The OKnife U1 Utility Folder

Ryan · Apr 30, 2026

gregs said:
It was a great knife that I used for a long time. If you look at the screws that hold the clip on you will notice different ones. Basically over the years they would loosen and eventually fall out and the hole would be worn. Tried to find tiny screws to replace them that would hold the clip tight. Then the body screws started doing the same thing. I finally retired it to the bench.

The simplicity is what makes this one in my opinion... Focused tools are typically the best.

That being said, I've always wanted to try a multi-tool as a daily carry. The problem is I don't want the bulk of carrying around a number of tools that I don't use. My ideal multi-tool would hold:

- A utility blade
- A 1/4" or 4mm bit driver
- small scissors

And that's it... The closest I have found is the Roxon Shear:

The Shear is a modular multi-tool, so I would remove the blade and insert the utility blade holder. And Roxon makes a bit driver, but it takes up 4 slots and there's only three available on the Shear. And overall, I think it's just too bulky for me...

Close though.

gregs · Apr 30, 2026

Ryan said:
The simplicity is what makes this one in my opinion... Focused tools are typically the best.

That being said, I've always wanted to try a multi-tool as a daily carry. The problem is I don't want the bulk of carrying around a number of tools that I don't use. My ideal multi-tool would hold:

- A utility blade
- A 1/4" or 4mm bit driver
- small scissors

And that's it... The closest I have found is the Roxon Shear:

The Shear is a modular multi-tool, so I would remove the blade and insert the utility blade holder. And Roxon makes a bit driver, but it takes up 4 slots and there's only three available on the Shear. And overall, I think it's just too bulky for me...

Close though.

I totally agree. I carried an original Leatherman around for a while and later a SOG paratropper but both are just to heavy and bulky. I do miss have the needle nose pliers and screwdrivers. Now I edc the razor knife and a Olight Warrior Mini 3 and go get what ever tool I need.

Ryan · Apr 30, 2026

gregs said:
I totally agree. I carried an original Leatherman around for a while and later a SOG paratropper but both are just to heavy and bulky. I do miss have the needle nose pliers and screwdrivers. Now I edc the razor knife and a Olight Warrior Mini 3 and go get what ever tool I need.

I think the Leatherman Wave with a bit kit is the perfect glovebox tool... and I still use one for that... But I could never carry one every day - far too heavy and bulky.

mike93lx · Apr 30, 2026

fourjeepin said:
I’m considering buying one of the OKs as I am not good at sharpening my EDC Benchmade.

I switched to a 400 grit diamond "stone" and can get my daily carry benchmade to more than sharp enough in less than a minute. Single grit was a game changer for me

Its also why I like tanto profiles for daily carry as they are easier to sharpen

roofdweller49 · Apr 30, 2026

I wish they had a nicer blade clamp (wish the thumb wheel had a screw head), otherwise great "fancy" utility knife

I'm curious about the Knafs one that's coming out later in the year too

AndreaW · May 1, 2026

gregs said:
My original “Super Knife”. Still have the key on my keychain that you needed to change the blade and tighten the pivot.

Do you have a source for replacement blades? They are much thicker than the standard ones I've tried to fit in my Super Knife.

gregs · May 1, 2026

AndreaW said:
Do you have a source for replacement blades? They are much thicker than the standard ones I've tried to fit in my Super Knife.

I just used the standard baldes but found these that I think are the same as originals.

https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-11-931-Extra-Heavy-Utility/dp/B000BQWKCE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

r00a005 · May 2, 2026

BroncoAZ said:
I’ve been using the Workpro or Duratech fording utility knives for a few years. They are excellent and only cost $5 each bought in packs of two or three. The most important feature to me is the press to open lock button so it can’t open in my pocket. I’m not trying to be a skinflint, I’d be fine spending $20-50 on something that was truly better. Maybe send me your old one to convince me. I’ve used the heck out of these in a construction environment and also in saltwater for the past few years. I have bent one pocket clip badly enough that I took the knife out of service, but that was after about a year of carrying it. Combined with serrated utility blades they are awesome.

https://www.amazon.com/DURATECH-2-pack-Folding-Pocket-Utility/dp/B09PGY3KSD/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I just went with these because of the lock

Ryan · May 4, 2026

After carrying the U1 pro for a week, I've decided I like the regular U1 better... It’s smaller, more compact, and even though it shares the same basic materials and construction, it actually feels better put together. Tighter. More deliberate.

