Everyday Carry

The Best Knife, Light, and Watch Carry for Every Situation

Authored by:
Mikey Bautista
Reviewed by:
Bernard Capulong
Founder and Editor-in-Chief
14+ Years Reviewing EDC Products
The Best Knife, Light, and Watch Carry for Every Situation

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A knife, a light, and a watch. They're a means to cut things, to brighten up an area, and to tell the time. Sure, you could probably use your teeth, wait until daylight, and use the position of the sun to figure out what time it is, but having these dedicated tools make those tasks so much easier to perform.

They're the building blocks of an EDC, the first steps on the road to preparing yourself for everyday obstacles. They're also three of the biggest markets in everyday carry, with hundreds of knives, lights, and watches available for every price point and purpose.

So today we've put together some of our favorite knife/light/watch combinations to suit a variety of situations. We're hoping our picks can give you ideas on how to choose each so you can build a carry that works best for you.


Streamlight MicroStream | Timex WeekenderOntario RAT II

Beginner

The Beginner combo puts together inexpensive, yet highly functional picks for EDCers looking to build their first carry. They're community favorites, have proven themselves time and time again as solid picks, and don't require much investment so you can easily upgrade down the line (though you may not have to with these guys!).


Olight S1 Baton | Seiko 5 AutomaticSpyderco Roadie

Urban

The Urban carry features some of our favorites for pounding the pavement in your city. They have people- and law-friendly designs and take up minimal space in the pocket so you're not weighed down during your errands. They're ideal for the modern city dweller, but are also great additions to any carry.


 Olight M1X Striker | Luminox 0201.BOSpyderco Para Military 2

Tactical

When the going gets tough, this is the carry that gets going. These tools are built tough, purpose-built for performance, and blacked-out for discreet operation.


Thrunite Ti5T | Titanium Pocket ToolSkagen Ancher

Office

If you  work in a coat and tie, sleek and professional is the name of the game. These picks won't weigh down your wrist or slacks pocket, and feature slim profiles for an office setting.


Orient Symphony | Maratac AA CopperBuck Stockman

Traditional

There's something classic and timeless about wood and leather, and these picks reflect the natural colors that age with grace over time. Nothing tells a story like a well-used and well-loved tool with the patina to match its character.


Garmin Fenix 3 | CRKT HomefrontNitecore TM03

Outdoor

Reliable tools matter the most when in the wild. Inefficient and less-capable tools could spell the difference between a fun trek through the woods and being stranded without the means to find your way home. These picks ensure you have a knife free from jams, a light with enough power to light up a clearing, and a watch that ensures you always have enough information to find your bearings.


SureFire E1D Defender | Seiko 2nd Generation MonsterZero Tolerance 0450

Overbuilt

“Buy cheap, buy twice” is a common motto among EDCers, a warning against spending a little less money but losing a lot more performance. No need to worry about that with these picks. While they fetch a higher price tag, you're also getting some of the best materials and manufacturing on the market, ensuring tools that will perform superbly for a long time.


Seiko SGG731 Titanium Sapphire | Prometheus Beta-QR CopperBenchmade 940-1 CF

Exotics

While we pick our tools to address a need or perform a specific task, that doesn't mean they can't look good doing it, too. These picks feature some of the finer materials available to manufacturers like carbon fiber and titanium, and add a touch of collectibility to their functionality.


Surefire Sidekick | Smith & Bradley SpringfieldBuck 110 Folding Hunter

Made in the USA

Feeling patriotic? Take a look at these picks made right in the USA. They're brands that carry a legacy of performance and quality that make them reliable additions to any EDC.


Void V03B-BRTEC Accessories Pixel | James Brand The Swell Knife

Minimalist

Sometimes, you just can't be bothered to carry much at all, or want to make an effort to make an understatement. These picks feature some of the most minimal and subtle designs for an EDC, making them standouts for a discreet carry.


What's your favorite knife/light/watch combo? Let us know what they are and how you use them in the comments below!

Products featured in header photo: Chris Reeve Carbon Fiber Small Inkosi | Redux COURG Type-A | Olight S1 Baton Ti

Mikey Bautista

Director of Everyday Carry Operations


About the Author
Mikey Bautista is an everyday carry (EDC) expert who has been working with the EverydayCarry.com team for nearly a decade, starting with an interest in EDC as a hobby and ending up as a writer for the site in 2014. Through the years, he’s led the site in editorial content and writing about products across every category, from knives to bags to flashlights and everything in between, as well as discovering, bringing exposure, and building bridges with many brands in the industry. Today, he is the site's Director of Everyday Carry Operations, leading the editorial team and managing day-to-day operations.

