EDC question for the people new to knives, their use and collecting.

[T. Erdelyi]

You guys and by you guys I mean the members new to the knife community are always asking' what kind of EDC should I get? What kind of knife for SD, what kind of knife for survival? It goes on and on forever so let's put the foot in the other shoe so to speak .

You all have some experience with knives otherwise you wouldn't be here on BFC the largest and best informed knife site on the internet. So I ask you, let's assume you're the experts here and you want to show how much you've learned. Show me what you know so far by telling me what in your experience is

the best EDC for the money,

the best survival knife,

best SAK

the best SD knife or

just the plain best all around knife for the money

your choice based on your experience.

Now I'm trying to learn a little something about the members new to this community and what their perceptions are coming in so don't just answer with "a buck 110 because my grand dad carried one in the war. I want to know why you think your choice is valid and be prepared to explain your choice. This is an opportunity for you folks strut your stuff, share your knowledge and possibly learn a thing or two yourself, looking forward to the replies.

 

[Danke42]

You guys and by you guys I mean the members new to the knife community are always asking' what kind of EDC should I get? What kind of knife for SD, what kind of knife for survival? It goes on and on forever so let's put the foot in the other shoe so to speak

the best EDC for the money, Spyderco Delica. What makes it great is that it's available in a range of choices in blade and handle material. So you can tailor it to your needs.

the best survival knife, Winkler II Belt Knife. What makes it great is the pure quality of the blade and the sheath. I can think of no task it could not perform.

best SAK The mechanic. I like the pliers.

the best SD knife As yet, undecided

just the plain best all around knife for the money Back to the Spyderco Delica.

 

[Ducksandcuse]

Best edc for the money esee izula imo folders cant hold up to abuse like fixed blades. And its a good in expensive option

 

[T. Erdelyi]

Best edc for the money esee izula imo folders cant hold up to abuse like fixed blades. And its a good in expensive option

What kind of abuse have you put the Izula through? I have one of the original RATS and am quite aware of how good of a knife it is but I'm curious what makes you think it's the best? To make the unfounded statement above carries no validity, now if you can give me some examples of what makes it good for that choice. Remember this is your time to shine and show what you know about your choice. Also don't quote the line card info as that doesn't tell me your experience with your choice.

Danke42 has the idea, some reasoning as to why you make your choices. :thumbup:

 

[Hawgsnawt]

Best EDC for the money : Spyderco Resilience - I have large hands and prefer a larger knife... 4.25 inch blade is just about perfect for me, the thumb hole means easy one hand open, the liner lock means easy one hand close....unlike the military that has no liners the resilience has steel liners which add enough weight to the handle that it feels and balances like a knife should IMHO and not like the new ultralight craze or the ultra heavy framelocks.... it just is IMHO the perfect EDC knife at least for me... and at 45.00 its hard to beat

Best Survival knife for the money : this is a loaded question because survival knife means so many different things to different people...for ME personally, I think combat/utility knife that could work as a 1 knife option in the woods, self defense, hack yourself out of a car.... Kabar's Becker BK7 gets that nod from me.... with the factory micarta handle upgrades it is a serviceable knife that can do all that and more...and still be affordable enough that you don't mind beating on it with a baton to split some firewood. Alternate choice ..... any of the 15 to 18 inch HI imports Kukris sold here on the forems direct from Nepal with a special nod to the WWII model.

Best SAK : One Handed NON serrated Trekker - has everything on it I want on a SAK, while still being enough knife to qualify as a serious EDC contender... this however will be very different from person to person based on their specific SAK tool needs/wants

Best self defense knife : lot of folks will disagree with me, but I've found no meaner knife than the Spyderco Civilian.... the ONLY thing I'd change if I could, is to make an XL version with a 5.5 inch blade length cause that's max legal carry size in Texas....other than that... if I HAD to take on an active shooter with only a knife I COULD carry on me every day.... Civilian is my choice every time

Best all around knife for the money : entirely too subjective for me to hazard a guess....it really just depends on the task at hand....

 

[Ducksandcuse]

What kind of abuse have you put the Izula through? I have one of the original RATS and am quite aware of how good of a knife it is but I'm curious what makes you think it's the best? To make the unfounded statement above carries no validity, now if you can give me some examples of what makes it good for that choice. Remember this is your time to shine and show what you know about your choice. Also don't quote the line card info as that doesn't tell me your experience with your choice.

Danke42 has the idea, some reasoning as to why you make your choices. [emoji106]

The lack of pivot allows for small batoning and chopping. Less parts less need for oiling and cleaning. Ive used this knife as a pry bar and dropped it many many times on the concrete. And never had to worry about anything coming loose due to it being a fixed blade

 

[T. Erdelyi]

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for. If you could ever find the old Gerber LST Magnum it would probably fit your needs also, one tough knife meant for big hands and with a 1/2" o Zytel sandwiching the blade, (I'll have to check what steel they were using back then). It has no thumb stud or hole but leaves enough of the blade exposed for you to do a pinch drop opening. It does lack a pocket clip but has a lanyard hole.

