The Drop: Varusteleka Terava Tiny Knife

It's a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.

When space is limited in your pockets, or you’re wearing something without any, a neck knife offers a way to still carry a means to cut. Neck knives are compact, fixed-blade knives held in a sheath on a necklace or lanyard worn on your neck, as the name implies. While the community mostly sees them as backup or defensive knives, they can serve unique purposes outside those niches. Take the new Terava Tiny Knife from Varusteleka, for example. This unique Finnish-made carbon steel knife was designed for precise, close-up utility use, focusing on complete control while you have it in your hand.

The Terava Tiny Knife comes from leftover steel from producing Varusteleka's Skrama 240 carbon steel blades. If you are unfamiliar with the brand, Varusteleka is a Finnish manufacturer and military surplus purveyor emphasizing sustainability. Rather than melt down some leftover steel, they fashioned leftover blanks into the unique Terava Tiny Knife. The result is a unique, bare-tang knife with an overall length of 6.5”, a cutting edge of 1.97”, and quality carbon steel construction. Each knife comes from Finland in Kauhava, a region specializing in traditional Puukko knife construction, and the 80CrV2 carbon steel edge gets honed to a sharp edge as a result.

The long handle gives you a full grip on the blade, and the shorter edge is reminiscent of a Japanese kiridashi knife. That short blade profile is excellent for precise utility cuts; you have complete control over the cut from start to finish. And because of the carbon steel makeup, you get excellent hardness and edge performance for the price. When finished with the task, the Terava Tiny Knife fits on a black leather sheath with a snap fastener made with a hole for convenient neck lanyard carry.

What we like: This unique utility-oriented carbon steel neck knife offers excellent cutting performance, value for money, and precise control.

What to watch out for: Because this knife features 80CrV2 carbon steel, it is essential to remember that it is not stainless steel. It is crucial to ensure you dry this knife after use and use oil to maintain it to avoid rust.

Final verdict: If you're looking for a new neck knife for everyday carry, whether as a primary knife or as a backup, the Terava Tiny Knife from Varusteleka in Finland offers excellent value for money and precise cutting performance.

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Bookman Visibility Lightstick Safety Light

"Bookman Urban Visibility specializes in safety accessories for nighttime bicycling, walks, and other activities. Among their wares is this compact light which clips to your zipper, bag, or belt loop. It’s fully waterproof and can run for up to 13 hours on a charge via its Micro-USB..." (via The Awesomer)

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The Drop: Bertucci A-2S Construction King Watch

It's a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.

If you aren't familiar with Bertucci, they are a watch brand focusing mainly on field and pilot watch designs, with classic military styling and the ruggedness that those timepieces require. The A-2S Construction King takes that military styling and beefs things up with a sturdy American-made unibody stainless steel case with a 40mm diameter. That sturdy design makes this wristwatch well-suited for a high-impact environment and, as its name suggests, heavy construction work. The Construction King also features a unique USA-made Tridura polymer band that won't break or fray as traditional leather, rubber, and nylon straps so often can.

The internals of the watch are solid as well. It features a reliable Japanese quartz movement that will keep on ticking more reliably than even the most expensive mechanical watch. The black dial features incredibly legible numerical legends, with 24-hour time markers also present. The hands, including the red second's hand, and the hour markers feature bright Swiss Super-LumiNova lume for dark and low-light timekeeping. The mineral crystal helps prevent scratches from ruining the overall look, and the watch has 100-meter water resistance.

What we like: The unique and rugged unibody stainless steel case and Tridura band give you a reliable analog quartz watch that will keep up with the bumps and scrapes of a busy life.

What to watch out for: With a 40mm diameter, this watch may look oversized if you have a smaller wrist.

Final verdict: The A-2S Construction King from Bertucci is a viable option for anyone looking to expand their horizons searching for a new rugged EDC watch, offering a unique take that's worthy of your consideration.

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An Interview with EDC Founding Father Patrick Ma

Patrick Ma is an EDC industry icon, with a career spanning 25 years and his hand in founding some of the best hardware and soft goods companies in the business when it comes to high-performance gear of the highest caliber, no matter the mission. Today he continues to work on exceptional everyday equipment as CEO, Creative Director, and Chief Designer of Prometheus Design Werx, which is nearing its 10th anniversary with no signs of stopping. In this interview, Patrick takes the time to answer our questions about designing his products, his thoughts on the current landscape of EDC, and an interesting piece of gear from a movie he still dreams about making.

The Drop: Nexstand K1 Carbon Fiber Laptop Stand

It's a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.

Whether working from home, back in the office, or somewhere in between, having a good EDC laptop stand is helpful for both your comfort and productivity. Laptop stands let you bring your screen up to a proper height that doesn't force you to crane your neck up or downwards throughout the day. This reduces neck aches and clears up some desk space for a separate keyboard and mouse. But having a big and bulky laptop stand would make it hard to bring with you. That's where lightweight, collapsible laptop stands, such as the Nexstand K1 Carbon Fiber, come into play.

As its name implies, the Nexstand K1 Carbon Fiber features a carbon fiber frame, which makes this particular laptop stand one of the lightest you can choose for your EDC at just 5.5 ounces. The Nexstand K1 is about 40% less hefty than their original K2 laptop stand, which was made of polymer and came in at 8.36 oz. While it upgrades the material from the original, it keeps the design elements that make both excellent choices for everyday carry.

To use the K1, remove it from the cloth bag and expand the frame. This exposes the “claws” which hold the bottom of the laptop in place as you adjust the height of the stand with the levers on the side, which click into place at designated heights for convenience. Its cross-braced design makes it very sturdy and can accommodate most laptops from 13" to 17" in size. Once you finish your work, fold and collapse the Nexstand K1 Carbon Fiber back into place and return it to your laptop bag, where it will remain ready to go when work calls again.

What we like: Because of its carbon fiber construction, the Nexstand K1 Carbon Fiber is one of the lightest and most portable laptop stands you can add to your everyday carry.

What to watch out for: The K1 is on the pricier side, but you do get what you pay for. There aren't many stands out there you can fit into your backpack's water bottle pocket and still be able to lift up heavier gaming laptops.

Final verdict: It’s light, folds up nicely to fit your EDC bag, and is sized to hold up even the chunkiest laptops, making it a great addition to your tech kit.

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MagCutor Keychain Cutting Tool

"This keychain accessory measures just 35 mm (1.38″) long and packs a tiny blade ideal for opening packages and other light-duty cutting tasks. Its replaceable blade is made from titanium, while its case is available in either aluminum or titanium. Its cover holds on securely with a super-strong..." (via The Awesomer)

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