The issue, for me, is the 4mm driver on the Pro. On paper it’s a nice idea, but in practice it adds just enough bulk to be annoying in the pocket. And worse, it introduces a little rattle. Nothing catastrophic, but enough to chip away at confidence.

gregs · May 4, 2026

Ryan said:
After carrying the U1 pro for a week, I've decided I like the regular U1 better... It’s smaller, more compact, and even though it shares the same basic materials and construction, it actually feels better put together. Tighter. More deliberate.

The issue, for me, is the 4mm driver on the Pro. On paper it’s a nice idea, but in practice it adds just enough bulk to be annoying in the pocket. And worse, it introduces a little rattle. Nothing catastrophic, but enough to chip away at confidence.

Do you use the 4mm driver? I personally dont see how useful it would be vs getting the correct tool to do the job or grabbing a multi tool (leatherman).

Ryan · May 4, 2026

gregs said:
Do you use the 4mm driver? I personally dont see how useful it would be vs getting the correct tool to do the job or grabbing a multi tool (leatherman).

A multitool is never the "right" tool... It's just one to get you by when you don't have access to the right tool - be it laziness or lack of access. So a 4mm driver on a utility blade makes sense to me. It's great for when you have a screw on a remote that needs removed to change a battery and you don't want to get off the couch or when you need to pry open a paint can and don't wanna get off the ladder, etc...

I still want a multitool with a utility blade, a bit driver, and a small pair of scissors... The hunt continues.

gregs · May 4, 2026

Ryan said:
A multitool is never the "right" tool... It's just one to get you by when you don't have access to the right tool - be it laziness or lack of access. So a 4mm driver on a utility blade makes sense to me. It's great for when you have a screw on a remote that needs removed to change a battery and you don't want to get off the couch or when you need to pry open a paint can and don't wanna get off the ladder, etc...

I still want a multitool with a utility blade, a bit driver, and a small pair of scissors... The hunt continues.

Have you used the little do-dad they include to loosen the blade screw to change it?

How do you like having almost the full length of the blade exposed? Do you find that its helpful?

Ryan · May 4, 2026

gregs said:
Have you used the little do-dad they include to loosen the blade screw to change it?

How do you like having almost the full length of the blade exposed? Do you find that its helpful?

Yeah, that little tool is just your typical throw-in “EDC” wrench. Nothing to get excited about.

I’ve learned I much prefer utility blades that don’t require a screw at all, like on my Chaves C.H.U.B.. Being able to pop the blade out instantly is nice for when I want to use it as a scraper or something similar. No fuss, no digging around for a driver, just pull it and go.

As for having the full blade exposed, it really doesn’t matter much in my day-to-day. I’m not doing anything exotic. Mostly just opening boxes, cutting zip ties, that kind of stuff.

gregs · May 4, 2026

Ryan said:
Yeah, that little tool is just your typical throw-in “EDC” wrench. Nothing to get excited about.

I’ve learned I much prefer utility blades that don’t require a screw at all, like on my Chaves C.H.U.B.. Being able to pop the blade out instantly is nice for when I want to use it as a scraper or something similar. No fuss, no digging around for a driver, just pull it and go.

As for having the full blade exposed, it really doesn’t matter much in my day-to-day. I’m not doing anything exotic. Mostly just opening boxes, cutting zip ties, that kind of stuff.

Just wondering if you have needed to keep it for when you change the blade? Or if it wasnt necessary. Its like the tool that came with my SuperKnife that had the allen key on it to change the blade. I completely agree about the toolless being better as I also pop the blade out to use as a scraper. I also like to keep one end of the blade super sharp and use the other end for crappy stuff.

