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‘EDC’ stands for everyday carry; all it really means is what you carry around in your pockets on a daily basis, it might include a torch, wallet, watch, first aid items, and of course always a knife. There is plenty of choices when it comes to selecting the best EDC knife, or knives, that form part of your EDC. You can read about some of those options here and find some advice on what to look for when choosing your EDC knife.
First of all, why carry a knife every day? Well, there are always packages to open, a string to cut, boxes to break down, apples to peel, and any number of tasks that require a pocket knife. For those of us who work outdoors, we have even more reasons to need a knife. Consider as well that some every day carry knives will feature more than just a knife blade and the number of simple tasks you can tackle increases dramatically. To put it simply an EDC knife and pocket tool means we can make it through the day without constantly having to search for a box cutter, scissors, screwdriver, or pliers.
Benchmade Bugout 535
The Bugout 535 has a 3.25” inch blade made from great steel inside a highly graspable handle. The folding action and locking mechanism truly sets it apart.
Best EDC Knife Overall
Our nod for the best overall EDC knife goes to the Benchmade Bugout 535. The Bugout 535 has a 3.25” inch blade made from great steel, yet weighs only 1.85 oz. The highly graspable handle, folding action, and locking mechanism truly sets it apart. You will never regret having this knife with you every day.
Best Value For Money
For a knife that’s well-made, attractive, and at the perfect price point, the SOG Flash II is a fantastic option. It offers a super grippy handle, a rock-solid locking system, and a 3.5-inch blade that’s long enough for most EDC tasks. The best part, it costs about a third of what some of the higher end knives do.
Best Budget EDC Knife
The CRKT Pilar is probably your best bet if money is tight. At a quarter or even a fifth the cost of most EDC knives, the Pilar is built well with a stainless steel handle and small sheepsfoot blade. It might not be as sexy as something like the Benchmade knives, but it’ll get the job done without breaking the bank.
Easiest EDC Knife to Carry
The CRKT Squid is the kind of knife you’ll forget is your pocket. It’s only three and a half inches long when folded. That’s not really large enough for things like bushcraft but it is the perfect little knife to have with you all the time.
Most Multifunctional EDC Knife
While most EDC knives are just that, a knife, the Victorinox Swiss Army Multi-Tool is a true jack of all trades. It comes with a screwdriver, bottle opener, wire stripper, and a small knife blade. If these are tasks you regularly encounter, the Victorinox is a fantastic choice.
Best High-End EDC Knife
If only the best will do, the Benchmade 940 is a knife that will cover all your bases. It’s a solidly long knife (3.4” blade), that securely locks into place with the company’s proprietary AXIS lock. It opens easily with one hand too. The only thing it’s not easy on is your wallet.
Size Matters
It is no secret that the size of a knife, and especially the blade size, contributes to the overall utility of the knife. There’s a reason why the best survival knives are relatively large fixed blade knives, while pocket knives are not. So too with EDC knifes. While all EDC knives are relatively small, there is a range of blade sizes that you’ll get to consider.
There’s no denying that your skills will largely determine whether you can utilize any EDC knife to the full limits of its design intentions. Yet, you will undoubtedly be able to perform some daily cutting tasks easier and with less effort with a larger blade for example. There are instances where a short, bulky, and strong blade, would be preferable, and we’ve included knives with those specifications on this list as well.
Regardless of your blade length preference, you’re still going to have to carry your EDC knife. Blade size, and blade steel for that matter, is a major contributor to the overall weight of the knife, though in most cases the handle plays a larger role. A stainless steel handle will simply weigh considerably more than carbon fiber or G-10 handle, regardless of the blade length.
For reference, here’s a graph that shows the relative blade lengths and overall weights of the knives in our selection. You can use this to filter your options, depending on whether weight or blade length is more important to you. It’s your decision.
Knife Blade Length & Total Weight
Our EDC Knife Selection Summary
Here’s a short summary of the knives that made it into our selection of the best EDC knives. if you see something you’re curious about or recognize, feel free to jump there from here. Also, this table is sortable, so click on the headers to sort the products by weight, blade length, or blade steel.
Picking The Best EDC Knife For You
There are of course many types of knives that you can carry with you on your person. Some may not be legal, and some are definitely not as suitable for EDC as others. I think we can all agree that a survival knife has a very different utility and application from a pocket knife and while they can both “cut”, that’s about where the similarities end. In our opinion, there are 4 types of knives that are most often used and are most suitable to be considered for EDC.
