New to Knives - Good EDC choice?

[SJshooter]

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.

 

[sophie]

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.

 

[Kanewpadle]

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.

 

[AZretired]

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.

 

[6518John]

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-Tolerance-0750-Talon-S30V--9764

 

[CatSnipah]

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.

This is great advice.

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

 

[6518John]

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 ::

 

[shouldazagged]

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.

 

[billoo13]

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.

 

[PR24]

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).

 

[6518John]

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.

 

[6518John]

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.

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.

 

[PR24]

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

 

[6518John]

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

 

[Marshwheeling]

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.

 

[6518John]

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

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

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.

 

[Sailfish 40]

My favorite is my Spyderco salt 1.

Spyderco Salt I Black FRN

 

[geraldw321]

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 .

 

[loc n load]

EDC knife

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.