The perfect E.D.C. knife?

PitbullShogun

PitbullShogun

Joined
Apr 14, 2011
Messages
686
ok, i wanted to ask this question to see if it would dictate my next knife purchase. what knife would you say, is the perfect edc blade? now here are the guidlines. it has to be cheap. somewhere under $40. it has to have decent materials too. no junk steels like aus 6 or 420HC. decent all around materials as well. not that "high impact plastic" stuff where they dont want to tell you what it is. and also, under "4, as i cannot carry anything over "4 in my state (NY)
one other thing: i know that these are going to be the top suggestions so please dont mention them (i own them all anyway XD) although they are good examples of what im looking for

1: kershaw skyline
2: CRKT m16 01kz
3: spyderco tenacious
4: CRKT drifter
 
I wouldn't call anything the "perfect EDC knife", since that will vary a ton depending on the individual's particular preferences, intended uses, and so forth. So I'll just name a few excellent knives that are in your price range and meet your criteria. :)

Kershaw OD-1 - 14C28N blade, fantastic design and opening mechanism, stainless steel framelock with G-10 on the off-side
Kershaw Nerve - 8Cr13MoV blade (comparable to AUS-8), RJ Martin design, G-10 handles and a nice, thick liner lock, my favorite of Kershaw's China-made models
Ontario RAT 1 - FFG AUS-8 blade, excellent build quality, textured nylon handles
 
Well, the Queen Country Cousin meets your specifications as written. Also, if you ever go to NYC, their stupid DA shouldn't consider it a "switchblade."

Kershawguy has a bunch of great Kershaw blems in Sandvik steel which come in at well under the $40 mark.

Edit: also, if you are willing to consider AUS-8 level steel, thee are several excellent Sanrenmu EDC blades. My favorite is the 763: perfect jimping, light weight, very strong, excellent utility blade shape, fully ambidextrous, deep carry pocket clip, medium texture G10, and a lock mechanism with plenty of room to wear without loosening. I wish it came in a better steel, but the 8Cr13MoV is about as good as Cold Steel's AUS-8. Lots of people like the 710 as well.
 
Buck vantage avid, pro if your willing to spend 15 over budget or find one on the exchange.
 
Kershaw Zing--3" Sandvik 14C28N blade, glass-filled nylon scales, 3.1oz, flipper and thumb-studs (both work equally well), 3-way position clip.
Boker Plus Hyper--2.75" 440C blade, TiNi coated steel frame-lock with G-10 on the opposite side, 3.6oz, thumb-studs, 2-way deep carry clip, super thin.
Spyderco Persistence--2.75" 8Cr13MoV blade, G-10 scales, 3.3oz, 4-way clip, 'nuff said.
Spyderco Kiwi 3--2.4" 8Cr13MoV blade, all stainless steel (or stag) slip-joint, fits well in the jeans' watch pocket.
Spyderco Grasshopper--2.3" 8Cr13MoV blade, all stainless steel slip-joint, also rides well in the watch pocket.
SAK (any model)--quality and usefulness assured (if you don't have a small SAK for the keyring, you should get one...)

If you like bigger folders for EDC, the Ontario RAT-1 or the Byrd Cara Cara 2 are great and good respectively--each will meet your criteria. These are just a few suggestions based on the ones I own and can personally vouch for... lots of great options out there!

Good luck! :)
 
I'm a fan of the CRKT M-16 with titanium myself. Think profile, been impressed with the AUS-8, like the flip mechanism. However, as Neuron stated, "perfect" is a very personal word for an EDC.
 
PitbullShogun said:
...now here are the guidlines. it has to be cheap. somewhere under $40. it has to have decent materials too. no junk steels like aus 6 or 420HC. decent all around materials as well. not that "high impact plastic" stuff where they dont want to tell you what it is. and also, under "4,...
Click to expand...
Sometimes you actually do get what you pay for....if you want better than average materials, and better than average blade-steel, then you're going to have to pay a little more than average.

Check out the Buck Vantage series of knives.
For less than $60.00 dollars you can get the small Buck Vantage Pro.
It has a blade less than 4", S30V blade-steel, and G-10 scales.
And it's made in the U.S.A..

I have the large Buck Vantage Pro and I'm very happy with it so far...

