The Best EDC Knives Under 3" in 2017

When it comes to your EDC knife, size matters. And bigger isn't always better. A knife that's too big can be unwieldy to use and carry, not to mention illegal depending on where you live. On the flip side, a knife that's too small might take more effort for even simple tasks. For a lot of you, the best EDC knife is just under 3" long. In this guide, we'll break down why you might want a smaller knife, what to look for in a compact EDC, and highlight 10 EDC knives around the 2.5” to 3” sweet spot that are a cut above the rest.

WANDRD DUO Daypack

Unless you’re handy with packing cubes and pouch organizers, you’re better off with an EDC bag that’s organized from the get-go. By making sure every essential in your daily carry has its own place, your gear becomes easier to load, protect, and retrieve as you go about your day. And if your days involve long commutes, travel, photoshoots, or working out of a mobile office like the team at WANDRD’s do, then their latest project could be just the bag you need. The WANDRD DUO Daypack takes the stress of organizing your constantly-changing setups out of the equation with its durable, stylish, and easy-to-access design that puts everything in its place.

One of the key features that lets the DUO Daypack excel in both ease of access and internal organization is WANDRD’s InfiniteZip system. Four zippers along the main compartment’s U-shaped opening lets you access any part of the bag, from the top or from either side, without having to unzip the entire compartment or take the bag off. But once you do fully unzip the compartment, its side panels and front portion fan out to reveal its impressive array of internal organizational pockets. There’s a padded laptop compartment, small and large mesh pockets for at-a-glance visibility of your essentials, and even elastic cord organizers to keep your tech tidy.

Another clever feature unique to the DUO Daypack is its built-in, collapsible pop cube at the base of the bag. It’s padded and structured enough to keep your camera gear or lenses safe on the go, or to separate your shoes from your clean clothes whether you’re off to the gym on a long flight. It folds down and out of the way if you’d rather use more of the 20L backpack’s main compartment. Lastly, a quick-access stash pocket on the front of the bag makes for the perfect place to keep small items like keys or sunglasses.

While the DUO Daypack’s interior might steal the show, WANDRD didn’t skimp on materials and hardware found on the exterior of the bag. The majority of the exterior is made from a waterproof Jr. Ballistic nylon at a lighter 840D to keep the bag at 2.6lbs. For better abrasion resistance, a denser 1680D Ballistic Nylon makes up the base of the bag. The DUO Daypack handles rain in stride thanks to PU-coated, weather-resistant YKK zippers and a water-repellent coating on the exterior. EVA foam in the back panel makes for a cool and comfortable carry, while durable nylon seatbelt webbing on the pull handles let you grab and go with peace of mind. To make traveling easier, the DUO Daypack features a pass-through slot to slip the bag onto your luggage, as well as a zippered pocket on the back for secure, quick access to your passport.

Whether you’re looking to live your best one bag life on your next adventure or you just like staying organized on your way to the office, the WANDRD DUO Daypack was designed to handle it all. The campaign has already been completely funded on Kickstarter and WANDRD has a solid track record of successful campaigns for performance bags already, so you there’s no guesswork involved here. Make sure to click the link below to learn all about the rest of the DUO's many features and secure one at a special pre-order price for your carry before the campaign ends on Friday, July 26th.

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This is a sponsored post presented by WANDRD.

Dango Coin Capsule

Until we move to a completely cashless society, we’re unfortunately stuck with cold, hard, currency. Coins especially can be a pain due to their weight and irregular sizes. Carrying them in the pocket is bad enough thanks to the jangle and damage they could cause to other items carried with them, but pulling them out to pay is just as bad as you try and hunt-and-peck your way through a handful. There have been attempts to solve this problem with tools like a coin dispenser, but for Dango, it’s worth taking to the next level. Their new Coin Capsule is an overbuilt coin system that’s designed to do one thing and do it well: make managing coins simple and efficient. It’s a great way to stack, store, and spend your coins while integrating with the rest of your EDC.

The Coin Capsule’s design houses the five unique coin sizes of American currency between two slabs of machined 6061 aerospace-grade aluminum. The “lid” twists into the main body, and comes with three slits that line up with the coin compartments and make them easier to pinch out an exact number when you’re ready to cash out. There’s space for up to $5.44 in change: 16 quarters, 10 dimes, 7 nickels and 9 pennies. The simple design wastes no space and makes the most of its space, compared to all that change loose in your pockets.

Carrying the Coin Capsule is just as simple. You have an option to either clip it to your pants or bag by way of a stainless steel clip, or integrate with the rest of your gear by way of a tether loop hole. And speaking of integrating, you have a choice of satin silver or anodized jet black colorways for the Capsule, letting you match it perfectly with the rest of your EDC.

With its unique and specific design, the made in the USA Dango Coin Capsule addresses a unique American problem with the fit and finish you’ve come to expect from the brand. Change it up by checking it out at Dango’s site at the link below.

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This is a sponsored post presented by Dango Products.

