There’s nothing like reaching into your pocket and feeling the shape and heft of a great everyday carry knife. It gives instant confidence — adds an intrepid spring to your step. It makes you ready to take on whatever life throws at you.
However, the unspoken rule of the EDC knife is its secrecy. Like a high bank balance or a supermodel’s phone number, it’s not the kind of thing you flash around. The EDC knife is meant to stay stashed until the moment when it’s needed, at which point the carrier can casually unearth it and say, “It’s cool. I got this.”
This point of secrecy is the only fault we have to find with Gerber’s new line of EDC knives. Gerber calls it a collection with an added emphasis on aesthetic — the brand should call it the “hardest knives to keep in your pocket” line. You’re going to want to pull them out just to look at them. Which is weird. Maybe a little bit creepy. But once other people get a look at these knives, they’re going to want to look at them, too.
The Buy at REI has a finger flip for intuitively easy blade deployment, a satin-finished sheepsfoot blade that is as efficient as it is stylish, a sturdy frame lock, and a pocket clip for easy carry. The ample cutting edge makes this knife worth its carrying weight, but the real star is the bamboo-overlaid handle that makes it unlike any other knife you have or are likely to see.
The Buy at Gerber lies at the other end of the spectrum, an homage to classic barbershop knives with an eye-catching acrylic molded handle in luminous tortoiseshell. However, its functional details are anything but antiquated. The extended tang finger flipper is uniquely designed for easy deployment without muddying the elegant silhouette. The sheepsfoot blade features a full yet fine edge, and a liner lock keeps the whole thing together when not in use.
Finally, there’s the Buy at Gerber , my personal choice. The clean lines of its fine-textured aluminum handle are highlighted with a red and white stripe. The exaggerated nail nick makes it just easy enough to unfold the mirror-polished sheepsfoot blade, while the traditional slip joint eliminates the need for a lock. The clever little lanyard hole makes it extra convenient. But none of this fully explains its appeal. It’s hard to say exactly how a knife speaks to you, but when this one showed up in the mail, I felt like I was meeting a long-lost friend. Suffice it to say, it’s all I can do not to keep pulling it out to open and fold up, over and over, just for the sake of playing with it.
These new aesthetic-forward EDC knives are available now on Gerber at a surprisingly accessible price point. Get one and be that guy.
Need more gear suggestions? Check out the Gerber Fastball or other EDC essentials for the outdoorsy guy.