Ryan · May 4, 2026

gregs said:
Just wondering if you have needed to keep it for when you change the blade? Or if it wasnt necessary. Its like the tool that came with my SuperKnife that had the allen key on it to change the blade. I completely agree about the toolless being better as I also pop the blade out to use as a scraper. I also like to keep one end of the blade super sharp and use the other end for crappy stuff.

To loosen the screw initially, you need a tool... But after that, I just do it finger tight... It might come a little lose every now and then, but to me it's worth it to avoid the hassle.

gregs said:
I also like to keep one end of the blade super sharp and use the other end for crappy stuff.

I do this as well... One of the reasons I like to cary a utility blade over a standard knife.

Coolabah · May 8, 2026

Ryan said:
I think the Leatherman Wave with a bit kit is the perfect glovebox tool... and I still use one for that... But I could never carry one every day - far too heavy and bulky.

Yeh, I totally agree. I REALLY, REALLY love my Wave -its by far my favourite Leatherman -but if it's anywhere other than in a drawer in my shed , it is in my toolbox or more likely- tool belt.
For me , I've worked out that the most useful thing to have in my shirt pocket is a small pair of pliers, ( and + scissors would be great, so currently dragged out my Leatherman Style Pro from its "storage drawer" and am really liking it for now ) , and a small yet powerful rechargeable torch about the size of an AA battery - lots of these around . My ageing eyesight needs extra light in some dark places

I do also have a Swiss key blade on my keyring ( knife laws in Australia are pretty tough ! I do carry a pocket knife if I also have a toolbag in the car/van as this is *probably* acceptable in Australia but - again, we have to watch out for the law). Kinda ***** as I grew up always with a pocket knife in my pocket .
So is there a perfect EDC pocket tool ? IMHO, no. But some tools are perfect for a while until your next project ! As an example , recently I did indeed EDC my old and trustworthy, antique (LOL) Leatherman original whilst helping my daughter with her recent house build.
Ryan , hoping your "Tested by Ryan" knife finds a worthy home !!

gregs · May 8, 2026

These days the edc flashlight is just as essential as any other tool I could carry.... except for my readers. My rechargeable Olight Warrior mini 3 is great. Its not the smallest light or the biggest, but with the magnetic charger and 18650 battery its pretty great. The utility knife and flashlight are the 2 things I carry everyday and I go get whatever else I need.

NUTTSGT · May 9, 2026

My 5.11 knife arrived and I brought it to work to swap out with the other knife I had. That's when I realized, the current knife wasn't a Gerber but a SOG.

Now, I just need to figure out where the Gerber knife went.

:dunno:

red61cj5 · May 10, 2026

gregs said:
I had one of the original folding razor knives years ago. It was made in the US and I believe it’s what everyone started copying. I don’t recall the brand, but I used it until it was worn out from years of work. It’s still laying on the bench. Currently carrying a Craftsman one that I got back when Sears was giving everything away with there “ shop your way” points. It to is worn out after lots of use and abuse. I just peened the screws to hold the lock in place and the pivot bolt is very loose. I use it for more than a knife… and can’t imagine spending more than $5-10 for a replacement. I think I have another one of these new somewhere that I may have to go looking for soon.

I have a half dozen of those little oval gems around the house. Hard to explain, but.."hand feel" is a thing, and these have it.

ecotec · May 15, 2026

These are on sale on Amazon right now.

Ryan · Saturday at 1:17 PM

I’ve been experimenting with carrying a SAK the past week just to see how much I really need a bit driver and a pair of scissors on me every day.

I love SAK scissors and have used them a ton… and the bit driver is really nice to have as well. But man, I miss my one handed utility blade.

Compromising makes me want to design and build my own multi-tool.

Jgaz · Saturday at 8:23 PM

Ryan said:
I’ve been experimenting with carrying a SAK the past week just to see how much I really need a bit driver and a pair of scissors on me every day.

I love SAK scissors and have used them a ton… and the bit driver is really nice to have as well. But man, I miss my one handed utility blade.

Compromising makes me want to design and build my own multi-tool.

