How many tools do you need to open a package, cut a rope, slice some veggies, fillet meat, or defend yourself towards a threat? The answer is one; you only need one best EDC pocket knife to carry with you. Pocket knives used to be one of the essential items that a gentleman takes with him. Fast-forward now, its appeal has gone beyond the practicality into a lifestyle statement. Pocket knives enthusiasts will carry this trusty tool for not only self-defense and functionality but also love to share their passion with other enthusiasts in their community. Looking for the one to aid your daily task and self-defense or complete your EDC gear? Read on our list of the best EDC Pocket Knives in the market.
How to Choose the Best EDC Pocket Knives
Being developed from its tougher sister, the EDC fixed blades, pocket knives should be able to combine durablity and practicality.
Portability
Because you’ll be carrying this every day, it’s important to know how heavy and big is comfortable enough for you. A good EDC pocket knife should have the option for pocket clipping so you won’t need to get an extra container to carry it. Other extra features like lanyard holes and pre-drilled holes to match your carry preference are a bonus so you don’t have to make modifications on the knife.
Material
The most important part of a knife is the blade. Are you tight on budget? Then a commonly used 440C or Japanese 42J2 steel is enough for your daily cutting business. But if budget isn’t a problem, high-end steel like Sandvik 14C28N or CPM-S35VN steel is worth the investment for its durability, edge retention, and corrosion-resistant. The downside of these high-end steel is that it takes time and experience to sharpen them back to its factory setting.
Handle and Grip
The second most important part of a knife is the handle. Be wary that certain handle finishes can cause slippage if wet (steel, non-textured plastic). Therefore, take some time to know the material of the grip and if it has a traction-supporting texture. Next, take a look at the shape, do they have finger notch, at least for your index finger? If you’re a first-time owner, it’s wise to have a knife that has such notches to prevent unwanted incidence. A knife that provides finger stops is always better.
Security
When you decide on a pocket knife with an assisted opening, take a careful look at its locking system. Most (if not all) folder knife opt for a lining lock to keep the knife from folding back undesirably. Make sure that the locking system is snug and fit that the blade doesn’t wobble. But that’s not it, you have to make sure that the knife doesn’t extend in your pocket, doesn’t it? a pocket knife with a safety lock would to the trick!
Compatibility
The last thing is your compatibility with the knife. Mind that the default design for most knives is for right-handed people. But don’t let it hinder you to get the best EDC pocket knife you’ve always dreamed of. The key is to see if the knife offers options to attach the pocket clip and the position of the thumb-stud. Some knives need modifications to match your dominant hand uses and that causes extra hassle you’d probably mind taking. To be safe you might want to look for ambidextrous features like thumb studs on both sides or flipper opening mechanism.
Grand Way Pocket Folding Knife
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We start our review with a knife suitable for you who are looking for a starter knife. The spring-assisted system in the Grand Way Pocket Folding Knife feels great in every deployment. While a lot of spring-assisted pocket knives are prone to have dirt in the mechanism, that won’t happen to this pocket knife due to its liner-lock feature that resists dirt and prevents accidental closure. The knife handle is robust and rugged to give you confidence while wielding it. It’s significantly useful for beginners who are getting used to handling pocket knives as they can slip and hurt the wielder instead. It works hand-in-hand with the safety lock and finger protector.
The blade used on this pocket knife is the rust-proof 440C Stainless steel coated in black matte. It’s a commonly-used material that provides fair durability and sharpness without frequent sharpening. Should you need to sharpen it, you can use any 400-2000 grit whetstone available. To use this knife, make sure that the safety switch is off and simply pull the lever so the blade can pop out easily. Always make sure that the blade fully deployed before using it to prevent hurting yourself.
What We Like
A sturdy but lightweight pocket knife in just the perfect size.
Pros:
- Spring-assisted
- Pocket clip included
- Safety features: lock switch and index finger protector
- Coated 440C stainless steel
- Perfect for a gift
- Stay sharp for fairly long time
Cons:
- Though it’s lightweight, it’s rather bulky
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CRKT Flat Out EDC Folding Pocket Knife
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Now this one is a beaut! CRKT Flat Out EDC Folding Pocket Knife is for you who appreciate elegance—deadly elegance. Folded, this pocket knife isn’t mean-looking or rugged, but don’t be fooled by its sleekness. Flip the blade out and you’ll see how menacing this knife is. If you’re looking for a well-balanced, sleek addition to your EDC gear, this is the best EDC pocket knife for you.
