How great a slicer does YOUR regular EDC need to be ?

DocJD

DocJD

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Just tonight , I decided to slice up some rather large apples that my wife discarded as gone bad , to feed out to the deer that visit our yard .

I normally carry a old version AUS8 Cold Steel Large (5.5" blade) Espada (G10 handle) , as my working knife on my own land . Been my main chore knife for many years , for stuff not requiring a fixed blade's strength or precise work in a confined space .

It's been more than adequate to cut whatever I've needed to . But I've never had the occasion to do any food prep or similar slicing work with this knife . I've read lots of threads making various points about what makes a knife more or less "slicey" . But outside the kitchen , this has not been a priority for me .

My old Espada did just fine on them big apples . Better than I expected . Sliced straight thru very cleanly . It's no razor blade or Japanese kitchen super slicer , but seem plenty fine for what I personally need in an EDC .

So , is super slicing ability a EDC necessity for you ?
 
I have a work edc zt 0350. I don't need to cut through things like an apple. I do more cuts like paper, outer edge of cardboard, i use it to cut/break chlorine tablets. Out of work i edc a esee 4, spyderco endura, and a buck 309. I more cutting through fruit, sandwiches, clamshell packages. I have a 4 year old and 9 month old. So more related to cutting things for them .
 
I keep my knives fairly sharp with a Sharpmaker and a few stones, but I am nowhere near as compulsive about it as many on this site.

I seem to get by without a mirror edge and some crazy radius. ;)

I don’t do complex food prep or microscopic cuts with my EDC knives, so “pretty sharp” works for me. My kitchen knives are insanely sharp for when I need to make precision cuts or make food look pretty.

A full flat grind blade also helps make many of my EDC folders slice better as well.
 
I suppose I could actually get by with an overly obtuse blade that mashed more than sliced, so technically it doesn't need to be terribly slicey. That said, I'm fond of some somewhat ridiculous, overbuilt folders as well as small, wickedly slicey blades and I can state without hesitation that slicey knives with thin edges, tall grinds and thin stock make most of my EDC tasks noticeably easier than knives with the opposite. My Adamas (now gone) and SR1 are fun, cool brick-like folders and they are aces as demolition tools, but if I want to cut something my Chaparral or Urban make it a lot easier.
 
I used an 0562 at work for over two years. Not a great cutter. Didn’t have to be. But, I did eventually transition to better cutters. It’s notably more efficient using my Keen at work.
 
There’s a specific sort of nerdiness (that I fully appreciate and understand) that highly values cutting efficiency. Thickness behind the edge, edge angles, grind geometry, etc - it all makes perfect sense to me. It even ties in nicely with many other aspects of a knife - blade design, blade steel, ergonomics... all aspects to consider when hypothesizing the most efficient and effective cutting tool.

That said, for 99.9% of the already-infrequent situations where a folding knife is not only handy but also the most ideal tool... Nearly any knife is going to accomplish the task satisfactorily.

I basically never have cause to use my folding knives on food. I used a Manix XL on a steak at a Rib Crib once because their serrated steak knives were about as sharp as the side of a fork, and that might be the only time the sliciness of my knife really mattered.

The vast majority of the time, my knife could be functionally replaced with a cheap pair of scissors or a house key. I value cutting efficiency and enjoy using a knife that is uncommonly befit to the task at hand, but, I would say it’s a blessing that such instances are exceedingly rare as it allows me to carry nearly any knife and still be overly-equipped for a given day’s potential need for a dedicated matter-separation tool. I can, instead, focus on the aesthetic qualities and precision of the machining, which is much more gratifying to me.
 
Generally the only time I need a really fine slicer is in food prep and are kitchen knives ...

For my EDC I prefer something in the middle that cuts well but still has some good strength ... like most my daily cutting needs don't require a thin thin stock blade ... and a stouter knife serves me better ...

but I always carry a SAK Alox Farmer that can do any fine slicing I need ... such as peeling an apple or such ...

and my leatherman blades are also plenty slicey for anything I may need a finer blade than my modern EDC.
 
In reality I don't really need anything particularly slicey, just something that will open a box or cut some paracord.
But for some reason I need every knife I carry to perform to its fullest potential and I adjust them to do so.
It's a disease.
I really need a less expensive hobby.
 
I don't need a slicer in general. I prefer intersecting edges so I chose a tanto style tip every time for the razor edge, the benefit of a deep belly aids in other applications such as slicing so a deep belly tanto does it all for me.
hPzBnEu
 
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I don't need it to be particularly slicey, but I also don't need it to be particularly robust. TBH the Vic Cadet or Spartan I'm usually carrying is plenty adequate for 99% of my cutting tasks.

I'm a knife knut though and as such I carry knives that I don't "need." I like slicey ones. They're more fun to use. The Delica and Endura in ZDP-189 are my usual choices.
 
Why settle for anything less than a razor sharp edge?

I haven't worked in an environment where I needed to break down cardboard boxes since I was a kid, but I do complex cooking on a daily basis. It is a joy to feel a sharp blade slice through whatever you're processing. From butchery to prep work every task needs a razor sharp edge.
 
I like my Adamas and the 4-Max though they don't get carried as much as my Emersons; none of these would be considered slicers by any measure, but they are satisfying to own and do serve a purpose ... slicing aside.

The Ontario RAT-1 (AUS8 or D2) are my go to EDCs if food prep or other slicey tasks are anticipated.

The Spyderco range - typically in my case the Pacific Salt or Endura can also slice even without the preferred FFG of the RAT 1; I almost always have a Pacific Salt on me because they are light and allow for a second knife without the second knife weight penalty.

As stated by others here, the main blade on a SAK or a LM is also sufficiently slicey for tasks requiring that characteristic.

So, I said all of that to say this: Much of what I use an EDC knife for is easier with a slicey knife. When out of the house, I don't have access to kitchen knives for slicing apples, cheese, sausage, tomatoes and the like - a RAT-1 or Spyderco handles those tasks knicely. I find that these tasks present themselves more often in the course of my routine day than the things the Adamas or one of the Emersons might be much better at - but I still like to carry them.
 
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