More New Gear from SHOT Show 2019

Last week we rounded up the standout new gear from this year's SHOT Show, the largest annual trade show for the tactical, hunting, and outdoor industries. And while we did find some exciting new upcoming releases, there’s a lot of new gear from our favorite EDC manufacturers to look forward to. In this list, we round up the 2019 catalogs of our favorite brands and talk about the new designs and directions to expect from them this year.

5.11 Tactical: EDC-sized AMP10 Pack, Reworked AA Lights, All-in-One Ratchet Kit

Last year 5.11 unveiled their new AMP series of packs, designed with modularity in mind as a sort of spiritual successor to their iconic RUSH series. For 2019, they're offering a smaller 20L configuration in the AMP10. It features much of the same great internal organization and exterior modularity of its unique hex-grid attachment panel but comes in a smaller footprint that's sized just right for a fast and light EDC.

The brand has spent the past couple of years reworking their line of EDC-sized flashlights to offer more competitive performance, portability, and price in a rapidly innovating market. After releasing their new 1xAAA penlights, they've taken some of that design DNA to their new Rapid PL1AA flashlight. The 1xAA form factor conveniently takes widely available batteries without taking up too much space, but this new light also accommodates 14500 Li-ion cells for those of you who need the extra output, reaching a max 330 lumens. Their other new light, the Rapid PL2AA, features the same design and tactical features but in a larger 2-cell format for a more ergonomic grip, better runtimes, and an increased max output of around 500 lumens with two 14500 cells.

With dedicated bit drivers and ratchet tools trending in the past year or so, 5.11's new TKO comes as a welcome addition to the growing list of available options. At its core is a bi-directional magnetic ratcheting bit driver at one end equipped with a combination pry bar tip, flathead screwdriver, and bottle opener at the other. What's more impressive is how the rest of the kit attaches to the main tool, bolstering its utility with 6 interchangeable bits and a punch tool, all consolidated in a MOLLE-compatible sheath with clip. It looked like a promising tool that's easy to carry and surprisingly affordable at $19.99.

Kershaw & Zero Tolerance: CA-Legal Autos, Unique Design Language in Knives of All Sizes, ZT's Smallest Knife Yet

With its diverse stable of talented knife designers, Kershaw and Zero Tolerance hold their own when it comes to producing visually striking and unique designs. They continue the trend in 2019 by exploring design details that are visually decorative, functionally innovative, and oftentimes both in their newest designs, such as with pivots, handle cutouts, deployment mechanisms, and materials. They also play with proportions by offering larger versions of smaller knives and smaller versions of larger knives. Some knives even re-contextualize classically tactical silhouettes like karambits and stilettos into something entirely new and modern.

As an example of Kershaw playing with proportions, they're releasing  a bigger brother of their recent Reverb ultralight knife as the Reverb XL, scaling up the blade from 2.5” to a full 3” while keeping its integrated carabiner, frame lock, and carbon fiber/G10 handle.

Perhaps even bigger news is what's small: Kershaw designed two new CA-legal automatic knives in response to the popularity of their recent Launch 4 auto. The new Launch 9 and Launch 10 blades measure in at 1.8” and 1.9” respectively, each sporting their own distinct designs to fit into different EDCs. The Launch 9 features handsome, sweeping contours for a sleek, almost gent-leaning aesthetic. The Launch 10 skews the other way with some aggressive angularity and edges throughout, paired with a curved, talon-esque blade. Both knives retail on the higher end for Kershaw, but feature some solid 154CM blade steel and made-in-the-USA construction.

Even ZT, which usually offers larger knives, is getting in on the sub-2” action with the ZT 0022 as its smallest knife to date. It's one slick little flipper, decked out with premium materials you'd expect from ZT like CPM 20CV blade steel, carbon fiber on the handle and a titanium framelock on the other side. To ensure proper control of its 1.8” blade, it features generous jimping on the spine with large finger choils in the handle itself. It looks like a great option for EDCers intrigued by ZT's design and materials but put off by the generally larger blade sizes.

CRKT: Outstandingly Discreet

CRKT continues to put out tons of new designs each year and 2019 is no different. But judging from the positive reception to their Field Strip knives and compact knives like the Squid and Pilar from members of our site, I think the new Slacker and CEO should be on your radar. The Slacker offers plenty of cutting edge with its 3.3” blade and the ease of maintenance with its Field Strip technology, but it stays relatively low profile in both its aesthetic and dimensions. Ken Onion designed the Slacker as a slim flipper with aluminum handles for a sleeker look and lighter weight at just 2.6 ounces.

