Are you keen on a modern and versatile EDC (everyday carry) knife that fits into your pocket? Are you sick and tired of your old blunt knives that perform poorly on even the simplest cutting tasks? If so, this review can come to your rescue. It will provide you with a detailed review of the 5 best EDC knives and a comprehensive guide on choosing durable and cool knives.

1. CRKT M21-04G – Best CRKT EDC Knife

CRKT M21-04G is one of the small pocket knives that will impress you with its fast and smooth opening. You will have a great experience with this knife because you can use the blade comfortably and coolly with only one hand.

Besides, it comes with a G10 handle made of plastic laminate. This handle is not unduly affected by heat even up to 180 degrees Celsius, thus maintaining its stable dimensions. Hence, considering its excellent durability, you have got your money’s worth.

Moreover, the blade is designed to form a deep-bellied spear point style. The deep-bellied spear is made of high carbon stainless steel, so it’s capable of resolutely resisting the corrosion process. Therefore, even if your work makes a mess with the knife, you can still wash the blade with ease. The blade is also non-reflective, so you can avoid dazzling when using this knife.

Another noticeable feature of this EDC knife is the automatic liner safety.  It is safe for users, thanks to the double secure lock. Moreover, it possesses an automatic liner safety that uses an extra safety layer between the frame and the locking liner.

Pros 

• Not getting slippery and lingering any unpleasant smell when wet.
• Automatic deployment mode for the one-handed use of the blade.
• The attractive blade is a perfect addition to your collection of cool knives.
• The smaller flipper on one side causes no damage to your pocket.

Cons

• The multi-layer handle is challenging to wash, attracting dust, dirt, or lint when getting wet.
• Possible unsmooth operation due to any adjustments like loosening any pins.
• Possibly a nuance regarding the need to re-sharpen it regularly.

In short, CRKT M21-04G can be used flexibly and safely in any condition. Everyone can use it with great ease for daily tasks such as peeling fruits or cutting vegetables. However, it is not suitable for those who don’t want to spend much time on this lovely knife’s regular maintenance.

2. Buck Pocket Knife 110 – Best Classic Pocket Knife

Buck Pocket Knife 110 possesses a handle made of Macassar ebony Dymond wood. This material is formed by using phenolic resins to fuse thin pieces of wood. Macassar ebony Dymond wood is more robust than most other types of wood. Thus, it’s unlikely to be bent out of its original shape. In other words, it helps make the knife durable and weather-resistant.

Another notable feature of this knife lies in its classic and eye-catching look. As a folding knife, its handle color is a bit vintage and autumnal. As said earlier, Macassar ebony Dymond wood also significantly contributes to the knife’s natural-but-fancy look.

As a medium-sized knife, Buck Knife 110 is only 4 inches long when folded and 7-8 inches long when used. This allows you to tackle any tasks flexibly and efficiently. Since it’s foldable, you can put it inside your pocket and carry it conveniently.

Another thing that I like about this knife is that it comes with a black leather sheath embossed by buck knives 110. This leather sheath appears to be a shelter for the blade and prevent your pants from tearing up when you put it into your pocket.

Pros

• Classic and attractive look.
• High-quality stainless steel blade with vigorous corrosion resistance.
• Four pins on the handle for your firm hold when cutting.
• The belt sheath reduces the risk of damage caused by the blade.

Cons

• The relatively short blade (only 3 to 4 inches) is not well-suited for heavy-duty tasks.
• The tip is not sharp enough for piercing tasks.

In general, Buck Pocket 110 is the knife for those fond of classic items and wanting to keep their knife into a sheath. However, like most pocket knives, it is not appropriate for heavy-duty cutting or peeling tasks.

3. Benchmade – Mini Griptilian 556 – Best Benchmade EDC Knife

Benchmade – Mini Griptilian 556 Knife is designed with a glass-filled nylon handle that is durable and easy to use with both hands. This material helps increase the rigidity and up to 80% higher stiffness. The glass beads or fibers added to the handle can enhance its mechanical and thermal structure and properties.

