The Perfect EDC Knife

[boston]

I'm a ZT fan, acknowledging paulRVA above. I prefer hard working knives....and if ones uses them for more than opening letters, one knows. To be candid...my ZT 0350 is mostly used for boxes and yard work, but in the field from time to time...it's a hard use knife that holds up to a fixed blade.

But you can never kill a buck110, or dozens of others. Many great choices.

 

[filmguerilla]

I don't pretend that an EDC knife is capable of good self defense, so I go for practicality and pipe smoking. My fave is the Gerber Flatiron. Perfect for cutting plugs and anything else, and because it is a straight razor style knife, it rarely gets anyone riled up who thinks I'm carrying for nefarious reasons.

 

[Sobrbiker]

“Perfect” is a tall absolute.
Perhaps “perfect for my purposes” would be a better phrase.
If the $13.50 knife in question is properly heat treated D2 with real G10, it would not be $13.50, period.

Unlike “what’s the best bang for the buck in the American estate market, folding knife technology in todays day and age isn’t subjective. Even when the PRC reverse engineers a Medford Knife and Tool Praetorian, in the end it’s a cheap copy.
“Copper ball bearing”? Who in god’s green earth thinks copper is a good choice for a ball bearing?!

I’ve got a thick in the pocket D2 “in the pocket” 3” fixed blade with an appleseed edge that has batoned 15-20 pieces of hardwood into kindling strips then shaved my arm clean (can’t post video).

I’ve carried a Benchmade Griptilian sheepsfoot for over twenty years of daily hard use (heavy equipment/construction). Hard enough my ’smith buddy gives me knives to carry frequently to test his edge geometry and heat treats with my “knife abuse”.
It resharpens easily every time.
Oh yeah, it’s axis lock (in my opinion) is the ultimate lock for a folder, and it’s as fast as a “gravity knife”.

I’d put either head to head with the chinesium wonder blade, but this is a pipe forum so I’ll go ponder which tobak I need to obsession.

Enjoy your knife, it is may well be top of the heap at the flea market.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

A few years back I bought a limited run Kershaw ZT which I consider to be technically perfect, and I basically never carry it.

The two knives I do carry are a Cold Steel Hold Out 1, with a 6" full flat ground blade, an incredible slicer and it's just as handy in the kitchen.
Or when I'm driving machines around the yard I carry the Cold Steel 4MAX in AUS-10, the Tri-Ad lock is basically invincible and I don't cry when I accidentally arc holes in the blade cleaning ice off a car battery.

Expensive knives are great to look at, but fact is my work knives are highly disposable, and at home the things I cut most are just food and packing tape, fancy blades just have no practical value.

 

[Briar Lee]

I’ve spent an enjoyable couple of hours on YouTube and discovered there are too many brands of flipper knives using D2 steel made in China to count.

The vast majority are well under $50.

What does Chinese D2 steel offer?

Most Chinese D2 flippers will cut about a hundred feet of cardboard before they need sharpened. The others not made of D2 are lucky to cut thirty or forty feet.

The D2 knives are harder to sharpen.

All very good to know, but if I had to cut cardboard boxes all day I’d use a purpose made box cutter..

Why my Doom Blade is so cheap is that a name brand company doesn’t import it and my knife has no bells or whistles.

It truly is, the boss knife of the flea markets.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Civivi and a Case for me.
When I have the room, a Leatherman is always very handy to have on my belt. And for a budget knife, Petrified Fish makes a fantastic knife. It's my knife for work (which gets mote abuse than I allow my others).
I prefer slim and slightly smaller. This is precisely why Case and Civivi are my favorites. They hold a great edge also

 

[LotusEater]

I’ve carried a Case Peanut for years. It’s small and light and easy to carry in a pocket.

 

[Papamique]

Buck 110. Classic. Classy. Light and small enough to carry in my dress pants but heavy and big enough to never feel ill-prepared in ANY situation from dressing a deer to opening a letter! At $65 with the buck forever warranty it is a user and not a safe queen. It’s easy to sharpen and will get through all my jobs with no more than a stropping at the end of the day and a touch up on an Arkansas/Washita stone every other month and it stays shaving sharp. It’s not a flipper or fidget toy. It is a man’s knife through and through.

