It is very important for an EDC knife to be handy. Fixed blade EDC knives are not as common for EDC as ones with folding mechanism. They are bigger and have to be stored in a sheath for safety reasons. Not being able to be folded quickly is more dangerous in situations where you need to put it away. All knives listed on our review page are folding EDC knives, as it is one of the most common requirements for EDC knives. If you are interested in non-folding knives visit this page.
Don’t forget about our interactive comparison chart of EDC folding knives!
When it comes to folding knives, the most important feature is the locking mechanism.
The most common types of locking mechanisms are:
- Liner Lock
- Lockback
- Frame Lock
There are a lot of other mechanisms and sub-versions of these locks, take a look at mechanisms used in Benchmade knives: http://www.benchmade.com/products/mechanisms.aspx
Liner lock
One of the most popular locking systems, originally known as Walker lock. How a liner lock looks and works like is explained in this video.
Lockback
Lockback knife is a knife that locks in open position. When a knife is opened and locked, it has the same qualities as a fixed blade knife.
Frame Lock
A handle is used to form the lock. Very similar to liner lock. What is the difference? See in the video:
If you have never used a folding knife before or you had no chance to try all these locking mechanisms, read user reviews, and decide which would you consider the best for you. Each folding system has its pros but also drawbacks.