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3 Aspects Of A Knife To Investigate Before Purchasing Your First EDC Knife

Are you getting ready to get your first EDC blade? If so, then here are  3 important aspects of the knife to think about before you purchase one.

Fixed Or Folding 

The first thing to determine is if you want a fixed blade or a folding blade. If you live in the city, or work in the city, then you will probably want a folding blade. You can keep this in your pocket. If you don't use the knife as part of your job, but rather just want to carry one for emergencies, then a folding knife is perfect.

A fixed blade will need to be carried on your hip in a belt. People who work on farms, or in other rural areas would probably prefer a fixed blade that is sheathed. It is handy to keep it on your hip and you don't have to bother with opening and closing it every time you need it. You just draw the blade, use it, and then place it back in the sheath.

What Type Of Blade To Get

You have three options: a blade that is completely serrated, one that is partially serrated, or a knife that has a regular edge. If you use your knife for common things such as cutting fruit, opening a box, slicing open twine, or for emergencies where you might want to cut open a seatbelt, then a regular edge is fine. If, on the other hand, your job includes cutting dense material such as ropes, plasterboard panels, or other items a contractor or farmer might encounter, you should choose a serrated blade. The partial serration is a good compromise because you can still use the non-serrated section of the blade to peel and do precise cuts, and then use the serrated section for tough work.

How Does The Knife Open (For Folding Knifes)

The last thing to think about is how the knife opens. You can get a standard knife that requires two hands, or a one handed opener. A two handed open will require you to use one hand to hold the body and another hand to remove the blade. This is a popular design for knives used by people who don't foresee emergency use where one hand will be occupied.

However, people who might be in an emergency situation where they can only use one hand want a one handed open feature. This is can be accomplished with a small nub that is welded to the blade. This allows the thumb on the hand holding the knife to push the blade out. The other one hand design is an automatic open button that will spring the blade out. One hand opens are popular with EMS, Police and Rescue because it allows them to instantly draw the blade and have it open. This can mean the difference in saving a persons life when seconds count, such as cutting a belt for a car crash victim who is in a burning car.


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