An EDC Pocket Knife is without a doubt an essential item of your everyday carry gear and it has many advantages. From preparing food, to slicing cord for shelter or even opening boxes at the office. They are extremely handy to have on your person in any situation.
You’d be surprised at just how many people have to carry some sort of EDC pocket knife blade for the profession that they are in.
Which EDC Knife Is Right For Me?
Now this is not an easy question to answer and honestly, only you can truly answer it. But before you can figure it out, I recommend investigating and educating yourself on all the different kinds of EDC knives available today.
Your budget is also an important factor. Obviously the best quality EDC knives are going to be expensive but you can still obtain a quality knife for a comfortable price.
EDC Blade Features To Assess
The features you need to read up on include the weight, blade length, tang, spine, grind, quality of steel, manufacturer and where it is actually made. Sounds a little difficult huh? Well really, it’s actually pretty simple. There are loads of reviews out there today about all the knives on the market. Which will let you know which ones to avoid and which ones to put on your shortlist.
Once you have a shortlist or are interested in a particular brand, start really thinking about what the use of the knife will be. How exactly do you intend to carry it? This will definitely narrow your list down.
What's The Best Pocket Knife Brand?
To help you out here’s my list of the Best EDC Pocket Knife Brands to immediately start investigating:
1. Benchmade
This Oregon City based company focuses on teaming up with renowned knife designers all across the globe including Bob Lum, Jason Williams, Greg Thompson, Seiichi Nakamura and Bill McHenry. The brand also has a strong collaboration with HK Knives (Koch) and Heckler to offer three tiers of in-house excellent knives. Namely the Blue, Black, and Gold series.
The Gold section accommodates beautiful craftsmanship and is a perfect pick for collectors. This edition is limited and is only sold via a few selective distributors. It is developed from the very rare Damascus and M390 steel to titanium along with scales made up of rare wood.
The Blue section uses steels of high quality such as 145CM, D2 as well as S30V. The Black section is rarely available and isn't offered to the general public as it is predominantly made for military use only. Which demands a special law permit. One of my favourites available to all consumers is the Mini Griptilian Drop-Point Pocket Knife.
2. Emerson
A well-known brand for convenient folding knives that offers limited editions and mesmerizing designs. Emerson has a wide range of in-house knives made up of stainless steel whereas the handle is developed using a fiberglass laminate called G10.
They have even developed extremely sturdy knives for the Navy Seal’s which are perfect for the military purpose.
Emerson can also customize a knife to your specifications (for a price). However their standard range are still fairly priced for those on a budget. My top pick from Emerson is the 3.5 inch Tanto Blade with Black Oxide Blade Coat and Textured G-10 Handle.
3. Spyderco
A well-received brand of Colorado, this was the brand to firstly introduce combo and one-handed opening blades. It uses S35V but sometimes also incorporates the use of 8Cr13Mov to cut the production cost further. Then passing on the affordability to their customers.
Spyderco also offers customized pocket knives that do range a little bit higher in cost, but still has a great range of completely affordable, sexy knives. I recommend the Spyderco Tenacious Plain Edge EDC Folder.
4. Buck Knives
Buck Knives have been manufacturing knives for five generations now and with their experience, they craft perfection with each piece.
They primarily develop field and sports knives making the brand extremely popular for long back folding knives.
They have several models including Buck Model 110, 501, 112, 301 BKS Stockman, 119 BR Special as well as 65 Hood Punk Knife. Most of the these models accommodate lock blade folding designs and stainless steel blades. My top pick is the Buck Model 110 EDC Folder for hunting.
5. Kershaw Knives
Kershaw Knives is one of the popular knife manufacturing brands that develop a wide range of knife types including sports knives, pocket knives and even kitchen cutlery.
A well-received brand name of the USA, Kershaw Knives offers knives for widespread requirements from everyday use to camping and hunting.
Another creation of Kershaw is Zero Tolerance Knives which are customized knives made especially for the military markets. However for the general consumer these are not availalbe. Instead I recommende checking out the Kershaw Leek Pocket Knife, completely stainless steel.
Best EDC Pocket Knife Brands Conclusion
In conclusion, before you buy, do your research and once you are excited about a particular knife just go for it and buy it. At the very minimum you’ll have started your prepping journey and have a great EDC pocket knife to work with. Test and adjust is my motto. So start reading about all the different styles of EDC knives today with my recommended reading below.