Everyday Carry

10 New Fixed Blades to EDC This Summer

Authored by:
Jonathan Tayag
10 New Fixed Blades to EDC This Summer

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UPDATE: We’ve updated this list with new picks in 2020. Check out the new guide here.

When you think of an everyday carry knife, chances are you will have a folding knife in mind. But when you absolutely need a knife that cannot and will not fail on you, a fixed blade knife is the best option. Fixed blade knives don't have any moving parts to break or opening mechanisms to fumble around with when you're in a rush. Plus, in many jurisdictions, a fixed blade knife might be your only legal carry option. And if you have the idea that folding knives are too big for everyday carry, know that not all of them are built like the comically huge knife in Crocodile Dundee. There are plenty of EDC-friendly fixed blade knives out there, and the designs released this year are especially nice. In this guide, we'll round up our favorite recent fixed blade knife releases, and go over why they deserve a place in your own carry.


CRKT Siwi

The Siwi is a compact tactical fixed blade knife designed by Darrin Sirois, a retired military veteran. With a deep ergonomic grip featuring textured G10, it's easy to keep a sure hold on the Siwi even during hard use. And with its super-sharp SK5 carbon steel blade it can take on any task you have in mind. SK5 is a very hard steel, with a Rockwell hardness of 68 RC, and its superior cutting performance is amplified by the deep belly on its 3.341” edge. For more precise cuts, you'll also appreciate the top jimping combined with the deep guard for the sure control they provide.

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684 BuckLite Max II Small

The Buck 684 Small is an affordable, compact skinning knife made by one of the most trusted traditional manufacturers of EDC blades out there. It features a 3.25” 420HC drop-point blade that's sharp yet easy to maintain. Its full tang construction ensures reliability, and its ergonomic textured Dynaflex rubber handles are built to handle slippery situations. It also features a lanyard hole at the pommel for additional carry versatility.

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ESEE Camp-Lore Cody Rowen CR2.5

The ESEE Camp-Lore CR2.5 knife is one of the most exciting recent fixed blade designs. It is compact, with a 2.5” stonewashed 1095 carbon steel blade with a sharp full flat grind. It's built for precise control over small cuts, like whittling wood or cutting rope. And, while it would be quite a non-standard use, it's a great shape for use as a camping paring knife. Just make sure to clean and oil the blade, because while its Micarta handles can stand up to some abuse, the 1095 steel will rust if you're not careful.

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Gerber Ghostrike

The Ghostrike is a discreet, compact, skeletonized fixed blade knife that's a good option for low-profile everyday carry. It's sized just right for EDC, with a sharp 420HC blade that's 3.3” long. The blade features a modified clip point shape that comes together to a very sharp tip for quick piercing. But the curved plain edge still offers capable slicing performance when needed. To keep things light at 3.6 ounces, the Ghostrike is skeletonized, but it has a textured rubber overmold on the handle to give you enough grip on the blade to use it even when the going gets tough.

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Benchmade Altitude

The Benchmade Altitude weighs in at an astounding 1.76 ounces. That's lighter than just about any other knife available on the market, including tiny folders. And with a blade length of 3.08” it's an ideal everyday carry knife. To accomplish this feat, Benchmade leveraged their design prowess and used super-premium CPM-S90V stainless steel to build this marvel of a knife. It has an elegant and minimalist design, with a bit of carbon fiber at the handle for additional control and grip without adding bulk. And with jimping at the grip, the top of the blade, and even at the tip, you can exercise control over the cut every time you use the Altitude.

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Cold Steel Mini Tac Bowie

The Mini Tac Bowie by Cold Steel sizes down the traditional Bowie knife to something more manageable for EDC. At 3.6” it still has enough edge to perform like its larger brethren, especially with its curved tip and clip-point shape. With its aggressive G10 Griv-Ex textured handle, it's definitely a tactical knife, and the deep finger choil helps keep you from cutting yourself on your own knife when you're piercing through things.