HPIM7240.jpg


HPIM7239.jpg
 
i realy like that buck vantage..... putting that one at the top of my list. although the kershaw OD-1 looks fantastic for the price. ive also heard alot of good things about the rat-1. ARGH so many to choose, thanks for all the great suggestions. im realy at a crossroads with this lol.the buck vantage seems amazing for the price but at the same time the od-1 is cheap enough i wont be afraid to use it- same with the rat-1. idk why but its hard for me to spend more then $50 on a knife and stilll use it. breaking it in always helps/ like carrying it and using it for the first time to get past innitial impressions.
 
As far as perfect goes that tends to change by the day but I sure do like my Skyline lots. It is thin and goes unnoticed until needed, it is also made in the USA which is becoming my preference. I used a CRKT m16 tanto for work and it performed very well. As for Spyderco I hear they are quality just not for me.
 
I hate to (be the first to) say it but, if you already have the Tenacious, you're probably in line to save a bit more, and get a really nice knife. None of my $40 knives make it into my pocket any more. Even stepping it up to 60 or 70 will net you some really nice stuff, and if you're willing to go up to 120 or so (I know, that's a LOT of saving, being 3 times your price), you can get some of the best EDC's outside of the very expensive Strider/CRK type knives.

That being said, a couple of my favorites in your price range include the Benchmade Steirer Eisen Monochrome and the HK 14650. Figure Benchmade needs some love. Maybe you can find a griptilian for that price range if you shop around too.
 
from kershawguy, get a blem'd Needs Work. $20, and you can get them in different colors!

oh yea, no tax, and shipping included.
 
The KA-BAR Dozier folding hunter is a fine lightweight EDC friendly knife with AUS-8 blade steel and well under 40$.
 
PitbullShogun said:
ok, i wanted to ask this question to see if it would dictate my next knife purchase. what knife would you say, is the perfect edc blade? now here are the guidlines. it has to be cheap. somewhere under $40. it has to have decent materials too. no junk steels like aus 6 or 420HC. decent all around materials as well. not that "high impact plastic" stuff where they dont want to tell you what it is. and also, under "4, as i cannot carry anything over "4 in my state (NY)
one other thing: i know that these are going to be the top suggestions so please dont mention them (i own them all anyway XD) although they are good examples of what im looking for

1: kershaw skyline
2: CRKT m16 01kz
3: spyderco tenacious
4: CRKT drifter
Click to expand...

So two things...

Given the list of knives your already own and want to roughly match, I would say what you're looking for is the best EDC tatical style frame/liner lock type knife. That narrows the focus quite a bit. It's not worth debating matters of taste in terms of style and aesthetics. Some folks prefer classic multi-blade slip joints and others yet will favor single blade lock backs in the folding hunter tradition. Aesthetics do count imo. You and you alone need to be at peace when you hold the knife and when you pull it from your pocket (how will it be accepted by those around you?).

On another front and not wanting to kick off a big discussion on what constitutes decent enough steel, some folks prefer carbon or stuff like D2 over top shelf stainless. And, just to pick on 420HC which you named specifically, some of the Buck fans will insist that Buck's tempering is so good that their 420HC is as good as, say, 440C.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/476897-Buck-420-HC-steel?highlight=steel+faq



My current top pick for an EDC knife is an old carbon steel bladed Schrade 5OT lock-back. The lock-back is very, very stout and the knife is capable well beyond what is conveyed by it's small size. If I had to replace it today, I would consider the Buck 55 or Buck 501. I also find that the people my age (50ish) that I end up spending most of my time with react well to these knives when I pull them out (as they do with wooden Opinels) but IME they react less well to more to the tactical style knives that you seem to prefer. Zero judgement on this point, BTW. If you like the look of tactical style knives and your crowd accepts them, then stick with what you love.

I should add that I find the larger Buck 110 to be just barely pocketable. The weight and size don't bother me, but it's sheer size is off putting to most non-knife types. I don't have have that problem at all with the smaller 5OT/55/501 type knives. Am considering a Buck 112 to fill that slot for days when I need just a bit more knife.
 
In that price range I'd look at several Kershaws and the RAT-1 Folder for sure.
 
Shotgun said:
SAK Farmer. Seriously.
Click to expand...
I was gonna say a Soldier, or Wenger SI (local Gander Mtn has them for $29). I'm completely amazed at the quality and functionality of these knives. I use my Soldier every day, and not always as a knife. The Swiss make great watches and great knives. Perfect EDCs, the Farmer just adds a saw. Also useful.
 
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