“Stay sharp” applies to both your wits and your gear. And when you need to open boxes, slice and dice food, or — worst case scenario — engage in a bit of self-defense, it’s good to have a trusty tool. But size doesn’t equal practicality. Keeping the knife at a manageable size and weight is important — in order to keep it in an EDC rotation, a knife should be light (three ounces or less), easy to deploy and ideally have a blade under three inches in size. This makes your daily blade simple to use, and it keeps you unburdened.
Each of the below knives falls into the EDC category, and any one will prove to be an effective workhorse for daily tasks that don’t involve building a shelter or batoning a log. And, thankfully, none of them will rip the seams off the pockets of your nice pants.
SOG Access Card 2.0
Best Compact Black-Ops Knife: The Access Card 2.0 doesn’t grant you CIA HQ entry, but it does keep your EDC slim and secretive with a low profile and stealthy black aesthetic. The super-sharp Japanese steel blade folds into a high-tech, lightweight titanium nitride handle, and SOG’s Arc-Lock lets you deploy quickly with either hand. And with a clip point, it makes easy work of any piercing tasks that may stand in your way.
SOG Access Card 2.0 Specs
Blade Length: 2.75 inches
Blade Material: VG-10 stainless steel
Blade Type: plain edge, clip point, hollow grind
Handle Material: titanium nitride
Weight: 1.8 ounces
