EDC knife for a young man-gift ideas

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D.B. Cooper

D.B. Cooper

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My son will be 18 soon. When I turned 18, my dad bought me a 30-30. My son isn't me and wouldn't appreciate, nor use, a rifle. Over the summer, we talked about "things every man should always have on him" (I didn't really call it "EDC.") So, since a rifle is off the table, I'm going to outfit him with an EDC.

In your opinion, what is a good quality, practical, easy to carry, EDC pocketknife?

My requirements are: quality (no Chinesum), USA made (exception for Swiss Army), needs to be pocket carry (he doesn't wear a belt, so small enough for in the pocket and/or has a pocket clip)

Personally, I'm partial to Swiss Army, but my EDC (One-Handed Trekker) is likely too big and heavy, so I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks.
 
Not impressed myself with "Swiss Army" (Victorinox) folders. Like the kitchen knives though! Not locking can be more dangerous, and most folks don't use the extra tools. Is lack of locking required to make it look more acceptable where he goes? If not, then I'd look at the smaller, more pretty Spyderco or Benchmade. I have this, for example, as my more dressy (and least scary) knife:
https://www.benchmade.com/north-fork-family.html

The faux wood one is especially un-scary. It's a lot smaller than it looks in photos. Also though... price point? This is not cheap.


EDC to me also includes a small (single AA) flashlight.
 
Spyderco Native 5 Lightweight. Get the "Salt" version with the LC200N blade if you want something that's both easy to sharpen and darn near rust proof. If you can stomach a knife that's made in Taiwan, the Spyderco Chaparral is a dream of a thin bladed slicer with USA made CTS-XHP steel for the blade. If he wants something more fidgetable than back lock, the Spyderco Para 3 lightweight is a really cool USA made pocket knife. If you're a veteran, sign up for their OpFocus to get a hefty discount.
 
I rediscovered pocket knives just a while back, and know far less about them than some of the folks around here. That said, I bought a Spyderco Native 5. It's a great knife, and I really like it for carry when I can wear jeans or cargo pants with big pockets, but it's just a smidge too large for dress clothes. I did a bunch of horse-trading and came up with a Benchmade Sequel. It's slightly smaller than the Native, but there's enough difference to make the Sequel more comfortable for dress-clothes carry.

FWIW, a few of the other knives that were on my Short List (but which I did not buy) were the Benchmade Mini-Freek, Benchmade Mini-Griptilian, and Spyderco Dragonfly. As usual, I had a very long list to start with, and then winnowed the list down through champion-level overthinking.
 
Budget?

The Spyderco's would be near the top of my list with a $100+ budget. The Native and Para 3 are very similar and I have both. My Para 3 isn't the lightweight version though.

https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Nat...ateway&sprefix=spyderco+native,aps,151&sr=8-5

Para 3 with G10 handle

https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-C22...gateway&sprefix=spyderco+para+,aps,154&sr=8-3

Closer to $200 there are several versions of the Benchmade 940 which is a very nice knife.

https://www.amazon.com/Benchmade-Kn...79&s=gateway&sprefix=benchmade,aps,157&sr=8-4
 
For a small, simple, one-blade EDC, a Leek is an excellent choice. For a SAK multi-purpose tool, a Huntsman would serve well for most needs. Those would be my two top picks, depending on how much utility the knife will need.
 
So if he's a non knife guy, I really like the idea of a Swiss Army Knife. They pack so much utility in such a small non-threatening package with tools that can be pressed into everyday use.

I find the Camper to be a great carry model. I appreciate the magnifying glass on the Explorer model. If you want something a bit more robust and refined, I think the Alox Farmer is about as good as it gets unless you think he needs scissors or would use the pick and tweezers.

Another good edc tool/knife is the Skeletool CX. Upgraded steel for the blade but crams some useful tools in a pliers based package. It's saved me a few times.
 
If your son is the kind of guy that would actually use a knife for a variety of tasks - then you might look at the smaller Griptilian by Benchmade.... If not, then the suggestion to allow him to pick his own (with a bit of guidance, strikes me as on the money...). His first blade might well be a bad (or unsatisfactory) choice, but haven't all of us been down that road. As you use any blade you'll quickly learn what it does well and the things that are the opposite. Glad I'm not stuck with the choices I made all those years ago when I was 18....
 
I agree with above posters about the sak huntsman, skeletool, and the leek. All three are very useful. All three are in my EDC drawer.
The Leek can be had with custom engraving.
The sak huntsman or climber is a great all-around gentleman's favorite that can really be an asset in any situation.
The skeletool is really good too, especially if you are a fisherman. Or the family repairman.
 
https://www.buckknives.com/product/345-vantage-select-large-knife/0345FAM01/
My wife got me this Buck Vantage 345 several years ago. Its a good knife that has served well without being overly expensive ( I'm bad for losing and abusing pocket knives at work) . Its funny cuz if it had cost more I'd have lost it by now!
I think she paid closer to $35 at bass pro maybe 3-5 yrs ago.

Ordered from Buck it can also be engraved. That might be nice.
 
So, yeah, I should have set a budget. Sub $100. Probably closer to $50-75.

Thanks for the suggestion on engraving-great idea for this occasion.

I tend to lean away from the idea of letting him pick his own as a.)we live in different states 5k miles apart, and I want to just have a complete gift set (I'm also buying him a leather wallet and a new phone and other stuff - basically a complete EDC kit less a handgun.) and b.)he's really not a knife guy. I bought him a SAK at age 11 for Boy Scouts and that was quickly lost. He hasn't carried or used a knife since. (In some ways due to their being banned at school.)
 
DBCooper,

I see you live up there and over yonder about as far as can be from Florida and call your self in the US and not live on an island

Might your son have frequent occasion to travel to or through Canada? if so don't they still have strange ideas about knives that can be opened one handed?

Something to think about.

That said something small. thin and with a back lock seems nice. Gerber and Buck have in the past made little near two inch blades in a very flat format and for years I enjoyed the company of a little store brand called a Rhino I got at a hardware store when dinosaurs ruled the earth while working in an officer that did not appreciate belt pouch or clip knives or suspicious lumps in your clothing.

Not a commando killer blade or a JOAT tool kit but nice to have and beats no knife all to heck.

Hah! needed to move my keyboard just now and what was in the way was my old Demo Kit knife who's screwdriver blade I had used last night.

See even common slip joints hang out around here and wish to remind me that some folks find them enough knife and others not as scary as some.

-kBob
 
I'll also add that if you settle on Spyderco, be sure to check Amazon prices. When I was looking, it was notably cheaper to buy from Spyderco through Amazon than straight from Spyderco.

ETA: Beware of counterfeits on Amazon, though.
 
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You might try Todd Davison:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/todd-davison-knives.831760/page-8#post-11210996

Or one from this list:
https://survivorsfortress.com/best-american-made-folding-knives/

I Myself carry this Kizer:
KIZER Knives Ki5466A1 Tactical Folding Knife Outdoor Hunting Rescue Tool,EDC Pocket - Survival Camping Knife, CPM-S35VN Stainless Steel - Titanium Handle. This knife has s decent strong spine and frame lock, beautifully made with great materials and a deep belly for skinning / carving. Opens easily, durable, low maintenance.

index.php


Which has dropped in price since I bought it:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B076GXMLKF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
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