Trending: Spyderco Urban Lightweight

Today's Sunday Slicer punches above its weight as one of the most heavily trafficked products on the site last week. The aptly named Spyderco Urban Lightweight lacks a locking mechanism and sports FRN handles, making it an excellent EDC for minimalists and those who live in cities with stricter knife regulations. A classic oversized thumbhole deploys the 2.6", N690CO blade, revealing its signature Spyderco "leaf"-shape. The leaf shape makes the most of its well-sized blade to give you enough cutting edge for most everyday tasks. Jimping on both the spine and the finger choil give excellent grip, enhanced by the textured FRN handle. While it's mostly a no-frills kind of knife, it does include a wire pocket clip for ease of carry. You can pick up this classic slipjoint Spyderco for your urban EDC at the link below.

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The Best AA Flashlights of 2017

One important consideration when choosing the best EDC flashlight for your needs is the type of battery it uses. On paper, LED flashlights that take AA batteries seem a bit out of place. They aren't the most powerful or longest lasting, nor are they compact enough to carry on a keychain like other EDC lights. But the main draw of AA batteries is their availability.

You can find them everywhere, from gas stations to grocery stores, so if your main EDC light uses it, you can bet you'll never be far away from a backup source for it. Even better: modern AA flashlights can make use of rechargeable AA batteries (or their more powerful lithium-ion versions), saving you money in the long run while giving you a performance boost to boot.

Whether it's for availability or convenience, an AA flashlight is a great choice for everyday carry. We've put together 12 of the best EDC flashlights below.

Lansky C-Sharp & Deluxe 5-Stone Sharpening System

A sharp knife is a safe knife, but even the finest everyday carry blades will become dull through the rigors of daily use. And if you don’t have your own way of sharpening and maintaining your blades, it won’t matter whether your knife is made of expensive super-premium M390 steel or more affordable 8Cr13MoV because it won’t cut through anything anyways. The good news is that sharpening your knives isn’t a hard thing to do at all, especially if you have modern tools like the ones made by Lansky. Take the C-Sharp pocket tool for example, which is small enough to keep in your pockets or with the rest of your gear when you’re on the go. Then there’s their Deluxe 5-Stone System for more considered sharpening and honing when you’re at home. These are some of the best sharpeners in the business, and with them you can breathe new life into your dull knives, and save yourself a lot of trouble in the process too.

The Lansky C-Sharp is simple to use: you place the tool upright on a table and then pull your knife through any one of the V-shaped sharpening slots until you have a sharp knife. Each slot contains 600 grit ceramic sharpening materials, arranged in specific angles for the edge you’re trying to maintain, including the most common ones: 17, 20, 25, and 30 degrees. You should use the angle that corresponds most closely to the original grind of your knife but as a rule of thumb: the thinner the angle, the sharper your knife will be but it will potentially make things more brittle depending on the steel composition of the blade. And for knives with a single-sided edge, like chisel-style blades and Japanese cooking knives, there’s a larger 800 grit benchstone at the top of the tool. That benchstone also comes in handy when you’re trying to sharpen serrations as well.

For bigger, more considered sharpening tasks at home, the Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone System is your best bet. Unlike the C-Sharp, the Deluxe has a clamp that holds your blade in place, and you move the sharpening stones across the blade until your knife is sharp. There are slots on the clamp that correspond to the same set of common angles, letting you keep the right blade geometry on your knife, but the main difference is that there’s varying levels of coarseness on each stone included with the system. This lets you sharpen the edges on your knife in progressive steps. There’s extra-coarse grits for fixing really dull and damaged knives, medium and fine grit stones for regular maintenance, and an ultra-fine grit stone for getting razor-sharp performance. The complete system includes everything you’d need to maintain your blades, including honing oil, the multi-angle clamp, guide rods, and a carrying case to store them all neatly.

There’s no excuse for having a dull knife, but these Lansky sharpeners make the task of sharpening and maintaining your knives easy to accomplish. And the best part is these sharpeners won’t put a huge dent in your wallet: now through July 18, 2019, Everyday Carry readers can save 25% off the C-Sharp and all Controlled-Angle Systems at the link below with coupon code EDC19 at checkout. Think of them as an investment in the longevity of your trusty EDC knives. Pick up a sharpening tool or system at a discount at the link below.

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This is a sponsored post presented by Lansky.

Gerber Key Note

The best knife is the one you have on you, but sometimes your limited pocket space can make it hard to EDC a full-sized knife. To be sure, when there’s light utility work to be done like opening up packaging, your keys can sort of get the job done with a lot of coaxing. But you’ll miss having a real knife on you for that and any bigger task that comes your way. This year, Gerber provides a solution to this dilemma with their new Key Note knife, a stout workhorse folding knife with a miniature footprint that fits right on your keys, easily concealed.

In its fully-folded configuration, the Gerber Key Note looks like any other small key fob or RFID pass anyone might have on their keys these days. But with a small flick of the minute starter tab, the Key Note reveals a stout sub-1“ blade that gives you just enough cutting surface to get tasks done right. With a shape that’s a cross between a tanto blade and a chisel, the Key Note is made to pierce and lightly pry material as needed. And with easily-sharpened 5Cr stainless steel, you can touch it up after going through more than a few cardboard boxes in hand. When you’re done, you can close the knife up into the aluminum handle with one motion, as there’s no lock needed.

It isn’t until you’re missing the right tool for the job that you wish you brought one along. And the Gerber Key Note is a good piece of kit to place on your keys for when carrying a full-sized knife is out of the question. Because it’s so small and light, too, it’s worth keeping around as a backup everyday carry piece as well. Never go without a knife again, and pick up one of these unique and innovative Key Note knives today at the link below.

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