Best Folding Knives Worth a Look: Kershaw Link and RT Kingfisher

Introduction

A fresh wave of folding knives has landed, and this batch spans everything from a $20 value pick to a genuinely premium titanium offering. Prices range widely, and there were a few real surprises along the way, including a folder that lets you get MagnaCut steel in a USA-made knife for well under $100. We pulled out the two models that best justify your attention: the Kershaw Link and the RT Kingfisher.

Kershaw Link: A Rare Steel Bargain

The Kershaw Link made headlines in the knife community recently because of what showed up in the mail. Ordered at roughly $80, our example arrived with a MagnaCut blade, a steel that is extremely hard to find in a USA-made knife under $100. The catch is that other buyers have received the slightly older 20CV variant instead. That is still a fantastic premium steel, so neither outcome is a bad one, but it does mean you are rolling the dice slightly on which version you get. If you receive 20CV when you expected MagnaCut, returning it should not cause any problems since the listing states otherwise.

Beyond the steel lottery, the Link itself is well executed. We are not usually fans of assisted opening, but Kershaw has done it fairly well here. The ergonomics are great, the blade shape is attractive with an even grind, there is a generous sharpening choil, and the pocket clip is reversible. It is a comfortable, honest design that happens to carry an exceptional blade steel.

RT Kingfisher: Premium Design With a Clever Trick

RT makes knives at both ends of the spectrum, and the company handles budget work well while its premium models tend to do something genuinely different. The Kingfisher is a clear example. It is a titanium frame lock knife, but with an unusual twist: an insert plate sits on top of a sub-frame lock, so the actual lock bar runs underneath the visible titanium plate. That separation is visible between the two layers, and it is a neat piece of engineering.

It runs on bearings with excellent out-of-the-box action, and the ergonomics are strong. The thumb studs deserve special mention: they are possibly the best we have used, locking your thumb or finger into a corner perfectly for both standard and reverse flicks. The M390 blade, around 3.5 inches, combines a recurve section with plenty of belly, and it came very sharp.

Our main critique is the jimping. It is not aggressive enough and it does not wrap fully around the corner, which limits how effective it is. One thing we would skip: the lanyard hole sits near the integrated pivot tool, which pops up and out of a handle cutout, so a lanyard could risk triggering it by accident. Speaking of that tool, it is brilliant. There is no other visible hardware anywhere on the knife; the tool for tightening and loosening the pivot lives inside the handle itself, letting you adjust action on the fly without carrying a separate set of tools. All that integration does bump the price up, but the finishing is excellent throughout and it is exactly the kind of different-thinking premium design RT is known for.

More Knives From the Same Batch

This batch also included some serious value plays worth a quick mention. A sub-$30 Olan folder ships with G10 scales, a right-hand-only flipper, an excellent detent, and very impressive bearing action, with a titanium frame lock variant available for around $27; its roughly 2.8-inch blade is on the small side, but it still allows a full four-finger grip. Sencut’s button-lock offering pairs blackwashed D2 with Micarta, a reversible deep-carry clip, multiple deployment methods, and a 3.5-inch blade with a forward finger choil, and the brand regularly runs clearance deals worth browsing. And the NAFS Lander 2 brings S35VN, contoured Micarta, a clutch lock, hot-swappable scales, and grey-DLC-coated good looks in the larger 3.3-inch configuration, which is a compelling option if you want one knife you can keep customizing over time.

Buying Advice

If your priority is blade steel per dollar, the Kershaw Link is the easy pick, with the caveat that you might receive the 20CV version rather than MagnaCut. Both are premium steels, and at around $80 either one is a strong deal from a USA-made brand. If you want a premium folder with genuine engineering personality, integrated maintenance tooling, and standout thumb studs, the RT Kingfisher is the more distinctive buy, provided you accept a higher price and a jimping design that could be more aggressive.

Conclusion

Two very different folders, two very different appeals. The Link is a rare chance to get top-tier steel in a USA-made knife for a modest outlay, while the Kingfisher shows what a premium brand can do when it refuses to build a folder the same way everyone else does. Either one earns its place on the table.