Complete Guide: Everything You Need To Know About Knives

After covering all three EDC basic items (wallet, keychain, and watch), let us now turn our focus to EDC utility items. The first, and probably most popular, items within this category would be knives. Whenever you hear someone referring to an EDC knife, the image of a folding knife or pocket knife should be the one popping up in your head.

But in reality is not that simple, it’s merely the tip of the iceberg. From patterns, handle materials, and opening mechanisms, to blade shapes and grinds – there are so many aspects and features we must talk about. Hence, let me help you navigate through the vast and fascinating world of EDC knives.

Table of contents

• Knife anatomy
• Knife patterns
• Opening mechanisms
• Lock types
• Blade shapes
• Blade grinds
• Handle materials
• Useful tips
• Key takeaways

Knife anatomy

As you know, every single knife (whether is used for cooking, hunting, or as a weapon) is composed of two main parts. A blade, made of steel or ceramic, which is the sharp end used for cutting. And a handle, that can be made of a myriad of materials, which provides a way to properly grip the knife.

When talking about steel blades, they’re classified accordingly with the elements used in production (besides iron, of course). These classifications are carbon steels, alloy steels, high-strength low-alloy steels, stainless steels, tool steels and exotic steels (non steel). Additionally, knife steels are rated based on toughness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance.

The rating of these aspects will directly influence the intended use for a knife, as well as its price point – the higher the quality of the steel in a blade, the higher it will cost you. If you’d like to learn more about the most commonly used knife steels and their ratings, I’d strongly recommend reading this article.

However, in the case of EDC knives, it doesn´t end there. You also have a front side of the handle, which usually contains the opening and locking mechanisms, as well as the elements providing that nice-looking aesthetic factor to the knife (i.e., decorations, branding). The opposite side, or back, of the handle usually includes a pocket clip, a handle scale, and the hardware (e.g., removable screws).

There are other smaller elements such as chamfer, pivot, lanyard hole, milling, bevel or grind, which basically are part of the main construction or opening mechanism. We won’t expand on those here, but if you’re interested, I’d recommend visiting this site.

Knife patterns

Let’s take a look at the most common and traditional slip-joint knife configurations. These quite simply refer to the handle shape and number of blades contained in a knife. In the case of EDC knives, you’ll most frequently find single blade swayback, lockback, or Texas toothpick patterns. But let’s take a look at all of them, for learning’s sake.

Opening mechanisms

We’ll now review the most common opening mechanisms we can encounter out there today. Hopefully this will help you avoid not having a clue about how to work a knife next time someone hands you one out.

Lock types

Security-wise, no feature is more important than the locking mechanism. While a knife should be easy to open and close, we want to have a dependable lock that will keep the blade exactly where we want it to be. We don’t want that sharp blade getting anywhere close to our fingers, now do we?

Blade shapes

Every single blade shape out there has a rich and varied history. Primarily because they were created to cut in a different way and for many different uses. Getting to know, and try if possible, the various blade shapes, will help us to better understand their function. And, of course, choose the style that best suits us.

Blade grinds

When we talk about a blade grind (or primary grind) we’re referring to the shape of the blade cross section. Why is this important for us? Simply because it’s crucial in ascertaining the core function and performance of a knife. In other words, it helps us to understand why the various knife types cut so differently (i.e., kitchen knife vs. pocket knife). There’s also a secondary grind, most commonly known as the secondary bevel, which is basically the edge of the knife.

Handle materials

If you think that the handle material of a pocket knife is all about aesthetics, I’m sorry to tell you that’s wrong. It also has an impact on the knife’s usability and comfort, not to mention maintenance. Therefore, getting to know the most common handle materials available in the market will help us choose the type we like best.

Useful tips

Identify the use or need

Do you need a knife to simply open your online shopping boxes and packages? Or do you require something for more specific tasks related to, say for example, camping, handicraft, repair, cooking, or hunting? As they say, the devil is in the details. Getting a huge knife with a convex blade grind for the first use mentioned, it’s most likely going to be overkill. A small knife with a chisel blade grind (a.k.a. cutter knife) will be better suited for the job. Carefully determine what you need your knife (or knives) for, then you should be able to narrow down your options.

Be aware of maintenance

What good is a dull knife which can hardly cut anything? Or of a blade that requires all the strength you can muster to prop it closed or opened? Being conscious of the specific ways to properly maintain a knife is paramount. Everything from sharpening the blade, to removing residues, to oiling the opening and lock mechanisms. Bear in mind that different materials present on both the blade and the handle will require different ways of taking care of them.

Know where to buy

As with many other EDC items, you can buy pocket knives directly from their producers or through intermediaries. In the case of knives, you’ll also be able to easily find them through outdoors or military related shops and vendors. Some manufacturers offer a discount for your first purchase, provided you subscribe to their newsletter. Many will also have discounts on occasion to get rid of their older inventory. Both manufacturers and online retailers will advertise special sales and promotions on holidays like Father’s Day, Black Friday, and Christmas.

Key takeaways

Here are the key points you should have learned about knives:

• Knives come in different patterns that may include two or more blades (though a single one is more common in EDC knives).
• Multiple opening and locking mechanisms are employed by different brands, to make it safer to handle knives.
• Knives are manufactured with a myriad of blade shapes and grinds, which determine their usability or function.
• While most blades are made of metal or ceramic, knives handles can also be made of plastic, fabric, and natural materials.

I trust you’ll find this information helpful during your quest for that perfect knife. Stay tuned for future posts (check out our recent posts here). Should you have any questions, please leave a comment below or reach out to us. Until next time!