The blade comes sharpened, ready to use. The spear-tip is not one to mess with as it can puncture most surfaces like butter. With an effortless flick, the blade quickly snaps into place thanks to its spring-assistance mechanism. When fully extends, this pocket knife measures around 8inches and is halved when folded. The size fits an average palm and weighs a bit heavy at 3.6oz. Use the pocket clip to contain it into your pocket.
What We Like
A sleek and clean looking knife that packs a punch.
Pros:
- Look less intimidating
- Durable steel
- Easy deployment
- Pre-sharpened
- Pocket clip
- All-stainless steel build
Cons:
- It’s not fully ambidextrous.
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Outdoor Edge RazorLite EDC Replaceable Blade Folding Knife
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Outdoor Edge RazorLite EDC Replaceable Blade Folding Knife is the innovative one of the bunch. Unlike most knives that need regular sharpening, you won’t get much hassle from this one. Why should you do it if you can just replace the blade with the new one? That’s right, this knife sheds blades whenever you need it with only a push of a button. Pretty handy, right? With this, you can leave your knife sharpener with you.
Although replaceable, the blade makes no compromises on the quality. Made from Japanese 42J2 stainless steel, it’s capable of delivering shaving-sharp performance for quite some time. The same material is also used for the handle for maximum stability and sturdiness. You can also choose the rubber-enriched grip to suit your preference. To store this knife, simply clip it inside your pocket with the included clip at the handle.
What We Like
A functional and reliable pocket knife that needs no sharpening? We’re sold.
Pros:
- Replaceable blades (additional refill sold separately)
- Easy to use
- Pocket clip
- Sturdy and stable handle
Cons:
- Not suitable to sustain heavy duty cuttings.
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Gerber Fast Draw Knife (404)
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Coming out of the foundry of a company with a solid 80-year portfolio, the Gerber Fast Draw Knife sets the bar for the best EDC pocket knife in the market. Its ease of use, clever design, and great blade are the keys to deliver consistency in every cut. It weighs 3.6oz at about 4inches when closed and has a slim build you can put it in most pockets.
The blade used for this pocket knife is the high carbon surgical stainless steel that can be easily sharpened with most sharpening methods. You’d appreciate the shine of the blade stating the legendary workmanship of the company. When clipped on a pocket, there’s almost only a small portion of the knife protrudes, making its appearance low key. Unfortunately, even though there’s thumb stud on both sides to facilitate left-hander users, the pocket clip wasn’t designed to be relocatable. But it can be remedied by removing the pocket clip.
What We Like
A great slim and lightweight knife you can carry anywhere.
Pros:
- Slim and looks low key when pocketed
- High-quality, durable stainless steel blade
- Spring-assisted
- Locking mechanism
Cons:
- It’s preferably for right-hand users.
Cold Steel Tuff Lite Folding Knife
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If you are looking for a low profile pocket knife without compromising functionality, you’re destined to carry Cold Steel Tuff Lite Folding Knife. First of all, let’s admit that the company that gave birth to this beast is one of the best knife makers in the industry. They’re known in delivering function-oriented blades tailored to enhance your cutting experience. Tuff Lite may not be suitable to poke things around, but it’s surely one hell of a slicer. The tall slant angle on the tip allows this knife to make deeper, thinner cuts on many materials. It’s also durable and easy to sharpen thanks to its Japanese AUS 8A stainless steel blade.
The form factor of this unit is indeed broad, but slim enough to fit in your pocket. There’s also a lanyard hole so you can hang it conveniently on your hiking backpack, for example. While a lot of pocket knives offer limited options for clip positioning, this knife wants to accommodate both left-handed and right-handed users by opting for ambidextrous clip position. Buy one of these and you won’t be buying another one for quite a long time.
What We Like
It lives up to its name. This EDC knife is indeed tough and intended for long term functionality.
Pros:
- Deep slant point
- Ambidextrous clip positions
- Lanyard hole
- Durable Japanese AUS 8A stainless steel blade
- Easy to sharpen
- Slices materials like butter
Cons:
- It’s broad and a bit on the heavier side.
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Snake Eye Tactical Everyday Carry Karambit
8
You can tell from the get-go that Snake Eye Tactical Everyday Carry Karambit isn’t an ordinary pocket knife you see around. Its tactical attribute makes it more proper for an advanced user that knows the way around this type of knife. A typical karambit knife can be held with a normal grip or a reversible one. This knife is mostly for self-defense against a significant threat. Make sure that you’re informed well and trained before using this knife.