I’m right there with you Ryan.
Every time I try a different EDC carry I come back to my Benchmade Mini Grip.
Im used to the one handed opening and completely trust the lock

FigN⋅m · Saturday at 8:48 PM

FastBack 6in1 and a Swiss Army Card keeps me pretty covered.
The scissors are small, but effective, and I really like having
the pin (and pen) when I need it. Also airline approved.

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Ryan · Sunday at 8:43 AM

Jgaz said:
I’m right there with you Ryan.
Every time I try a different EDC carry I come back to my Benchmade Mini Grip.
Im used to the one handed opening and completely trust the lock

FigN⋅m said:
FastBack 6in1 and a Swiss Army Card keeps me pretty covered.
The scissors are small, but effective, and I really like having
the pin (and pen) when I need it. Also airline approved.

I *think* what I’m discovering is this:

During the week, my most important pocket tool is a utility blade. It would be nice to have a bit driver and scissors as well, but not 100% necessary because 90% of my time during the week is in my shop… which has every tool I could possibly need.

During the weekend, however, I’m not in my shop and that’s when having a tool with more functionality is actually a massive convenience thing…

So, utility blade flipper during the week and small custom SAK for the weekends? Gonna try that for a bit with a Cyber Tool SAK. If it shows promise, I’m gonna build my own custom SAK.

ecotec · Sunday at 9:05 AM

Jgaz said:
I’m right there with you Ryan.
Every time I try a different EDC carry I come back to my Benchmade Mini Grip.
Im used to the one handed opening and completely trust the lock

For sixteen years, the Mini Grip tanto has been my daily carry… but, at work I really need a razor knife.

Cutting off the plastic band off a small bundle of rigid pipe is no problem, but you don’t really want to cut off the plastic cover that goes over the threads. That will mess up a knife fast, if you get careless. I have done it plenty, though, when I forget to bring a razor knife to the pipe rack and 555.

There are a million other examples of hard duty that is more suited to cheap replaceable blades. As I have gotten older, I try to have a razor knife and seam ripper handy.

I almost pulled the trigger on the green micarta version of this knife when I saw it was on sale. At some point, I will probably buy it. The Klein razor knife that reconfigures as a scraper has, also, been singing its syren song to me. What do you do when you have so many knives that you really can’t justify another one?

zimman · Sunday at 9:07 AM

I run in three's. Gerbers are the best knife I've ever had including the Boy Scout knife from 1969. Only problem is I misplace them and order another. LMAO
Zim

Ryan · Monday at 10:36 AM

When you have a laser, everything must be lasered.

mfg0772 · Monday at 10:36 AM

I’ve been putting the OKnife U1 through its paces after winning it in a giveaway from Ryan, and it arrived exactly how a good tool should: scarred, well-loved, and ready to be thrown straight into a pocket. It’s incredibly compact and completely disappears in your pocket, so it actually gets carried. What really sets it apart is that the full razor blade is exposed, giving you the slicing capability and natural feel of a traditional pocket knife, but with the massive benefit of a cheap, replaceable edge when you inevitably abuse it. The only real drawback is if your hands look like a bunch of bananas, like mine, it’s just not going to fill out a large grip. Because of the small size, my muscle memory initially kept trying to choke up to put a finger right on the blade for leverage. I’ve since re-trained my hands and it's no longer an issue, but it’s something to watch out for at first if you're a bigger guy. As for the pocket clip, it’s fine—not exceptionally good, not terrible, but it holds the knife where it needs to be for now. Overall, it's a clever, zero-bulk utility knife that isn't afraid of hard work and easily earns a solid 4/5.

cody1325 · Monday at 11:19 AM

Ryan said:
The simplicity is what makes this one in my opinion... Focused tools are typically the best.

That being said, I've always wanted to try a multi-tool as a daily carry. The problem is I don't want the bulk of carrying around a number of tools that I don't use. My ideal multi-tool would hold:

- A utility blade
- A 1/4" or 4mm bit driver
- small scissors

And that's it... The closest I have found is the Roxon Shear:

The Shear is a modular multi-tool, so I would remove the blade and insert the utility blade holder. And Roxon makes a bit driver, but it takes up 4 slots and there's only three available on the Shear. And overall, I think it's just too bulky for me...

