One of the most useful tools you can carry with you on a daily basis is a knife. Its uses stretch so far beyond being used to skin a deer or defend yourself from attackers. EDC knives are fantastic for breaking down cardboard boxes, opening plastic packages, cutting up some salami for a snack, and so much more. An EDC knife at its core is best suited to help you solve the everyday problems you encounter!
Finding the right EDC knife for you can be tough as there are plenty of knives on the market today. That’s why we decided to consolidate that list in order to separate the wheat from the chaff so you can have an easy-to-read list of the 7 best EDC knives of all time to select your next EDC knife from. Let’s get started.
How we Decided on the Best EDC Knives of All Time
When we set out to create our list of the best EDC knives of all time, we brainstormed the qualities that go into some of our favorite knives we’ve ever carried. We surveyed our staff and found that these qualities were chiefly important in whether a knife passed muster or not.
Price
Each knife on our list is fairly priced based on the materials used to create it. None of them are created with ultra-premium materials, which helps to keep the price lower, but they also aren’t cheap.
Size and Weight
A key component to a quality EDC knife is how well you’re able to carry it in your pocket. Each knife on our list is foldable, lightweight, and small enough to comfortably carry in your front pocket for easy access.
Blade Length and Shape
In addition to the folded size of the knife, we also paid close attention to the overall blade length and shape. Each knife on our list has a blade length between 2.5” and 3.5” so that you can count on having enough cutting edge while not being too long and sacrificing on your ability to carry it efficiently.
Action
One of the most important features we researched for our best EDC knives of all time was how each one is deployed. The biggest rule of thumb is that a good EDC knife had to be foldable and easily deployed with one hand. Manual, automatic, and assisted opening actions all have their pros and cons, but ultimately, each style of action beats having a fixed blade as fixed blades are difficult to carry in your pocket safely and comfortably.
Handle Material
Each knife on our list perfectly fits inside of your hand. Many knives on the market today have uncomfortable handles which makes it difficult to safely operate the knife. The knives on our list were crafted to the highest of ergonomic design qualities, so they all feel like an extension of your hand.
And only the best handle materials made the cut for our list. You’ll find that G10 coating, micarta, titanium, carbon fiber, brass, and copper are a common theme in these knife handles.
Durability
Arguably the most important part of each of these knives is their durability. Having a knife fail because of a chipped blade or broken action is simply unacceptable. You need to be able to count on your EDC knife to do the job when you need it to, so we focused our research on only the most durable of knives on the market today.
Style
You’ll notice that we included a variety of styles of knives on our list as each person has different tastes when it comes to what they value in their knives. Some blades are drop point, while others have a dull point so as to prevent accidental impalement. We’re confident that you’ll be able to find the best style knife that fits what’s important to you.
Top 7 Best EDC Knives of All Time
With all of those qualities in mind, here are the 7 best EDC knives of all time.
1) Chris Reeve - Sebenza 31
Chris Reeve Knives is well known for crafting some of the highest quality knives on the market today. The Sebenza 31 is the product of years of producing top tier quaility knives and refining them to their best form. The 6AL4V titanium handle houses a beautiful, stonewashed CPM S45VN drop point blade and fits immaculately inside of your hand. Easily deployable with the thumb stud, you’ll be able to quickly deploy the Sebenza 31 in a flash with the ceramic ball interface action. The Sebenza 31 comes in two different sizes, which allows you to get the exact size knife that fits your exact needs.
2) Benchmade - Bugout
The Benchmade Bugout knife, proudly made in the USA, is easily one of the most customizable knives on our list. With a retention clip that can be modified to accommodate left and right handed carry as well as dual thumb studs, it can be easily used by either left or right handed users. The CPM-S30V steel drop point blade is incredibly durable as well as beautiful as its finished with Benchmade’s cerakote. And the blade lock on the end of the handle ensures that your knife will stay securely closed in your pocket to prevent accidental deployment.
3) Civivi - Elementum
Civivi makes some of the most beautiful knives on the market today and the Elementum stands out as one of its finest knives. While the clip is not reversable, the Elementum can be deployed by right handed and left handed users. This is due to the deployment switch at the top of the handle. Simply press down on the switch with either hand and the ceramic bearings inside of the handle swiftly deploys the blade into action. The Civivi Elementum’s Damascus steel blade is uniquely forged with contour line designs for a finish like no other knife on our list. And you also have the option of choosing from a variety of handle materials for the look that fits your style.
4) Spyderco - Paramilitary 2
The Paramilitary 2 from Spyderco is one of the most versatile knives on our list. Spyderco crafted the Paramilitary 2 to be easily deployed with one hand as well as closed with one hand with its compression lock mechanism that makes it easy to close when you’re in tight spaces or your off hand is unable to close the knife safely. The blade is made with CPM S30V stainless steel and is machined with the iconic Spyderco hole at the top of the blade for easy ambidextrous deployment. The handle is made from durable, grippy G-10 scales to give you a handle grip like no other.
5) Vero - Axon Mini
One of the most unique EDC knives on our list is the Vero Axon Mini. The M390 steel sheepsfoot style blade has a dull point so as to prevent accidental impalement should you drop it. This is key for those who plan on bringing their knives with them on the water, especially in inflatable watercraft. The Vero Axon Mini comes in a wide variety of handle and blade finishes, so you can order the exact finish you need to match your style.
6) James Brand - Carter
Made from ultra-durable VG-10 Japanese steel, the James Brand Carter knife is incredibly tough as well as versatile. The reversible clip allows for ambidextrous carry and the thumb discs allow for ambidextrous deployment. The biggest benefit to the James Brand Carter’s deployment mechanism is arguably the thumb discs. They’re different from other knives thumb studs because they give your thumb more surface area to push against, which prevents accidental slippage when deploying the blade. The blade lock is located on the handle of the knife, which allows for safe and fast closing with one hand.
7) WE Knife - Banter
The WE Knife Banter is one of the smallest, yet most fun knives to use on our list. We were impressed by how quickly the knife was deployed with the assisted action. With the lightest pressure on the thumb stud, the WE Banter springs to life to reveal the 2.9” CPM S35VN steel blade. The handle is coated in G-10 material to give it a great grippy feel in the hand. Another plus is that the screws that secure the retention clip to the handle are recessed, which prevents them from getting caught on the inside of a pocket and ruining a good pair of pants.
Final Thoughts
Carrying an EDC knife is a force multiplier. When you have a knife in your pocket, you can solve so many more problems in a timely manner since you won’t have to go searching for one when a problem arises. Not all problems you face will require an EDC knife, so you’ll want to ensure the rest of your EDC kit is built from the best products out there as well.
If you’re about carrying the best quality EDC gear, you’ll also likely want to upgrade your wallet to the best available as well. The Axwell Wallet reigns supreme over any other wallet on the market today. Axwell Wallets are forged from the some of the same materials that the best EDC knives of all time are, so you can count on them to stand up to daily use for years and years to come. Plus their RFID blocking mag plates defend your credit card information from would be thieves from stealing your credit card information without you even realizing it.
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