Best keychain knife 2017

Another vote for the Ladybug Hawkbill. It is a little chainsaw. Completely rust proof H1 steel too. It is a destroyer of blister packs. If you want a more precision tool then maybe a standard Ladybug or Manbug but the serrated hawkbill Ladybug is matter separator.
 
BTGuy said:
Can't go wrong with a SAK Classic. I keep one on my regular keychain always. I would go with a Leatherman Squirt instead for the pliers, bottle opener, etc. if I didn't use the tweezers on the SAK so much.
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The past few years that combination has been working or me just fine!:thumbsup:

From the way things are going intros thread, it looks like a lot of people find that yo can't go wrong with a SAK on the keyring.

 
Victorinox classic, Buck 283 nano bantam, Buck 425 miniBuck, and Leatherman Micra even though I don't really think of it as a knife.
Btw I don't carry knives on keychains, so these drop free so suspend in my pocket from a suspension clip.
 
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Lapedog said:
How are the Ladybug, Manbug, Grasshopper and tiny Bug as keychain knives? They should release the LB, GHopper and Bug gift box jn like S110v or Maxamet or something, guarenteed sold out 1st day!
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The Bug is tiny, but it might be all you need. I like my Honeybee. I didn't get the Grasshopper as it seemed longer than I wanted on my already crowded, jumbled keychain. They're all well made with very pleasing slipjoint walk-and-talk and great snap. The 3Cr13 steel obviously isn't premium, but it's not meant to be a hard working knife. Fine for packages, mail, splinters, etc. So often you see people struggling trying to do things with a key when these tiny keychain knives would be infinitely better.

The Ladybug and Manbug are in a different category. Bigger, thicker, wider, plus they lock. Still perfectly good for a keychain knife, but with different intended uses as the Slip-its. I've been on the fence more than a few times about picking up a Ladybug of some variety, but it always seem to me that the blade might accidentally open itself and stab my leg or slice the hell out of my fingers when digging in my pocket.

When I bought my Bug and Honeybee I also bought the A.G. Russell Ultimate Pen Knife at the same time (both titanium and carbon fiber). To my surprise I preferred the Spydercos over the much more premium AGRs as a keychain knife. The Spydercos are more robust and will hold up better over time to being bashed around, plust the AGRs are just too nice to subject to that.
 
Planterz said:
The Bug is tiny, but it might be all you need. I like my Honeybee. I didn't get the Grasshopper as it seemed longer than I wanted on my already crowded, jumbled keychain. They're all well made with very pleasing slipjoint walk-and-talk and great snap. The 3Cr13 steel obviously isn't premium, but it's not meant to be a hard working knife. Fine for packages, mail, splinters, etc. So often you see people struggling trying to do things with a key when these tiny keychain knives would be infinitely better.

The Ladybug and Manbug are in a different category. Bigger, thicker, wider, plus they lock. Still perfectly good for a keychain knife, but with different intended uses as the Slip-its. I've been on the fence more than a few times about picking up a Ladybug of some variety, but it always seem to me that the blade might accidentally open itself and stab my leg or slice the hell out of my fingers when digging in my pocket.

When I bought my Bug and Honeybee I also bought the A.G. Russell Ultimate Pen Knife at the same time (both titanium and carbon fiber). To my surprise I preferred the Spydercos over the much more premium AGRs as a keychain knife. The Spydercos are more robust and will hold up better over time to being bashed around, plust the AGRs are just too nice to subject to that.
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Just out of curiosity why would you feel the Lady or Manbug would be more likely than the to open in your pocket when digging for your keys? Is it the backspring construction that makes you more confident in the smaller ones?
 
All the rivet construction FRN Spydercos I've owned or handled open every easily. I've never handled a Ladybug so maybe I'm just projecting this perception, but it seems to me like the lighter detent bias and larger opening hole would possibly cause the blade to open in my pocket.
 
