EDC knife... need suggestions

[surferdaddy]

[couzin]

I really like my five year old Kershaw Leek. Cost was reasonable, it will still cuts like a razor, and it opens very quick with pressure from the index finger rather than the thumb. I did have to undo the 'lock' for the blade and I switched the pocket clip so that it is in my right pocket and ready for use instead of fumbling around with it - but otherwise it is a very good knife. Kershaw still sells them http://www.thekershawstore.com/Kershaw- ... /k1660.htm.

[carlson1]

I have the knife below. It opens with your thumb or index finger. I bought my son who is LEO one and he carries his daily at work and loves it also.

I am not huge knife fan, but I sure love this one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Smith-Wesson-S- ... 2c5eb687de" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AdioSS]

SOG Pendulum

I added a hook similar to the Emerson Wave to the thumbstud using JB Weld that catches on my pocket as I pull it out using the slip ring. Or my thumb pulls back on the bolster which starts the blade out & snapping my wrist does the rest. I can deploy it rather quickly using the ring & hook

The 4" VG10 blade is NICE!

[Bugler]

What's your price range?

Will you trust your life to a $100 knife?

[45Carrier]

No real price range in mind.

I don't want to spend more than necessary for anything I end up with, but I am well aware quality usually costs more.

I don't see dropping $2-300 on a knife, but I am in no way interested in something cheaply made.

A good comparison is a Glock vs a Les Baer. I can appreciate a Les Baer, for what it is, but I'd certainly feel safe with a Glock strapped on.

I will never own a Korth, or a Jennings.

[Skiprr]

No real price range in mind.

I don't want to spend more than necessary for anything I end up with, but I am well aware quality usually costs more.

I don't see dropping $2-300 on a knife, but I am in no way interested in something cheaply made.

Well, I've dropped over $200 on a utilitarian knife (as opposed to something collectible), and I've also dropped over $200 on a sharpening system. (Something else to consider.)

You're sorta correct about your Glock and Les Baer comparison, except that with a carry handgun it really has only two roles: primary or back-up gun. You only use a handgun for one purpose, to stop a threat...whatever that threat might be, from a rattler in the scrub to two armed attackers in a parking lot.

An EDC knife is a little different. If you view it as a utilitarian box-cutter, rope-slicer, campsite dinner tool, and maybe a defensive alternative, you have a lot of choices.

If you view an EDC knife only as a defensive tool, the standards are different. And, I'll add, you really need to get training in how to use it. The knife can be handy without training, but it can only be effective in an emergency situation with training.

The Kershaw Spec Bump I mentioned earlier is my EDC. When dress permits, though, I carry a fixed-blade, reverse-blade knife called "Trigonaut," designed and built by David L. Mosier, http://www.dmknives.com/.

I'm not sure if he still makes this particular knife; the demand for reverse-blade knives may be insufficient. But that's not the point...

The knife is relatively short overall, about 7.5". But the steel is full-tang, a full .2" thick, and tough S30V steel. This thing won't break unless you put it into a hydraulic press.

I sharpen my S30V knives to a 15-degree angle. Lesser steels need to be held to an 18- to 20-degree angle.

Make no mistake, other steels can make a great knife. For example, you can make a hard-use tactical knife from ATS-34. But you might have to sacrifice some cutting performance, and/or reduce hardness, sacrificing wear-resistance.

For your EDC, consider its purpose. If that purpose is defensive, do not discount the type of steel and the thickness of the blade. Something too thin and weak may break quickly in a real-world encounter.

[Excaliber]

What's your price range?

Will you trust your life to a $100 knife?

Price should be the last criterion, as in: "Am I willing to spend that much to get what that knife offers?"

Suitability for purpose is the first criterion as Skiprr's post below explained.

[fickman]

I'll confess: when phones migrated from the utility belt to the front pocket (and when they started being large, exposed screens instead of flip phones), my EDC knife got squeezed out of the neighborhood. There just wasn't any real estate left.

When I do carry, I have a full size Spyderco lockblade that I always clip to the inside of the pocket on jeans. It's a little too long to ride comfortably without clipping, so I never carry it with slacks or shorts. I also have a thicker Smith & Wesson that's the same length and has the same carry profile for me.

I've considered a Benchmade for years but haven't taken the plunge yet.

[rwponline]

Out of the dozen or so knives in my carry rotation, the spyderco Endura and spyderco Caly 3 get the most pocket time. Those knives just work. Closing a spyderco lockback one handed takes a few minutes of practice, but once you get it down it's pretty quick.

Another great option is the SOG Visionary II. It has a very similar locking mechanism to the benchmade Axis lock, but it's under $100. Super fun to flick that thing open and closed.

Finally, the SOG Aegis is a great assisted open knife that is super light, fast, and carries super deep. Not as sturdy as the Visionary II, Endura, or Caly 3, but easy to deploy under stress and close one handed.

Let us know what you end up with!

[JRG]

For those of you that do carry a knife with a clip on your front pants pockets.........how do you keep your pants pocket edge from wearing out quickly? I've got two or three pair of nice jeans that have started to not get worn anymore due to the fact that while the upper pocket edges are looking so shabby now.

I saw a guy in an amusement park the other day that had on a pair of jeans that had what looked like leather sewn over the edges of all the pockets, front and back. I did not get a chance to see what brand they were though.

Joe

[Jimineer]

My Spiderco Paramilitary 2 is my EDC since I bought it about 6 months ago. I own mostly Benchmades and this was my first Spiderco. Really love everything about it. I forget what I paid for it but it was over $100. Actually, I also have a SOG Trident with Tanto blade and really like it a lot. Probably 2nd on my list. As for just a handly little pocket knife that is small, my mini Griptillian is hard to beat.

When my wife gives me crap about having so many knives, I remind her of how many watches she has. To me a knife is part of my wardrobe even if nobody ever sees it.

[The Annoyed Man]

CRKT M21-14DSFG. Yes, it has a liner lock, but it also has a second switch called the AutoLAWKS, which requires both switches to be manipulated at the same time, making the knife much less likely to slice anything on closing. When the knife is locked open, the flippers form a hilt. The hilt is perforated to accept 550 chord, and it can be lashed to a pole, converting the knife into a spear. It is not assisted opening, but it flicks open very easily. And it is tough. The Veff-type serrations are extraordinary.

I own two EDC type knives: this CRKT, and a Kershaw Tanto Blur assisted opening knife. Both are very good knives, and I have no real complaint about the Blur.....but my EDC has been the CRCT for a long time now. Anymore, I only carry the Blur when I feel the need to deeply conceal the knife. The CRKT is fairly large for a pocket folder.

CRKT M21-14DSFG


Kershaw Tanto Blur

[fickman]

For those of you that do carry a knife with a clip on your front pants pockets.........how do you keep your pants pocket edge from wearing out quickly? I've got two or three pair of nice jeans that have started to not get worn anymore due to the fact that while the upper pocket edges are looking so shabby now.

I saw a guy in an amusement park the other day that had on a pair of jeans that had what looked like leather sewn over the edges of all the pockets, front and back. I did not get a chance to see what brand they were though.

Joe

I just let it wear. . . some brands hold up a lot longer than others. In my experience, Wranglers and Levi's will hold out the longest. Lucky's will be tattered by the end of the first day.

[74novaman]

I agree with TAM. I love my CRKT M21.

I even put it through the washing machine and dryer once with no rusting or damage. (thought not intentionally )