Best EDC fixed blade?

A

Acid6265

Joined
Jan 29, 2014
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What's a good EDC fixed blade that cost less than $70. I want it to be concealable and easy to carry but I don have and size preferences, any suggestions?
 
uxo2 said:
Spydeco Tenacious
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Wasn't aware that the Tenacious came in a fixed blade version. :p

I know that TOPS' advertising material is ridiculous, but I have a Mini ALRT,

imagesqtbnANd9GcSc0k02sA4uKxXlHYCfY_zpsd3d83c68.jpg


And like it very much. Sharp, light, very secure sheath.

The image, by the way, is about 95% of actual size.
 
of all the small fixed blades Ive carried over the years, the Candiru and Izula are my personal favorites. a set of scales and a pocket sheath makes for a package thats pretty hard to beat for edc
 
ESEE Izula, carry one awhile and you'll be amazed how much you can do with that small of a blade.
 
My first vote would be for a JK Knives custom, if you're lucky you might find one around $80.

Next I would say a a BK-11 (because I EDC it some times) which is very similar to the Izula others have suggested.

Finally for a smaller fixed blade, a CRKT Minimalist.
 
fixed edc <$70= esee izula. Or even better, watch the knifemaker forum for some custom neckers in that price range.
 
Shorttime said:
Wasn't aware that the Tenacious came in a fixed blade version.

I know that TOPS' advertising material is ridiculous
Click to expand...


Compare a Tenacious and a Mule and you'll think that the Mule is a fixed blade Tenacious.

I have occasionally thought about a small EDC fixed blade for utility and TOPS is the brand that I'm most interested in.

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If you can find any of the Blind Horse patch knives (Frontier First/Frontier Valley/Little Muk) - there are still a few around, and they should all be in your price range for a small/EDC fixed blade.

Sharpfinger is a good classic as well.

Cold Steel's Pendleton Mini-hunter is a good EDC sized blade under $80 too...

I love the Spyderco Street Beat that Bugout Bill recommends - but it's going to cost you a bit more than your stated budget.
 
mrynecy said:
fixed edc <$70= esee izula. Or even better, watch the knifemaker forum for some custom neckers in that price range.
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I would agree with a custom too honestly. I've had an Izula that I put some custom "TKC" scales on for another $40 so was in it for about $90 in all.

Meanwhile, I got a knife made by a small custom/semi-custom maker that made a similar 3" droppoint style fixed blade, but with a scandi grind and 62 HRC ELMAX and was selling them for $80. Orange G10 handles on this one as well. It's really been winning out over the Izula for pocket-time lately. It's ammaazing what kind of value is out there with the custom market.

On the other hand... You've just got to have an Izula when it comes to versatility and I guess what you'd call "aftermarket" stuff. Tons of custom sheath makers, handles, so on and so forth for the Izula, and they have a lot of resale value because the warranty is not only a no-questions-asked-replacement stipulation, but is transferable so there's not a whole lot of value loss to sell them used either. They really are a great knife with super ergonomics too. Maybe a little thick, but has a good distal taper and thins near the tip. Very well designed knives, but then some people would say the materials leave a little to be desired. The whole "It's just coated 1095" crowd, but really it's some super tough coating, and it's well done 1095 which is a tried and true cutlery steel. ESEE does it on the soft side so some say wear resistance leaves a little to be desired, but really you're not going to see much better from 1095 in other production 1095 from Becker or similar--maybe if you put them on a CARTA machine or something. They're made to be tough as snot and sharpen easily in the field, and basically never break. They practically dare you to (ab)use them.
 
You may want to check out a gerber basic. Its a nice knife that i edc'ed over a year, had a 4 way reversible sheath. Full tang & can be had for under $35 on amazon. The on with the last gerber symbol (sword in mountain) has a better sheath in my opinion, its easier to draw the knife. The newer basic that has the current gerber symbol has a more tight fitting sheath and i mean really tight instead of using your thumb to release the friction lock sheath the on the previous one i stated you actually have to hold the sheath while you yank the knife out. I remedied this by spending about 2 hours of shaving down the two "ridges" i will call them that you can see if you have the sheath in and and look in it.. Just spend the time shaving down the "ridges" with a nail file (one with a real coarse grit, a metal one) and it will come out really smoother comparable to the previous gerber basic i owned. Mine now has easy to release action and still has its friction lock hold on the blade. If you go this route just shave the inside, you don't need to take off either the gerber plate or clip.

Crkt dogfish neck knife, crkt minimalist series neck knives, crkt spew neck knife- these all come to mind and if im not mistaken all are under $40. Dogfish-about $25, minmalist-about $25-$30, spew-about $35-$40

that what comes to my mind right off the top of my head.
 
Why not the Ka-Bar TDI large?
KA1482-d.jpg


REALLY thick spine , and made of AUS 8A stainless , so good corrosion resistant + easy sharpening .

Also , very concealable and easy to deploy .
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I have been carrying an izula II for a year and a half I think now , its small enough to slip into a pocket , its tough .. really tough . I understand their warranty now after I been using mine some .
 
For that price the Izula is one of the top choices. The Spyserco Street Beat would be my favorite but is considerably more $$. In the same price as the Street Beat I'd look into one of the Bussekin ( Busse, Swamp Rat,or Scrapyard dog). If you choose a Bussekin, make sure the handle is short for comfort.

IMHO The Street Beat is best for fit in my hand. fit and finish is excellent, work of art!. Grip (it just LOCKS in your hand). You forget its on you.. It's just plain beautiful. VG10 steel holds a good edge.. Stainless steel.

Whatever your choice,... Make sure it's fulll tang....or else what's the use of going fixed blade. Make sure it's legal to do so in your area. Good hunting, lots of great choices.:) oh yeah! Blade shape is also a factor.....

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