Choosing an EDC Knife can be a difficult decision, with all the choices in steel, handle material, lock type, blade shape and size, and of course cost. First off we need to define just what and EDC knife is, and isn’t. An EDC knife isn’t a big old honking survival knife that Rambo would be hauling around. An EDC knife is a reliable pocket tool, that will handle reasonable knife chores on a daily basis. With these parameters in mind, lets look at what makes up a good EDC knife.
EDC Knife
EDC Knife Steel
For me blade steel is the most important decision you can make when purchasing an EDC knife. I’m drawn to the newer steels like VG-10, 154cm, or S-30v. These are premium stainless steels that will hold up to a decent amount of abuse, and still hold a razor sharp edge. I shy away from anything simply labeled “stainless steel” ,that stuff is not even a step up over pot metal.
EDC Knife Handle Material
Modern handle materials run the gamut from carbon fiber, G-10, FRN (fiberglass reinforced nylon), to stainless steel. All of these materials have stood up to more abuse than the average daily carried knife will normally take. I would rather go for one of the cheaper materials and get a premium steel, but that is just one crazy knife guy’s opinion.
EDC Knife Lock Type
There are a couple different kinds of knife locks that are acceptable for an EDC Knife. I shy away from the traditional lock back unless it has a David Boye Dent, which lessens the chance of accidental closing of the knife. The newer ball bearing type locks are sweet and lock up like tanks! I also have no qualms about carrying a liner lock, they get a bad rap among some guys but I’m not going to push my EDC knife that far.
EDC Knife Blade Size And Shape
Shape and Size are sort of personal decisions (and no, not in a dirty way). My rule of thumb for shape is, if I don’t know why it is shaped that way, I don’t buy it. I’ve got plenty of cool stuff, but for my EDC knife I like to stick with the tried and true. Funky curves or angles just don’t excite me on an EDC knife. As far as size goes, I’ve actually started carrying much smaller knives than I used to. I used to roll with whatever would fit in my pocket. If I could have gotten a folding sword I would have!
EDC Knife Cost
This is probably the most personal choice of them all. What I consider cheap you might think is on the high side. I probably wouldn’t carry a $200 EDC knife but I know guys who would! So figure out what your price point is and shop from there.
My Favorite EDC Knife
I’ll admit it I’ve got a safe full of knives and all of them have seen some pocket time at one time or another. Currently my favorite is a Spyderco Delica 4 FFG
EDC Knife Reviews:
All of these meet my criteria for an EDC Knife and I’ve got no problem recommending them to you.
What are you carrying?
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Could not agree with you more carry spyderco delica also think it’s perfect. Have you ever used there triangle sharpener that’s also awesome
I’ve had a Sharpmaker for about 10 years or so. Mine is so old it came with a VHS! Thanks for reading.
My EDC knife carry has three levels
a: Casual wear standard
b: Dress wear standard
c: Bush craft (Camping,fishing,hunting,survival)
what do I carry?
a: Swiss Army Knife, MT/Gerber, Folder/Benchmade
b: Swiss Army Knife, MT/Squirt, Folder/Delica #4
c: Swiss Army Knife, MT/Gerber, Fixed/RAT-7
Nice carry! What kind of Benchmade? I’ve been drooling over the Contego but haven’t pulled the trigger.
I have recently hadelnd the three knives in this line, and decided to purchase the Persistence. I am increasingly spending more time in an urban environment where a large knife tends to scare people, but I can be in the wilderness in a matter of minutes. Because of this, I like to carry a substantial blade. The lack of size of the Persistence is made up for with a rugged build, thick lock, and a stout blade. This has made the Persistence the perfect balance for the environment in which I live.While the ergonomics are not quite as good as they are on the Tenacious, I can still get a comfortable four finger grip on the Persistence. The handle length is similar to that of my Buck Vantage Force from the bottom of the flipper back. Just for reference, I wear a large glove. In a relatively extensive cutting test two hours making fuzz sticks, shaving paper thin slices off the end of a half inch diameter branch, making tinder from the log I was sitting on, and even carving a crude spoon I detected no hot spots and the knife was still able to easily slice through paper afterward. This was all done with frozen drift wood found on the shore of Lake Erie. I was, however, wearing gloves as it was 20 degrees at the time. This may have eliminated any hot spots, but then again, I was able to do all of this while wearing gloves.With all of this in mind, I can easily say that the Persistence was worth the $40 that I payed for it. This might be a bit much for some considering the internet prices, but I purchased this knife in a locally owned store, payed no shipping, and got instant gratification. In my opinion, the Persistence is the absolute best in this line of knives.Sorry to be so long winded, but I hope this helps those who are on the fence with these particular knives. Thank you for this great site Dan and keep up the good work!Bill
As a former USAF survival instructor carry the best you can afford. However even a cheap one is better than none. I carry at least two on my person, a SOG Pentagon Elite and a smaller CRKT. The SOG will only be used for thin skinned predators.
Nice knives!
When I was younger, I loved break open knives. Now, I prefer old school knives. My favorite edc for walking in the woods is a Greenriver fish knife blade I made with a maple handle and pewter on the end and guard to balance it. My edc for work is a blade I picked up from a gun show a few years back I thought looked interesting because the handle ended in the head of a fish – just the right curve to help open a bottle or pop the top off a canned drink. It’s a Dogfish KREIN and my favorite edc daily carry.It comes with a kidex neck carry but I carry it in my pocket to work and made a leather holder for it to carry when not as formal. Both of these knives have served me well, even after coming across or making other knives.
The Dogfish looks really cool. Unfortunately it is discontinued.