Customer Reviews for Milwaukee 3 in. Hardline D2 Steel Smooth Blade Pocket Folding Knife & 3 in. Hardline D2 Steel Serrated Blade Pocket Folding Knife

Great knife for EDC. I use it almost on a daily basis and not afraid of damaging it. It took a few days to break in, and now it’s perfect. Milwaukee is a brand I can always trust.

I received this knife on July 13, 2020, and I’ve EDC’d it ever since. In these past 3 weeks, I‘ve fallen in love with it! I have knives in S30V, VG-10, AUS-8, his is my first knife in D2, and it is a performer! I’ve wanted a Hardline knife ever since they came out, and the wait has been worthwhile! There is a break in period before the action becomes quite smooth, so keep that in mind.

I don't get all the 5 star reviews. Perhaps they are from right out of the package. This review is from everyday carry for over a year. I bought this and a longer one but this is in my pocket most often between the two, mostly due to the size and serrations. The knife comes decently sharp needing a minor touch up. It dulls fairly easy. Perhaps my specific knife did not get proper heat treating but it behaves similarly to the longer one so I don't think so. After a day of use, I have to at least take a honing steel, like one in my kitchen set, to revive the edge. The easy recovery of the edge is what makes this a 3-star knife. If it dulled like this and was hard to recover, there is no way I would recommend this. For me the flip open and one handed closing is easily done but the lock should be raised a bit to make release a bit easier to access. As it is, I push my thumb into the knife recess a bit to ensure I can unlock the blade. Of course, mine is well used and broken in at this point so I can open with a flick of the finger tab. I did black sharpie the red plastic liner because I did bot like the red beacon flashing out of my pocket. I do like the wearing of the black finish. It looks like a "battle worn" look with the high portions wearing just right. I am glad I bought it on a daily special sale, otherwise at full price, the knife would not be worth it.

Solid product. Compatible to EDC.

Very well built smooth action would recommend

Excellent product, holds edge fine and feels durable in hand. Would definitely recommend this product

Milwaukee is known for making great tools and this one is no exception! Whether you’re getting it as an EDC or just as a spare quality knife, you’ll love it – I do! It feels great in my hand opened or closed. It effortlessly opens with a flick of the index finger and easily closes while pushing down the safety bar with my thumb. The belt clip is great. It has a groove that can be grabbed with the finger while trying to take the knife out of the pocket. The belt clip sits deep almost at the very tip, but it’s only semi-reversible from side-to-side but not top-to-bottom. The handle is made of two materials: plastic and steel. There is a classic Milwaukee red filler in the middle. The handle looks and feels really nice. I’m not a blade or steel expert, but I read a few articles raving about D2 steel holding an edge and being extremely durable. I love the serrated Tanto blade design and the stone washed black oxide finish which gives it a nice “worn-in” look that should last. I have used it many times now on carpet, rope, wood, leather, cardboard and plastic and was not disappointed in how it handled all the materials. Even the packaging is really nice and well designed. It sits opened in a blister pack, but is well protected with a tip cover. Awesome knife overall for a contractor, but would also make a great gift or addition to an EDC knife collector.

This is a really great little knife! It folds out and closed really easily (sometimes it feels too easily but it has never come open accidentally). Comes with great D2 steel and sharpens up really nicely. Perfect do it all knife that locks into position very firmly and will serve you well as it has a great basic design that is time proven. Highly recommend!