 

[Briar Lee]

Buck 110. Classic. Classy. Light and small enough to carry in my dress pants but heavy and big enough to never feel ill-prepared in ANY situation from dressing a deer to opening a letter! At $65 with the buck forever warranty it is a user and not a safe queen. It’s easy to sharpen and will get through all my jobs with no more than a stropping at the end of the day and a touch up on an Arkansas/Washita stone every other month and it stays shaving sharp. It’s not a flipper or fidget toy. It is a man’s knife through and through.

First, there was the traditional Buck 110, which became at one time the most copied folder on earth. I own a couple, one a very fancy stag handled model I was given as a present. Originally of 440C they’ve been 440 HC for about forty years.

Then when they were still twenty some dollars Buck offered a finger groved model.

Then sometime about thirty years ago I bought a Ranger 112, which is a sort of smaller 110, and I had a custom sheath made for it.

But every classic 110 was traditionally worn on a sheath. You could pocket it, but it was a short sheath knife.

Today Buck offers the 110 LT

Still a sheath knife, but a lighter one.



The Buck 110 is the granddaddy of my Chinese made Doom Blade flipper.

Same basic knife except mine really is made for a pocket, not a sheath.

 

[Jbrewer2002]

I have carried this Kershaw every day since about 2007. It’s a USA made knife with a 14C28N blade. It stays sharp and sharpens to a razor edge every time. I abuse this thing and love it.

 

[solideogloria86]

I've carried a lot of flippers over the years, but recently decided I wanted something simpler and picked up this Taylor's Eye Witness Bunny Knife.

 

[solideogloria86]

Civivi and a Case for me.
When I have the room, a Leatherman is always very handy to have on my belt. And for a budget knife, Petrified Fish makes a fantastic knife. It's my knife for work (which gets mote abuse than I allow my others).
I prefer slim and slightly smaller. This is precisely why Case and Civivi are my favorites. They hold a great edge also
View attachment 249878View attachment 249879

I've got the black G10 elementum. Broke the tip being stupid. Now it just stays in my wife's car. I really did love everything about it though. I may get another one day.

 

[Papamique]

First, there was the traditional Buck 110, which became at one time the most copied folder on earth. I own a couple, one a very fancy stag handled model I was given as a present. Originally of 440C they’ve been 440 HC for about forty years.

Then when they were still twenty some dollars Buck offered a finger groved model.

Then sometime about thirty years ago I bought a Ranger 112, which is a sort of smaller 110, and I had a custom sheath made for it.

But every classic 110 was traditionally worn on a sheath. You could pocket it, but it was a short sheath knife.

Today Buck offers the 110 LT

Still a sheath knife, but a lighter one.

View attachment 250009

The Buck 110 is the granddaddy of my Chinese made Doom Blade flipper.

Same basic knife except mine really is made for a pocket, not a sheath.

When the Buck 110 was first introduced it was marketed as a folding knife that could do the work of a fixed blade hence the sheath. ‘Back in the day’ it was carried by many boys, young men and adults in the back pocket of their jeans. The action is smooth, the lock is solid and the blade is just under 4” long. With ebony scales and brass bolsters it is made to last. The older 440C was a bear to sharpen and most people had semi sharp knives after the razor edge from the factory wore off. It was unimpressive and a major complaint among everyday users back then so Buck found THE solution: 440HC with the Poul Bos heat treat. Easy to sharpen and holds an edge surprisingly long! I never have to worry about staining or corrosion and I wash the whole knife in soap and water, towel dry it and then let it sit for 15 minutes or so to air dry. The knife is more than adequate in every way which is why it was so heavily copied but never successfully.

I carry my iPhone14 daily in my pocket and my buck knife weighs the same and with a smaller mass I have never felt like it was too much. Often times I forget I have it and need to make a special trip to put it in my locker when I go on the mental health unit.

I used to carry other knives from flippers to old stockmans but for the past few years have settled on the Buck 110. It doesn’t feel cheap, it never fails, and I am always prepared for any situation. I feel that if a man can kill a grizzly with one that I am ok no matter what the task in front of me.

I am working on getting an elk scaled nickel bolster one and will choose the “lowly” 440HC for the steel as it is my preferred over all the super steels. A friend asked at $210 why not pay an extra $30 for the S30V steel and he is right. Except that I prefer the 440HC Paul Bos over it!

