The topic of what constitutes a good daily carry knife came up at a recent range session and I’d thought I’d share some of what was discussed and the conclusions that we arrived at.
Before we get to what was said, let me introduce you to the cast of characters. It was my usual shooting partners, two retired cops, a recently retired infantryman with multiple tours in the GWOT, an attorney/Army vet, a machine shop owner/Air Force vet and myself.
The first thing we talked about was the type of knife. The consensus was that it needed to be a locking folder sized to fit in a pocket. The lock type is a matter of personal preference. While there are many kinds of locking mechanisms, they all do the same thing; lock the blade in an open position.
There was a split on whether or not it should have a pocket clip. Those who were in favor of a clip wanted a slightly larger knife, while those who didn’t like clips wanted a smaller package. For the record, I prefer a knife with a pocket clip.
Next up was blade shape. This one was all over the place. One of the retired cops prefers Karambit or hawksbill style blades, the Lawyer likes tanto blades, the shop owner likes pointy blades the Vet carries different blades and really didn’t have a favorite. I like drop point blades. This choice is 75% personal preference and 25% use determinative.
We all agreed that assisted opening is the way to go, but differed on our preferred mechanism. I like the ‘flipper’ style while some of the others prefer the thumb stud. Either way, an assisted opening knife is far easier and generally safer to deploy.
The last point we covered was blade steel. One of the cops is a knife guy and he insisted that S90V and M390 are the best steels for knife blades. I dunno though. Both are extremely hard, have great edge retention and corrosion resistance but are extremely difficult to sharpen.
I wouldn’t get too caught up in the whole which steel makes the best knife blade argument. The fact is every common steel used in knife making has its pros and cons. Just know that some will sharpen easier, others take more work to sharpen and conversely, some will hold an edge longer while others will need more frequent sharpening. As long as you’re buying a knife from a reputable brand, the steel will do what you need it too, especially for an every day knife.
So, what are the reputable brands nowadays? Some names you’ll recognize, others you may not. While I’m a big fan of Kershaw, companies like SOG, Spyderco, Benchmade, ProTech, Case and Buck all make quality knives here in the US. The pricing is all over the board, even within a single brand. Buck makes basic but good reasonably priced knives. My EDC Kershaw cost about $100 when they still made them. You can get a US made Scallion from Kershaw for around $80. ProTech knives start at around $300, while SOG, Spyderco and Benchmade all have folders starting about $100 and they go up from there.
In conclusion, you should be carrying a knife with you all the time. You never know when you’ll need one, even if it’s just to open your latest Amazon delivery. Which knife should you be carrying? Other than telling you it should probably be a locking folder of some sort, I can’t make the decision for you.
Got a favorite knife? Disagree with any of our conclusions? Have a Question? Let us know in the comments below.