Every once in awhile, a buddy asks me for advice on choosing a knife for daily carry. (Many of us collect and buy knives regularly, we’ve become “experts”, in some sense, this article is not for us, it’s for those who are new to carrying a daily knife, who need a small nudge in the right direction, as to making a choice.) This is a pretty personal decision, but here are some basic tips you may want to keep in mind when shopping for your own knife, or passing on words of advice to friends and family:
A quick word about the Internet:
The Internet can be a great tool. Obviously, as with everything, the internet can help you find just as much bad info as good (often MORE). The same goes for looking at LCD televisions, cars, and knives. Don’t get sucked into forums where opinions rule. You know what they say about opinions. Stick to retail sites, do some pricing, and if you happen to run across reviews written by impartial people on blogs (like me!), that’s fine too. Do some looking, and scan through customer reviews on retail sites. Most importantly, keep point #1 in mind.
1) What will be your intended use for your new knife? If you want something to carry discreetly on your person with which to break down cardboard and recycling at work, don’t get a 7+ inch tactical fixed blade in a jump-rated, leg-strapped sheath system. You’ll get funny looks, and your knife won’t be convenient, that’s common sense. You’ve done some looking and you want a liner locking folder with a clip? Go into a local cutlery shop and play with some options. Take your time, you can always come back later, or, even if the brick & mortar cutlery shop wouldn’t appreciate it, buy online later. Thank them and tell them you’ll do some thinking.
2) Buy the best quality you can afford. As you probably know, the range of custom and factory-made knives available is almost infinite. You can find well-made knives at nearly any price range. Remember, you often get what you pay for. I can’t stress research enough though, take your time with your purchase. You’ll appreciate and use your knife more, if it’s convenient enough to carry every single day, and diverse enough to tackle all manner of chores. That being said, there are a ton of high quality EDC knives out there under fifty American dollars. I’ve been buying, collecting and reviewing knives for a long time, and I’m still shocked at the overall selection offered worldwide.
3) Make sure the company that made your knife offers some kind of warranty. Many production knife companies and most custom knife-makers offer limited lifetime warranties, stating that the knife is covered unless it’s obvious you were prying with the knife, or chucking it against seasoned wood, or what-have-you. Leatherman, for instance, offers a 25 year warranty, which in my mind is as good as lifetime. Companies like Triple Eight Professional offer fair and generous warranties for life, excluding blatant abuse, misuse, or lack of maintenance. Be sure there’s a warranty, and that the packaging, or packaging insert contains a physical mailing address for warranty claims. There’s nothing wrong with knives made overseas by American (or Canadian, or European) companies, that’s the key though; make certain the knife is made for, or by a reputable company which has a web presence, and a mailing address.
The above points are simply my own personal rules for knife buying. You may have others, these are just general, common-sense guidelines. I love knives in general, but I always make sure the manufacturer isn’t some fly-by-night hack factory, and I always require a warranty of some sort.
My personal, ideal EDC knife, is one that’s carried easily (pocket clip), has a blade size that won’t freak out non-knife people (usually under 4 inches), and is made by a company who backs up their work; like Triple Eight Professional, Spyderco, Leatherman, etc.
Good luck and good shopping. Use your head and you’ll come away with a knife that will serve you faithfully for many years.
Feel free to email me with questions and comments:
I should mention as well, do some investigating into your local laws and statutes regarding the carry of "weapons". In almost every state, as long as you abide the law in daily life, you won't have any problem with LE officers say, in line at Starbucks or whatever, noticing you're carrying a pocket knife. I live in Washington state, and the RCW (revised code of Washington) regarding knife carry states that ANYTHING concealed on your person that can do harm can be considered a weapon, that means if you poke a guy's eye out with a pencil, or a car key, it's considered a weapon. So, as long as you're not a criminal, in most places, pocketknives are fine, regardless of blade length, as long as they're not switchblades or other knives like butterfly knives that have been demonized by the newsmedia over the years.
ReplyDeleteI've even had cops in public places (a restaurant) see a pocket clip on me and ask me (in a friendly way) what I was carrying.