Multitool meets a la carte dining – say hello to ZEN, an EDC multitool that lets you choose which tools you want to have on you. Unlike a Swiss Knife or any other multitool where you don’t really get to choose which tools get included, ZEN focuses on versatility and customization. It comes with an ’empty’ holder that lets you add the tools of your choice, giving you a Swiss Knife that feels truly DIY. Carry the tools you need, and swap them out at any time if you find yourself wanting a change. You shouldn’t be stuck with a multitool that is only 30% usable because you don’t use or need 70% of the tools included in the design… right?
There’s a distinct appeal to ZEN’s a la carte approach. It gives you the freedom of being able to design your own EDC like you would a desktop. A lot like picking a motherboard, CPU, GPU, and storage based on your choice, ZEN lets you add the tools of your choice to its open framework. The design offers 7 tools to choose from, and you can either add all of them to the ZEN’s holder, or stick to just the basics and keep the tools you find yourself using the most often.
The 7 tools that come with the ZEN cater to a variety of needs and requirements. You’ve got a bottle-opener, a rope cutter (which also works as a flathead screwdriver), a wood/metal file, an awl or pry-tool, a jagged toothed saw, a drop-point knife, and a screwdriver that lets you load hex-bits of your choice into its design. There’s probably never a time when you’re going to need all these tools at once, so you can choose exactly the tools you may end up requiring and carry just them instead of having a bulky heavy EDC on you all the time.
In fact, the creators of ZEN have even more tools in the works that you can buy as add-ons and attach them to your multitool. Available as separate accessories, you’ve got a ruler, comb, diamond file, scalpel blade, scissor, fish hook, bicycle spoke wrench, can opener, or box cutter, with many more tools in the works. Attaching them is as easy as hooking them into the ZEN, where they secure firmly until you need to remove them. You can build your own multitool to serve a precise scenario or series of scenarios – a camping-specific multitool would have a rope-cutter, knife, and bottle opener, while a tinkerer would require the bike spokes, screwdriver, file, and pry tool. The possibilities are as endless as your needs and requirements.
Using the ZEN is just about as simple as a Swiss Knife. The tools fold open when you need them, and slide shut into their holder when they’re done. The tools sit inside the holder in a stacked fashion, and the topmost tool can be opened with a single hand, which means it’s best to have the drop-point knife or the rope-cutter at the top, letting you singlehandedly flip it open like you would any EDC.
The ZEN’s holder or outer shell comes in one standard size that fits multiple tools inside it, but offers 3 different materials to choose from. The most obvious (and budget-friendly) is stainless steel, but right after that is G10 fiber, which most EDC enthusiasts will love for its grippy tactile feel. You can also opt for a titanium holder, which makes your ZEN virtually indestructible, although the tools on the inside are all 440C high-carbon stainless steel.
The ZEN is entirely CNC machined, from the holder down to the tools themselves. The entire multitool measures 3.54 inches in length when closed, and comes with a sturdy yet lightweight design (the weight depends on how many tools you add to your ZEN). Finally, a pocket clip on the side lets you attach your custom multitool to the lining of your pocket for easy access. The ZEN DIY Multitool ships globally and starts at $49 for the stainless steel variant, while the G10 and Titanium versions start at $55 and $69 respectively.
I swear these pocket knives keep getting smaller and smaller, but remain just as fascinating and sharp.
Meet the Tiflex, a knife so tiny you could hold it using just two fingers. Designed to be compact enough to fit on your keychain, the Tiflex is a petite little knife that shouldn’t be underestimated. It packs a titanium body and houses a scalpel blade on the front, known for its deceptive sharpness. If you’ve ever used an Xacto Knife, imagine having the same kind of blade in a form factor small enough for you to carry safely with you and use for everything from opening boxes to cutting ropes and even self-defense.
Measuring a little more than 2 inches when closed, the Tiflex might be tiny, but it’s still rather immaculately designed. It comes with a flipper that makes one-hand opening easy – the flipper even acts as a finger rest to prevent your index finger from ever accidentally touching the blade’s edge – and even has a frame lock that prevents the blade from shutting while in use. All this packs itself in a design small enough that even your house keys look larger in comparison. Now you’re probably worrying about ergonomics.
