This article will focus on EDC Folding Knife. Ivan, an employee who probably knows all about knives, helped write it. With his help, I found a new and difficult topic for me. It was quite interesting. Knife connoisseurs, don’t blame me. Whether you’re familiar with knives, just starting to get interested in the topic, or just looking for a gift, for example.
( See: Japanese Damascus Chef Knifes Set )
EDC Knife – What does it mean?
Every person who loves outdoor activities and tourism should know this abbreviation. It can be seen regularly on websites, blogs, and video reviews of manufacturers of tourist and tactical equipment. The concept emerged relatively recently, from 1990 to 2000, when the mass introduction of the Internet into every Home began. This abbreviation consists of three simple English words, the translation of which is familiar to everyone from elementary school and first English lessons – “carry every day” – literally “wear every day”, that is, pure On the technical side, they can specify anything you carry around with you every day. These include:
- purse, wallet, or wallet (preferably stuffed)
- smartphone
- Key (from the apartment with money)
- Backpack
- knife
- Torch
Suggestion for Girls:
This is a relatively common list of things that every city dweller normally carries. As for knives, I honestly don’t think every girl can find a folding knife in her reticule, but girls vary.
Personally, my list is short:
- smartphone
- power bank
- A pencil with a notepad (“Zenit schasvirnus”, for notes on “Get the car off the sidewalk, thug”)
- wallet
- Carved stone was purchased in the Altai Mountains a few years ago.
However, after writing this article, I realized that folding knives were sorely lacking.
EDC knives
But sure, many don’t understand why they carry knives with them all the time, and while it may seem strange to some, owners of EDC knives understand that such knives are primarily tools. , then know that weapons. There is even his EDC mini-knife that can be hung because the length of the blade is not considered a melee weapon in an “everyday carry” format knife and does not require a permit to carry.
As a key holder for your keys or backpack:
- Very often such sharp assistants effectively replace scissors, and sometimes even teeth! Very essential when cutting plastic bottles for engraving bird feeders.
- But let’s think about a specific task for which an everyday knife is suitable.
- Open bottles of lemonade and chips
- and open the box
- Cut seat belts in the event of an accident (I hope nobody needs knives for these purposes)
- Also cuts ropes and cable ties
- Little things during repairs – trimming the edges of the wallpaper a little, cutting off the cured sealant, etc.
- open a letter or sealed package
- wire stripping
- Cut toothpicks when itching is strong
- Shaving a twig when you’re tense can be very calming and help you pass the time.
- What to look for when choosing an everyday knife
The choice is always difficult and when it comes to something like EDC knives, there are no uniform standards or standards, but of course, you need to make sure you have a reliable manufacturer and the quality of the knife’s material. made and the blade loses its reliability. Otherwise, your money will be wasted.
Why can’t we come up with just one universal, best version of the knife?
Yes, because Knives are different and can be used for different tasks. Some people want a tactical EDC knife, while others prefer a more understated and elegant option. For some people only thickness, and cut quality matter. This means that a completely different knife can be best for different people. Still, in my opinion with Ivan, I would like to share my opinion on what a handy everyday knife should be.
Folding blade or fixed blade?
It should be foldable. I agree that fixed blades are more reliable and durable than folding blades. This is because any connection is a weak point in the folder design and can lead to corruption under severe load. Still, as an EDC folding knife, it is compact and easy to use.
Plain or Serrated?
It is better to choose a blade with a smooth edge, not a serrated one (the edge of a serrated blade is made wavy or serrated). And the main reason for this choice is that smooth blades are much easier to sharpen. A smooth edge is useful for cutting, planning, and even carving. Combination knives typically have a serrated edge close to the handle, making it very difficult to cut evenly with the main blade. Well, a smooth, plain blade would be more versatile than a serrated blade. I caution you, but honestly, how many times a day do you need such a feature? there’s something here
Fixed reliability
When choosing a folding knife, pay attention to its locking. The fixing of the blade depends on it. A knife without a lock may not be an assistant in certain situations, but because it can be dangerous (especially with handles, we are more accustomed to nail files than such objects).
Carbon or stainless?
Ivan and I agreed that the blade should be made of stainless steel, not carbon. More precisely, Ivan said so and explained why. I have to agree. It’s too early to discuss with experts. It is logical to assume how carbon steel differs from stainless steel – it contains more carbon, which hardens the cutting edge enough to keep it sharper longer, and the blade itself makes it stronger. Yes, but it has a serious drawback. Carbon steel can rust and requires careful maintenance. But since we are talking about knives that are used in completely unpredictable situations everywhere, it is better to stop at unpretentious and familiar stainless steel.
The quality of steel is directly proportional to the price range of the knife. There is no limit to the choice here, but given the budget, it is logical to give preference to stainless steel. It is highly resistant to corrosion and easy to clean, but as a rule, knives with such steel lose their sharpness a little faster than carbon knives.
Knife size
Here the manufacturers of folding knives have already chosen. Most often, the length of the blade does not exceed 9-10 cm, just choose a handle that is convenient in length and shape. We do not insist on specific parameters, as everyone has their financial capabilities and requirements. As such, there is no universally ideal knife.
