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.
KA-BAR has been making quality everyday carry fixed and folding EDC blades for decades. One of their original community favorites (aside from the iconic military-issue fighting knife from which the company takes its name) is the Becker BK40. Ethan Becker designed that knife from the ground up as a stout and sturdy folding knife featuring AUS8 stainless steel for the blade.
This year, KA-BAR brought the Becker BK40 into the modern EDC world with the Becker Mini Folder, upgrading the blade to D2 tool steel with a more significant maximum hardness and wear resistance than the original. They’ve also sized it to a more pocketable and EDC-friendly size for modern carry. The original BK40 features a 3.56″ AUS8 stainless steel blade, and the new Becker Mini Folder features a smaller yet highly capable 2.84” D2 tool steel blade. That size difference and upgrades in the overall GFN construction of the knife also brought it down from 4.8 to 2.72 ounces, making for a considerable weight saving and a much more comfortable carry experience.
Aside from the more manageable size, the new KA-BAR Becker Mini features the modified flat-ground drop-point blade that made the BK40 a favored knife. That stout profile gives you maximum cutting belly without making too long of a blade. It also comes with a well-defined point that helps the knife piece through rough material when you want it to. And a sturdy liner lock holds everything in place when it’s not in use.
What we like: It’s nice to see established EDC knife makers like KA-BAR bring some of their best designs from their decades of experience into the modern EDC landscape. The Becker Mini is a worthy upgrade from the original, and its smaller and lighter footprint makes it a good option for most people’s EDC.
What to watch out for: The D2 tool steel featured in the KA-BAR Becker Mini is a better overall performer than the BK40’s AUS8 stainless steel, but the key difference is that D2 tool steel is not stainless. While it won’t immediately rust like carbon steel, you do need to keep its limitations in mind and maintain this knife more often than a stainless steel blade.
Final verdict: If you’re looking for a lightweight, compact everyday carry knife with a strong pedigree and design, the KA-BAR Becker Mini folding liner lock knife is hard to beat. Its updated design comes with better blade steel and a more EDC-friendly size, making it a great everyday carry knife.
