I am not a “knife” guy. That is not to say I do not carry a knife, have thoughts about knives, and have taken training in their tool and defensive use. It is to say that of all my gear, I do not invest a lot of time and thought into my choice of a tactical EDC knife. For many years I just grabbed whatever cheap or often free knife was on hand. After a few failures of cheaper knives as tools, I adjusted my criteria (factors that are important to me) a bit, but was still not that concerned beyond “will it fit in my pocket?” and “will the blade cut and not break if used as a tool?”
As my living situation changed and I took a few classes on using a knife defensively, I further adapted my thoughts. Through this process I developed my list of criteria for an everyday carry knife. A final caveat is that this review, though it could be applied to other knives, is primarily focused on EDC knives for urban/civilian use.
Choosing a Tactical EDC Knife
I like to be systematic in my purchases and as such tend to create a list of criteria for everything from my EDC firearm to vehicles to the ranges I use to train at. I have done the same for my EDC knife. My criteria are as follows, roughly in order of importance: concealability, mechanics, ergonomics, quality, usefulness as a tool, usefulness as a weapon, versatility, and cost. Though the brand of the knife can be a good estimator of some of these factors, I tend to not be brand loyal compared to a tendency to be product loyal. Your own list may include other criteria or list them in a different order of priority based on your own circumstances.
Concealability
My criteria start with concealability and comfort. For EDC, the knife I carry needs to conceal easily in a forward pocket (in my case, left-hand pants pocket). Though I spend the average day on the ranch or in more rural settings, I prefer to grab the same items everyday, regardless of the day’s plans. So i want a knife capable of use in any situation, but one also easily concealed if I spend the day in a city at a client site.
I also want a knife that is comfortable. In my case, this means a knife I hardly notice carrying. Your needs may well differ, but regardless of the priority of these criteria, you should decide what makes the most sense for you. Concealability ranges from a large, fixed-blade knife that would be hard to conceal to a very small folding knife hardly noticeable.
U.S. Legality
Regardless of whether you are living in the U.S. or elsewhere, make sure you are familiar with your region’s laws concerning knives. Within the U.S., this varies from state to state and from city to city. Knife laws are just as arbitrary (if not more so) than firearms restrictions in the U.S. For example, Indiana legislates no knife length restrictions. However, until 2023 the state banned throwing stars. Whether you can carry various types and lengths of knives concealed or openly, and where, will all vary by your jurisdiction. Make sure your choice confirms with how and where you will be carrying your knife.
Mechanics
Mechanics are anything you do manipulating the knife and includes ease of use, access, and sturdiness. How easy is it to get to the knife (unsheathing or drawing from a pocket or holster)? If it is a folding knife of some form, how easy is it to deploy the blade? Once deployed and the blade locked into position, is it sturdy? Finally, if a folding design, how easy is it to safely return the blade? In my case, as concealability is the priority, I tend to choose folding or spring-loaded knives that deploy the blade. I want to have a knife I can easily access, deploy the blade easily and safely, and once deployed, the blade is locked sturdily in place. The blade also easily returns safely as well. Finally, all these manipulations need to be relatively easy to accomplish without undue strength.
Ergonomics
How does the knife feel in the hand? Is it easy to manipulate as needed regardless of whether it is being used as a tool or for defense? This criterion is likely both subjective and individually dependent on your size and physiology. In my case, I have large hands and thus tend to stay away from knives that are very small, making them hard for me to easily manipulate. There is also the subjective feel in the hand and sense of balance. I wish I had a better metric here, but it really comes down to does the knife ‘feel’ good when held and used.
Quality
Cost and quality often go hand in hand. Higher quality knives tend to cost more. However, in my opinion, there are many quality knives that are affordable and some high-end knives that are not. What aspects of quality are important to you is also dependent on use and environment. In my case, I want a blade that is resistant to rust and dirt and retains its sharpness over normal daily use.
Usefulness as a Tool
Let’s be honest, we are far more likely to use our knife as a tool than as a weapon. I know I use my EDC to cut open boxes, feedbags, cut zip ties, or make quick repairs almost daly. Though there have been a few times in my life I was glad I had a knife on me as a backup weapon, I have yet to need it in this function. Therefore, I am more interested in the knife’s ability to do basic daily tasks easily and efficiently. Though this is also captured in some of the other criteria, I would include blade type under usefulness. A small, thin blade may be good for concealment but may limit its daily usefulness. Does the blade work well for daily tasks?
Usefulness as a Weapon
Although likely rarely used, there is no question a good EDC knife can and should be available for self-defense. An ideal fighting knife will likely be less useful as a tool and harder to conceal. This criterion focuses on the usefulness of the knife as a weapon. I strongly suggest taking specific training for anyone considering a knife for self-defense. The first step in one class I took was to get into clean white jumpsuits and fight it out with magic markers. Regardless of skill level, each student finished the training with overalls covered in ink marks after only a few encounters. It was a sobering reminder of the dangers of knife fighting.
Versatility
Versatility tends to go hand in hand with usefulness, but this can also include options beyond just a blade. While this article is focused on tactical knives and not multi-tools, a good tactical knife can offer other options. Potential features include window breaker, belt cutter, built-in tools, compass, light and many more. The downside is with more versatility comes less concealability, due to size, and may potentially impact ergonomics.
Cost
My final criterion is the cost of the blade. For some this may not even be a factor, but I am still used to not spending much or anything on knives. I am not questioning the value of higher cost knives, just my own preference for some amount of frugality in my knife purchases. Realistically, a knife high on all or most of my criteria is likely going to cost more, but I do think there is a law of diminishing returns on money spent on knifes, firearms, or just about anything else. At a certain point more and more money will get you less and less improvement.
Final Thoughts
Putting this all together and looking at my criteria, I have the following on a 1 (not important) to 5 (very important) scale:
- Concealability: 5
- Mechanics: 4
- Ergonomics: 4
- Quality: 3
- Usefulness as a tool: 4
- Usefulness as a weapon: 3
- Versatility: 2
- Cost: 3
I want a concealable (generally, approximately 3-inch folding blade) knife that easily opens and closes, feels balanced and natural in my hand, and retains a sharp blade for general daily use. Less important is long-term durability or usefulness as a weapon. Versatility is less important, and I prefer a moderately affordable knife (in my case, generally under $100).
Hopefully this systematic way of evaluating what you are actually wanting and needing in a tactical knife will help you navigate the enormous number of options from the very cheap to the very expensive on the market. These criteria are also likely to change over time and situations. My criteria were different a decade ago when I lived in an urban center and worked in an office compared to now working virtually and maintaining a small horse ranch.