^
All three of my Ladybugs have screw construction. They changed to that at some point. You could always tighten the pivot enough to make you comfortable. I have one of the ss slipits too. I think the middle one? Not sure what it is called. It is definitely slimmer on the keys and takes up very little space compared to the Ladybugs but the Ladybugs are more functional.
 
bearfacedkiller said:
^
All three of my Ladybugs have screw construction. They changed to that at some point. You could always tighten the pivot enough to make you comfortable. I have one of the ss slipits too. I think the middle one? Not sure what it is called. It is definitely slimmer on the keys and takes up very little space compared to the Ladybugs but the Ladybugs are more functional.
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The middle sized one is the Honeybee - it's what's on my keychain. I'll have to look for a screw construction Ladybug or Manbug. Does that include the Salt models? I'd only be interested in a Salt, and the Salt line always seems to be a generation or 2 behind the VG-10 versions or equivalents.
 
Both my wife and I have SAK Classics on our keychains (mine is in wormwood, hers is a dragonfly). I think we both use the scissors more than the anything else on them, though.

Of course, today, I found a Spyderco Bug while updating/refreshing the fire kits and putting together another one for a backpack. I think it may need to find a new home, maybe on my keychain near the scissors.
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Enjoy
 
Planterz said:
The middle sized one is the Honeybee - it's what's on my keychain. I'll have to look for a screw construction Ladybug or Manbug. Does that include the Salt models? I'd only be interested in a Salt, and the Salt line always seems to be a generation or 2 behind the VG-10 versions or equivalents.
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Yup, Salts too. :) Here is my Ladybug Hawkbill Salt and my USN Ladybug Hawkbill Salt after a blade swap. The black blade is plain edged and came in the green handle originally. I also swapped all the screws and the lock bar.

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"Best keychain knife 2017" sounds like an interesting new category :)
But it would appear that generic tiny knives which have been carried for ages
Continues to be the ageless all time classic favorites of choice.
Though not quite a key chain thingy,
New stuff like the spyderco dotag folder
Has potential to end up as a less threatening sorta
Light use key chain accessory.
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On the other hand, it's preferable to have a less fidgety tiny knife.
Make mine fixed, so that where it can be carried legally,
The CS mini pal sure makes a nice key pal...
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The original Leatherman Micra was a good choice. I Carry a sak midnight manager on my truck keys, nothing on my bike keys except a little memorial fob for a run I went on many years back and I have a meds pill bottle on another keyring with a mini champ on it.
 
Manbug Salt for me. Wife carries the pink Ladybug exclusive on hers:

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I've never worried about a back lock opening in my pocket and never had it happen. I guess it's possible, but that's probably true of any knife to some extent.
 
Fellhoelter Frikkie, Spyderco Ladybug Hawkbill, MecArmy EK33

One I carried way back in the 80s and 90s was a Cold Steel Small Shinobu. I still have it, but long since retired as the kraton handles are worn through. Thick tanto blade that wasn’t particularly useful, but it looked cool!
 
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This little thing comes in handy for me. One hand open frame lock. It even has a lock bar over travel stop and some well placed jimping.
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BTGuy said:
Can't go wrong with a SAK Classic. I keep one on my regular keychain always. I would go with a Leatherman Squirt instead for the pliers, bottle opener, etc. if I didn't use the tweezers on the SAK so much.
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Leatherman makes the "Style" keychain multi-tool that comes with tweezers. They make a couple of variants. Might be worth a look.
 
Any reasonable sized SAK with a keychain ring works, just find one with the tools that suit your needs: cadet, tinker, waiter, huntsman?

If we're talking exclusively smaller sized "keychain" knives, I do love a SAK classic for the scissors, as well as a buck metro for its bottle opener, but have really taken to my leatherman style CS, which has all the perks of a SAK classic; small blade, file + flat head screw driver, tweezers, and it unfolds into scissors, but with an added caribiner clip that doubles as a bottle opener :eek:
Only thing missing is the toothpick.

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The Spyderco Dog Tag appeals to me. You have to ask yourself the question... Do you want to carry mostly a knife on your key chain or some sort of multitool that happens to have a blade on your key chain? I like SAKs but I find the Classic too small, even for the tools. I choose the Leatherman Ps4 Squirt. The blade seldom gets used, but I use the little pliers a lot. But the blade is there if I have nothing else with me and I have used it a time or three.
 
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