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.
The Kizer Sheepdog’s folding cleaver-style blade finds its way into many EDCers’ pockets because of its unique chunky profile and sheer practicality in utility cutting and slicing. Its original design, which featured a right-handed liner or frame lock, could have been better for anyone who prefers an ambidextrous carry experience (though left-handed models have made occasional appearances). The newest version of the Sheepdog features a clutch lock that brings the locking mechanism to the middle of the handle in a familiar mechanism that makes it easy to use with any hand.
The sturdy chopper on the Sheepdog, also known as a sheepsfoot blade, is 3.14” of high-quality 154CM stainless steel. The flipper opening makes it easy to deploy with any hand, and the clutch lock also helps. The change in the lock mechanism also substantially decreases the knife’s overall weight, nearly halving it from over 8 ounces to 4.76 ounces. While it’s still a hefty knife made for large tasks, that reduction in weight makes it far more EDC-friendly than the original.
What we like: The new Kizer Sheepdog Clutch Lock makes for an overall more EDC-friendly design with ambidextrous action and far less weight than the original. The lefties on the team are very excited about this knife.
What to watch out for: The cleaver-style sheepsfoot blade excels at chopping and slicing tasks, but its lack of a well-defined point makes it harder to use it as a piercing tool. Its overall larger profile also may be overkill for an everyday knife.
Final verdict: If you want to EDC a cleaver-style blade, the new Kizer Sheepdog Clutch Lock folding knife is a great option. It features the popular blade shape that the knife on the map and ergonomics that make it a joy to use, but this new version is way easier to carry than the original.
