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| Primitive stone tool |
Humble Beginnings
The usefulness of the knife may have been discovered 3.3 million years ago, in Kenya, by our early ancestors (Morelle).
Back then, they were limited to sharp stones and sticks for the tasks of cutting food, cordage, or self-defense. Today, these remain some of our top priorities when choosing an everyday carry [EDC] pocket knife.
When choosing an EDC knife, there are two major decisions to be made: firstly, function, and then price.
Pocket Knife Functions
There are 4 main sub-groups of knives: everyday carry, tactical, multi-tool, and rescue.
To determine what functions you need from your pocket knife, you only need look at what each of these sub-sets offers.
Everyday carry pocket knives can vary from sleek, low-profile [similar to tactical/military knives] to decorative, fashionable pieces.
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| Example of an EDC knife; more so fashionable than discreet. Photo courtesy of James Case, copyright license, here |
Tactical knives can be sprung open, with the push of a button, or little effort of a finger-flick. These knives would also be light weight, and low profile. Although most states outlaw "automatic," or "assisted opening" knives, unless carried by a police officer, or military.
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| Sleek profile pocket knife. |
Multi-tool knives include popular brands like Victorinox, or Leatherman. As the name implies, their models come with assorted tools, like screwdrivers, files, saws, can openers, cork-screws, or magnify glasses to name a few. Price usually dictates how many useful tools come loaded with the model you pick.
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| Multi-tool knife, photo courtesy of John, copyright license, here |
Lastly, there's a unique class of pocket knives in the rescue category. While some of Benchmade's rescue knives, look like anything else, but knives, they are useful nonetheless, and have their place in this world. Usually a rescue knife will have some sort of window-breaker tip, or seat belt knife, in the shape of a "u," or "j", to prevent accidental injury, if used during a car accident.
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| Pocket knife with seat-belt cutter |
I purposely omitted outdoors/hunting knives, as with this group, you typically go with a full-tang knife. A full-tang knife means the metal of the blade extends into the hilt, forming one complete, solid piece. A full-tang knife can be as compact as 3"-4", but is not as EDC as a true pocket knife.
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| Full-tang hunting knife, photo courtesy of James Case, copyright license, here |
Pocket Knife Prices
Pocket knife prices vary greatly, from a few bucks at a flea-market/garage sale, to a whopping $45,000, at William Henry.
I received a Spyderco Paramilitary 2, for Christmas, last year, and I swear by it. I've taken it camping, to cut tinder, kindling, small branches, and even food, like flank steak, or whole potatoes [after cleaning it of course]. I also carry this pocket knife, quite literally, EDC, for self-defense, because of its sleek, almost invisible profile, and how light weighted it is, from the composite materials in the handle.
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It's all about finding that sweet spot, price range for pocket knives. I say stay away from places like Walmart, Ross, or other retailers like that. If you're on a budget, you can still find quality knives, from online sites like Amazon.
I'm biased towards Spyderco, because of how well made my knife is, and how long it has lasted [currently 2 years of EDC/camping use], but other excellent brands are Benchmade, SOG, Kershaw, Victornix, and Leatherman.
Some other quality knives, that are considerably cheaper are Opinel and Morakniv.
**This blog, nor its author, in no way endorses or encourages the unlawful use of the information provided. It is the reader's responsibility to know the law when handling or carrying a pocket knife.**
Works Cited
Morelle, Rebecca. "Oldest Stone Tools Pre-date Earliest Humans." bbc. BBC, 20, May 2015. Web. 2, Nov. 2016. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-32804177
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