For those of you after something even more discreet, check out the CEO. It's sort of a modernized gent's knife with a thin and long silhouette to look right at home in a suit pocket or on your desk at the office. Its slim design disappears into a shirt pocket thanks to a deep carry clip, leaving your pockets with more real estate for the rest of your essentials. When closed, it's barely recognizable as a knife, but a quick flick of its thumbstud reveals a 3.1” 8Cr13MoV blade. As an EDC or as a letter opener, it'll look good no matter how you use it.

Gerber: Aiming for the Top at Full Speed With New Fastball Knife, Improved Center-Drive and More

This is the year more than ever to pay attention to Gerber if you haven't been already. They've shown a commitment to improving their offerings over the past couple of years with US-construction and all-new designs like the impressive Center-Drive pliers-based tool and crowd-favorite Flatiron “pocket cleaver.” This year they've made the Center-Drive even better with the new Plus version and are giving people what they want with more tall-ground, sheepsfoot designs similar to the Flatiron.

The Center-Drive Plus adds highly requested tools like a pair of spring-loaded scissors and a partially serrated blade to the mix, as well as a premium snap closure leather sheath to keep the tool and its bits at the ready.

Fans of the Flatiron who want a sleeker and potentially dressier option in a similar style might like the Quadrant, shown here in a two-tone black and bamboo colorway. It's another flipper framelock with that sheepsfoot shape and taller grind gaining popularity among EDCers as of late.

But the star of the Gerber booth is their Fastball, which they're pitching as the perfect EDC knife. During my brief time handling the knife I was impressed by its stylish yet utilitarian design, excellent blade steel, and EDC-focused features. There's plenty to like about the Fastball as an EDC knife. Starting with the blade, it boasts S30V steel, hits that 3” sweetspot in length, and should handle general EDC tasks with its modified wharncliffe geometry. It's a manual flipper deployment with a liner lock mechanism for quick, no-nonsense performance. The 4” long aluminum handle looks sleek and keeps things light at 2.7 oz, while a 3-way deep pocket clip makes it easy to EDC. Last but not least, the Fastball is also made in the USA set to release mid-February right around the $110 price point.

Benchmade: A Unique Moneyclip Knife and a Premium Version of a Crowd Favorite

Benchmade debuts a wharncliffe of their own this year that's more like a dogtag than it is a pocket cleaver with the 380 Aller. When you think of the role of a Benchmade knife in an EDC, it's usually your primary blade. The 380 Aller's size and multi-functionality seems to suit more of a supporting role, rounding out your bases but can step up as a backup knife if needed thanks to its capable S30V steel on its stout, wharncliffe blade. It's also worth pointing out that the 380 is a friction folder with no lock mechanism at all, making it a viable option in certain locales or when traveling. When not cutting, it can carry your cash as a moneyclip thanks to its wide clip, while other features like a screwdriver/pry bar, bottle opener, and micro bit slot cover a few extra bases.

Since so many of you loved Benchmade's 535 Bugout, the brand is celebrating its success with the 535-191, a premium upgrade to the original. With a $750 pricetag, it's not as practical for EDC, but collectors can appreciate the visually striking mix of exotic materials: Damasteel on the blade, ghost carbon fiber handles with contrasting C-tek inlays, anodized titanium accents, and PVD-coated hardware.

Magpul: Their Best Wallet Yet and Their First Foray in EDC Knives

Magpul expands upon their popular DAKA line of soft carry goods this year with what I think is their best minimalist wallet yet. The DAKA bifold leverages its high-performance TPU synthetic fabric and RF-welded, no-stitch construction to bring the capacity and ease-of-use of a traditional bifold wallet to a much slimmer form factor. If you liked the durability and pocket friendliness of past DAKA wallets but find yourself struggling with carrying cash or carrying more cards, be sure to check this one out.

The bigger announcement from Magpul is their Rigger framelock knife. It's Magpul's first time producing a knife, and they're pulling all the stops. The Rigger sports a tanky, gloriously overbuilt design, manual flipper deployment, 3.4” S35VN wharncliffe blade, titanium handle and titanium pocket clip. It's set to release later this spring in several colorways as a very limited release.

For more gear previews from SHOT Show 2019, be sure to check out part one of our coverage here.