The problem with small knives is that they have small handles, which can be annoying to hold, but that’s where the Tiflex achieves a pretty good balance. The knife’s handle is 2.1 inches, and along with the blade, the knife measures 3.7 inches from tip to base. Even for that small size, the Tiflex is fairly handy to hold and use. Sure, you can’t measure it against much larger, more ergonomic knives, but the Tiflex offers convenience instead, with its compact form factor. The knife is perfect for outdoor use, craft, EDC-adjacent activities, or even for self-defense. The sharp scalpel blade plays its role wonderfully in that regard, giving you a knife that feels effortless to use.
The scalpel blade, often made with either high-carbon steel or hardened tempered stainless steel, is known for its versatility. You can use the Tiflex to cut paper, leather, plastic ties, ropes, or even seatbelts. The sharp edge can carve wood too, and that hook shape comes in handy for piercing or clawing. Hold the knife upside down like you would a karambit (with the blade emerging from the base of your grip) and it’s perfect for self-defense too, allowing you to potentially get out of a messy situation quickly.
The entire knife is made out of just 5 parts, including the blade. The handle, hinge, and blade holder are all machined from solid titanium, making the overall knife extremely light at just 6.6 grams or 0.2 ounces, but still rather durable. The knife is impervious to damage, is waterproof, corrosion-proof, and can last decades. However, the blade won’t, but that’s why the Tiflex comes with a replaceable blade design.
The clever frame lock ensures the knife’s blade stays in its open position while you use it
The replaceable blade format is great for the Tiflex for a bunch of reasons. Sharpening knives is an art that not many people have the skill or patience for, and sharpening a tiny knife like the Tiflex can be even more of a challenge. Scalpel blades come in a variety of shapes and you can buy them in bulk, replacing the Tiflex’s blade whenever it gets dull, or if you want to swap out its hook shape for something a little different. There are quite a few blade designs to choose from, and they’re all compatible with the Tiflex. All you need to do is take the old blade out and pop a new one in and it locks in place. This ensures you can use the Tiflex for years just by replacing the blade every few months, and it also means the Tiflex is inherently TSA-friendly and flight-safe, because you can simply ditch the blade and carry the rest of the knife with you on board.
The chances of you accidentally carrying your Tiflex on board a plane are pretty high because of just how ludicrously little it is. It’s designed to be attached to your keychain and forgotten about until you need a knife. That’s honestly the best kind of knife – one that’s there when you need it and gone when you don’t. Designed by the folks at Titaner, the Tiflex comes in both right-handed as well as left-handed variants, so you can choose the style of knife based on your dominant hand. The knife is originally priced at $65, but backers can grab the Tiflex at a special discounted price of $42, with 10 scalpel blades included, and global shipping starting July 2024.
It doesn’t get smaller than this, lighter than this, or more viciously sharp than this. Measuring a mere 57mm (2.5 inches) when shut and weighing just 5.6 grams (0.19 ounces), the WaspArmor Micro Folding Scalpel floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee… or a wasp, as its name would suggest. Its titanium and carbon fiber body gives it a classy-yet-durable build, and the replaceable scalpel blade means never having to sharpen your knife ever again. Quite impressive for a blade tiny enough to attach to your keychain.
Smaller than even your index finger when closed, the WaspArmor is like the chihuahua of pocket knives, tiny yet so audacious and aggressive you’re bound to take it seriously. The knife comes with a few clever tricks up its sleeve, but it all starts with the titanium and carbon fiber construction. Both materials are known for their incredible strength-to-weight ratio, which made them the perfect selection for the WaspArmor knife. The Titanium body gives the knife its durability, resilience, and ability to withstand corrosion, etc. Three carbon fiber inserts on the sides of the handle give the WaspArmor a unique aesthetic while providing a mildly textured grip that makes holding and maneuvering the scalpel easy.
A simple fold-out arm reveals the WaspArmor’s small but seriously sharp blade. While most pocket knives come with their own built-in blades, the WaspArmor relies on standard Scalpel blades that clip right into the knife’s design. The reason for this is three-fold – for starters, scalpel blades are deadly sharp. They glide right through pretty much anything, making them perfect for opening boxes, piercing packets, whittling wood, or even slicing tough paracord. The pointed tip and sharp edge make the scalpel blade a formidable piece of hardware, and these blades are readily available, which means you can simply buy a pack of them (they even come in different designs) for replacing whenever.