Survival knives can be anything from an SAK to a full tang 5" fixed blade bushcraft knife or an EK model 5 Combat Bowie depending on the situation you find yourself in.

SAKs there has to be a balance between size and tools, too big and they stay home, too small and their use is limited but when you have nothing even a classic is appreciated, for me it's the Alox Farmer because of it's durability and choice of tools. They offer the minimum collection of tools with the maximum usage in the Farmer.

They say the best SD knife much like a survival knife is the one you have with you and to that end I personally carry a custom Bud Nealy Aikuchi because of it's carry options and it actually makes for a good utility blade, the high hollow ground blade with the multiple grinds may make it hard for the novice to keep sharp but it does provide enough options and cutting angles that I could forego the bushcraft knife as long as the Alox Farmer rides with it.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

The lack of pivot allows for small batoning and chopping. Less parts less need for oiling and cleaning. Ive used this knife as a pry bar and dropped it many many times on the concrete. And never had to worry about anything coming loose due to it being a fixed blade

Does the skeletonized handle concern you when batoning? That seems to be the place they break, then again if it's light batoning just to make kindling out of 4" branches it should be fine. Personally I wouldn't test the spine on a skeletonized short bladed fb knife, even if it's 1095 and proprietary heat treated. My problem would be a broken blade just because the manufacturer wanted to save weight or material. JMO

 

[Ducksandcuse]

Does the skeletonized handle concern you when batoning? That seems to be the place they break, then again if it's light batoning just to make kindling out of 4" branches it should be fine. Personally I wouldn't test the spine on a skeletonized short bladed fb knife, even if it's 1095 and proprietary heat treated. My problem would be a broken blade just because the manufacturer wanted to save weight or material. JMO

Thats a good point. But still its much more capable than folders for that kind of abuse

 

[jc57]

How "new to knives" do we need to be to play?

 

[Hickory n steel]

If someone wants a high quality knife at a very low price and doesn't care if it locks then Victorinox is the way to go.
If they have a very low budget and want a one handed edc I have to recommend the Buck 482 as I don't think you can get a better lightweight one hand opener for 20$ ( if I can get the job done with a small slipjoint I'd never have a problem with the 482 )
If they want to start trying out various traditional patterns I'll tell them to start with rough rider.
For a woodcraft knife I'd recommend an old hickory or some vintage butcher knife from a thrift store. ( it's always a fun one day project to clean up or repurpose an old carbon kitchen knife )
And for survival I'd point them towards a vintage hatchet.

 

[Locutus D'Borg]

Best EDC is mini-Grip (Ritter):

Best urban survival is IMO Emerson mini-CQC-7 (in my case Custom):

 

[T. Erdelyi]

How "new to knives" do we need to be to play?

Would you feel comfortable answering questions in front of a group of people all day? if the answer is yes, you're not new enough. In reality we're all less experienced than someone else so knock yourself out. :

 

[T. Erdelyi]

Best EDC is mini-Grip (Ritter):

Best urban survival is IMO Emerson mini-CQC-7 (in my case Custom):

But why, just because you say so? You're missing the point of the thread, this is your chance to shine, to show what you know based on a little more than a pic. If you're using the pic as your reason it tells me nothing as to why. Try again.

 

[Deer]

The best EDC for the money- Doug Ritter mini/full Griptillian. Solid proven platform with an amazing all around EDC blade steel with a lifetime warranty from a company known for their customer service. This blade should last your whole life. User preference on the size. Actually don't even own this knife, but it would be my recommendation to anyone looking for a single EDC quality folder at an inexpensive cost.

The best survival knife- For a survival knife I automatically think batoning. 7"+ Infi, 5160, 1095, 3V. I would preferably have a Busse in Infi over anything based off of reviews/raves alone. But do not own one currently because of cost. My current survival batoning knife is a standard full size 7" partially serrated kabar (US made) in 1095 and its held up awesome so far, It was not purchased with batoning in mind but does the job just fine. Another knife Id love to try (with batoning in mind) would be a Rat 7 or Rtak 2. All comes down to durability, toughness, and strength of blade steel on this one.

Best SAK- Vicotinox: All out- Handyman. Middle of the road- Deluxe Tinker. Minimalist- Spartan/Tinker. Im a minimalist with SAKs, the Spartan/Tinker have most EDCers covered in the daily life.