 

[Briar Lee]

When the Buck 110 was first introduced it was marketed as a folding knife that could do the work of a fixed blade hence the sheath. ‘Back in the day’ it was carried by many boys, young men and adults in the back pocket of their jeans. The action is smooth, the lock is solid and the blade is just under 4” long. With ebony scales and brass bolsters it is made to last. The older 440C was a bear to sharpen and most people had semi sharp knives after the razor edge from the factory wore off. It was unimpressive and a major complaint among everyday users back then so Buck found THE solution: 440HC with the Poul Bos heat treat. Easy to sharpen and holds an edge surprisingly long! I never have to worry about staining or corrosion and I wash the whole knife in soap and water, towel dry it and then let it sit for 15 minutes or so to air dry. The knife is more than adequate in every way which is why it was so heavily copied but never successfully.

I carry my iPhone14 daily in my pocket and my buck knife weighs the same and with a smaller mass I have never felt like it was too much. Often times I forget I have it and need to make a special trip to put it in my locker when I go on the mental health unit.

I used to carry other knives from flippers to old stockmans but for the past few years have settled on the Buck 110. It doesn’t feel cheap, it never fails, and I am always prepared for any situation. I feel that if a man can kill a grizzly with one that I am ok no matter what the task in front of me.

I am working on getting an elk scaled nickel bolster one and will choose the “lowly” 440HC for the steel as it is my preferred over all the super steels. A friend asked at $210 why not pay an extra $30 for the S30V steel and he is right. Except that I prefer the 440HC Paul Bos over it!

In my opinion what makes a Buck 110 THE classic single lock blade even today is that luxurious big chunk of ebony used for the scales. I also own the Kabar and Case versions and they didn’t get the handle right the same as Buck.

I suppose the 110 has always came with that black pouch leather sheath. You can carry it in your jeans. The sheath is to show it off.

 

[PaulRVA]

110 &112 Autos. Strong enough for dressing game or…..

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

My EDC is a Case Trapper, mainly because few things are more iconic than a Case Trapper.

I just inherited my grandfather's EDC when he passed away a couple months ago -- an equal end spearpoint Boker from way back in the authentic Solingen days (Boker has largely sold out since then).

For me the classic symmetry of an equal end spearpoint rings a special bell, visually.

But I like many traditional slipjoints.
Lockbacks are functional, no argument there, but for me they just don't have the magic of a traditional slipjoint.

Carrying my Trapper Lock today.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

View attachment 250208View attachment 250210
110 &112 Autos. Strong enough for dressing game or…..

I got a 112 auto the year they came out from Buck. I love mine!

 

[Papamique]

In my opinion what makes a Buck 110 THE classic single lock blade even today is that luxurious big chunk of ebony used for the scales. I also own the Kabar and Case versions and they didn’t get the handle right the same as Buck.

I suppose the 110 has always came with that black pouch leather sheath. You can carry it in your jeans. The sheath is to show it off.

You bet! Also for open carry when legally necessary. I use the sheath whenever possible as it is easier to access and has a certain old school look. The problem is I have to conceal it 65% of the time. Then it’s in my pocket. Pants or jacket.

 

[VDL_Piper]

I've carried a lot of flippers over the years, but recently decided I wanted something simpler and picked up this Taylor's Eye Witness Bunny Knife.

View attachment 250024

I've carried a lot of flippers over the years, but recently decided I wanted something simpler and picked up this Taylor's Eye Witness Bunny Knife.

View attachment 250024

Taylor’s Eye are good knives. I carry a stockman in my hobble belt every day of my life.

 

[bullet08]

Personally, EDC pocket knife needs to do few things. Cut up boxes, cut fine strings, clean my nails, cut occasional fruits, cut some tough steaks, and that's about it. Of all those, cutting boxes must be the most abusive act to the sharpness of the blade. But I'm never to far away from few sharpeners. When I'm in field, folders are just back ups. Priority is in how well a knife will process fuel for the fire. Most heavy job is done by Japanese hand saw. A knife for this job needs to be able to take batoning. I prefer fixed blade for that. Most of my knives are drop point. They are good for what I use them for, but not much use in self defense. Unless you like slashing people and waiting for them to bleed to death. Can be a long wait, unless you are lucky and cut the jugular.