Remarkably, the axis locking mechanism enables you to open the knife smoothly and safely. Once you start to open it manually, this locking mechanism will spring the blade into the right position. Besides, the pivot pin can withstand up to 200 pounds of force without being damaged. In this way, you can ensure that the locking mechanism will not lead to security risks.

A reversible clip is one of the features that make this knife so popular. It’s indeed convenient to carry it via a lanyard hole. You can fasten a ring or brace to the hole to easily hang it into your bell and pocket. The hole also helps prevent the blade from breaking because force will disperse when cutting.

In terms of warranty and service, the knife comes with a lifetime warranty. In case of problems, you can easily have this knife repaired or sharpened by Benchmade. The guarantee can also be applicable to most Benchmade knife models sold by authorized dealers.

Pros

• Dual steel liners, a robust clock, as well as the thick blade stock
• The textured and gripped handle for your firm hold of the knife.
• A clip for you to fasten the knife to your pocket.
• Ambidextrous, thus convenient for both lefties and righties to use.
• Ideal for piercing tasks thanks to the robust and pointy tip.

Cons

• The loose pocket clip and the edge require regular tightening.
• The comparatively large clip – an unwise choice if you want to hold a knife secretly.

In a nutshell, Benchmade – Mini Griptilian 556 is a durable knife that is suitable for those looking for a sturdy knife model. However, regardless of the name “mini”, you should be careful when putting it inside your pocket to avoid damage due to its relatively large clip.

4. Spyderco Delica 4 Lightweight – Best Spyderco EDC Knife

Spyderco Delica 4 Knives are available with various options regarding colors of the handle: blue, green, brown, purple, black, orange. You can choose whatever color you like.

Besides, one of the most remarkable features that Spyderco Delica 4 offers is ultra-lightweight. The knife has a dual skeletonized stainless steel liner, a lightweight and minimalistic design. In this way, you will hardly encounter any difficulty when using it or bringing it along with you.

When it comes to the handle, it features Bi-Directional Texturing that can help you avoid slipping when holding the knife. Indeed, Bi-Directional Texturing works as a hammer that controls your fingers’ position when you perform cutting tasks like filleting fish or peeling vegetables.

Speaking of the clip, it is flexible: tip-up, tip-down, left-and-right handed. Therefore, whether you are a righty or a lefty or a righty, you can still use the knife with great comfort.

Pros 

• Moderately lightweight to carry around.
• The flat blade works as a perfect and effective slicer that’s suitable for tasks such as peeling.
• A big hole on the blade is easy to open and be hung on your belt.

Cons

• Less cool unlocking experience with both hands when using the blade.
• Need re-sharpening regularly after a certain amount of time of use.
• Loose screws and blades are likely to come out of the handle.

In sum, as a fantastic slicer, Spyderco Delica 4 Lightweight is one of the best Spyderco knives for you to perform daily cutting works. Also, thanks to its ultra-lightweight attribute, you’ll find it convenient to carry this knife along instead of the other ones.

5. Kershaw Blur 1670BGBBLKST – Best Kershaw EDC Knife

Kershaw Blur 1670BGBBLKST has a Trac-Tec grip; thus, the knife can withstand most weather conditions. This weather resistance helps users as they may use the knife outdoors or in high-temperature conditions. This type of grip allows you to clean quickly when dirt or sand sticks to the knife.

The handle of Kershaw Blur 1670BGBBLKST is anodized aluminum. In other words, the handle is covered with another aluminum layer, enhancing the degree of protection against deforming. Like the Trac-Tec grip, the anodized aluminum handle is useful and durable despite exposure to sunlight, salty water, or even heat when cooking.

In terms of material, the knife achieves high corrosion resistance and sturdiness. The manufacturer has increased the amount of Nitrogen in the steel. Adding Nitrogen into the steel is significant since it makes the steel more durable and sturdy. Therefore, you can use the knife for heavy-duty tasks like cutting hard stuff or chopping wood.

