Looking for a new edc, recommendations please

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rxavage

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Aug 16, 2014
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I'm looking for a new edc that will see plenty of action, so it will need to be rugged and durable. I will be using it to cut dirty ropes, canvas impregnated with silt, and some light prying like opening crates as some tasks, and possibly stripping transmission wire. I have been eying the Spyderco military after seeing so many Spyderco recommendations but I'm a little worried the blade may not hold up. I am open to anything and price isn't really an issue as long as the knife performs and I'm getting what I pay for. Thanks.
 
Maybe the Spyderco Gayle Bradley? It is one tough knife and M4 is a great and tough steel, although not stainless. ZT 550 would be another great option. Benchmade Contego or Adams could either one hold up. If your budget is lower, Cold Steel has great options.
 
Honestly, I think an Emerson would be perfect for your needs. Maybe a CQC-8 or a Journeyman if you don't like recurves. But I'll suggest a Commander or a Vindicator.

Emerson knives are easily sharpened, take a great edge, are easy to disassemble and clean, and have a great warranty behind them.
 
If you want the military then get it and buy a little pry bar from county comm, I'd also look at the ZT0350
 
I'll second the Gayle Bradley suggestion. I'll also add a suggestion for the Benchmade Contego. If there's any blade I would trust to hold up to serious hard use, it would be that slab of CPM-M4.
 
Benchmade Adamas or ZT 0550 are both very nice, exceptionally tough folders. If you don't mind combo edges you might try to snag one of the limited edition CTS-XHP Recon 1s that Cold Steel put out for Blade Show. I've seen a few pop up for around $100 and it would give you some great steel in an amazingly tough knife.
 
For the type of cutting you are talking about I think a fully serrated Spyderco would do the trick, take your pick. I don't normally prefer serrated edges, but if rope and canvas is your primary task it would do well.
 
Benchmade Nimravus with serrations/comboedge. Or maybe the full serrated Spyderco Temperance if you can find one.
 
At the low (low low) end of the price bracket, the Svord Peasant is a good hard use folder. It can be a bit bulky in-pocket to edc, but is great to throw in a tool kit. It's very basic, very tough and will take an excellent edge. Breaks down for cleaning with 2 minutes and a screwdriver and is very inexpensive. It isn't pretty but it gets the job done and you won't mind abusing it :)
 
For exactly what you describe IMO a DPx HEST 2 folder would work as well or better than anything yet mentioned.

They have built in wire strippers and one of the thickest blades out there. They're tough knives. Good steels too.

If I were going to pry with any folder I own it would be with the HEST 2.0.
 
Cutting rope and canvas are not the primary tasks but examples of some of the things I will cut with the blade and more specifically tasks that have seriously dulled other knives including serrated. I'd prefer a plain edge since it is quicker and easier to sharpen, despite the serrations being extremely useful for cutting hand-lines etc.

The Hest seems pretty rugged, although the wire strippers are way too small. I would be using the blade to cut the sheath around sizable bundles of aluminum core steel wrapped wire, and sometimes steel on steel causes chipping in the blade.

Maybe I'm expecting too much from a folder but there has to be something out there I don't have to resharpen everyday. Thanks for the replies.
 
Enlan EL-02 :thumbup:

Kind of joking, but I picked one of these up a couple of years ago out of curiousity. I never really did anything with it until I went on a housebout trip a few weeks ago. I wanted to take an inexpensive folder since I knew it would be lent out a lot and I also didn't want to see a $100+ folder go overboard. The Enlan did great at whittling, food prep, cutting dirty rope. Even did some light prying, chopping, and batoning with it. Really happy with what I got for the $15 or so it cost.
 
Have you thought about a small fixed blade? A bk14 or Esee izula or something?
 
I just watched a hard use video and that Enlan performed impressively...



I have thought about a fixed blade but a folder is much easier to carry, more comfortable, and stays out of the way while being readily available.
 
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The Enlan is an interesting knife. The blade has no distal taper, so it is full thickness all the way to the tip. The overall shape and high hollow grind are similar to the Sebenza. I guess the lock is a pretty direct rip off off the Axis lock, but it works well. No blade play on mine and the action is smooth enough that I can either flick it open using the thumbstud or just by pulling back the lock and giving a gentle wrist flick. I did have to work the lock for a couple of minutes to loosen up the tension.

Negatives would be the odd pivot which you have to get creative to adjust. The lock buttons are sharp, slightly uncomfortable to pull back on. The micarta is a little smoother than I would prefer, but I think they also still make a "b" version with textured g-10. I guess the 8cr13mov steel may be viewed as a negative by some, but the factory edge on mine held up fine for me over a week of varied use and it should be very easy to sharpen.
 
I'm going to 2nd the serrated Spyderco idea. Not sure which model to recommend. The low end Tenacious makes a great user but the steel will need touching up frequently. I would hate to spend more than $50 on a work knife.
 
After watching some hard use videos, the spydercos generally performed how I expected with blades snapping etc, but I think I'm sold on a ZT 550. The zt isn't pretty but it seems like it'll perform.
 
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