Editor’s Note: Welcome to The Best New Knives and EDC, a monthly column surfacing the latest knives, tools and any other item worth carrying in your pocket.
Some product launches are predictable — now that spring is in full swing, we’ve seen the release of new rain jackets, waterproof trail running shoes and hiking boots and we can assume that lighter warm-weather gear is on the way for summer. Some items don’t fall so neatly into weather-defined timelines though, like pocket knives and EDC tools.
The companies and designers that make these items work year-round, and manufacturers that roll out as many as 50 new knives and multi-tools per year spread them out; there’s something new to ogle every week. It’s our mission to keep you up to speed with the release of knives and tools that have the potential to become your next daily sidekick or a worthy addition to any collection. In case you missed one, we’ll round up our findings here in one concise, easy-to-scroll article.
In April, Leatherman released its most significant overhaul to the multi-tool since the company invented it, CRKT made the biggest folder we’ve ever seen, and a Chinese maker revealed an affordable new model that’s prettier than its price tag would have you believe.
Leatherman Free Multi-tools
You’ll recognize Leatherman’s new Free P2 and P4 are multi-tools; they’re rectangular wads of metal that fold out to become pliers and contain an arsenal of other small tools that swivel out of their handles. But they’re different from, and better than, any multi-tool Leatherman has made in the past. The Free tools integrate a system of magnets and redesigned locks that allow users to open and use every tool with one hand.