This Hardline series of knives is Milwaukee's debut in the EDC knife market, and I think they've hit it out of the park in quality, ergonomics, and price point. I started out with the 2.5" blade version, and liked it so much I picked up this 3" drop point version as well. The 3" version fits a little better in my hand, but I prefer the "pointier" drop point of the 2.5" for piercing over the more curved 3" blade. First, let's talk about the blade. All the Hardline knives use D2 steel, which is a high chromium, high carbon tool steel. It's corrosion resistant, very hard, and has a great ability to hold an edge. Downsides is that it's a little more brittle than other knife steels, and it can be harder to sharpen, although it doesn't need sharpening as often as other softer steels. I did some comparisons with other brands, and was very hard pressed to find any knives with D2 steel under $100. In fact, the only ones I did find under $100 were all liner locks, and not a frame lock like the Hardline series uses. I found that this 3" version wasn't quite as sharp as the 2.5" version I already had. The 3" one wasn't sharp enough to shave with right out of the packaging. After about 20 minutes of careful sharpening with a ceramic, I had it as sharp or sharper than the 2.5" blade originally was though. So it's not terribly difficult to sharpen, it just takes some time. I've been carrying and using the knife for the past three weeks, and after my initial sharpening of the blade, it's still sharp enough to shave with. I've used it to cut paper, cardboard, twine, blister packaging, etc., and it's holding and edge very well. The flipper design opens the knife with a crisp snap, and the ball detent keeps the knife closed in your pocket, with nearly no chance of it coming open accidentally. The belt clip is reversible for right or left handed users, but it's only configurable for tip-up carry. This is most convenient for deploying and using the knife quickly, but some may have concerns about the knife coming open in a pocket and getting poked or sliced when reaching into the pocket. I don't see this as a big issue, since the ball detent is very effective at keeping the knife closed. The frame lock has good coverage on the blade, but can be a bit tricky to get disengaged without some practice. The edge you push on with your thumb to disengage the lock is a bit rounded over, and could use some texture to help grip. After a bit of practice, I don't have any problems disengaging the lock one-handed with my right hand, but it's very difficult for me to disengage the lock one-handed with my left hand - I always have to resort to pushing the back edge against a hard surface to assist in closing the blade. It could be I'm not as coordinated as a lefty would be, but it's also a different motion and less natural using the left hand. The 3" bladed version of the Hardline knives is just a little too big for putting in a watch pocket on my jeans, but then again I have a smaller frame, and someone who is 5'8"+ may have more real estate in their pockets. The belt clip still holds it securely to a pocket edge, and I usually just end up carrying it in the corner of my back pocket. So in summary, this is a great EDC knife - it's a little more on the high end of the "economical" range, but I don't think you'll find anything better unless you look in the over $100 range.

I'm a bit of a knife collector and I have all 4 of the Hardline knives. I like them all but this one is my favorite. The 3" size is perfect for me. I do really like the tanto serrated 3" hardline also, but for most of my needs a smooth blade is best. - D2 Steel for under 100.00. Very hard to find in a 3" pocket knife of this build quality - Really heavy duty. This knife is beefy. Stainless steel (stonwashed finish) back, glass reinforced nylon grip, and a serious frame lock. This is made for some serious use. It's also fairly heavy for it's size, but not unreasonably so. - Tip up carry that is really deep. The knife is barely visible in pocket. The clip is reversible for lefties like me - Comes razor sharp out of the package - Opens very quickly with the flipper on the back. No flick of the wrist needed. It's one of the smoothest and fastest (non-spring assisted) knives I own. The only downside for me is closing. I mentioned this in my reviews for the other 3 knives as well. I cannot close this knife with just my left hand. I either need to use my right hand, or use 2 hands to close it. The frame lock is very secure. Overall this is my favorite of all the hardline knives, and one of my top three 3" folding knives I currently own. As you can see in the pictures of the blade, I've already put this knife through some heavy use. I will be carrying this one with me everywhere for the foreseeable future.

I got this and the 2.5 inch version of it to give a try and see which of them (if either) I would prefer as something to carry routinely. I fully expected to prefer the smaller one but after going back and forth truing them both I keep going back to this one as my preference. It's noticeably easier to open and close than the smaller version without being that much heavier. It's not as light as the old bucklite I had been carrying lately but it is plenty light enough to be comfortable. I don't usually use belt clips but this one has just the right amount of grip being easy to slide on and off without being too loose or too tight. So I'm a belt clip convert on this one. The only thing I would change is the addition of a nail mark for opening but that's just me. The flipper is fine once you get used to it. It's still plenty easy to open and close. The build quality is good and solid and the ball bearing makes it smooth. Yeah, it's more expensive than some knives but it is a good quality. I think it stacks up reasonably well against some more expensive knives. I think I'll be carrying this one for a good while.