The knife feels solid and sturdy due to its all-steel build. The blade itself is made of 3cr13 steel that holds its sharpness fairly well for a long time. Since it’s a tactical type, this knife is also bigger on the size with almost 5inches when closed and 7.75inches when fully extended. If you don’t like the default black color, there are 4 color variants you can choose to fit your personality. All-in-all, this knife could be your next reliable guardian to defend yourself when you are a trained user.
What We Like
A menacing looking folding knife with razor sharp performance.
Pros:
- Finger guard
- Extremely pointy and sharp curved blade
- Robust build
- Lanyard hole
- Reversible pocket clip
Cons:
- It’s not for beginner users.
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CRKT CEO EDC Folding Pocket Knife
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Back in the days, every gentleman would bring one trusty pocket knife they can carry in their pocket. It gave birth to a type of pocket knives that are slim, low profile, but well-made and extremely sharp. CRKT CEO EDC Folding Pocket Knife is arguably the best EDC pocket knife in this “gentleman’s knife” criterion. Weighing only 2 ounces, this knife fits beautifully in your front pocket like a pen. Yes, it’s conspicuous, but don’t underestimate it once it’s fully flexed. With a push of a stud, the blade swings open to reveal its sharp edges effortlessly.
The blade itself is the newest 8Cr13MoV stainless steel that holds its sharpness quite well. The handle, however, will take some time to get used to due to the form factor. Make sure you make good use of its glass-reinforced nylon handle, the thumb groove, and the pocket clip to aid your grip on such a slim handle.
What We Like
A stylish and pointy knife for most daily cutting necessity.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Slim but solid build
- Low profile
- Ball-bearing release system
- The handle material feels firm to grip
Cons:
- Heavy cutting could break this knife.
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Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops SWA24S Pocket Knife
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Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops SWA24S Pocket Knife is great to take out to hunting, camping, or hiking in any weather. This small tactical pocket knife is built by 7Cr17MoV high carbon stainless steel that can keep its fine edges for quite a long time. The blade is designed to give a fine puncture point, a sharp blade bed, and a serrated portion to cover most cutting uses in the wild like gutting an animal, slicing meat, sawing tree branches, and so on.
What makes this a great knife is it’s the gravity point which is at the center of the knife. The handle, which is a lot heavier than the blade, compensates the weight difference by integrating hollow parts that can also function as lanyard holes. Not feeling carrying it? Don’t worry as every knife is embedded with a deep pocket clip to make it easier to store in your pocket or in your money belt.
What We Like
A great looking knife with firm grip and tough steel blade.
Pros:
- 7Cr17MoV steel
- Aluminum handle
- Serrated portion
- Stay sharp longer
- Comfortable finger indentation
Cons:
- Relies on gravity to fully open.
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Kershaw Cryo Pocket Knife
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If it’s Kershaw, you won’t be surprised by the quality build of this pocket knife. As one of the most popular pocket knives, Kershaw Cryo Pocket Knife is rugged and solid to the core. All variants are so easy on the eyes, especially when it’s housed on your front or jeans pocket. You’ll also see that the company took the time to design this knife so it caters to its users regardless of their preferences. For that, the knife is pre-drilled with drive-holes to accommodate tip-up or tip-down carry. It applies on both sides so you have a comfortable grip no matter what your dominant hand is.
As expected from the best EDC pocket knife, the steel used is the durable 8Cr13MoV that allows easy sharpening and sharp-edge reliability. Nothing beats the feeling when you deploy the blade: An easy thumb push, and the blade swish out of the housing and flexed with a satisfying click. It’s made happened thanks to the SpeedSafe Assisted Opening system embedded in this solid unit. Once opened, it won’t bend back out of control with its Secure Locking system. All of these matters because a good knife is the safe one.
What We Like
A beautiful stonewash finish on a razor-sharp blade and handle.
Pros:
- Durable 8Cr13MoV steel
- Great rugged finish
- Ideal as a gift for hobbyists, hunters, or collectors
- Super smooth deployment
- Pre-drilled holes to cater most carry styles
Cons:
- It’s on the heavier side.