The best SD knife- Really going to be situational and personal preference. (I also advise against use of a blade for SD and advise to GTFO imideiatly (RUN!)) But if it came down to it, no way out.. Personally, Id like a claymore. Keep the threat as far away as possible. Slightly more realistically Id like a 17-20" one handed blade like a Kopis. Much more realistically Id take my Spartan Ares. Legal in most places, 5.5" blade, perfect balance, designed for fighting/combat. But its not something I EDC. I'll most likely have a Bradford G3 and a CRK Large Inkosi or Benchmade 940 on me any given day. But for SD I'd ideally want the biggest blade I could comfortably carry. The more reach I have the better.

Best all around knife for the money- Im a huge fan of Benchmades 940 (ergonomics, lightweight, slimness, disappears in your pocket, solid platform, plenty of blade length, available in a few blade steels for user pref), CRK large CF Inkosi (ergonomics, extremely solid knife, slimness/lightweight for the size of the blade that comes with it, amazing grind for cutting, superb craftsmanship, excellent all around blade steel) and Benchmades 908bk-1501 (Very strong/study knife, well suited for high abuse jobs with its CPM-M4 blade, excellent weight to blade size ratio, excellent weight for the amount of abuse the knife can take, ergos feel great). When one of these knives (especially an Inkosi or 21) outlasts you and gets passed down for generations, cost becomes relative and they dont seem so expensive.

My choice based on my exp.- I used my CRK Inkosi CF extensively for the first time today. Wondering why I waited so long. Love the hollow grind. 940 is right up there with it. Iv only used S30V but have an S90V and 20CV blade on the way to see if I like them better (very very high hopes on the S90V, already expecting it to be my main EDC next to the Inkosi). Iv had micro chipping problems with S30V. But the 940's lightweight, ergonomics, blade profile, sturdiness in the axis lock, and lightning fast deployment of the blade are all winners.

 

[BK14]

Best knife for the money: Spyderco Paramilitary 2. While not a cheap knife to most, the PM2 does just about everything most people could realistically need from a pocket knife. All while being comfortable and allowing for expression of personal style. I have used mine for everything I use a knife for, and it has met all my demands with flying colors.
Best survival knife: I would have to say a Mora of any variety. Cheap, disposable, but is easy to carry and sharpen, and can handle anything thrown at it. I have batoned with mine, done countless yard work tasks, carved, and done food prep. Another contender for best knife for the money as well.
Best SAK: Tinker or Small Tinker. Fantastic value, has all the tools people normally need on a day to day basis. I have gifted one to a friend before, and she uses it as her only knife and has been suited quite well. I never carry mine, but for most people new to the hobby, the Tinker is a great introduction to the world of Swiss Army Knives.
I have absolutely no experience with using knives for self defence so I am hesitant to comment here, but if really pressed, I would have to recommend any waved model from the Emerson lineup. Great ergonomics, and I can say from personal experience that when one is in your hand, it's not going anywhere. When practiced, the wave opening is reliable and immediate.
Best all around knife for the money: Standard Benchmade 940. This was my primary EDC for about 5 months before getting into some other higher end knives, and I absolutely loved it. Flashy but understated, ergonomic enough, light, carries beautifully, and has a large and effective enough blade to handle most chores. I found mine hard to use with heavy work gloves and my large hands, but if I could only have one folder, it would certainly be in the running.
My choice based on experience: Would have to be the Emerson Horseman. I would not likely suggest it to a non-knife nut, as it is expensive, a bit fickle (at least mine has been), and not the style for everyone. But for me, and what I want and need a knife for, the Horseman is perfect. Working around horses everyday, the partially serrated blade and narrow but strong shape opens hay bales, shaving bags, and zipties with little effort, and the wave is comforting to have for the event of an emergency (i.e. horse stuck in rope fence). I also know that a great warranty backs it up, so if a situation arises where I ever have to destroy the knife to save the day, Emerson will help take care of me.
I wish these responses could be better researched, I definitely acknowledge the possibility of these changing, I just need more knives to research!

 

[22-rimfire]

....Best Survival knife for the money : this is a loaded question because survival knife means so many different things to different people...for ME personally, I think combat/utility knife that could work as a 1 knife option in the woods, self defense, hack yourself out of a car.... Kabar's Becker BK7 gets that nod from me.... with the factory micarta handle upgrades it is a serviceable knife that can do all that and more...and still be affordable enough that you don't mind beating on it with a baton to split some firewood.

Best SAK : One Handed NON serrated Trekker - has everything on it I want on a SAK, while still being enough knife to qualify as a serious EDC contender... this however will be very different from person to person based on their specific SAK tool needs/wants.

Interesting mention of the BK-7. It doesn't get mentioned much any more. It is always, why choose a 7 when you can get a 9? Well, the difference is I might carry a 7" knife but seldom consider carrying a 9" knife. Sure the BK-9 is better at chopping. But how much do you really need to chop in a survival situation that might last a couple days?

