, which is the preferred choice of the pros in our list.”
From the same author, they’d had to make other adjustments to the blade, but, as he told us,, “The blade is sharp enough to use in a pinch.” He continues, “The blade fits the need of a professional but is too large to handle a small hand in the same way you’d need to use a hammer.” We agree, too, and that “it’s a shame for a knife to be so flimsy that you’d be better off with something a little bigger.”
We also noted that the knife’s handle was made of a plastic finish that felt scratchy and scratchy felt.
The competition
We dismissed a number of knives based on their price or availability, saying they’d require more care and a better grip to be used in the oven, were poorly made, or didn’t have good reviews. (In some cases, these were also our top recommendations for a number of different knives, including the Stanley FatMax and the SOG Think Tank.)
Our previous picks
Stanley STST142
Our previous top pick, the STST142, had a slim handle, a narrow blade, and the ability to be used to pull nails. It also has a screwdriver and a wrench.
$70 at Amazon
Buy
Craftsman 18-Inch Nail File
Craftsman’s 18-inch Nail File is another great pick for a nail file, but it’s the least expensive. It has a 19-inch blade that’s sharp enough to be used by a professional, but it doesn’t have a nail grabber and we liked the fact it’s made of stainless steel.
$17 at Amazon
Buy
Stanley STST154
We previously loved this pick for its sharpened nail file and the fact that it was made of aluminum. But the nail file is too sharp for us to recommend, and we’re keeping the pick for its file.
$60 at Amazon
Buy
Craftsman 18-Inch File
This file was designed for use with a nail file. But it’s too sharp to be much use with, and we’d rather use something else.
$35 at Amazon
Buy
Stanley STST185
This file is similar to the SLHT, but it lacks a nail grabber and it’s not made of stainless steel.
$25 at Amazon
Buy
Stanley SLHT14
The steel and aluminum design of this file, made by Stanley and Carpenter, was one of the stiffest in this guide. It had a 19-inch blade, which is only the smallest in our group, and it has a nail file. However, the nail file is too wide to be useful for most people, because it’s more likely to cut into your nail root rather than cut into it. The file is also made of plastic, which can chip or crack over time and cause problems.
$25 at Amazon
Buy
Craftsman 18