Hey guys... I know next to nothing about knives. I've owned the classic Buck 110 for most of my life, but rarely carried it. And I have a tiny miniaturized 110 that is about the size of a chapstick. Sometimes I will throw it in my pocket, but it is not part of any EDC system.

I carry a gun everywhere, all the time. And when I walk my dog, I take pepper spray to deal with any loose dogs in the neighborhood. But I've never carried a knife. Recently a friend of mine was shocked that I didn't carry one, not only for self defense, but for general utility. Really, I'd not given it much thought -- but the more I think about it, the more I feel like I should probably get in the habit.

Would like to know what you guys carry for EDC? Where should I begin? What are some excellent choices? And finally, what are the reasons you guys carry a knife and what you most use it for? Pics a plus.

I know that's a lot of questions, but looking at knives as a newbie is 100x more overwhelming than getting into S&Ws.

I, like your friend can't believe you have never carried a pocket knife. As far as use is concerned I can't begin to describe the many uses over the years mine has been used for. I have carried a knife ever since I was old enough to have one. Start with a small folder for the pocket and there are so many to choose from recommendation is difficult. Lots of good ones out there, just a matter of what you want.

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James
On the Llano Estacado

Buying a knife is like buying a gun. Go to the store and try some on. See how they fit. Consider how they open. Consider what you will use it for.

A good knife is an investment. Choose a good knife and take care of it and it will take care of you.

I like Benchmade. Their service is Grade A.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Wow, never carried a knife? Well, many will disagree but I look on the pocket knife as a tool, not a weapon. Daily (for the last 50+ years) I have carried a pocket knife of some sort. mostly it's a Case/ Schrade medium stockman or a simple Victorinox Tinker.

I feel I am not competely dressed without a knife in my pocket.

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Support your Police, & NRA

It depends a lot on what you do. I wear a suit and tie every day so I carry a Kershaw Leak that has no scales (handles) so it it a dream to carry even in dress clothes. It is american made, sharpens like a razor, has a speed safe opening (opens with a flick of a finger). I have carried probably 8 to 10 years.
http://kershaw.kaiusaltd.com/knives/knife/leek

For the weekend, I like Zero Tolerance--another american made knife that I think is now owned by Kershaw. But they are much more robust, hard-core knives. They are expensive, but very good. My weekend carry is a 0750 I think.
http://www.bladehq.com/item--Zero-To...lon-S30V--9764

This is great advice.

I prefer SOG, but also have two Spyderco knives. Also very good.

Amen on the Spyderco's. I don't know if there is such a notion as "safe queens" with knives, but a friend gave me this Bob Lum Spyderco, and all I do is take it out an rub it with a soft cloth and put it away.
:: Spyderco ::

I've carried at least one knife every day for nearly seventy years. When I was a kid nearly all men and boys and a great many women and girls carried pocketknives as a matter of course. We needed them for no end of tasks in those days before easy-open packaging and pre-sliced meat and cheese, when everyone used pencils that needed sharpening.

Mostly I've carried a good four-inch (closed) stockman pattern, Schrade Old Timer for choice. These days I'll likely have a Victorinox Super Tinker in my left front pocket for the tools and a SOG Flash II or Spyderco Endura clipped in my right hip pocket.

A word of caution: today's Schrade knives are now made in China, and the ones I've seen are definitely inferior to my old U.S.-made Old Timers.

The Victorinox Pioneer is the same knife that was actually issued to the Swiss army for many years. The Pioneer Farmer adds a small but impressively efficient saw. It carries easily and has the basic tools to get you through most situations. A basic Boy Scout knife will do the same.

But I still like a good stockman knife.

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Oh well, what the hell.

One place you should go for info is bladeforums.com

That forum has been very helpful for me when I started to get into collecting Knives and Axes. There are many helpful people on there that can give you info on everything from EDC knives to vintage Axes and everything in between.