Steel type
Let’s take a closer look at the grade of steel the blade is made from. The most commonly used is 65X13, where 13 is the chromium content and 65 is the carbon. This is the most popular steel grade in the USA for making cheap knives for various purposes. But if your budget allows, I’d recommend looking for the AUS-8. This is Japanese stainless steel with average hardness and good corrosion resistance.
By the way, hardness is determined by the Rockwell scale and measured in HRC units. Anything above 55 HRC can be considered a real knife, anything below that is a souvenir. The higher the hardness, the more brittle the steel and the more stubborn it behaves when sharpening. For example, a fine segmented blade made of powder steel requires a good sharpening stone and time from its owner. A blade made of mild steel quickly dulls and cannot be sharpened to the same extent as hard steel, but its advantage is that it can be easily and quickly remedied to an acceptable sharpness with the first small stone encountered.
And now an overview of the most popular and affordable steel grades.
D2 –
American-origin semi-stainless steel with high carbon content, good cut, and well maintained.
Sandvik 12c27 –
Swedish classic, absolutely versatile, and time-tested knife – from this steel he has been manufacturing knives for more than ten years.
AUS8 –
A Japanese classic of stainless steel, with acceptable hardness and good corrosion resistance. Over the years, its familiar hardening technology reduces the risk of getting a defective blade to almost zero.
8Cr13MoV –
Chinese steel almost exactly copies the properties of AUS8 but at a lower price.
440C is an American high carbon high chromium steel with excellent toughness and cutting performance.
Blade shape
This is also an important point when choosing a knife. At the same time, its shape only affects its ability to perform the required tasks, so choose the profile you like. A little tip – kukri and karambit knives are unsuitable for everyday work due to their extreme profile shape, but it’s fun to peel potatoes with a karambit. Another point is the thickness of the bat, which affects the aggressiveness of the cut. The thinner the butt, the more aggressive the cut, so be careful when choosing.
Sharpening type
- However, it is the type of sharpening that greatly affects usability, mainly he has six types.
- Scandy. The linear descent of the knife with this sharpening is reduced to zero to form the cutting edge and thus can be considered as an approach at the same time. Having a knife like this is useful when sharpening high descents to help maintain the correct angle.
- Hollow or razor-sharpened. It differs in the concave descent brought to the edge. Excellent sharpness type.
- Nomi – A type of sharpening similar to a chisel, mostly rare in Chukchi, Yakut or traditional Japanese knives. Easy to sharpen and cut quickly.
- Flat. This type of descent goes directly from the butt of the knife. It is convenient to cut food with such a sharp knife. Almost all chef’s knives are sharpened this way.
- Convex. It is distinguished by a convex descent and is considered the most durable of all types of sharpening. Convex sharpened knives are suitable for use in the harshest conditions.
- Compound. This universal sharpener combines all the pluses and minimizes the minuses – straight lines and even descents with a clear approach to the edge, offering excellent cuts, practicality, and high-stress resistance. increase.
But let’s be honest, on almost all utility knives the lead is built into the edge. increase.
Folding EDC Knife Design
As a feature of the design, the way to open and the type of key can be considered.
Opening method
To open a mechanical knife with one hand, the following elements are used:
- A wave is a small hook at the base of the butt that opens the knife when taken out of a pocket.
- Flipper – A fin located on the blade that can be opened by pressing the index finger.
- Pegs – Small protrusions on the blade that can be shaped differently and are hooked with your thumb.
- Holes – similar to pegs, but used in reverse
- Automatic. Automatic knives do not have such elements, since they open at the push of a button.
Lock type
And the next design element is a lock of the type that locks the blade in the open position, and it is he who is responsible for its safe use.
Liner lock
The most common and common type – in which the blade is secured by a liner when open – is a plate on one of the cheeks of the handle. The reliability of such fixings directly depends on the load – in standard use the knife is reliable, but with strong blows, it can develop.
Compression lock.
Spyderco exclusive lock. A variant of the liner, but with a fixing plate on top of the handle, accidental closing is completely ruled out. Simple and reliable.
Frame lock.
Improved version of the liner. Only in this case, the handle itself will play the role of the plate. More reliable than the first. This is to keep the handle tight with more effort and the knife from folding.
Axis lock (Axis lock).
Benchmade patented lock. It is a type that fixes the blade with two slide pins on the side of the case. A kitchen knife that opens and closes with one touch. Reliable enough, but does not tolerate dirt and can clog.
Blacklock (backlock).
The simplest and time-tested type of fixation. The blade is locked by a clamp his bar that passes behind the handle. It is difficult to fold with one hand.
Tri-Ad Lock.
A castle designed by Cold Steel. Being an improved version of the back lock, where the main attention is on the strong fixation of the blade, a knife with a triad lock allows you to chop wood safely without fear of falling over even the most unexpected. can. The best lock for folding knives. Reliable as a Soviet meat grinder.
Button lock (button lock).
The name itself suggests that this type of fixation with buttons is used for automatic knives. Not suitable for heavy loads as the pin button may break.