Well, I've had to change up my EDC knife. Last week I lost my beloved Spyderco Ladybug3 in ZDP! It's my own fault, really. I carried it on my key carabiner, attached with something like a swivel snap. The 'gate' of the snap had been getting loose, and occasionally as of late I had noticed that it came open in my pocket and let the knife go. Right then and there I should have swapped it out for a new one or a split range but I spaced it off...now my little 'Bug is gone.

Oh, well. I want to get another one but I don't feel like blowing the $50 right now, so I have started carrying my Spyderco Dragonfly in it's place. I wasn't sure if it was gonna work out since it's considerably larger than the little Ladybug. But so far it seems okay, not too much for me to keep in my pocket. My plan is to run with this EDC for awhile and if I like it try to nab a Dragonfly in Super Blue.

I think I've mentioned my "constitutional aversion" to having a bunch of crap in my pockets. But I still have to have at least a good flashlight and a good knife with me. A few people have pointed out that I always have a cell and it has a light but that's not enough to sway me yet. Battery life of a phone isn't great and the light feature, while useful, lacks the throw, power and usability of a stand-alone light. Certainly I'd be reluctant to stick my 'Droid in a snow drift to keep it in place while I change a tire! My EDC light is a Fenix E01 powered by an Energizer Ulitmate Lithium AAA cell.

Briefly I tried to replace the Ladybug3 with a very small SAK but that proved unsatisfactory. While the scissors is very useful I'm afraid the skinny 1" long blade is a bit too small and flimsy for the tasks I usually ask of an EDC blade (mostly opening and breaking down heavy cardboard boxes). I prefer something a bit more robust with a sturdy lock.

What are you folks carrying as an EDC knife?

I have been carrying a Victorinox Huntsmen for the last decade. Small knife for normal things, big blade for food.

If I have a lot of cardboard to deal with, i just grab a utility knife.

If I was gonna break down a ton of boxes I would too. Normally though I'm in the walk in cooler and need into something, or I have a few boxes to break down and don't want to go track down something to use. And obviously if you have a knife you notice lots of stuff that needs cuttin' all the time!

when I was teaching, an Al Mar lightweight Eagle, Spyderco Walker or Kershaw Leek...(Walker and Leek shown)




since retiring a larger clip folder, usually the Benchmade Ares or Reeve Sebenza (bottom two)

ladybug 3 which rotates monthly with mini griptilian for a change of pace size and colorwise.

other pocket has arc-aaa light + older leatherman squirt ps4 (no scissors like newer model). light is tied and squirt clipped - sometimes easier to use when off the leash - to piece of paracord. sounds clunky but works for me.

Alternate between:


Benchmade AFCK best knife, best steel

Spyerdco Endura steel handle, steel clip bought fully serrated on clearance, 37.00, sharpened off top inch

SOG Flash- bought at Lowes for 24.00 suprisingly good knife. Not a fan of the clip, it slips a bit- only good in jeans.

I keep a mini multi-tool in my coat.

Benchmade 710 or Benchmade 940 depending on size/weight constraints. I prefer the 940 for EDC because it's fairly lightweight and S30V is pretty good steel. My current BM 710 is(was?) a knifeworks exclusive version in M390 steel and is no longer on their website. KW needs to order up a bunch of 940's in M390, great steel imo.

I have two of the EDC Forum knives. One is a Spyderco Manix 2 with Moonglow scales. The other is a Spyderco Native 5, again with Moonglow scales. They're both exceptional knives and a I like them a lot -- I would have no hesitation recommending either the Manix or the Native for an EDC blade. I tend to carry one of them when hiking, camping or called out for CERT.

The other two knives that I carry the most are my RitterGrip and mini RitterGrip. The mini RitterGrip is clipped to my waistband about 95% of the time. It's very quick and easy to deploy, has fantastic ergonomics, great cutting ability and rarely needs sharpening. Only rarely when carrying it do I wish I had the larger model -- it cuts like a bigger knife.

Leatherman Skeletool CX. I also dislike carrying things in my pocket but find carrying a tool with the pocket clip doesn't bother me at all (it's more things down in the bottom of my pocket that bugs me).

My other option is a Victorinox Cadet which is small and relatively light so it's not too bad riding in the bottom of the pocket (though still not as comfortable as the larger tool with a pocket clip).

In either case, I find a multi-tool to be a better EDC than a knife alone.

Edited to ad: This is referring to my urban, day-to-day EDC.

Victorinox SAK boyscout huntsman and a CRKT M16-03Z

The SAK is used most often and pretty much on a daily basis, the CRKT is the heavier duty just in case knife