The Best EDC Knives You Need to Buy in 2024

Whether you’re on the road, travelling or just working around the house, having a reliable EDC knife is always a solid idea.

If you’re anything like us, you might already have a few knives sitting around, but it’s always exciting to go and check out what other amazing designs are left to try out on the market!

With that in mind and in no particular order of preference, here are 7 of our favourite EDC knives for travelling, outdoors and general use that you should definitely be on the look out for in 2024!

Let’s get started.

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Leatherman Wave+

© Leatherman

Steel: Stainless 420HC

Blade Length: 2.9” | 7.37 cm

Weight: 8.5 oz | 241g

Why just carry a knife when you can have the equivalent of small toolkit in your pocket? 

Out of the box, the Leatherman Wave+ comes equipped with wire-cutting pliers, interchangeable screwdrivers, saws, scissors and much more, along with a sturdy and reliable 420HC blade that, while small, is more than capable to cut its way through most daily tasks.

However, all the extras do add quite a bit to the weight of this multitool, and the lack of a pocket clip means it’s best to carry it with a sheath. 

The knife is held in place by a simple liner lock, a slightly less secure option when compared to some other high-end alternatives produced by Leatherman.

While this means you should be more careful when putting the knife through heavy duty work, the tradeoff is that the Leatherman Wave+ will allow you to easily deploy the blade with one hand, a major plus point in our eyes!

At $119.95 the Leatherman Wave+ is also very affordable, especially for such a complete multitool. It’s by far one of the most popular options available and our preferred choice for EDC, so if you’ve ever been in doubt about getting you hands on one now’s definitely your moment!

Buck 110 Folding Hunter

© Knives Illustrated

Steel: Stainless 420HC

Blade Length: 3 3/4” | 9.5cm

Weight: 7.2oz | 204.17g

The Buck 110 Folding Hunter is a true American legend, and there is a reason for why this knife has been considered an absolute classic ever since it was released back in the 60’s. 

From the handle’s combination of wood and brass to the large Bowie blade, the made in the USA Buck 110 is instantly recognisable and, while it lacks any tactical features, it still feels extremely comfortable and reliable in the hand.

If we had any complaint at all it would be that it lacks assisted or one-hand opening, but that is due as well to the extremely reliable backlock system that holds the blade in place, and that also allows the Buck 110 to perform extremely well for heavy duty work!

Now sure, the design might be a little old-fashioned for some, but there is no denying that the Buck 110 should have a place in any knife enthusiast’s collection, especially considering that it is really not that pricy for the level of quality that you’ll get.

Whether you’re looking for an EDC knife or a tool for hunting, bushcraft and general outdoor use, we absolutely recommend you check out the Buck 110 Folding Hunter!

Opinel N°8

© Justin W Coffey 

Steel: Stainless Sandvik 12C27 or high-carbon XC90

Blade Length: 3.28” | 8.5cm

Weight: 1.6oz | 45g

The Opinel N°8 is not ultra-tough, large or tactical in any way, but for many of us this might have very well have been our first EDC knife. At only $19.00 it’s also by far the most affordable option on our list.

A ridiculously sharp blade and simple but effective locking mechanism make it a perfect tool for light EDC tasks, especially when it comes to slicing and food prep. The hardwood handle is basic and without any frills, but it sits comfortably in the hand and provides an overall decent grip.  

This knife’s only major drawback is that the wood has the tendency to swell slightly when exposed to water and humidity, which can cause the blade to lock in place. It is for this reason that we don’t really recommend the the Opinel N°8 for serious bushcraft and hunting, or other scenarios where it would be exposed to excessive humidity.

The Opinel N°8 is a timeless classic that has remained almost unchanged for over a century, and we still love ours after close to 10 years of use. 

Benchmade Bugout

© Blade HQ

Steel: Stainless CPM S30V

Blade Length: 3.24” | 8.23cm

Weight: 1.85oz | 52.45g

For safety reasons, we generally prefer to carry a fixed blade over a folder when hiking and camping, but we’ll happily make an exception for the Benchmade Bugout!

What makes this knife especially stand out from the competition is the ridiculous weight; at only 1.85oz (52.45g), the Benchmade Bugout is one of the lightest EDC knives available on the market, which makes it the perfect option to carry on outdoor trips where every ounce matters or simply as your daily EDC if you want something that can just disappear comfortably in your pocket.

Now, just because it’s light doesn’t mean that the Bugout isn’t well built or reliable.