I am slightly impressed with the quality of the Hardline smooth blade pocket knife by Milwaukee. The stone washed black oxide finish looks nice and helps prevent corrosion. Even after cutting thick plastic straps, removing splits in furring strips and prying out staples, etc. the blade shows no wear marks The knife . The D2 steel blade is thick and rugged looking but should come from factory sharper. The flipper and bearing system aides in opening knife but flipper could be a little more angled or a tad bigger but once you get use to it the knife is pretty easy to open. The blade locks open via a strong steel frame lock that is a little hard to release especially the first few times you use the knife. The front side of the knife has a glass filled nylon handle that gives you a nice slip resistant grip while the back side of handle is smooth stanless steel with the same stone washed finish. In my opinion there are two design flaws in this knife. Both sides of the knife handle should have been made out of the glass filled nylon and frame lock should be better designed. The D2 steel blade is why I gave this product four stars instead of three.

Super heavy duty little knife that is sharp the full length. The D2 steel for the blade is a super tough tool steel used to make high production stamping dies and holds an edge forever, well it seems like it does. The first thing I do with a new knife is rub my hand & thumb all over the outside hard looking for sharp edges or snag areas. Absolutely none. The only thing that catches is the flipper to open blade with and that is not sharp just non-slip and the flipper is positioned when blade is open to prevent the hand from sliding onto blade. Great nonslip nylon handle on one side with a plastic spacer in Milwaukee’s distinctive red. The other side of handle is stainless steel without any checkering but the belt clip is on that side and the locking lever that adds some texture so I don’t think slipping will be a problem. Using the flipper the blade opens with either hand using the index finger. An easy snap and it is locked and loaded. Nice sharp blade straight from factory locks open solidly. and the serrations are a full 1 inch long and very effective. The D2 steel Tanto blade is handy for piercing just about any material, well, not armor plate but sheet metal is a breeze. Handle has a diamond shaped opening for a thin strap or wrist loop not some puny hole. The belt clip is effective and easily removed if you don’t want it. Screw heads are made for a mini-Torx driver or, if you are like me and do not have the mini-Torx a #0 Allen wrench will work. Measures 4 1/8 closed by 1 1/2” wide by 3/8” thick without the belt clip and 5/8” thick over belt clip. Only the spacer and one handle are glass filled nylon, the rest is steel so it is heavy for it’s size but that weight also gives the knife a good feel.

Once the Milwaukee Hard line pocket knife arrived, I put it to a test in cutting up an old 7 X 10 rug. I challenged it with a utility knife. The utility knife did great but the milwaukee hard line knife did an excellent cut with its 3 inch smooth tip combined together with an inch serrated tanto blade. I'm not saying to drop all the utility knifes over this pocket knife. I am simply saying this knife meets more than its expectations and it works wonders. Very lightweight and handy. The only issue I had with the serrated blade pocket knife was having to unlock the blade. The release lock is flush to the frame and makes it a bit difficult to close the blade. Besides that I am super satisfied with pocket knife.

This is a very solid & durable feeling pocket knife. Perfect for both the jobsite and everyday carry applications. The flipper mechanism is very quick and smooth for fast opening. The locking mechanism is very solid & offers confidence the blade is locked with no concerns of opening up. Nice deep carry pocket clip. Extremely sharp blade. Gripping the knife for any cutting applications is very natural feeling and comfortable. I would definitely recommend to anyone in the market for a new pocket knife!!

This is a great pocket knife for everyday carry. Extremely sharp blade & nice jimping on top of blade for exceptional gripping. The weight of the knife is perfect. The locking mechanism is extemely solid feeling with a distinct feel and sound when the blade locks in place. Solid and sturdy like one would expect with a fixed blade knife. I love flashy & stylsh looking items with logos and lettering on them. This knife has the company logo, model name on the blade itself, model number on handle, emblem on clip, and an eye warning label. Not that these qualities do anything for the knife, it just looks very cool! I love this knife & would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good EDC blade.