I'm an unrepentant Cold Steel fan. I've carried many iterations over the years on & off duty. My on duty knife is the Code4 tanto blade. Thin, smooth & easy to carry. My off duty is the latest Voyager 4" tanto. They make 3" versions as well & several other models to suit your fancy. Spyderco & Kershaw are good too. Like kanewpadle said; a knife is like a gun......choose wisely & don't get a POJ! Lock failures mean digit damage or loss=NOT GOOD!

Leatherman is my choice for multi tools. Have several for various functions. My EDC Leatherman is the Wingman. My wife has a Benchmade auto-opener (legal in AZ).

PR24--Have you ever looked at Zero Tolerance? They are expensive but for guys like you that actually make their living in the dangerous trades I think they are very popular. With that said Cold Steel can't be beat--their special forces shovel is the best money I have ever spent. We love their machetes too.

If you attend custom knife shows (at least in my neck of the woods) one of the most most popular customs is the traditional stockman. One can get a hand-made custom knife for not that much more than mass-produced original when you consider inflation.

I dig Zero T knives......but the price? Ouch. I work with an officer who has one. They are nice.

I am with you--they are priced out of sight for folks who actually work for a living.

For most of what you need an EDC knife for, cutting cigars, opening packages, slicing cheese or salami, or cutting rope, you can spend as little as ten bucks for something that will do the job. But to carry something nicely crafted, preferably made in the USA, that you can count on for some of the more serious tasks that may arise, you need to spend a bit more.

My favorite EDC knives are the Benchmade Griptilian (wife gave it to me for Christmas several years ago), Benchmade Mini Barrage, Kershaw Leek, and the Mini Griptilian (I gave my son one and he likes it so much that now I want one, too).

The other day, my son-in law was singing the praises of the Griptilian I gave him for a birthday four years ago. He had left it on his boat for a season before he started carrying it daily. He had been using it to pry open paint cans, baton kindling, turn screws, and it still looked like new. I was kind of choking as he reeled off the catalog of abuses to which he had subjected his knife. "I love this knife. I will buy more Benchmades."

"Good," I said. "I hope you continue to do well enough to afford them."

"Why, they aren't expensive, are they?"

When I told him what that knife sold for some places, it was his turn to choke. "Just keep using it," I told him.

At around a hundred bucks it is about at the upper limit of what I can or will spend for a knife. I would not ordinarily subject any knife to that kind of treatment, but it is good to know that if I ever need to, it will probably take it.

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Not in jail.

Brother Marsh--Glad I just have a boy after reading this--I would just give a son-in-law (and an uninformed one on knives) this, Amazon.com : Zero Tolerance G10 Handle with Speed Safe : Hunting Folding Knives : Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41O2XJiwBgL.@@AMEPARAM@@41O2XJiwBgL.

Let him use it as pry bar, screw driver, etc who cares!

John

SJshooter,

The reason you have not carried a knife in all these years is that you never needed one. That seems a little unusual to most of us, but I'm pretty sure I know a lot of people who don't carry knives. Even at my gun club, fewer than half of the folks carry knives.

Unless you think a knife has defensive use and are willing to take a course in that, I wouldn't even bother getting one. I know I wouldn't carry anything I didn't think I might need.

My favorite is my Spyderco salt 1.

Spyderco Salt I Black FRN

After many other over the years , iv recently come across the Kershaw swindle , its all metal has a great weight, balance, razor sharp blade , opens super quick and smooth due too roller bearings. its one of the finest and best looking knives i have .

Attached Images

th1.jpeg (14.2 KB, 49 views)

All of you guy's have good taste in cutlery.....I am a fan of all of the brands mentioned and have used representatives from them all during the past 6 decades that I have carried a knife....my daily EDC now is a CRKT M-16....partially serrated blade....going fishing this mrng and just stuck the CRKT in my pocket..have a small Buck two blade pen knife in the tackle box for snipping lines.....IMO the OP cannot go wrong with any of the knives mentioned.

I carry my Benchmade Griptilian 551 BKOD in my strong side back pocket every day.