Pocket Knives
If you are only going to carry one type of knife it will generally be a pocket knife of this sort, a single knife blade with perhaps a few additional tools, this is the kind of knife which will be unobtrusive in a pocket. They will seldom really raise any eyebrows unless it is particularly large or ‘tactical’ in appearance. Large pocket knives almost fall into a category of their own and might be justifiable for some uses, but do consider the law, and especially restrictions on blade length, before you choose your pocket knife. Some pocket knives will attach to the inside of your pocket for ease of access but if they are heavy they will pull on your trousers and frustrate you.
Lock Knives
Lock knives closely represent your standard pocket knives with the notable difference that the have blades that can be locked and refolded only by pressing a button. This means you can typically use it for more onerous cutting tasks as the risk of the blade folding back on your hand has been removed. Lock knives are probably one of the most common EDC knives nowadays, but be aware that in many countries and jurisdictions lock knives are not classed as folding knives and may be subject to separate, typically more restrictive, regulations and laws.
Multi-Tools
Defined by their multitude of tools many now feature pliers as a central feature but some people will call larger Swiss Army Knives equipped with a large number of tools multi-tools as well. Larger multi-tools tend to be carried in belt pouches rather than where their heavy and angular construction can be a nuisance in a pocket.
Fixed Blades
Large fixed blade knives are not often considered for every day carry even where the law allows you to carry them openly as people just don’t need them on a daily basis. If you work outdoors or in the backcountry, you may be able to justify carrying a large fixed blade but generally fixed blades like bowie knives are too big and unwieldy for everyday use.
There are smaller fix-blade knives that are very capable EDC knives, the only drawback being that you can of course not collapse them and slip them into your pocket or hook them onto your belt. Almost without exception, you’ll be forced to wear a sheath and your belt and carry them in that. While there are some people who swear by their fic-blade EDC, we think you get very additional utility from a small fix-blade over a good lock blade, and the latter is simply a lot more practical to actually carry. We think small fix-blade knives make great bushcraft knives.
The 10 Best EDC Knives:
In this article, we look at what we think is the 10 best EDC knives available to general consumers today. Choosing one can prove to be tricky, please view our Buyers Guide should you require more information to help you make an informed purchase.
1. Benchmade Bugout 535
Benchmade is one of the biggest names in the EDC market; they consistently produce some of the highest-quality knives at a mid-range price point. The Bugout 535 is a perfect example of this – a 3.25” inch blade made from great steel, that easily folds inside a highly graspable handle.
Let’s start by unpacking the blade; it’s a 3.25” drop point made from CPM-S30V steel. This is a premium stainless steel that swaps in vanadium for some of the chromium that would usually be present. Vanadium increases hardness, which helps it to keep an edge longer. The flip side of that is it’s harder to sharpen to than some softer steels. Get ready to practice with your whetstone; though Benchmade has one of the best guarantees in the business and packages their knives with a free sharpening service for the life of the product.
The drop point design is well-suited for general activities and provides better durability compared to clip point knives, which although sharper, are more fragile.
What really sets the Benchmade apart from the competition though is the folding action. The AXIS lock system works so smoothly, you can open it with just one hand. Its lock utilizes a pair of omega symbol-shaped springs that move a bar through a slot until it engages with the butt end of the blade. Those springs allow it to move seamlessly from closed to open, before firmly locking the blade into its unfolded position. At no point do you ever need to exert pressure on the blade.
The grip surrounding the locking mechanism is made from Benchmade Grivory material, which is essentially a molded plastic and glass composite. It feels strong, yet is incredibly lightweight (the knife weighs just under two ounces). A check pattern in the plastic provides an excellent grip in wet and dry conditions.
If there was one negative to point out with the Bugout 535, it’s the price. It’s quite a bit more expensive than most EDC knives. That’s to be expected, given the brand name and construction quality associated it with, but the high price point will be a turnoff for some buyers. However, it should be thought of as an investment, as you won’t need to buy a new one every year.
2. Spyderco Tenacious
The Tenacious is an excellent mid-range EDC knife that checks a lot of boxes for quality and features. It’s not particularly small, but rather a knife that fits on your belt and reminds you that it’s there when you need it.
Let’s start with the Tenacious’s blade; it’s 3.39” long, which puts it on the lengthier end of the scale. It’s made from less expensive and imported 8Cr13MoV steel, which means it can lose its edge fairly quickly. When you buy this knife, make sure to find a quality whetstone to go along with it. You’ll get a lot of practice sharpening this knife, and that’s not a bad thing.
Spyderco added some serrations to the tail end of the blade, which can be useful if you’re cutting through things like rope or a baguette on the trail. There’s no practical way to sharpen the serrations though, so once they go dull, you’ll be in the market for a new knife. A black coating on the blade protects it from rust, but it will wear off with continued use.
