Good EDC knife??? BUT...

I need to buy a good EDC knife, BUT there are some conditions. So, I'm looking for some recommendations, but it's important you read what I'm looking for before responding.

First, I'm a knife guy. I have tons of knives. I'm also a master knife sharpener, and even dabble in making my own knives sometimes as well. However, most of my knives are fixed blade knives, including the ones I make. I don't make folding knives. That's a higher skill above my hobby grade.

Some background - I have about a dozen really nice folding knives, but only a couple are suited to EDC. They were pricey, but not crazy pricey (when I bought them). The most suitable to an EDC knife, and the one I've been carrying around in my bag recently is a Benchmade Mini-Griptillian with a 2.75" blade and D2 tool steel. That thing is bullet proof. Today, on a lark I was looking around for Benchmade knives and saw the knives I have selling for $250+ per each! HOLY COW!!! I didn't pay near that much, and I'd hate to lose one of these things now. So, I need something more practical.

Here are the requirements for what I'm hoping to find...
- Folding (obviously)


- Tip up carry (as opposed to the tip pointing down when folded) (I can explain if not clear).

- Not being snobbish about steel grade for this knife, but I would like something with a little chromium in it, but not like 440, and not pure carbon (for this knife anyway).

- I'd like it to be under $100 dollars (US), preferrably about $50-75 (but negotiable). It's going to get mistreated and abused. I always have some kind of a knife on my person, but this one is going in my bag which goes everywhere with me.

- Don't really care too much about scales. Just something ergonomic and decent.

That's about it. One last word about steel grades. I generally try to stay away from Chinese steel. Some of those "CR" steels you really don't know what's in them. It's not an absolute, but I try to stick with American, German or Australian steel.

Lastly, I'd love to hear about your EDC knife (or knives). Good, bad, whatever and all about your EDC blades.

Thanks in advance!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
I got excited when I saw the post, even more so when I saw it was yours, as I know your background and expect a quality thread.

I was disappointed as a couple of your criteria knocked my Diamond Blade friction forged folder out of your “sweet spot.” www.diamondbladeknives.com...

I have the Victor, hunting buddy got the Patriot, neither is near 100$, but you can’t find a comparable edge, that lasts longer. Amazing for cleaning game.

If I had it to do over, I wouldn’t of bought it as an auto…doesn’t matter what I pay, pocket lint eventually affects the open.

I look forward to seeing what comes up with your criteria 👍🏼

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I carry this one..

Overall Length: 6.99" / 177.6mm
Width: 1.19" /30.3mm
Overall Height (Include Clip): 0.66" /16.8mm
Blade Length: 2.96" / 75.2mm
Closed Length: 4.03" / 102.4mm
Blade Thickness: 0.12" / 3mm
Handle Thickness: 0.43" / 11mm
Weight: 2.89oz / 82g

Blade Material: D2
Blade Hardness: 58-60HRC
Blade Grind: Hollow
Blade Finish: Black Stonewashed

Handle Material: G10
Handle Color/Finish: Burgundy
Liner Material: Stainless Steel
Liner Color/Finish: Black

Used well over a year now daily. Durable, D2 blade holds and sharpens well. Cheap enough to lose, although I haven't yet and also haven't destroyed it yet.

Many colors/grips etc.

Blade up pocketed as you requested.

a reply to: JinMI
That’s a nice knife for a helluva price. I’ve been carrying my Victor for a year now as well. Took the place of a Benchmade auto.

Here's a good place to start. I've bought several from them and have never been disappointed.

www.crkt.com...

a reply to: BlueJacket

I've lost $800+ in pocket knives over the years. These days, I try to get the best bang for my buck but still keeping in mind that I use it daily. My leatherman is more than my pocketknife.

I guess they're like sunglasses, you're more likely to lose/have stolen/break the more expensive ones.

a reply to: JinMI
I couldn’t agree more on the sunglasses front! I do on the knife topic too, but I’ll be $&@$ if my knife addiction hasn’t been a little harder to give up than my gun addiction

I've always carried a pocket knife, but have never really cared about materials and what not.

My only requirements for a pocket knife:
Is it sharp enough to clean a fish. Specifically bluegill and bass. If yes, go to next.

Is it comfortable in my pocket, particularly size and weight. If yes, go to next.

Keep it until I lose or break it.

Else on any of the above, I give it to a neighbor/friend/coworker.

The thing about pocket knives, I abuse them. The grip levers on my motorcycle need tightening? Cool, I'll use my knife blade to twist the screw. That cracked the tip of the blade on my last knife. Maybe if I spend $100 that wouldn't happen... but I don't want to use the backend of a $100 knife to pry open a bunch of beer bottles. The last few months I've been carrying an old timer:
Old Timer 858OT Lumberjack 7.4in S.S. Traditional Folding Knife with 2.8in Clip Point Blade and Sawcut Handle for Outdoor, Hunting, Camping and EDC www.amazon.com...=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_g_5AKSCPQKDKV12S98640H

Cheap, razor sharp out of the box, great in my pocket.

