Hi All
Totally new here. Looking into a good quality EDC knife, that can be used for the outdoors as well (overland journeys etc).
For a combination of EDC and outdoor use, most people end up with a locking folder with a blade in the 3" - 3.5" range (give or take a bit).
Regardless of what anybody says about performance, 99% of the discussion after this boils down to what you like the looks of. There's a very, very large range of options and the first place to start is with the aesthetics.
Here are some of the technical differences as I see them (all of this is according to my opinion, ymmv)
BLADE GRIND - Primary options include: hollow grind (best for cutting meat), scandi grind (some prefer for wood), flat/convex/sabre grind (best all around, imo).
BLADE SHAPE - Primary options include: clip point (best for deboning game), tanto (according to some, best for martial/fighting), drop/spear (best all around, imo).
EDGE TYPE - Options include: full serrated (best for rope, clothing, rescue), partial serrated and plain. I strongly prefer plain as I deal with wood a lot.
LOCK TYPE - Lock back (traditional folding hunters, like the Buck 110), liner locks, frame locks, new fangled locks, lock collars (like Opinel), no locks (slip joints).
STEEL TYPE - Junk steel should be avoided. super steels have their advocates but are hard to sharpen, especially in the field. Basic steels give decent performance and are easy to sharpen in the field. My preference is for basic steels. Buck's 420HC, decent carbon steel (usually 1095 but not always), Sandvik 12C27, Aus8.
ACTUAL USE - I find that nearly all of my actual use of a knife is pretty mundane. A lot of cutting sticks and food prep. Splitting wood is very rare and I backpack, ski tour and bike tour a lot and often carry a wood stove.
This is my standard carry for both EDC and outdoor use. That is a slightly modified Opinel #9, which is very, very light and easy to carry and insanely tough.
EDC Pair by Pinnah, on FlickrThe small tool is a Leatherman Micra. For backpacking, I'll swap that for PS4 Squirt for small pliers to deal with equipment repair and sewing. I *do* keep a full sized multi-tool (LM Blaze) in my day pack for EDC use but rarely use it and it's not worth the weight for backcountry travel.
If I were getting a modern tactical style knife for EDC/outdoor use, I would look closely at the ESEE Zancudo. The blade is just about perfect for all around use, imo.
If I were to get another traditional, hunting style lockback, I would get another Buck 500. It does most everything well but the big draw back for me is the hollow grind. I doubt I'll buy another hollow ground blade again, at least for EDC use.
COST - IMO, knives are like stereos, cameras, beer, bourbon and bikes and many other things. The law of diminishing returns kicks in really fast. Yes, there are going to be folks who, like the princess, can feel the pea under countless mattresses. They will go on and on about the very real and important differences you will find in the next price point up. "You get what you pay for" will be the refrain. It will play on your fear that you've chosen unwisely and that you're missing something important. If you need to spend money to feel good about yourself in other parts of your life, you should spend money on a knife too, as you won't feel satisfied by a cheaper knife. If you're on a budget and if you can live with the trade-off of better price/performance value, my recommendation would be to try several lower cost knives and feel for yourself which options and styles work best for you.
Here is a list of some of the perennial value picks that I hear repeatedly here.
ESEE Zancudo
Ontario RAT 2
Kershaw Leek
Buck 110 (or Buck 500 and many variants)
Case Sodbuster
Opinel #8 or#9