I first bought a Gerber Tanto for $25 last year. It opened grittily and had a weak liner lock. I then bought a ken Onion Leek. Awesome knife, but it's a bit too thin at the tip for me as it turned out.

I then bought the Benchmade, which is what I should have gotten in the first place.

$110 at e.g. Theknifecenter.com:

http://www.knifecenter.com/item/BM55...e-Drab-Handles

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Take your time, fast. J.Hughes

I am simple blown away at the people who don't carry knives. I'm not judging, just don't understand it. I feel naked without mine.

Not only do I use mine all the time, the people around me make me crazy asking if I have my knife with me. So I can cut something for them. Usually those little plastic thingys that hold tags on things.

Even my 4 year old knows to take a new toy to Daddy to open, because I have my knife.

One of these three Buck knives has been with me everywhere I have gone for the last 30 years.



A Buck 110 is a great knife, but obviously not for everybody.

For the OP, I'd recdomend a small Victorinox Swiss Army knife. One with scissors, those things are great for everything from a hang nail, to trimming a trout fly. The tweezers can be real handy too. Ed

I use my pocket knife everyday for something. I've been totally impressed with my Benchmade Mini Griptillian since I took it out of the box well over a year ago. Someone would have to prove to me that there exists a better folder for my needs. I clip it to my left front pocket (I'm a lefty) and one hand operation with it is a snap.

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paws for friendship

I have always carried a knife. Dad started me with a John Primble and a Case. When I got in high school, all of us guys wore the Buck folders in the leather sheaths on our hips (don't forget the down vest )
My current EDC is a SPyderco Paramilitary 2. It is a nice big solid knife. Before this one, I did carry the Kershaw Leek for several years. It is a nice knife for a reasonable price.

I agree, I am not complete without my knife. I use it for opening things, cutting fruit and last chance for self defense.

SJshooter, also consider how you will carry the knife. Pocket with clip? No clip? In a case? Most folding knives today come with a pocket clip. Some are reversible and some are not. Take this into account because a folder with pocket clip should be carried with the knife opening to the rear of the pocket in case the knife opens while in your pocket. Don't laugh, I know two people that had that happen to them. One got cut.

Also consider blade material/composition. There are many good steels out there. Figure out what works for you. S03V, 154CM, D2 steel are very good as well as others. Some hold and edge better and some resist corrosion better. Generally the harder the steel the harder it is to sharpen them.

Next consider how the knife opens. I prefer assisted opening because I quite often use one hand to open my knife and it's much easier with assisted opening. But, I also have knives that are not assisted that are easy to open. Just preference I guess.

You may find that you really don't need a knife after all but maybe a multi tool instead.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

My EDC is a Spyderco Endura 4, I reversed the clip so I can carry it clipped to my left pocket (I'm a southpaw) with the point down. It is very easy to open with one hand while holding on to whatever I want to cut. I use it to cut just about anything: food, cardboard, fishing line, rope, etc.
I would never want to get in a knife fight with it, but it's better than nothing.

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"Life is short, hunt hard"

The problem with knives is that there's a knife for every use and a use for every knife, and they overlap early and often. "Which knife should I carry?" is a much more difficult question to answer than the one about the gun. I carry two almost every day, one for utility, and one for defense, and I change them out constantly. Best advice is to pick a brand you like and try out a couple different styles. Any of the makers suggested by the posters here are fine examples of knives, with some more expensive and some less expensive. Generally, IMHO, price is a reflection of quality in a knife, although there are some exceptions that are also well documented.

Finally, I agree with the other posters: You don't carry a knife?

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

It's funny, I do have a tiny "classic" Victorinox that I've sometimes carried, but the knife is probably the part I used the least, and it was so small I never really considered it a "knife" so much a little handy "tool", which is why I didn't mention it.

Rarely carried the Buck 110 because of weight and the smaller Buck I have (55?) was nice, but I was always misplacing it and when I carried it, I hated two-handed unfolding it for something like box cutting.

