Out of all the people that have a dedicated EDC system or kit, you can bet that they are going to have a knife, if not several on them. In this article, I figured that I would just add my input into the point of a carry knife and what I see them being good for.
First subject to cover is the possible uses for a knife in your EDC. Now, I want to point out that you probably can legally carry either a fixed blade or a concealed folding blade. In some states I have been in, a folding knife that is in your pocket is considered a concealed weapon, and that can get you charged with a misdemeanor if caught. So naturally, know your laws before making a choice on what knife you will use and how you will carry it.
When you are carrying a knife, you could get one for any kind of task from self defense, cutting boxes, skinning game, or just having around a knife for all three and any other task. Personally, I have found that fixed blades will probably be good at all tasks that you could use it for, but you won't easily tuck it out of the way. On the other hand, you have folding knives like my Cold Steel Recon1 that has the strength of a fixed blade, and comes in a variety of sizes and blade styles.
Now, let us talk about the concept of using a knife in case you need it for self defense. Personally, living in the US, I feel that using a knife for self defense is a dicey idea since I carry a gun. Therefore, I would rather not have a knife solely for defensive uses. With that said, it is not out of the question to consider my general EDC knife as a possible defensive weapon if things really get bad. If you are really in a bad situation, anything needs to become a weapon in order to survive, and I understand that having a knife on me may help me out. However, I think alot of people that carry several knives on their person are a little too anxious to get into a conflict and use their knife fighting skills. But that is just my opinion on that situation. Take it for what it is...an opinion.
In my view, I think you should pick a folding knife that is about 4 inches long and of the Tanto configuration without serrations. If you get a fixed blade, I would go for a 5 inch blade in Tanto configuration and without serrations. I see very little practicality in serrations, and I like the Tanto design for its' versatility. Also, I am not a fan of safeties since I personally find myself fiddling with them as much as people who have a habit of chewing on their nails. So, take that for what it is worth. If you want a safety, then there are plenty of options out there to suit your needs.
In conclusion, I could go on for hours about what you should consider for an EDC knife, but I think keeping it short and sweet is the best thing to do. The main principle for any knife is to keep it sharp and able to cut easily. You don't need it to be RAZOR sharp, but sharp enough to easily cut through most things like boxes, rope, and even seat belts. Other than that, I can't keep going on this knife rant without just writing a small book about it.
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