Trending Gear: July 2021

CRKT partnered with custom knifemaker Jesper Voxnaes to put together this sleek EDC knife with a formidable 2.689" drop point blade that’s easily deployed with either hand thanks to the big eyehole opening. The trending knife comes with a glass-reinforced fiber polyamide scales make for a lightweight 2.5 oz package, but it’s also sturdy with a stainless steel liner lock and a gorgeous blue backspacer (a signature design from Voxnaes) that contrasts the rest of the knife’s design.

Inspired by Tim Leatherman's original PST, the Rebar features a tool for almost any daily task that you can think of, all of them lockable for extra safety. Starting off with its pliers, the Rebar was optimized for strength and heavy duty use. It features both needlenose and regular pliers for versatility as well as replaceable wire cutters, a first for a Leatherman 4“ tool. As far as cutting tools go, you'll encounter both a plain edge and a serrated knife made with durable 420HC steel, as well as a saw for tougher tasks. In its 11 other tools you'll find three different screwdrivers, a can opener, a bottle opener, an electrical crimper, a wire stripper and a ruler, among others. Manufactured in Portland, Oregon, this heavy-duty multitool features a 100% stainless steel construction for extra durability. If you've been looking for a companion for your home projects or your work, the Leatherman Rebar is definitely up for the job.

While the usefulness and performance of larger multi-tools shouldn't be questioned, sometimes you just want to stay prepared without worrying about making room for a larger tool. Enter the Leatherman Squirt PS4. At just 2.25” and 2 ounces, you can toss it on your keychain and still have access to a full suite of 9 EDC-focused functions. This includes a knife and scissors, various drivers, and of course, a miniature set of Leatherman's signature pliers. The Squirt also comes in a variety of colors to match your EDC's aesthetic perfectly.

Thanks to a new process—polispectral (PS) coloring—that gives a covert, high-performance coating to a high-utility multi-tool, Victorinox's new Onyx Black collection brings three of their most popular models to the forefront by dialing the colors back. It adds a layer of chromium oxide to the stainless steel components of each tool, producing not only a smooth and glossy dark finish, but also an extra layer of durability and depth to the tools’ designs. The polispectral Spartan makes a comeback in the Onyx Black collection, representing Victorinox’s 91mm line and offering a capable tool with 12 functions within its medium-sized frame. This includes 2 larger blades, drivers, openers, and the usual pair of slots for a toothpick and tweezers. The larger size lets the Spartan function more as your main EDC blade, with more robust tools to deal with everyday tasks and needs.

Sometimes less is more, and that rings especially true when you’re trying to minimize the gear you carry or when you’re trying to free up pocket space for other gear. Victorinox is well aware of that principle, so they made a Swiss Army Knife for when you need to carry just the essentials. Measuring in at 84mm and weighing 1 ounce, the Bantam Alox is one of the most pocketable Swiss Army Knives you can EDC. It comes with 5 critical tools that you will probably make use of wherever you go. It features a large, sharp blade for general cutting, slicing and piercing tasks, a can opener and a bottle opener for food prep, a wire stripper for a quick electrical job and a flathead screwdriver, for tinkering and small repairs. Despite being this minimal, you’ll still get the same quality construction that Victorinox offers in embossed aluminum scales with anodic oxidation that will make it last for years to come.

Just because something is old-school doesn’t mean that it’s obsolete. Case in point: the Casio CA53W-1. Like you might have noticed at first glance, the CA53W-1 features an on-board calculator, perfect for doing quick math at a restaurant, at the office or at home. The calculator is able to display up to 8 digits and is capable of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. However, the utility of the CA53W-1 doesn’t stop at figuring out how much you should tip. It also comes with a lot of time-related features that you’d expect from a Casio watch: a 1/100 second stopwatch, measuring elapsed time, split time, an auto calendar that goes up to 2079, a daily alarm and dual time. All of this practicality is housed inside a 42mm case that weighs in at 29 grams and has a battery life of approximately 5 years.

The Victorinox Cybertool 34 takes the traditional tools and functions you’d see in a regular Swiss Army Knife and adds extra utility to help it specialize in electronic repairs. You get more task-oriented features like like a bit driver with included bits, a wire stripper and cutter, a micro screwdriver, and a wire crimping tool. Honoring its name, the Cybertool 34 comes with 34 different functions, which is 2 more than its sibling the Cybertool M. These additional features include a magnifying glass and an LED light for better visibility both in and out of the dark. Although the Cybertool 34 might specialize in electronics, it still features a plethora of other daily tools, making it more than ready for everyday tasks as well. You have access to familiar tools like two blades, a bottle opener, a pair of spring-loaded scissors, a screwdriver, tweezers, toothpick, corkscrew, ballpoint pen, and many more. The body measures 96mm and weighs 4.8 oz, keeping it pocket friendly despite its extended functionality.

Ironically, sometimes the smallest and most discreet EDC items tend to pique the most interest. Trending today is the Kershaw Launch 4, a super compact, California-legal automatic knife. When closed, it hardly looks like a pocket knife thanks to its understated, symmetric design and aluminum build. But with the press of a button, the blade deploys in a flash, revealing its 1.9", CPM-154 spear-point blade that's good for slicing and piercing tasks. While it isn't the largest blade, it makes up for it with its portability and satisfyingly nimble action, perfect for getting to tasks in a hurry. The Kershaw Launch 4 is also made in the USA and comes with a pocket clip for effortless carry.

If you need your EDC wallet to handle more than a couple of credit cards, the Bellroy Folio Mini wallet has all your cards, cash, and even coins covered. Made out of premium, environmentally friendly leather, the Folio Mini measures in at 4.5” by 3.3“, giving you all the space you need to carry 10-14 cards, folded bills, spare change and even a smartphone. They way it does this is by having three compartments inside. The two compartments at the edges are meant for your cash and your cards. This lets you organize your cards in separate categories, like payment and bank cards or ID and transit cards, etc. A dedicated coin compartment in the middle of the wallet leverages magnets to secure loose change and silence any jingling. Finally, RFID protection rounds out the wallet’s robust feature set, making it a viable wallet for travel and urban carry too.

Built on the design of the original i3S, the i3E shaves off about .38” in length, simplifies the user interface to a single mode, and slashed the price in half with the i3E ("E" meaning economic). Its Philips Luxeon TX LED pushes 90 lumens through a TIR lens for a bright, smooth beam. It’s still powered by a single AAA battery, waterproof to IPX8 standard, and constructed from hard anodized aluminum. It makes a great candidate for a simpler EDC and an attractive option for a budget-friendly backup too.