When you think about a good utility knife for EDC you probably have a box cutter in mind, but actual folding knives can do the trick too. Take the Gerber Quadrant, with its utility-oriented design made for ease of use while still looking smart enough to work well in polite company. Plus, with a proper folding blade in hand you can tackle jobs too big for your run-of-the-mill replaceable utility knife to handle. And despite its utilitarian blade shape, the Quadrant looks sleek and modern enough to carry outside the workplace, too.
Unlike most utility knives, the Quadrant features a real 2.7“ long blade made of 7Cr17MoV stainless steel. It’s shaped into the ultra-useful sheepsfoot shape with a flat grind that makes it great for slicing and chopping. The blade geometry and the steel composition also make it easy to sharpen and maintain, something any knife that you put through the wringer regularly cutting boxes and other rough material will need. Because it has a frame lock built into the handle, the Quadrant won’t accidentally close on you if you’re a bit rough with it. Further distinguishing it from the run of the mill utility knife, the Quadrant opens cleanly with a flipper mechanism, which is faster and better than retractable safety mechanisms. When you’re done with the task at hand, the deep carry pocket clip allows for discreet tip-up carry.
Furthering the discretion of the blade is the fact that it just looks great in hand. This isn’t a strictly workman’s knife, it’s bordering on modern gent’s aesthetic territory. For example, you can choose between a smart-looking bamboo wood and G10 treatment, or go full on with the G10 scaling with a dual tone black and white colorway. Whichever one you pick, you’ll have a solid knife at an affordable price with the Gerber Quadrant in hand.
