The best pocket knives

• With the right pocket knife close at hand, you'll always be prepared to handle the tasks before you, from cutting apple slices on the trail to slashing through your seatbelt after an accident.
• The Victorinox Swiss Army Fieldmaster Pocket Knife is our top pick, thanks to its carefully curated tools and its lifelong dependability.

The word pocket knife (also called a jackknife or folding knife) is something of a blanket term. It might be applied to a single-bladed implement or to a unit with multiple blades, tools, and accessories all housed in a single handle. The primary defining characteristic of a pocket knife is that its blade or blades, tools, and so forth can all be folded away for safe storage in one's pocket, purse, pack, or anywhere else.

In keeping with a family tradition, I received my first pocket knife on my 10th birthday — a classic red Victorinox Swiss Army Knife. Now having a child myself, I'm not sure I'll keep the 10th birthday knife tradition going, as Swiss Army knives are frighteningly sharp, especially when brand new. We'll have to see about that in a few years. Regardless, as an adult myself, I can attest to the convenience and utility offered by a good pocket knife. When away from home (especially if hiking or camping) I use one almost every day of my life.

Whether you choose a single-bladed knife or a pocket knife multitool, life will always be a bit easier when you have your pocket knife close at hand. We've chosen five great pocket knives based on their range of function, size to weight ratio, quality of materials.

• Victorinox Swiss Army Fieldmaster
• Keyport Pivot Everyday Multitool
• Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops SWA24S
• Cerberuso OddJob Pocket Knife Multitool
• SOG SlimJim SJ33-CP Assisted Folding Knife