The razor-sharp CPM S30V stainless steel blade is an amazing slicer, and can even work its way through some bushcraft. The handle is large and grippy, even when wet, and remains comfortable even after prolonged use. 

Keeping it all together is Benchmade’s Axis Lock, one of the safest and most reliable blade locks out there, which will also allow you to deploy the blade single-handedly and ambidextrously. 

The Bugout is the ultimate EDC for hikers and campers, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a lighter and more reliable alternative for outdoor use. It’s a little on the expensive side, and Benchmade prices have been increasing a little over the years, but we still think that the Bugout is worth every cent.

CIVIVI Elementum II

© Civivi

Steel: Stainless Nitro-V

Blade Length: 2.96" | 7.51cm

Weight: 3.12oz | 88.5g

The CIVIVI Elementum II is, first of all, a beautiful knife. From the minimalist logo to the matte colours of the G-10 handle, this is one of the best designed knives on our list.

It might, however, also interest you that the Elementum II also performs extremely well, is an effective and ergonomic slicer and an incredibly fun flipper!

A major difference from the previous version, the Elementum II now uses stainless Nitro-V stainless steel blade instead of the old high-carbon D2. While this means that the new knife doesn’t hold an edge for quite as long, we much prefer Nitro-V’s added rust resistance over having to sharpen our knifes slightly less often. 

Speaking of the blade, the Elementum II’s 2.96” awesome sabre grind does a great job at slicing and cutting, even though it does need a regular sharpening. Deploying the blade is super easy by using the thumb stud, which then forms the knife’s hand guard. Folding the knife can also be done single-handedly by using the lock button, a feature we had never tried before but absolutely loved!

Sleek, easy to deploy and fold, and ergonomic, the CIVIVI Elementum II is a stunning knife that we can see being a mainstay of our collection for a long time.

Spyderco Para 3

© Spyderco

Steel: Stainless CPM S45VN

Blade Length: 2.93" | 74mm

Weight: 3.4oz | 96g

We couldn’t possibly make a list of best EDC knives and not include Spyderco. The Para 3 stands out as one of the best the company as ever made, so let’s take a look at what it’s got to offer.

First of all, the Para 3 has the classic Spyderco blade that provides a large belly for extremely effective slicing and cutting. The CPM S45VN stainless steel does a hell of a job remaining razor sharp for long periods of time, and is easy enough to maintain a good edge with some regular care. 

When it comes to ergonomics, the Spyderco Para 3 really shines. The textured G-10 handle provides excellent grip even when soaking wet, and the large hole in the blade makes it easy to flick the knife open with one hand.

Speaking of one-handed opening, we love Spyderco’s compression lock; while we wouldn’t push it too far out out of regular EDC tasks, it’s one of the most reliable mechanisms we’ve played around with.

While admittedly very expensive for an EDC knife, the Para 3 gets pretty much everything right: it’s extremely ergonomic, deploys in an instant thanks to the large Spyderco hole, and the knife provides a large slicing belly while still keeping the blade at a reasonable length.

If you have the means to get your hand on this one there is little to nothing that can compare.  

Gerber Gator

© Gerber

​ Steel: Stainless 420HC

​ Blade Length: 3.76” | 8.4cm

​ Weight: 5.4oz | 131g

We’ve always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Gerber. We were not great fans of how they moved a major part of their production to China, and let’s not even get started with the whole Bear Grylls collaboration.

With that in mind, the Gerber Gator is one of the coolest EDC knives ever made and that’s that.

From the handle’s texture imitating alligator skin to the beefy Bowie-style blade, this Made in the USA gem is one of our all-time favourites. The textured rubber handle is extremely comfortable to hold, and provides a perfect grip even in wet or muddy conditions.

The only tradeoff is that opening the knife in a pinch is tricky, as the blade lacks assisted or one hand-opening because of the backlock system. It also lacks a pocket clip, but we can live with that as well. 

For the blade, Gerber has opted for the classic 420HC that, while nothing spectacular, is what we would expect from this price range, and does a good job when it comes to typical EDC tasks. This knife also comes in drop point and serrated, although we do prefer the Bowie-style option. 

While we have a soft spot for the smaller Gatormate model that has unfortunately been discontinued (thanks Gerber), you can’t go wrong with this larger version.

The Gerber Gator is cheap, tough-as-nails, will survive pretty much any sort of environment and is easy to maintain and keep razor sharp.

And there you have it!

These are 7 amazing EDC knives to look out for in 2024.

So, which one is your favourite? 

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