The SAK choice is very good. I like the non-serrated One-handed Trekker a lot. It is just a tad too heavy for me to carry in my pocket. If it is not in my pocket, I am likely not to have it with me. I have always leaned toward the Tinker, but prefer the larger side locking Adventurer with the Tinker tool set. The Boy Scout version is still available.

Still formulating my overall response. The problem is that I change as time moves forward with many of my suggestions. The "Best for less" is always a consideration for me. Much of it is situational.

 

[H0bbs]

Obviously everything is personal preference (at least to an extent) - I have a few dozen folders and don't require much "hard use".... Most mornings I find myself grabbing my Spyderco Paramilitary2. Good bang for the buck but what I really love about it is the good steel (S30V), light weight, perfect size for my hand, and excellent ergonomics. I like my new ZT 0450CF as my office knife too as it is a little smaller and looks a little less menacing to those who aren't comfortable around knives. Everyone I work with is used to my knives but I don't want to make clients uncomfortable when I pull a blade out to cut something!

 

[Golden Goal]

I'll bite, slow day at work... let's get into this.

Best EDC for the money? Wow, loaded question. I see three variables in this. 1) What is most appropriate for everyday situations and tasks? I'm looking for a 2.8 to 3.5 inch drop point or maybe a vagely clipped folder, flat ground with no serrations. It needs to employ a one-hand operation locking mechanism that's easy to use. I'd like to see a reasonably quick opening feature, but I don't need it waved and I certainly don't need an auto. I definitely want to see some sort of premium steel, and it needs to be stainless. 2) What carries best? My EDC blade spends most of its time in my pocket; I need to like how it feels there, i.e. not feel that it's there until I reach for it. Let's get the obvious out of the way: I want a tip-up, deep carry clip (may need a substitute or aftermarket clip, but always worth the hassle to acquire) and I want the knife to be as lightweight and thin as possible - under 3.5 or 4 oz and 0.45" thick are generally specs I like to see. I also want to minimize the in-pocket width of the knife as it's probably sharing a pocket with a cell phone. I don't want the scales made of anything too terribly grippy as I don't want it to shred my pants - I'd rather see the ergos incorporate some grip-enhancing features such as a thumb ramp, jimping, choil, etc. 3) What provides the most value? I think this is pretty subjective based on your personal financial situation, but doesn't really deserve much discussion. The more of these features you can get for less dollars, the better. So, what knives meet my criteria? The Ritter grip and mini grip definitely come in near the top of my list (though I don't own one) because of the M390 steel for such low prices. Pretty sweet deal. I'd probably throw some custom scales and a different clip on there. Other contenders: BM 940 series ( much pricier), Kershaw Skyline (I think I've seen it offered in S30V), ZT 0450 (I've heard it's really only suitable if you have small hands, I'll probably pick up an 0454 some time soon as I have enough small folders). I don't own any Spyderco knives because that hole looks like a pocket hog (talking width) to me, but I'll probably get a PM2 soon.

Best survival knife? Needs to be able to do anything and everything out in the woods. From what I've heard, there isn't really an argument to make about anything being even close to Busse knives. I wish I had one, but if I did I'd go for something between 8 and 10 inches to baton those big logs. I own an ESEE Junglas and a Bark River Bravo 2 in S35VN. I love aspects of each one, such as the convex grind on the Bravo and the removable scales on the Junglas. I realize now that I probably shouldn't have bought either of those and used the funds for a Busse. Oh well.

Best SAK? I don't own anything made by Victorinox, so I hope the OP is cool if I refer to all multitools here. To me, there are two useful types of multitools - those that are super portable and those that have as many tools as possible in them, no matter how big and heavy it makes them. I firmly believe that the Leatherman Squirt is the best of the small category. There are a lot of full-size multitools out there, but I'll give the nod to the Leatherman Wave. I'd like to see tweezers and better blade steel on it (same goes for the Squirt), but you can spend the extra cash for better steel with the Leatherman Charge if you want to. I did. I regret it. It's really not that important when you're carrying an actual knife.

Best self defense knife? I'm not qualified to answer this question, but I'd have to say that whatever the biggest knife is that's not considered a sword... that one. Better yet, get something that's actually made for self defense.

Best all around for the money? I want to say that it's the small Sebenza. I really do. I've had mine for a month now and I love everything about it except that it doesn't have a deep carry clip. Is it the best knife for the money? I don't know. That warranty is pretty cool and I love how easy it is to care for. If I don't need to send it in for work in the next 10 years, I will confidently say that it is the best knife for the money. For now, I'll go with the Cold Steel Recon 1. 4 inches of XHP, G10 and tri-ad lock for under $100? Shut up and take my money!

Can you tell which sections I wrote while at work and which while watching baseball?