A downside to the Tenacious is its use of a liner lock to secure the blade in the open position. This design isn’t as strong as a frame lock and is more prone to wear. If you use the Tenacious for bigger tasks like cutting through thick materials, the liner locks will fail much quicker. To open the knife though, it’s quite smooth and easy to rotate the blade via a large thumb hole in it.
One of the best things about the Spyderco is the ergonomics; the G-10 handle feels fantastic in your hand and the textured panels give it a grip that’s second to none. The wide blade feels well-balanced with the knife having a total length of 7 ¾”. That’s plenty of handle to provide leverage and feel secure under less than ideal conditions.
To top it off, the Tenacious has a perfectly designed pocket clip that holds strong without tearing into your clothing.
3. Victorinox Swiss Army Multi-Tool, Tinker Pocket Knife
This knife should look familiar to any EDC enthusiast – it’s the classic Swiss Army knife. It’s quite different from the other EDC knives we’ve covered as it also comes with a can opener, bottle opener, a reamer, and a Phillips head screwdriver. The Tinker is a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none, which is something you should carefully consider before purchasing this knife.
The Victorinox’s blade is a mere 2.25 inches long, the shortest of any EDC knife on our list. It utilizes a spearpoint, which is useful for stabbing, but less helpful for slicing tasks. That’s not too big of an issue as the short blade and short handle don’t give you much leverage. Its blade is constructed from a fairly soft stainless steel that dulls quickly and the way it folds out from the handle makes it hard to sharpen.
Like most Swiss Army tools, the Victorinox Tinker does not have a very strong locking mechanism. The additional tools necessitate a slip-joint lock, which requires two handles to safely open and close. To open, you have to put some pressure on the blade/tool shaft and push it away from the knife until it can overcome the spring tension holding it in. This causes it to “snap” open, which can be dangerous when only using one-hand.
So while the Victorinox has a lot of extra functionality, it’s not something you can quickly whip out and start cutting with, at least not safely. The slip joint doesn’t really lock into place either, meaning the blade can easily slip when the knife is used for a heavy-duty task.
The handle is made from ABS plastic, which is not as durable as some of the composite EDC knife handles, but is easy enough to carry for and is unlikely to get damaged before the locking mechanism wears out. It also keeps the Victorinox’s weight low, with the whole knife weighing just 2.2 ounces.
Many of the above points may have sounded like harsh criticism of the Tinker: lower-quality materials, an unsafe locking mechanism, and a blade style that doesn’t have many uses, but this is just to point out that the Victorinox is for a niche market. If you’re someone that regularly tightens screws and opens cans, you might be better off with a dedicated tool for the job. However, if you find yourself encountering a wide variety of problems that could be solved by a Swiss Army knife or subscribe to the motto “Always be Prepared”, this knife might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Additionally, the Tinker isn’t very expensive, so if it does encounter some durability issues, it’s not hard to replace it every few years. Just watch out for any signs of wear, because you don’t want it to break when you’re far from home and a replacement knife.
4. SOG Flash II
This is actually our favorite EDC knife as it checks all the boxes for features and quality, while not costing all that much. The 3.5 inch tanto blade is long enough for almost any EDC task – cutting boxes, slicing through rope, making a sandwich at a picnic, it does it all. It’s constructed from Aus-8 steel, a Japanese variety of stainless that is harder and tougher than the usual knife steel. You shouldn’t need to sharpen the Flash II as much as some of the cheaper knives on this list.
The Tanto blade has a thick point that is great for stabbing through thick materials like an elk hide. The emphasis on the point does take away from the main cutting surface though, as the blade angles sharply near the tip. If you do a lot of slicing with your EDC knife, this will do the job, but not as well as other blade styles like a drop tip.
The Flash II from SOG is the only assisted opening knife on this list for a reason. When it’s done well, it’s usually very inexpensive. When it’s done cheaply, it’s usually unsafe or prone to breakage. The SOG is neither of those things; it opens quickly and easily via a small button on the side of the handle. To prevent it from deploying unintentionally, there’s a small tab near the back of the knife to lock the blade inside the handle.
One of the biggest complaints with the Flash II is that it doesn’t have a liner to hold the blade firmly in place once it’s deployed. Liners are something you see on some of the higher-end models and they take some of the “play” out of the blade. The minute movements in the blade while it’s locked in place are one of the few things that make this knife feel cheap. At the same time, it costs a third of what similar Benchmade knives would, so you have to expect minor issues like blade play.
The base model of the Flash II comes with a glass-reinforced composite handle with a lot of texture. This makes it one of the best EDC knives for wet conditions, as many of the other knives on this list have smooth handles that can lose their grip at the first sign of moisture. While not as strong as aluminum, the composite handle won’t break if you drop it and is probably stronger than the locking mechanism; so don’t worry about the handle snapping during more demanding tasks.