I own more pocket knives than I care to admit. I've carried a knife since I've been old enough to use one responsibly, and this is my current favorite Milwaukee absolutely nailed it with this one. Likes D2 steel at under 100 bucks. I could really end the review here. Aside from a few rare examples (which I also own) this is not common. D2 steel is one of the most desirable steels for knife blades. It wears extremely well so you can go a long time between sharpenings. However it's not extremely difficult to sharpen when it's time to do so. Also unlike some of the tougher tool steels, it is capable of taking (and holding) a very keen edge. Super smooth operation. I prefer a flipper to a thumb stud. With a little nudge this just flies open. I can open it quicker than some of my spring assisted open knives from other brands. It's a tad stiff out of the package, but loosens up quickly. This is very well machined and very well assembled. The frame lock is pretty hardcore and the blade will not move when locked. The ergonomics are great. It feels nice in your hand, there are no hot spots or sharp edges (other then the blade of course). One side is glass filled nylon and provides a good but not too rough grip. The other side is stainless steel. If you are right handed, the smooth side won't wear at your pocket lining. If you are a lefty like me, you are used to being left out. The handle shape is great. There is just enough jimping at the top of the blade to provide some tactile feedback. Any cutting operations I have done with this knife I have done with confidence It looks great. The stone washed/tumbled steel look is my favorite on a knife. It gives it natural patina and it also makes it so the eventual nicks, dings, and scratches from use blend right in. The red in the spine is a nice touch Reversible tip up deep carry clip isn't overly stiff, but feels secure I like the serrated tanto blade. My initial thought was that it wouldn't get much use because I do prefer a smooth blade drop or clip point, but I am really liking the 2 separate cutting edges a lot. Sharpening will be a challenge though. It's razor sharp out of the package. No need to touch it up at all Considerations This is heavy compared to most of my other knives of this size. I wouldn't call that a negative because this is meant for heavy duty work, but just be aware you will notice this in your pocket. The frame lock is very sturdy, Even a gorilla would need to use 2 hands to close this. The detents are tough to get past. There is no chance of accidentally closing this on your finger without putting a lot of force on the frame lock It carries really deep. Some like this, I prefer less of a deep carry. People will not be able to tell you are carrying a knife, but you'll have to reach pretty deep to get it out of your pocket. I'll likely put a small lanyard on the back. I wish this was packaged closed. A lot of care is needed to open the blister pack without catching a knuckle on the blade Overall I never thought I'd be carrying a Milwaukee knife every day, let alone rave about them to everyone. I would recommend this to anyone, even hardcore knife enthusiasts without hesitation.

Great little knife. Just the right size for every day carry. Sharp D2 steel blade. Nice and smooth pivot mechanism.

Good quality I use this blade for cutting boxes It has disappoint me as is not sharp enough to cut threw thin boxes for the amount of price I paid did not last very long .

Very good quality knife,a little spendy,I wish the pocket clip was a little tighter,my safety vest keeps hooking it and pulling it out of pocket

Really like the pocket knife I use it everyday

I’ve had the tanto half serrated now for a few years. It’s been my favorite utility knife I’ve ever used. It’s fairly thin and not bulky compared to even the red Milwaukee folding knife. It has a nice ball bearing folding mechanism that opens and closes easily with one hand. While the blade does dull with usage, like any knife would, it is very easy to sharpen and I’ve never had an issue with knicks or damage to the blade from use or misuse. The only downside is it is not made in the USA.

more than 70$ for knife.? something must be wrong with this people applying that price to something like this.

Perfect size blade, weight, and over all design. Out shines some of my other blades that cost more than double the Milwaukee.

Love this knife. Super sharp and holds its edge. I just wish there was 3.5 inch version of this knife.

Great product. Exactly as advertised

Best knife I’ve ever owned. Holds a sharp blade longer than any knife I’ve used.