protection, a built-in safety sensor automatically shuts off the heater if it has been tipped over or if low oxygen levels are detected in the room.
A high-lumens tactical flashlight
Amazon
A high-lumens tactical flashlight
Perfect for stashing in a night stand, a grab-and-go emergency bag or in the car, this compact and high lumen tactical flashlight is incredibly bright, compact and durable enough to withstand a number of environmental conditions. It also has a zoom feature so you can focus on a single spot or flood an entire area, and three AAA batteries are included.
An emergency hand-crank weather radio
Amazon
An emergency hand-crank weather radio
A number of survivalist and safety experts previously told HuffPost that crank weather radios are a must for emergencies. For instance, in situations where cell service is down or batteries are depleted, this NOAA-official hand-crank and battery-powered emergency radio can keep users up to date with weather advisories in their area. There’s also a USB charging cable to keep phones charged, a loud SOS alarm for emergencies and a handy LED lamp to light dark areas.
A passive gravity water filtration system
Amazon
A passive gravity water filtration system
Riccardo Zennaro, coordinator for the UN’s Global Wastewater Initiative, previously told HuffPost that in the event of flood, you might not know whether your water has been contaminated by sewage or chemicals. Most likely, however, it’s been contaminated by both. In this case, he recommends passive gravity water filtering systems to get the cleanest and safest water possible.
This gravity fed water system, like all gravity systems, requires no electricity or running water to work. It has a capacity over 2 gallons and uses the process of reverse osmosis, in addition to two carbon filters, to effectively filter out a number of impurities.
A large quantity of non-perishable food
Amazon
A large quantity of non-perishable food
Charlotte Fadipe, a California Earthquake Authority representative, previously told HuffPost that households should ideally stock at least a three days’ supply of food and water for each person and pet.
When stocking up on heavy, cumbersome cans of food isn’t ideal, this non-perishable food variety pack by ReadyWise contains 124 servings of ready-to-eat meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner and even includes beverages. Just add hot or cold water to enjoy items like savory beef stroganoff and apple cinnamon oatmeal.
A 24-pack of electrolyte-infused water
Amazon
A 24-pack of electrolyte-infused water
As Fadipe previously mentioned, keeping a stocked water supply is imperative and this 24-pack of easily accessible water bottles can be a simple solution for anyone that doesn’t want to bother with countertop water filters. Essentia’s water is also infused with trace amounts of electrolytes to provide a better taste.
$28.16 at Amazon (with Select and Save coupon)
A multi-tool
Amazon
A multi-tool
Seismologist Peggy Hellweg previously told HuffPost that having easy access to tools in the event of natural disaster-related emergencies is important — preferably a multi-tool like this set of pliers that features 12 different integrated tools within one butterfly design. Users can access everything from scissors to flathead screwdrivers, wire cutters to a plain edge blade.
A pair of LED headlamps for hands-free lighting
Amazon
A pair of LED headlamps for hands-free lighting
With a runtime of 10 hours or more on low, you don’t have to worry about stumbling around a dark house to go to the bathroom or otherwise finding your way around in the middle of a power outage. Each of these AAA battery-operated LED headlamps has seven different light modes, including a red nightlight and a strobe setting that can be useful for capturing attention during an emergency.
A solar-powered charging bank
Amazon
A solar-powered charging bank
Jon Gudel, a California state emergency services coordinator, previously explained to HuffPost that utilizing phone apps to receive guidance during an emergency can be incredibly important, so he suggested having back-up chargers in your emergency kit.
This portable power bank can be charged using either solar power or an electric socket and can even double as a flashlight. It has enough ports to support rapid charging of three devices simultaneously and can fully charge an iPhone 14 Pro twice on a single charge.
A pair of emergency seat belt cutters and window hammers
Amazon
A pair of emergency seat belt cutters and window hammers
When in a potentially dangerous situation inside of a car, this type of emergency safety tool — an item previously recommended to us by a Philadelphia-based mechanic — can be vital to have. It has a razor-sharp stainless-steel blade that can quickly slice through a jammed seatbelt, and a metal double-head hammer that can break through tempered glass. This set of two from Amazon Basics has a 4.7-star rating.
A digital tire pressure gauge
Amazon
A digital tire pressure gauge
HuffPost previously spoke to mechanics Cheyenne Ruether and Bogi (who goes by her first name) about everything you need to fix a flat tire. They suggested using a digital pressure gauge to check tires monthly in order to help stop tire-related accidents before they happen. This particular easy-to-use tool has four settings to check pressure on a variety of tires and a built-in LED flashlight to make it easier to take readings in the dark.
A set of anti-skid traction devices for tires
Amazon
A set of anti-skid traction devices for tires
Slick, wet or frozen roads are not the safest for anyone to drive on, but these anti-skid devices can add an element of safety. These durable textured straps fit tire sizes of 175-296 and can also help free a vehicle that’s stuck in the snow or mud.
A portable gas-powered stove
Amazon
A portable gas-powered stove
To boil hot water or heat up a meal in instances when electric ranges are unusable, a portable gas-powered stove like this top-rated option by Gas One can be a lifesaving essential. This high-output stove comes with a carrying case, four cans of butane and an automatic safety shutoff.
A pair of emergency whistles
Amazon
A pair of emergency whistles
Wilderness self-reliance educator and traditional skills practitioner Donald Dust recently recommended having a whistle handy in any emergency to-go bag. This pair of double-tubed emergency whistles can be heard at a long distance, are made with strong aluminum alloy material, and are lightweight and water-resistant.
An easy-to-hang indoor LED lamp
Luminaid
An easy-to-hang indoor LED lamp
This lightweight and collapsable LED lamp can light up rooms when power has gone out. It can be charged by both the sun or a USB port to provide up to 24 hours of run time per charge.
A rechargeable waterproof lighter
Amazon
A rechargeable waterproof lighter
This electric, wind- and waterproof lighter is easily recharged via USB so you never have to worry about having a back up source of lighter fluid in an emergency situation. It also comes attached to paracord lanyard so it can be worn around the neck or tied onto a backpack strap.
A portable and rechargeable jump starter
Amazon
A portable and rechargeable jump starter
In times of dangerous inclement weather, the last thing you want is for your loved one to be stranded due to car troubles. Instead of relying on AAA, this handheld device can be used to revive a full-sized car or SUV using the included jumper cables. It also has a powerful LED floodlight and two USB ports for charging your essential electronics.
An 84-count assorted battery pack
Amazon
An 84-count assorted battery pack
During any kind of power outage, it’s more than likely your loved one will be pretty reliant on battery-powered items such as flashlights and radios. This deluxe variety pack of batteries has an impressive shelf life and will ensure that they have the correct battery size for all needs. This assortment includes AA, AAA and 9-Volt batteries.
A three-pack of of long-burning emergency candles
Amazon
A three-pack of of long-burning emergency candles
Keep a home safely lit while also adding a touch of ambience with these liquid oil emergency candles by SDS. Each candle can burn for 14 days straight without creating overpowering scents, smoke or messy soot burnoff. When they’re no longer needed, users can simply replace the cap and store them for next time.
The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)