Moreover, the knife comes with a blade coating, which also offers extra sturdiness to the blade. More to the point, it lowers the friction coefficient, so things like vegetable skin or meat will not stick to the blade and make a mess when you perform cutting or peeling tasks. Besides, the blade coating brings more original aesthetic value to the knife.

Pros 

• The original and attractive design with graceful curves in the handle.
• Easy to cut through tough or fibrous materials.
• It can work as a glass smasher in emergencies like fire in cars.
• High corrosion resistance and sturdiness thanks to blade coatings.

Cons

• The non-removable tip is rather inconvenient to make any changes or repair.
• It is challenging to use this knife for lefties, partly due to its locking mechanism.
• Need re-sharpening regularly, even when you have just bought it.

To sum up, Kershaw Blur 1670BGBBLKST with a Trac-tec grip can be used for outdoor activities, especially sea fishing, thanks to the well-protected grip and handle. It is also a useful cutting utensil as it is easy to clean with no mess remaining on the blade after use. However, if you choose to buy it, you should spend a little time getting used to the locking mechanism.

Detailed Buying Guide on EDC Knives

In the market with various products, you may get confused about which EDC knives to buy as each claims itself to be the best. Some products are of good quality, but they may not satisfy your needs due to their inappropriate or inconvenient sizes, types of handles, etc. Therefore, you should consider some criteria to make a rational purchasing decision.

 

• Versatility

Understandably, you may want to buy a versatile pocket knife. Commonly, knives are classified according to their intended use, but you can still select multi-purpose knives like EDC pocket knives. Those EDC pocket knives can perform daily tasks and serve as an indispensable item for outdoor trips or other activities like fishing.

In addition to daily use like cutting or peeling, you should choose knives you can use flexibly for other purposes. For example, you can utilize EDC knives such as Kershaw Blur 1670BGBBLKST as a glass smasher in an emergency like a fire. Suppose you got stuck in a car while it was on fire. In that case, you could use the knife to smash the windshield and escape safely.

Another use of knives is to open sealed cartons or cans. When you receive your delivered orders, you may need something to open them. In this case, an EDC knife can work as an adhesive tape remover. Or, if you cherish canned food, an EDC knife is so convenient since it can replace the can opener you have left somewhere.

Moreover, a versatile knife is what you cannot forget to bring along on your outdoor trips. You may use it to chop collected wood and light a flame. If you want to erect a tent for a shelter, you may need a knife to cut strings or do other related tasks. If you plan to throw a barbecue party, you may have to use a knife for carving wood into pointy skewers to grill the meat.

• Blade material

If you want to purchase a durable knife, you should look into the blade material. To determine whether the blade material is good or not, you need to consider four elements: Edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and ease of sharpening.

• Edge Retention

Edge retention of the blade material is determined by heat treatment when manufacturing the knife. If the blade is forged from steel under high temperatures, the knife can maintain its long-lasting precision. Also, in this way, forged steel achieves high hardness up to 60 HRC+. However, it tends to become brittle, easily breaking. By contrast, if you choose the blade forged under low temperature, it cannot maintain its precision after a long time of use. In this case, you have to re-sharpen it regularly.

• Toughness

In terms of toughness, components in the formula of steel are what matters. When you purchase a knife, you had better look into the blade composition. The elements that determine the blade toughness include carbon, manganese, copper, etc.

The higher content of carbon in the steel, the sturdier the blade is. However, with the high content of carbon, the blade becomes inflexible and less heat-resistant. Therefore, the most appropriate carbon content is from 0.8% to 1%. If the carbon content is low, nitrogen can enhance the steel toughness.

Regarding other elements, the blade should contain no more than 1.5% manganese to avoid being brittle. For copper, 0.3% – 0.8% of this element’s content will contribute to the outstanding durability against collisions or high pressure.

• Corrosion Resistance

Corrosion resistance is the material’s ability to withstand corrosion caused by factors such as dirt, moisture, and salt. Note that high corrosion resistance is not related to the overall performance of the blade.