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Case Winkler Recurve Utility No. 6

If you're looking to carry a larger tactical knife, the Case Winkler Reserve Utility No. 6 has you covered. It has a versatile 4.75” 80CrV2 carbon steel blade that has both a pronounced curve at the tip and a slight recurve at the belly. This makes this knife great for all around cutting, piercing, and slicing tasks. The black oxide finish on the blade helps it resist corrosion, and it also reduces inconvenient reflections when you're outdoors. And because this is a larger knife, it has enough of a handle to give you a full one-handed grip without compromise.

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Emerson CQC-7 Fixed

If this knife looks familiar to you, it's because it really is the CQC-7 turned into a fixed blade knife. Everything that makes the CQC-7 a great compact tactical knife is present here.  Without the moving parts for the folding opening, it's an even more bombproof knife. It features a 4.2” 154CM stainless steel blade available in both stonewashed and black cerakote finish. The handles are more sizable because they don't have to accommodate a folding mechanism. They're still super-grippy G10 scales for reliable performance. Even the top hook for the wave-shaped opening remains, but on a fixed blade knife it serves its original purpose: acting as a top blade guard for close-quarters combat.

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Spyderco WaterWay

Lots of knives tout having stainless steel blades that are resistant to corrosion, but the LC200N steel on the Spyderco WaterWay fixed blade is almost literally rustproof. The WaterWay is part of Spyderco's 'Salt' series of knives, which are made to stand up to serious water-related abuse. This makes it suitable for being around the salt water of the ocean or even for taking down with you as a dive knife. For everyday use, it means you can afford to be a bit less on the ball about maintaining this knife than with say, a carbon steel blade that will rust quickly. The serious corrosion resistance also makes it a great candidate for taking out with you when you go on an extended hike. But it's not just rustproof, it's ultra-sharp with a 4.4” full-tang full flat ground plain edge blade. And its organic streamlined design is punctuated only by the guard at the handle and its machined G10 scaling for positive grip.

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WE Knife Vindex

WE Knife continues to impress with their recent designs, especially for their price, and the new Vindex fixed blade continues that trend. Comfort and ease of use was at the top of the list in designing the Vindex. It starts with the contoured G10 handle that conforms to your hand while giving you a firm grip. That's paired with the choil guard and top jimping on the blade, giving you added control. Combined, these help you leverage the sharp D2 steel blade for whatever task you need to accomplish. Its 3.75” cutting edge is formed into a drop-point shape for good all-around performance. And there's even a bit of channeling on the side to help minimize the knife's overall weight.

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For more fixed blade options, check out last year's guide from the archives.

Jonathan Tayag

Senior Contributor


About the Author
Jonathan Tayag is secretly an information technology and corporate security expert who prefers to moonlight as a creative event and commercial photographer whenever possible. His varied experience and substantial travels have led him to seek, without even thinking about it at first, the best gear for the best use at the best price available. Before the concept of EDC (everyday carry) firmly took hold, Jonathan already spent untold amounts of time optimizing for the best-in-slot pieces of gear, from cameras and lenses to pocket knives, pens, and bags and packs. In November 2015, Jonathan joined EverydayCarry.com and has since written numerous articles and guides to help impart his knowledge to the community as a whole.

Jonathan's photographic works have appeared on numerous online websites, print, video, and television outlets for over a decade. Jonathan's previous clients include Blizzard Entertainment, Red Bull, ESL, Razer, and several other endemic and non-endemic esports sponsors and brands. His work also features heavily in online competitive gaming communities, especially those of the StarCraft and Fighting Game genres. You've likely seen his work if you've spent time in a stream or in-game chat over the years.

Discussion (8 total)

Peter Mogish ·
The CRKT Siwi can't possibly be 68 HRC? I think it can get into the 60s, but 58-60 is more common.
Geoffrey Miller ·
What, no Kbar?
buttttshutter ·
no IZULA!? :o
Dan Iakovos ·
I carry my ESEE Izula (stainless) everyday, but that Benchmade Altitude matches my underwear.
Scott ·
No, Bradford Guardian 3?
Eric ·
That Orange Benchmade!!!
International Man Of Myst ·
Izula or the Kabar D'Eskabar are both ideal EDC fixed blades. I'm thinking about the Altitude just because of the design and weight factors. Anyone got one that can report back on it?
Derek ·
Check out GEC's drop point hunter...