Best EDC Knife – Which Will You Choose?

What is your favorite EDC knife? If your response to that question is “Uhhhhh….What’s EDC?“, dont worry. Not every knife user is familiar with every term or acronym used by knife enthusiasts and collectors when referring to their blades and other cutlery. So, before we get into any discussion about what is the best EDC knife, how about we begin with a quick primer on what exactly EDC means.

Explanation of EDC Knives

EDC is an acronym for Every Day Carry. An EDC pocket knife means exactly that. A knife that you carry with you every day, along with any other essentials you may need such as your keys, wallet, light, mobile phone and any other tools required for your every day life, work, or potential emergency situations. Technically, any knife can be an “EDC” knife, but you won’t see many people walking down the street with a machete in hand ready to tackle that UPS package that has one too many pieces of tape. There’s a good chance you would be breaking some local knife laws as well, so don’t try it! For this reason (and common sense), EDC knives are generally in the 2-4 inch blade category that can easily fit in a pocket or purse.

What Makes a Good EDC Knife?

The answer: It depends. This will rely heavily on your own personal preferences, but when I’m trying to choose a EDC knife there are eight main criteria I focus on.

1. Size – Around a 2.5 to 3 inch blade is ideal for me. Anything much bigger than that just feels like overkill for EDC’ing.
2. Weight – Around 3 ounces, 4 max. I EDC a lot of other stuff, so weight is an issue for me.
3. Reliability – Obviously you’ll need a knife strong enough with a quality steel to stand up to every day use without any malfunctions.
4. Pocket Clip – I consider this a deal breaker. My EDC must have a good quality pocket clip.
5. Locking Mechanism – I’m really not overly picky about locks, as long as one is present and in good working order (and not a late lock), but I would never EDC a slip joint knife.
6. Price – Accidents happen. I’m forgetful and often lose things. Would I be upset if I were to misplace or have stolen a $30 EDC knife. Not really. Now a $400 Chris Reeve Sebenza, I would lose a week of sleep over that!
7. Blade Steel – You’ll want a good quality steel that holds and edge well, is easy to resharpen and won’t rust the second it comes in contact with a drop of water. If you don’t mind paying a little more for your EDC knife, I will personally recommend S30V or VG-10.
8. Handle – A clumsy person like me needs a handle made from materials that provides a tacky grip. I usually go with G-10.

Keep in mind those specs are just what works best for me. Your own EDC ideals and what you like may be completely different. If you enjoy EDC’ing a folding knife with a 5 inch blade that cost hundreds of dollars, more power to you.

My Choice for Best EDC Knife

Spyderco Persistence

My current and favorite EDC knife is the Spyderco Persistence. This may change in a week, but for now I love this knife. Overall length of 6.8 inches. Weighs just 3.3 ounces. Blade length is 2 and 3 quarter inches made from 8Cr13MoV stainless steel with G-10 handle scales and a solid liner lock. Sure, 8Cr13MoV may not compare to S30V, but it’s a solid value steal that is very easy to sharpen and takes a nice, sharp edge. The Persistence sells for under $40 and has a very ergonomical, reversible pocket clip. It hits all the marks on my checklist! Oh, and it’s made in China *gasp*… But don’t let that fool you, this is one of the best Chinese made knives I have ever held and my pick for best EDC knife! Have a different opinion? Want to make fun of me for mine? Feel free to leave a comment below.