Based on this thread and a lot of overnight reading, I've decided to get a Kershaw Leek for EDC. Seems like a classic, has the profile and speed I want, and will probably cover most of what I'll use it for. Also looking at the Griptilian for more heavy use should I need it.

Thanks guys - knives are a bit overwhelming and you guys gave me some great testimony and places to start my research. Once again, this forum rocks.

any of these be careful they are as addicting as guns
all benchmade that i carry and use at one time or another

Carrying a knife is a bit different than carrying a handgun in that there are more reasons/uses than just self defense. If you're looking for a daily task knife, there are are numerous cost effective choices. If you're think of serious SD, then the choices should be relegated to better quality than the basic corrugated box opener. I've carried various Emersons for almost two decades and can attest to the brand's toughness and quality. I also like the Gerber Applegate as a folding fighter.

One suggestion ... If you're going to carry a knife for SD, then invest in a knife fighting training class by a reputable knife expert/trainer. At the very least, look into training DVDs and PRACTICE. I took a Hock Hockheim seminar years back and still work with the concepts he showed the class. Knife fighting is not ninja stuff, nor is it for the uninitiated or untrained. You pull a knife to defend yourself and don't know how to use it effectively, you can very easily end up dead. No different than with a handgun.

Research ... choose wisely ... train.

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I'm with the banned ...

As a huge and long time Buck fan the new 830 Marksman would be at the top of my suggestion list.






As others have mentioned Zero Tolerance offers some of the best bang for your buck in terms of quality of materials and stellar fit, finish and function. Been a fan of those too for a long time.



Probably my favorite EDC and the one that sees the most time in my pocket is a Chris Reeve 21 Large Sebenza. Not cheap but few others can compare at any price.

Didn't have a photo of it by itself so here it is with a M66 of mine.



Found another photo of the Sebenza. Ignore the watch. That's my EDT (every day timepiece).

I carry a no name assisted opening knife that I found at a pawn shop. All it says is stainless steel. It actually takes and keeps a decent edge.
The assisted opening feature is important to me because with my peripheral neuropathy it's difficult for me to open a conventional folding knife. It has a belt clip and I carry in clipped to my right front pocket, pivot down.

I've always carried a pocket knife of one sort or another.
I use it for opening packages, letters, I've used it to cut steak at a cook out and as a toothpick when I was done and recently I was a vendor at a local festival and they had us wear wrist bands. After the festival, I used it to cut the bands off.

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Keep on Chooglin'

My knives are implements, tools for cutting inanimate stuff. That includes fish and game animals that have ceased to be animate, but that seldom happens these days.

Point is, I don't regard them as weapons or select them according to how effective they'd be in a knife fight. I have no intention of getting into a knife fight unless retreat or several rounds of good .38 Special defensive ammo haven't saved my elderly derriere. If it comes to that, any knife can serve as a weapon.

I'm very careful to avoid situations that could possibly lead to that, or to having to use my gun.

So far so good.

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Oh well, what the hell.

I've carried one pretty much every day for over 30 years. Use it just about every day for something or another. I hope to never be close enough to have to use one for self defense but could use it as a "get offa me" if necessary. Basically, it's a very useful tool to have on you. My current favorites are Cold Steel and Spyderco. My only problem with the Spyderco is that the clip came off and I can't get it to stay firmly reattached. I put it on a key ring in my pocket (it's small) so I can find and orient it quickly. It easily opens with one hand.

Try kershawguy.com. He has some pretty good deals sometimes. I prefer the leek and the blur (for something a little heavier). Some of the Kershaws are still made in the USA.

I've carried a pocket knife for as long as I can remember. I've rotated through Schrade, Gerber and Buck - good but no cigar. I finally popped for a Spyderco Delica4 with a flat ground blade. Nothing fancy, 3" blade, no scissors or nail files, it just cuts. I can tell it's good steel by the way it feels and sounds sharpening. I open a lot of boxes, and my other knives would dull after one piece of fiberglass reinforced tape. The Spyderco was unharmed - I can still shave with it.

