Picking the Perfect EDC Fixed Blade

[cbach8tw]

Thanks guys for the shout out! 2-3" blades is about 90 percent of what I do. I work in two main steels AEB-L (62to 63RC) and 26C3 (63-64RC).

Horizontal sheath crossdraw is how I carry EDC:

Out of the way when doing stuff:

Oh yeah!!

 

[Kailash Blades]

Don't know about perfect, yet, but I just ordered the Civivi Tamashii with green micarta handles. It won't replace the Sendero Classic as my EDC, but I'll probably carry it for awhile before I decide whether or not to permanently lash it to the kydex of the Kailash Blades Regent Bowie, also on order.....

Would love to see some pics of the piggyback kydex if you get it going!

 

[JJ_Colt45]

I can highly recommend Horsewright knives. This was a bit over your $200.00 wish list, but was worth it to me. A pic when it came new.



I also have a couple of the White River Caper knives and they work great for me. They are extremely comfortable and well thought out. I have one in brown burlap micarta and one in orange G10 ... the micarta is a tiny bit lighter if that matters to you.

 

[Horsewright]

I can highly recommend Horsewright knives. This was a bit over your $200.00 wish list, but was worth it to me. A pic when it came new.
View attachment 1795866


I also have a couple of the White River Caper knives and they work great for me. They are extremely comfortable and well thought out. I have one in brown burlap micarta and one in orange G10 ... the micarta is a tiny bit lighter if that matters to you.

Thank you sir! Glad that is working out for ya!

 

[RugerNurse]

I can highly recommend Horsewright knives. This was a bit over your $200.00 wish list, but was worth it to me. A pic when it came new.
View attachment 1795866


I also have a couple of the White River Caper knives and they work great for me. They are extremely comfortable and well thought out. I have one in brown burlap micarta and one in orange G10 ... the micarta is a tiny bit lighter if that matters to you.

What a gorgeous blade. Love to grab one someday

 

[dirc]

if you want a low cost option, the brisa bobtail 80 is well under $100, uses sandvik 12c27 steel and looks nice imho

 

[the rat]

I too can attest to the quality and durability of Horsewright knives. I have had mine for a few years and I can say it is one of the sharpest knives I own. It holds a good edge and is easy to bring back to hair popping sharp with just a strop. It is a slicing demon!! And carrying it in his horizontal sheath makes it disappear on the belt but it's always ready to hand when needed. If beauty and function is what you want it is well worth the extra money to get a Horsewright knife!

 

[justjed]

Would love to see some pics of the piggyback kydex if you get it going!

Will do! I know not all outdoor situations are going to call for a 12+ inch blade. I was looking for something relatively flat, but with a bit more corrosion resistance than 5160, to grab when a smaller job is afoot.
I'm a firm believer in 'more blade than I might need right now.' Pretty much the exact opposite of the spirit of this thread!

 

[Horsewright]

What a gorgeous blade. Love to grab one someday

Thank you sir! That is an El Toro model with Turkish walnut handle and an oak carved pancake sheath.

I too can attest to the quality and durability of Horsewright knives. I have had mine for a few years and I can say it is one of the sharpest knives I own. It holds a good edge and is easy to bring back to hair popping sharp with just a strop. It is a slicing demon!! And carrying it in his horizontal sheath makes it disappear on the belt but it's always ready to hand when needed. If beauty and function is what you want it is well worth the extra money to get a Horsewright knife!

Thank you! Glad thats working out for ya.

 

[Joseph Bandeko]

 

[JJ_Colt45]

What a gorgeous blade. Love to grab one someday

Thank you. It is a good looking knife and highly functional. It's a great cutter and not overly thick like many knives you find these days. Carries very comfortably, it kinda disappears until I need it.

 

[CVamberbonehead]

I'm a long time knife carrier. Grew up on the farm, served in Iraq, currently work as an industrial electrician. All my life my knife has been a tool to be treated well and respected but a tool to be used none the less. There are no safe queens in my world. For a long time I carried CRKT folders (like everyone I knew coming out of the GWOT in the mid-2000s.!) and loved the knives but found myself buying new every 6 months. A couple years ago I moved into the world of carrying better quality folding knives like Bugouts, PM2 & PM3, ZT, Elementum etc. My nitch was found with practical, light weight knives.

I have been wanting to move into the fixed blade world but find myself struggling to find the right knife and afraid to drop $200 only to get a knife that is not a good fit for me. I have found them so far either too big or too small or not slicy enough. I work as a manager in the maintenance department so the knife needs to be something that doesn't stand out really bad or is concealed. However, the point of carrying is not for a defensive weapon, it is a tool so I need to be able to access it really easily. I have bought an Izula 2 but don't like how small the blade is vs how long the handle is. I have a few real small knives like a Minamilist but they are too small and un-usable for anything but trimming fingernails.

My budget is around $200. I want it to be around the size of a Bugout and look really nice. I've looked at the Bradfords and every other mid-range knife out their but am too gun shy to spend the $200. What do you all carry?

Here is my list of priorities:
-Lightweight (I am already carrying a small multitool and Olight Baton S2R)
-Blade around 3"
-Comfortable handle (Prefer thin handles/scales but not bare steel)
-Professional looking/non-intimidating

I am not carrying this on hiking trips. This is an EDC knife that I will use to open boxes, trim finger nails, scrape gunk, cut hose or cake, skin XYZ, and in general save the world.

What about an Izula 1? The handle is a little shorter.