Close though.

My advice--Leatherman Squirt if you can get one--but they're no longer made and stupidly pricey. I'd get the older P4 (or even better, EL), as the later "PS4" model had issues with scissors springs breaking. My PS4 had that happen to it, and it was given to a buddy of mine who'd lost his. I got a P4 to replace it.

I still have the box for my PS4 from '17-ish-- price tag from the local knife store says $27.99. That's less than half what used ones are now.

Ryan said:
When you have a laser, everything must be lasered.

That actually looks pretty good!

Been starting to mark a few of my tools, and my markings are even more chicken scratch than my Granddad and the probably ten other dead men whose names grace my tools. I think it's why Granddad moved to cold stamps.

When it comes to Swiss Army Knives, company logos are my way of identifying it as mine.

Ryan · Monday at 11:23 AM

cody1325 said:
My advice--Leatherman Squirt if you can get one--but they're no longer made and stupidly pricey. I'd get the older P4 (or even better, EL), as the later "PS4" model had issues with scissors springs breaking. My PS4 had that happen to it, and it was given to a buddy of mine who'd lost his. I got a P4 to replace it.

I still have the box for my PS4 from '17-ish-- price tag from the local knife store says $27.99. That's less than half what used ones are now.

That actually looks pretty good!

Been starting to mark a few of my tools, and my markings are even more chicken scratch than my Granddad and the probably ten other dead men whose names grace my tools. I think it's why Granddad moved to cold stamps.

When it comes to Swiss Army Knives, company logos are my way of identifying it as mine.

I have the scissor version of the squirt and they are awesome, but the rest of the tools don't really work for me.

RTM · Monday at 3:43 PM

Ryan said:
I love SAK scissors and have used them a ton… and the bit driver is really nice to have as well. But man, I miss my one handed utility blade.

In my world, the phrase

Flexibility is inversely proportional to efficiency

Comes up in sarcastic tones a lot

Seems like it fits here too.

My SAK (with bit drivers) and Leatherman both go in a bag for any trip where technology problems might come up. But the Gerber Micro LST is always in the pocket. The others get used for Other People's Problems 90% of the time. No sense clogging the pockets.

Jakeweldsalittle · Monday at 3:57 PM

zimman said:
I run in three's. Gerbers are the best knife I've ever had including the Boy Scout knife from 1969. Only problem is I misplace them and order another. LMAO
Zim

I bought this cheap gerber a couple years ago at dicks I think. I'm no knife snob by any means, so it does fine by be. Been a while since I sharpened it, it could probably stand a pass or two. I like a smaller knife, has to have a lock blade, and I hate clips, so I removed this one. I'd rather it just falls into the bottom of my pocket. I usually buy cheap just because I lose stuff ha, somehow I've managed to keep this one around. I have nicer knives, but they're usually on the bulkier side, so they end up just collecting dust.

zanyad · Monday at 4:14 PM

That's a Gerber Paraframe Mini Tanto. I had a Paraframe II for years, did its job well. Also have a Paraframe Mini, I find that one to be too small for my everyday needs.

Jakeweldsalittle · Tuesday at 8:17 AM

zanyad said:
That's a Gerber Paraframe Mini Tanto. I had a Paraframe II for years, did its job well. Also have a Paraframe Mini, I find that one to be too small for my everyday needs.

Bingo! And yes it is on the small side, but so am I ha. I have some larger knives but it always feels like I'm carrying a brick in my pocket

adsinnott1 · Tuesday at 9:11 AM

I carried the Pro for a few months and misplaced it on a family trip. Either that or one of the visitors had some sticky fingers... Since then I have been back to carrying the Milwaukee and I miss the size of the Pro. I just hadn't decided to order a new one yet. If I am so lucky to be chosen, I will ensure to take much better care and not loose it. If not, I will inevitably order another. Thanks!

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