I just ordered another to stow away in my truck as a backup for when I abuse the one I got to the point it needs replacing... or I let someone borrow it and forget to get it back from them, again.

Though if I spent $100 on it, I wouldn't be so friendly to let someone I don't know borrow it at the campsite.

a reply to: BlueJacket

Those look pretty nice! What criteria does it fail?

a reply to: JinMI

Wow, that's almost exactly what I'm looking for!!

Hmmmmm....




ETA - I think that may be just exactly what I should order. I like that it's D2 steel too. Little more maintenance, but D2 is some rugged stuff!

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: BlueJacket

Those look pretty nice! What criteria does it fail?

They’re remarkable knives…only criteria fail is the price

a reply to: GenerationGap
Love the Old Timer, just like the ol Case XXX, still can get those guys at the Feed store, still sitting in the same plexiglass case on the faux red velvet backing they had back in the 70s👍🏼

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I got the one with the painted? blade. Some sort of coating. Much less maintenance.

I've adjusted it once and cleaned as needed.

originally posted by: DAVID64
Here's a good place to start. I've bought several from them and have never been disappointed.

www.crkt.com...

I use the CRKT CEO, very small, good quality and inconspicuous. Mostly used for opening boxes and eating apples.
Also have the CRKT bear claw.

a reply to: BlueJacket

Ahhhh...gotcha. I didn't see any prices. I have lots of expensive knives, but for my every day bag I'm thinking I don't want to cry too much of it gets lost or stolen.

I was stunned at how much the Benchmade knives have increased in price! Holy cow! Hence my looking for a replacement.

a reply to: JinMI

yeah, that's the one I'm looking at with the powder coat. I really like those burnt orange scales too.

That's a real contender right at the moment! I've already got one in my cart while I keep looking around, but that might just be it.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Within that price range, it would be hard to do better than a D2 blade. They are not truly stainless but a good one is so close as to not matter much unless you're using it in a salt water environment. Also, with a hardness around RC60 and a modicum of Tungsten and Vanadium in the mix, they can take and hold a decent edge. You didn't say what blade length you want but an ESEE Zancudo is a 3 inch locking blade for about 35 bucks. An Ontario Model 1 with a 3.6 inch locking blade is about 50 bucks. I own one of each and alternate which one I carry depending on which environment I'm in and what I expect to be doing with it.

I used to always carry a buck knife, they were pretty good, but I abused them and either the spring broke or the blade broke. I never sent one in for repair or replacement even though they had a life time warantee. I now carry a Guidesman knife, ten bucks at Menards minus eleven percent rebate. It goes through hell and the steel is impressive for the cost. Second one I owned, the last one must have fell out of my pocket when I pulled out the keys. The only drawback is that it does not have a locking blade, but I really don't need it anymore, I don't Hammer on it as a chisel anymore like I used the Bucks for when I was working building homes. It has the brass and wood (or maybe fake wood) type of style. Less than ten bucks including tax, one sixth of what I would pay for a buck knife.

Had this knife for two years now, use it almost every day. The last one I lost after two years and it still worked fine. I sharpen them about once a week to keep them very sharp with one of those files to sharpen kitchen knives. Not quite as good as stones, but I don't carve stuff out of wood anymore, I gave that up over fifty five years ago when I used to sit and carve out animals and stuff like whistles with my grandfather on the farm porch in the summer evenings.

I have shopped for knives over the years, I like one style of Buck knife and these feel good. I have looked at some over a couple of hundred bucks, they were pretty looking, but actually, no better than the buck knife. I don't like those light handle knives, I would rather have a heavier knife in my pocket and don't care to wear a sheathed knife anymore, I wear bibs all the time now because of a bad hernia patch that bothers me if I wear a belt.

a reply to: 1947boomer

Yeah, I like D2 steel. It's a decent tool steel so it works great for knives, but you d- 3o have to care for it because it's not stainless.

Size - Blade length of abour 2.75" - 3". I like to keep the OAL under 7" if possible, 6.5" is good. That's about the right size for an EDC knife for me. Anything larger and I'm probably going to grab a fixed blade. Plus, because it's going in a bag, I'd like to keep it as light as possible.

That's why JinMI's suggestion was so great, it's almost dead nuts on size, and the weight is only 2.8 or something like that.

Here's my EDC since 2000, it's an Emerson CQC7 1999 model. I paid 100 bucks for it at a knife show and have carried it daily since.
The point is broke off a little from way to many uses as an impromptu Phillip's screw driver, and the tanto edge has scraped many gaskets. I've abused, mistreated and generally beat the living crap out of this knife for the better part of 20 years and it's still going strong.

I cut out a notch to become a rough equivalent of Emerson's wave feature, (which this knife didnt have), and it works well to snap the blade open while pulling it out of my pocket. It Carries point up. The wave is nice, as it's a true one hand instant open.
It holds an edge pretty well, but when you scrape gaskets, cut and strip wires, etc it does loose out in the end.

The tanto style blade has become such a handy feature I dont think I'd ever choose any other type for a working knife.



Of course they're going for 200 now though.

emersonknives.com...