Fixed Blade vs Folding Knife – Which is Best for EDC? [Guide]
first published on October 9, 2020 by Josh Brooks
[mashshare]Choosing an EDC knife can be a seriously daunting task. There are so many amazing knife makers in the market today, with so many amazing products, that it’s very easy to become over saturated with products. This oversaturation can lead to buyers hesitating on making a purchase because buying that cool Tanto flip knife from CRKT, might mean you have to pass up on purchasing that SOG Seal Pup you’ve had your eye on for the last few weeks.
Never fear friends. We have got your back. There are a lot of knives in the Full30 office, because everyone on the team is a member of the every day carry community. We’re going to break this topic down to the nuts and bolts, and help you decide if a fixed blade, or a folding pocket knife are what you need for your current situation. We’re going to do this by breaking down the pros and cons of each.
Let’s cut right to the chase.
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Choosing The Right EDC Knife For You – Fixed vs Folding.
You’re here because you have one of three questions. You are thinking of switching from a folder to a fixed blade. You’re thinking of switching from a fixed blade to a folder. Or, last but not least, you’re here because you’re looking to add a knife into your every day carry kit. Regardless of what got you here, we’re going to set you straight and get you squared away. Before we go any further, we want to throw a special shoutout to our friend’s at Gearpack, who have helped us acquire a good number of knives over the past few months.
Choosing the right EDC knife for you is the first and most important decision on this path. While preparing to make your purchase, you need to ask yourself some fundamental questions. These questions are, “What do I need the knife for?” “How will I carry this knife?” “What’s my budget for the knife look like?” and last but not least “How often will I use this knife on a day-to-day basis?”
Once you’ve answered those questions, you can proceed to the sections below. Be honest with yourself throughout. If all you need your knife for is opening some boxes from time to time, or occasionally cutting into plastic bags, there’s nothing wrong with that. That same blade will be just as efficient as cutting through a seatbelt in an emergency as any other blade on the market currently.
If you’re more of a visual learner, here’s a great video by 1911 Syndicate to help you out.
Fixed Blade Knives.
Fixed blade knives are going to be the first thing we touch on in this guide. Without a shadow of doubt in my mind, these are the most overlooked type of knife in the EDC category. Why is that you might ask? Well, the answer is pretty simple. Most fixed blade knives are a bit on the large side. The average EDC aficionado is looking for a small knife they can fit in their pocket. They aren’t looking to strap something to their belt and roam around looking like Batman.
That said, there are a number of small fixed blade knives on the market that are awesome for EDC. These knives are easy to conceal, offer a lot of comfort, and have a much higher level of durability over their folding counter-parts. On top of this, with a fixed blade knife, you’re never going to have to worry about the deployment mechanism locking up on you at the worst possible moment.
Let’s get into the pros and cons of a fixed blade knife real fast.
Fixed Blade Pros.
Fixed Blade Cons.
Folding Knives for EDC.
Folding knives are one of the most common EDC object you’ll find out there. The only items that probably beat them on the list of top EDC items are cell phones, wallets, and car keys. Some people who carry a folding pocket knife aren’t even aware that they’re part of a larger community of people who carry objects like this with them every day. That’s perfectly fine though, why should you, at the very least, carry a folding pocket knife?
The answer is simple. You never know when you’re going to need a knife. While folding pocket knives aren’t the greatest thing on the planet for self-defense, they can still fill that role if required. They can cut through seatbelts in an emergency, and they can also be used for a myriad of other mundane tasks like opening a letter or just giving your hands something to fidget with when you’re bored at your desk. (We don’t recommend playing with your knife, even if some of us are guilty.)
Let’s dig into the pros and cons of folding pocket knives.
Folding Knife Pros.
Folding Knife Cons.
Why a Knife Matters in Your Every Day Carry Kit.
A knife is a multi-purpose tool that fills in a ton of gaps. They can be used for self-defense, opening objects, cleaning meat, and are paramount in a wide-variety of bushcraft skills that can help you survive in a tough spot. If you don’t already have a knife in your EDC, then it’s definitely the time for you to make a purchase.
We know it can be difficult to make a decision. There’s a ton of really great knives on the market. We have great news though. Knives are not generally a buy once, cry once item. While there certainly are some incredibly expensive items on the market that are well worth their cost, there’s a ton of really great knives out that won’t cost you an arm and a leg to pick up.
If you’re hesitant to add a knife to your EDC kit because of the cost of some of the higher-end products out there, consider going a budget route. You can always replace a budget item later down the road if your situation changes, but a knife is too important of a tool to not have one when you do find yourself in the situation where you need it. At the very least, your keys will thank you for not using them to cut through a mile of packing tape every single year.
In Conclusion.
At the very end of the day, it’s up to you to decide what kind of knife best suits your needs. We’ve broken down the pros and cons of both styles of knives for you, but we’ve really only scratched the surface. I know that once you start digging a bit deeper, you’re going to start getting into some really cool stuff. Like, do you want a Tanto style blade, or a blade that features a trailing point. The possibilities are truly endless, but the most important decision you’re going to make after this is adding a knife to your EDC if you’re not already carrying one every single day already.
That’s the perspective of one writer and small team of developers though. Let us know down in the comments which style of blade you carry every day. Do you not carry a knife at all for some particular reason? We want to hear from you down below. Let us know your thoughts, because together as a community we can come together to always make the best decision with not only our purchasing decisions, but also with our every day carry gear choices. We’ll see you out there.
