Three EDC Pocket Knives
Kevin Felts 11.08.17
Over the years I have carried a number of everyday carry (EDC) pocket knives – Case, Gerber, Schrade, Buck, Old Timer, Klein (as in Klein tools), just to name a few. Usually, I carry a certain pocket knife for a few months, then switch to another one.
One of my EDC Pocket knives was the Klein Tools 44002. The blade was only 2 3/8 inches long and was made out of AUS8 stainless. The blade had enough carbon to make it easy to sharpen, but resisted rust.
While on a hiking trip in 2009, I accidentally left my Klein Tools 44002 on a creek bank. I stopped for lunch, used the knife to open an MRE, and went off and forgot it. The next day I hiked back to that creek just to get the knife. Unfortunately, the knife was lost again while working on the chicken yard fence. This time it was gone for good. I even tried using a metal detector to find it.
Upon losing the 44002 I asked myself, “Is the knife worth buying again?” The honest answer was, “No, I did not like the knife enough to buy it again.” Even though I had carried the 44002 as my EDC pocket knife for a several months, I was not that impressed with it.
There is another knife that I suspect was lost on a hiking trip. This time it was a Swiss Army Huntsman that was bought in the 1990s. In July of 2016 the Huntsman and a Gerber Big Rock were brought on a hot weather hiking trip. I have been unable to find the Huntsmen since that trip. The zippers on the pack were secured with snap rings and when I stopped for a rest break the area was policed before heading out.
It bothers me that the Huntsmen went missing and I have no idea what happened. The pack was secured, so the knife did not fall out, rest areas were looked over before leaving, I tried to take every precaution, and it still went missing.
The difference between the Klein 44002 and the Swiss Army Huntsmen, I would buy the Huntsmen again.
This brings us to the main topic of the article: Which three of your EDC pocket knives are you so impressed with you would buy again?
Here are my three.
Case Stockman
- Three Tru-Sharp surgical stainless steel blades .
- Clip, sheepfoot, and spey blades.
- Length closed: 3 9/16 inches.
- Length open with longest blade: 6 1/16 inches.
- Weight: 2.35 ounces.
Dimensions and weight from my personal Case Stockman knife.
Besides Case quality, the thing I like about the Stockman – It is shorter than my wallet. My wallet is 4 inches long, while the Stockman is 3 9/16 inches long.
What does that mean? It means the knife can be carried next to my wallet and is more difficult to see than carrying it in the front pocket of my jeans.
Swiss Army
The reputation of the Swiss Army knife proceeds itself.
- Affordable.
- Tons of options.
- Quality.
Rather than replacing my lost Huntsman with another one, I went with a Camper II. The Camper II weighs just 2.55 ounces and is 3 9/16 inches long. Which means it can be carried next to my wallet and not draw attention.
Difference between the Camper II and the Huntsmen? The Huntsmen has a couple of extra features, such as a pair of scissors.
Case Trapper
This is a workhorse of a knife.
- Length closed: 4 1/8 inches.
- Length open: 7 3/8 inches.
- Weight: 3.85 ounces.
- Chrome vanadium (CV) steel blades
- Clip and spey blades.
This knife is a little bulky to carry next to the wallet. However, with the extra bulk you get more cutting edge. When I am working around the farm this is the knife I carry. When I go on a hiking trip I may take the Trapper.
Final Thoughts
With so many knives on the market, everyone is going to have a different opinion.
Go to Amazon and do a search for “pocket knife” and you should get back thousands of results. The search I did on November 8, 2017 returned in 68,015 results for Sports & Outdoors : “pocket knife”. With 68,015 results it should be pretty easy to pick three edc pocket knives you like.
So what are your choices? Is there something you look for in an EDC pocket knife?