He has lived through many personal and professional lives, spending nearly a decade in the workforce management industry, a minor career in gaming, and has lent a hand with entrepreneurial efforts back home in the Philippines. He has also been an active participant and helped build a number of significant social communities online, both for EDC and his other hobbies.

Mikey has been at the cusp of gaming, technology, and the internet since the ‘90s and continues to lend his experience, expertise, and authority to all his pursuits. When not online, in a game, or watching movies, you'll find him in the gym, speedrunning his next hobby, or talking at length about EDC with anyone willing to listen.

Bernard Capulong

Founder and Editor-in-Chief


About the Reviewer
Bernard Capulong is an everyday carry (EDC) gear expert, entrepreneur, all-around nerd, and the founder and editor-in-chief of EverydayCarry.com—the largest online community for EDC gear enthusiasts. Since founding Everyday Carry in 2009, he’s built over a decade of experience in the industry, reviewing and highlighting brands and products, including pocket knives, flashlights, wallets, watches, bags, pens, and much more.

Bernard is known for bringing everyday carry out of obscurity and into the mainstream, having been published or featured in various publications such as GQ, TIME Magazine, The New York Times, VICE, HYPEBEAST, Outside, and many others. He has also played a part in curating, designing, and developing digital and physical products, resulting in successful crowdfunding projects or limited edition collaboration products with established softgoods brands. He stays on the pulse of the EDC industry by attending trade shows, participating in online interest communities, and actively engaging with fellow gear enthusiasts on social media.

In addition to being the editor-in-chief and main social media personality for EverydayCarry.com, Bernard is an avid gearhead and collector in general. His personal collections span technical bags, fountain pens, digital cameras, retro gaming hardware, personal hi-fi audio gear, and mechanical wristwatches, to name a few. Bernard Capulong is a prominent figure and trusted authority in the everyday carry industry with a career dedicated to helping people discover this hobby and stay prepared with quality gear.

Discussion (28 total)

Tom D. ·
Not at work - Olight S1 Baton, Garmin Vivoactive HR, CRKT M16-01Z
At work - Victronox Farmer, Olight S1 Baton, Casio WV-200A "Wave Ceptor"
(note: add Fisher Space Pen to both configurations)
Mason Delpino ·
Love how each of these is grouped. Neat post. I've been hearing about the CRKT homefront a lot recently. The Fieldstrip tech in it looks cool- I wish some of the knives I already own had that feature!
Orwell ·
Minimalist at a Urban Office with traditional Taste in style:
Citizen BM8180 with Leatherstrap, Victorinox Bantam Alox and Trunite Tube LED
I have the Beginner and no other itmes :)
Great piece Mikey! keep em coming.
Roger ·
I was hoping there would be a "Formal Wear"/"Black Tie"/"Business Formal" category.
H.Sch7 ·
The best option for me in EDC Watch is Suunto Ambit 2 or 3 , they are brutal and with a amazing design for me .
Gerardo Rodríguez ·
Excellent combinations, definitely getting the SGG731 before the end of the year, thanks for the article!
Britt ·
Casio Pathfinder, Swiss army tinker, mecarmy

The pathfinder has a compass built in as well as altimeter/barometer, and thermometer. The tinker has plenty of tools you can actually use comfortably, and mecarmy's flashlight is small, rechargeable, and has lights of red as well as the standard multi-level LED
blueumbrella ·
Great combinations. Something there to make most anybody happy.
Orwell ·
Best article so far. Every personality or profession get its set of core items. Great.
Boris Ho ·
Can't agree more on the Ontario RAT II, it's not just for novice but a knife that you don't have to care to do anything with. But the Exotic choice is not exotic enough...
James Freeman ·
Casio Solar Wave Ceptor, Ontario Rat II . . . and a cheap flashlight/laser pointer from the hardware store. Hmmm, looks like I'm in serious need of an upgrade . . .
Matt Mitgang ·
That Smith & Bradley watch is definitely not "Made in the USA" or anywhere close. It has a Swiss movement, which is mostly made of Chinese parts. Even less Made in the USA than Shinola, who got scolded by the FTC.
kspencer ·
Olight S1R Baton, Seiko SKA495 Titanium, Ontario Knife Co. RAT II

Although I own several of the items listed in the various categories, these are what I usually EDC for work.
Andrew Casel ·
Minimalist is my carry pick
9 more comments