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Victorinox Swiss Army Hiker Pocket Knife
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It wouldn’t be complete to write this review without having our hands on the legendary maker of this knife; even the name becomes the synonym for any pocket knife in the world. Victorinox Swiss Army Classic Pocket Knife is the commercial version of the multi-tool pocket knife supplied for the Swiss army. If the army relies on this pocket knife, it could be the best EDC pocket knife ever made. The moment you hold this iconic, mini powerhouse, you know you’re in good hands.
While this knife holds multiple tools, we absolutely dig the never-dull knife. The blade is prepared in such a way that it requires minimum sharpening since it’s made of high-carbon stainless steel known for its great edge retention. Other tools on this hiker edition are knife blades, can opener, a saw, screwdriver heads, and sewing owl between the rest. All in all, this pocket knife is the essential thing you need to pack into your duffel bag. Just remember that you can’t take it to the airplane!
What We Like
An iconic knife that will last for a lifetime.
Pros:
- Legendary durability
- Multi-tooled
- Highly compact
Cons:
- Great material for the blade, but it has limited capability.
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Kershaw Leek Pocket Knife
3
To be honest, we were speechless when we saw this in person. Could it be the best EDC pocket knife, because it’s an excellent folder knife! Kershaw Leek Pocket Knife is deadly pointy, deep slanted, and sleek, but far from looking vicious. It feels natural to see the knife opens up effortlessly with a push of the flipper. The grip of this knife gives you confidence when handling it. It’s because of the ergonomically-shaped grip that feels so good in your hands. For this, extra safety is a must, so a security lock is added at the tip of the glass breaker handle.
What we can’t get over with is the fascinating steel choice. The blade is made of Sandvik 14C28N that is famous for its amazing edge retention and corrosion resistance. This pocket knife may even outlast you that you will pass it down for generations. While this knife is not the cheapest among the rest, it will be a great investment for your adventurous lifestyle that requires a heavy-duty sharp knife.
What We Like
A great-looking, super durable and reliable pocket knife that will outlast you.
Pros:
- Lightweight but feels sturdy in your hand
- Deep-angle slant: great for precision cuts
- Ambidextrous blade deployment
- Pre-drilled holes for tip-up and tip-down pocket clip
- Available in 15 colors
- Assisted opening
Cons:
- The metal handle variants are slippery when wet.
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Cold Steel Recon 1 Tacktical Folding Knife
2
The knife that deserves the runner-up position, Cold Steel Recon 1 Tacktical Folding Knife is not the one you want to mess with. Armed with the durable and corrosion-resistant CPM-S35VN steel, this knife takes down most material mercilessly. Especially the exceptionally sharp tanto edge; make sure you don’t drop this on your feet!
The design of this folder knife is that of a tactical knife that provides the best grip for your hand. Have peace of mind when handling this knife as it’s equipped with one of the best locking mechanisms in the world dubbed the Triad Lock. The mechanism keeps the blade fully extended and stayed that way until you fold it back. The result is a strong, non-wobbly blade over-performing.
What We Like
An aggressive-looking and extra durable knife
Pros:
- Comfortable grip
- Best locking mechanism
- Excellent black matte finish
- High-quality CPM-S35VN steel
- Finger notch for extra stability
Cons:
- It’s big compared to others in this list.
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Kershaw Blur Black Drop Point EDC
1
Our pick for the best EDC pocket knife falls on the knife that took the internet by the storm with numerous smitten customers all over the world. This achievement lies in its ability to bring confidence to the user, the super durability, and reliability over the years. Well, look at the company that makes it. With all the experience and years-long research, it’s no question that they successfully breed the best knives in the market. Enter the Kershaw Blur Black Drop Point EDC.
This knife is amazingly lightweight and easy to use. The blade flexes like a charm in every successful deployment. Once it’s out, it’s securely fastened by the Liner Lock mechanism to keep your finger attached in every use. To choose Sandvik 14C28N steel for the blade is absolutely no brainer as you’ll need it to have consistent sharpness in every performance. And the last but not least, the grip is embedded with Trac-Tec technology that prevents slippage and poses you in bloody accidents. With all of these factors, it’s certain that this pocket knife deserves the highest spot on our list.
What We Like
An exceptional knife that won’t disappoint you in any circumstances.
Pros:
- Sandvik 14C28N steel
- One-hand operation with SpeedSafe Assisted Opening system
- Firm grip with Trac-Tec innovation
- The beautiful black matte finish on the blade
- Deep pocket clip (reversible)
- LinerLock locking system
- Slim build
Cons:
- It’s pricey.
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