Steel characteristics also affect how prone a blade will be to rusting, however, most decent modern pocket knives use a steel that’s rust-resistant enough that it won't require lots of special care.Almost all knives’ product pages will list the type of steel used and if they don’t, it’s likely a budget knife. Length: With most pocket knife designs, the overall (opened) length is a little more than double the blade length since handles are usually longer than blades. With most pocket knife designs, the overall (opened) length is a little more than double the blade length since handles are usually longer than blades.