It's about twice as much as I've ever paid for a pocket knife before, but of far better quality. The blade is ungainly wide, due to the "spider hole" opening scheme, but you get used to it. The tip is still thin enough to open envelopes, but I wouldn't pry anything with it.

That's more my speed, I guess I'm pretty old fashioned.

I carried a Buck Wrangler for about 30 years till it slipped through a hole in my pocket.

My son got me this pretty Case for Christmas. It's almost too good looking to carry. I may have to go find another Buck:
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1404096174.456967.jpg

Yeah, I'm the go to guy for knives as well. A pocketknife is part of the wardrobe when/where I grew up.

I'm almost afraid to carry a nice one nowadays for fear that I'll lose it (or worse) walking into a court house or air terminal.

But I'm with shoulda, a good stockman is perfect to me.

I don't get the whole concept of the knife as a defensive weapon. The only scenario where a knife would help is if an assailant is way bigger and stronger ( and faster) and is bent on beating the **** out of me. Even then, I'm liable to have it taken away & used on me. I'll take a gun or pepper spray.

I've carried a pocket knife almost everyday since my granddad gave me my first knife when I was six years old...59 years ago. I practically feel naked without one. I mean, I don't see how a person can function without having a good, useful pocket knife close at hand.

Nowadays, I usually carry a Case trapper in the front pocket of my Wranglers. I like the trapper because it has two, good-sized, no-nonsense blades. It sees daily use...from cutting hay bales to opening grain sacks, and everything in between. I used to carry a large stockman, but years ago, when I was cowboying, our foreman always carried a trapper. After awhile I figured it made sense because I very seldom, if ever, used the smaller blades on the stockman. I was always using the large clip blade. Eventually, I switched over to the trapper and have found that it has suited my needs better over the years.

I have knives made by Buck, Schrade, Boker, Puma, Camillus, Kershaw, and probably a few others I can't remember...but I tend to lean towards Case because of the quality of steel. They tend to hold an edge well, they sharpen easily, and they're made in America.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

20130927_115944_Richtone(HDR) by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr
Benchmade, Bowen, and Beretta.

The Bowen and AFCK get carried most. The Beretta comes along if I'm in the water.

The same could be said of any weapon.

Train and be prepared and proficient or don't carry at all. A tool is only as capable as the person wielding it.

I carry two knives at all times. For utility it is a Victorinox Super Tinkerer and for SD it is a Spyderco of unknown model. It is big, rugged with a 3 3/4" serrated blade. When I was in uniform I carried a Benchmade self opener with a 4" blade. I am making knives now and my goal is to make one nearly as good as a Benchmade. ................ Big Cholla

ProTech TR3 auto knife and a 6906.

Believe auto knives recently became legal in your state.

Best.

A classic two blade electricians knife would be a good choice for an all around knife. Sometimes you need a screw driver more then you need a knife. They have been made by almost everybody and have been issued by the military as part of the linesman set, since at least WWII. Ed

https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/p...ver-tip-blades

Those nice one hand openers are great cutters but make lousy screwdrivers and can openers.


I always have a Swiss Army Knife my pocket. I may opt to supplement it with one of my bigger locking knives , and when in the field will sometimes add a fixed blade and a tomahawk to the load out, but I always have the SAK. Most of the time it's The Soldier model because it has the tools I use most often in a slim profile. Once in a while it might be one of my 20 other SAKs. I just like being tool heavy.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

I rotate between a Spyderco H1 Salt, SOG Flash II, SOG Minifielder (formal occasions), CRKT M16-12ZER (my favorite), and a Buck Spitfire. These are always paired with a Multi-tool in the other pocket which rotates between a Leatherman Juice S2, Leatherman Skeletool, Leatherman Style PS, or a Leatherman Squirt.

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Still just a kid at heart