It’s National Knife Day, and you know we have to feature a slicer that’s been in our sights to celebrate. And what I’d like to feature today isn’t the most expensive, isn’t overflowing with top-tier materials, and isn’t changing the game with a completely unique design. In fact, it’s the complete antithesis of all that, which makes it my new favorite recommendation for people looking to pick up their first EDC knife.
We’ve featured Vosteed a lot before, and a big reason is the value and enjoyment of ownership you get with their blades. Many are affordable, come with unique designs not usually explored, and often both. And recently, they’ve shown they can flex in big ways when given the right chance and design(er).
Which brings me to the Raccoon. In many ways, it’s the distillation of super-popular knives that came before and the current state of rock-solid budget knives. You get a clean 3.25” drop point blade in 14C28N that folds into your choice of Micarta or G-10, and secures with either the fan-favorite button lock or, with its recent iterations, an ambidextrous crossbar one, which is a particularly nice sidegrade as a lefty myself. It’s available in a number of delightful colors that would make it an easy match for any EDC.
There are also some subtle but welcome details you don’t usually see at this price point, like a caged ceramic ball bearing pivot for a more fidgety deployment and little flourishes like a fancier pivot screw and flush ones for the reversible clip.
Last but most importantly, the Raccoon comes in at just 60 bucks. While that’s still a respectable price, especially for people starting out in EDC, in my opinion, it’s a fantastic value for everything you get, which adds up to a great everyday knife in both design and functionality. And since Vosteed has already shown its ability to really dial up the fit and finish on its knives, the Raccoon becomes a compelling platform for future exclusives and upgrades, like the upcoming ones from White Mountain Knives.
Happy National Knife Day, and on behalf of everyone on the EDC team, I hope you take the day to enjoy the knives you already have and continue the pursuit of the ones you still dream about. Carry on!
