The Blog
Picking EDC Knives: What To Look For in an Everyday Carry Knife
It is interesting to think about the things that the modern world could potentially offer humanity. Not far away we could see flying cars (which has been in the public consciousness since even before Back to the Future 2), instantaneous communication, untold barriers broken in outer space, and many others that we cannot even speculate about right now.
However, very little time in this discussion is paid to the things that the modern world disallows us from partaking in. Communities, social identities, and delayed gratification are all things that are sometimes lacking in our modern world. With a lack of delayed gratification, we are finding it harder and harder to think about preparation in a day-to-day sense.
This art is not completely lost, however. Instead, it has taken new forms that are compatible with our modern understandings. One of these repackagings comes in the form of the idea of an EDC. An EDC stands for your Every Day Carry, meaning what you carry with you every day. Our modern conception of tangible forward-thinking and preparedness is in part in the form of an EDC.
An EDC differs from person to person. Whatever a person thinks is necessary to carry out the tasks of their day can be included in their EDC, but there are a few common pieces that are part of most people’s EDC:
- Phone
- Wallet
- Keys
- Headphones
- Knife
- Flashlight
Building your EDC is an important thing that some people fail to do, and others think about too much. Since all of these things serve various purposes, it might be overwhelming to really narrow down what you need and what type of each thing you should go with. Here we will try to give a small guide on one of the most common parts of an EDC, and one that seems to be one of the more confounding: your knife.
Understanding the Purpose of an EDC Knife
Like with anything, understanding the purpose of something will help with the choice of what type of that thing to choose. The same will be assumed of an EDC knife. There are a few questions that you have to think through before even beginning to look at what brand or type of EDC knife to purchase.
What Will You Use It For?
This question may be a bit baseline and a no-brainer for most people, but it is helpful in narrowing down what type of EDC knife to go with. Sit down with a pen and paper to write down what you use a knife for in your day, week, month in general.
Do you use it to cut things on the job? Is a screwdriver helpful? Are you going through security scanners often that have rules about knife size? Are there local or state legislature on what you can and cannot have when it comes to knives?
All of these questions should be asked and answered as they will really guide the rest of your journey of choosing a knife. It would be unwise to purchase a blade of several inches over the law’s maximum limit just to have it confiscated or to receive fines.
So, do your research on the laws. For example, California’s knife laws and Arizona’s knife laws are quite different even though they border each other, so research your area, and any area you may travel to often for work.
Then do the research on your own life. What would you use it for and what is nice to have on a knife but might be ultimately a luxury? This formulation is the first step in the process of picking out the right knife for your EDC.
What Is Your Budget?
This question is also a bit of a no-brainer, as the price is always going to be a factor, but it will really impact the type of knife you can afford. Another piece of advice is potentially buying one under budget to help you figure out what you really want in a knife.
This preliminary buy will truly inform the rest of your process. Andar believes in buying for quality in the long run, but an informed buy for the future is better than an uninformed one.
Do You Truly Need One?
Perhaps this one is also a moot point, but thinking about the alternative of a multitool as opposed to a full knife is something that might also be helpful and cheaper in the long run.
Helpful Parameters for Buying Your EDC Knife
Like with anything, there are a few parameters that shape your knife-buying experience. The list we will provide is in no way conclusive, but we think that these few limits will really help narrow down what knife will work for your EDC and beyond.
After all, you could browse for hours on end all the knife stores you want, but if you do not have limits, finding the right one will be a true needle in the haystack.
The first one that is a preliminary question you must ask yourself is what does the rest of your EDC look like? What are you carrying it in? The biggest mistake people make in building an EDC is over-emphasizing one aspect (generally the knife) without paying attention to the rest of the setup in the same way. Make sure that your EDC is well-rounded for best preparation.
Weight
The first thing that you should consider when thinking about choosing what your EDC knife should be is the weight. In general, knives are quite heavy as the strength of the steel and other metals will need to add in the weight department. In addition, other tools added to your pocket knife will add weight incrementally, so be sure to be aware of this.
If you are keeping your knife in your pocket, beware of this factor as the added weight will wear on you throughout the day. If you have to routinely take your knife off of your person because of its weight, perhaps consider a smaller knife altogether as this defeats the purpose.
Size
Another common consideration to think through is the size of your pocket knife. Since knives should generally be concealed for safety reasons, a large, bulky knife is not always the best choice even if it seems like it has everything else you might need. Concealing the knife is just as important as any other aspect of choosing your knife.
In addition to the safety of keeping your knife concealed, you want to have easy and quick access to it in a time of emergency. While where you store it will not be covered here, it is well worth thinking through storage of the knife as access is important. Smaller knives are more flexible in terms of where they can be stored, and they are not clunky when trying to access them.
Durability
As with anything, durability is one of the main concerns that you should consider. Like with most of your EDC, think about what you will put it through and care for it properly. The last thing you want is a dull, unusable pocket knife when you really need it in an emergency situation. While caring for it will help, the highest quality of knives will help gloss over lapses in your care.
In addition, a cheap knife will begin to become loose in its handle and will potentially be dangerous for you and those around you, so investing for the long haul when it comes to your knife is a great idea for you and those around you.
Preparation Can Be Easy
Like with every part of your EDC, preparation can appear to be a long and arduous process full of internet ads and forums. Luckily, by sticking to small parameters that help form what you think will be best for you in your specific day-to-day circumstances and doing a lot of the leg work by yourself as you think about your everyday life, you can bypass the frustration when it comes to pocket knives. Trial and error is your best friend in this department as well.
Just as knights had their trusty steel sword to ward off barbarians in the middle ages, we can research and decide on procuring a trusty piece of steel that will perform any task we think we need from it to ensure preparedness and safety even in this modern world.
Sources:
A Lifetime of Carrying and Caring for a Pocket Knife | Bespoke Post
