Maybe you need a knife for camping; maybe you need one for self defense. Either way, this article will help you choose the best knife for you.

Know What You Need

Use - What do you need the knife for? Make a list of the specific things you need your knife to do. Know what you expect of your knife, so that you can choose a knife that will do what you need.

Price - Decide what you are able to spend on a knife. As a general rule of thumb, you can get an inexpensive knife for under $25, a good quality knife for $25-100, and an ultimate-quality knife for over $100.

Features

Fixed vs Folding Blade - If you need the knife to be very compact, you'll probably want a folding knife. Otherwise, consider a fixed blade. Fixed blade knives are stronger, faster to deploy, and easier to clean.

Blade Shape - The clip point is probably the most popular knife shape - it is an excellent general purpose blade. Drop point blades are ideal for general purpose skinning knives. Tanto blades are very strong and offer excellent penetration.

Steel There are many steels used in knife making. One of the characteristics you may or may not need is corrosion resistance. If you don't need a knife that is strongly resistant to rust, you don't need stainless steel - go for a high carbon steel blade.

This article on offers a very brief overview of how to choose a knife. The most important lesson is this: Know what you need, and find a knife that will do what you ask of it.