QSP Knives showed up on the scene a few years ago and immediately made waves. Their name is an acronym for Quality, Service, and Price. With most knives, you can pick two of those three things, but QSP did the impossible and provided all of the above. Rest assured, if you’ve got your eye on a QSP knife, it is just as good as and just as well backed as comparable knives, except it’s quite a bit less expensive.
But QSP has a really big catalog, and it can be hard to find the perfect one for you. So we’ve built this handy list to help you find the best QSP knives for anyone!
Best Overall: Penguin
The Penguin is a knife that just wants to go to work. When you push the thumb stud, the D2 blade launches open with a satisfying click that whispers to your soul “put me in, coach!” It’s also a great first knife because its Wharncliffe blade is super easy to sharpen and maintain, but capable of some serious cutting tasks. The Penguin comes in several varieties, some premium versions, and even a fancy new button lock!
The Penguin is one of very few knives that have managed to bring the secret sauce all knifemakers are looking for. I don’t know what that sauce is, all I know is that I can count on one hand how many knives out there have the popularity, variety, and staying power of the Penguin!
Best EDC: Parrot V2
The Parrot V2 took the original Parrot design and upgraded it with a larger size and an upgraded D2 blade steel. But it kept its hyper-competitive sub-$30 price! One of the best parts of this knife is its handle material options. It comes with either a milled G-10 handle or raw micarta, allowing you to color code your knife to your whole EDC loadout. It’s a great pick for the EDC’er on a budget!
Best Fixed Blade: Canary
The Canary was originally a tiny neck knife, then a compact folder, but now we have a proper fixed blade. It’s other variants may make you think it’s small, but this knife is a full-sized outdoor/survival knife! Its blade steel is made of DC53, an equivalent to the popular Uddeholm Sleipner steel found on lots of really high-end fixed blades out of Italy. It’s tough, it holds an edge, and resists corrosion fairly well too! The Canary finishes off its legendary package with a snappy and secure Kydex sheath. I’d trust my life to this blade!
Best Crossbar Lock: Vault
Since it became public domain, the crossbar lock has made the rounds of knives from prices high to low, and QSP came out swinging with the Vault. Using what they are calling the Glide Lock, this Jacob Lundquist design feels comfortable in the hand in a variety of grips. The lock is bedded in a metal bolster, and the handle scales are made of a nice, grippy micarta. It’s a hard-use EDC knife with looks to match!
Best Button Lock: Grebe
QSP is known for their EDC knives, but they’re not afraid to take it tactical with the Grebe. This thing has a robust tanto blade made of 14C28N stainless steel, known for its titanic toughness. It opens with either a flipper or thumb studs, giving you options for speedy opening, and the button lock provides additional strength you don’t get out of a liner lock without sacrificing any speed.
Best Neck Knife: Neckmuk
Outdoorsmen have loved the Nessmuk blade shape for centuries now, but QSP took that iconic design and made it a neck knife! Though its handle is a little unconventional, it locks into the hand nice and solid without any trouble at all. The blade is great for skinning, carving, or any other cutting job you find yourself doing in the outdoors. When not in use, you’ll be grateful its sub-3-oz weight and compact Kydex sheath. I know the Neckmuk knife looks odd, but give it a chance!
Why buy a QSP Knife?
If you’re on a budget, shopping for someone else, or want to try out a new lock or blade shape without spending big, I can’t think of a better brand than QSP. They do such a good job of creating knives that do their materials and mechanisms justice while still offering best-in-class pricing. If you buy a QSP, it will be money well spent!