Stainless steel is the best choice for you as it can withstand most weather conditions. Also, stainless steel is hard to rust even when exposed to corrosives such as salty water or acids. If you want to identify whether a blade is made of stainless steel or not, you can use a magnet. Stainless steel is not attracted to a magnet, while ordinary steel is.

• Ease of sharpening

As time goes by, the blade can become blunt. Therefore, you need to check whether it’s easy to re-sharpen or not by looking into the blade roughness. The rougher the blade is, the longer the sharpening process will take. The blade’s thickness also determines the level of sharpening ability: thinner blades will be easier to sharpen than the thicker ones.

It is easier to sharpen a knife if it is razor-sharp right out of the box. To check the knife’s sharpness, you should use the knife to cut the paper first. If you can make lean and decisive cuts, it is a purchase-worthy knife as regards sharpness. More to the point, you should pay attention to the edge of the blade. It is commonly thinner than the other parts of the blade and usually shinny.

• Size

When choosing a knife, size is what matters and needs your consideration. Knife sizes fall within a range of dimensions, commonly length, width, and thickness. Depending mainly on what to be done with the knife, you can decide which size is appropriate.

If you want to equip yourself with a knife to go camping, you should consider whether it’s convenient to bring along or not. After that, just think about the purposes for which you use the knife. If you use it for food preparation like peeling fruits or slicing meat, you should choose a lightweight knife with a thin blade. Or if you use it to pitch a tent, you may need a larger and sturdier one as your tasks may include cutting branches of trees or ropes.

When you go fishing, a knife is what you should remember to bring along with you. If you want to use it to cut the fishing line, a narrow and small-sized knife from 3 to 5 inches in length is suitable. Besides, you may need to fillet fish to turn your catch into dinner. You had better choose a long but small knife, ideally 7-9 inches long and 3-5 inches wide, to perform this delicate task.

• Grip

The grip is an essential part of a knife as it determines your cutting styles. Hence, when you choose a knife, you should choose the one with an ergonomic grip. Ergonomic grips enhance your efficiency of performing tasks and simultaneously minimize risks of injury and discomfort.

An example of ergonomic grips is a knife with an axis from the end to the tip like Kershaw Field Knife. With such a grip, you can comfortably and flexibly control cutting force and direction. Indeed, an excellent grip will make a significant contribution to your satisfaction when using a knife.

• Handle

The knife handle determines your comfort and cutting speed. Hence, you need to take notice of the handle when choosing a knife. Handles are made of different materials. The majority of handles are wooden, but plastic and rubber handles are growing more popular nowadays.

A handle made of wood will bring you natural and rustic feelings when you use it. However, it may become slippery when getting wet. On top of that, wood tends to absorb the lingering stale odor, causing users’ unpleasant feelings. Therefore, knives with wooden handles are suitable for simple tasks. This type of handle is widely used for outdoor camping or hunting.

As for plastic handles, they can avoid slips and odor as they are typically water-proof and easy to wash. This handle is corrosion-resistant even when exposed to water as it doesn’t absorb water. It is also friendly to your hands because of the smooth and elastic surface. Nonetheless, they tend to gradually break under the influence of heat and sunlight for a long time.  Thus, you can use knives with plastic handles for fishing, especially sea fishing, as long as you preserve it carefully.

Another popular choice for you is the seamless steel one. It addresses the weaknesses of the two types mentioned above. You needn’t worry about any damage to the handle if you use a seamless steel one, regardless of exposure to heat or corrosives. These days, seamless steel handles grow in popularity because of their advantageous properties and eye-catching look.

 

The Final Thoughts

In a nutshell, each of the best 5 EDC knives mentioned above has its pros and cons that you need to consider before making your purchasing decision. Specifically, there are many factors to consider, such as versatility, material, size, sharpness, weight, handle, grip, etc., to purchase a perfect knife. Make sure that you consider those things before buying a knife. You can ask for an alternative or refund by contacting the brand or the authorized dealers in case of defects.

We expect our 5 best EDC knife review and buying guide will help you better understand which knife suits your needs the most and make a wise purchasing decision. And more importantly, have a great experience with it!