The second reason is that instead of sharpening/maintaining your WaspArmor, you can simply ditch an old blade for a new one, saving energy and time, while keeping your knife fresh and usable for decades. The third reason is that a knife with a removable blade is invariably TSA-safe. In case you happen to have the WaspArmor on you while entering an airport, you can simply ditch the blade and carry the rest of the knife with you. Removing and replacing the blade on your WaspArmor is easy but not too easy that the blade comes apart on its own. The blade can only be removed when the knife is open at a 120° angle, ensuring it never comes undone by accident.
The WaspArmor’s compact design still has enough room for clever detailing. A hidden back-lock lets the blade snap into its open position, so the blade doesn’t accidentally shut while in use. The handle’s small design is still ergonomic to hold and use, which is quite a functional win for anyone who’s serious about buying and using this knife on a daily basis. The compact handle still has enough space for a cutout that you can slide a lanyard/carabiner through or even your keychain ring. The knife is small and light enough to sit among your keys, being accessible in a split second, whenever you need a cutting instrument.
That small, accessible size is what makes the WaspArmor so incredible. You could use it to open Amazon parcels, sharpen pencils, cut tiny twigs/branches outdoors, scrape a flint to start a fire, slice through a paracord, cut a seatbelt to get out of a messy situation, or even defend yourself with a tough, sharp blade that will never disappoint.
Each WaspArmor features a CNC-machined Titanium handle, with those Carbon Fiber inserts that give the overall knife its distinct character. Even though it’s a tiny piece of EDC, it’s designed to be reliably safe, with the blade holding its position, and the swinging arm locking in both open and closed modes, so your knife doesn’t accidentally disassemble or worse… hurt anyone. The WaspArmor Micro Folding Scalpel starts at a discounted $39, which includes the WaspArmor itself, along with 10 replaceable scalpel blades (you can buy more at any medical or stationery store), a titanium keyring, and free global shipping.
Shaped like a comma, the Tops Home Store Titanium Knife is an unusual little EDC that’s full of surprises. Measuring a mere 1.65 inches long when closed, this ridiculously compact number is affordable, durable, capable, and just so unique-looking that it’s sure to grab the top spot in your EDC collection.
The knife’s handle is hollow and features an open filigree-style design that lets you see right through it. Crafted from titanium, this unique design choice allows the EDC to be lightweight yet grippy, as your hands interpret the cutouts as a friction texture of sorts. When closed, you can see the blade right through the handle, which makes for an interesting visual effect giving the feeling of depth. Open it out, however, and you’ve got a tiny handle with an even tinier blade… but that doesn’t mean the Tops Home Store Titanium Knife isn’t a functional behemoth.
Even for its size, the Tops Home Store Titanium Knife is deadly sharp. The blade itself is 0.83 inches in length, but sports a neat drop-point design that makes the knife perfect for crafts, unboxing, DIY work, and even cutting ropes/cords. While the handle’s made from Titanium, the blade comes crafted from 5Cr13MoV Steel, known for its resilience, ability to hold a sharp edge, and anti-corrosion properties.
However, the most incredible part of the knife is its unique ball-bearing locking mechanism and guide. Given its size and compactness, the knife’s design relies on some rather clever detailing to help the blade open and close securely. A pair of ball bearings and guides help the knife open exactly as much as it should, while even locking in its open position. A tiny cutout in the blade lets you easily open the knife with your fingernails, and closing the knife is as simple as pressing down on the blade’s spine to disengage the snap and have it fold back into the handle.
The small EDC knife comes with its own small price tag. The sub $10 tag makes the Tops Home Store Titanium Knife quite a no-brainer, along with the fact that it’s small enough to fit on your keychain. Each knife comes with its own keychain ring that lets you secure the EDC to your keys, so the knife’s on you no matter where you go!
Although the measurement of time is mostly a human construct, it has its basis in the natural world. A day is the time it takes for the sun to rise, set, and rise again, a month is how long it takes for the moon to go through all four of its phases, and a year is how long the seasons last. All of these, including the change of seasons, are pretty much the result of the orbit of the Earth around the sun and the orbit of the Moon around the Earth. It’s a movement that happens on a regular cadence without fail, which is to say it happens like clockwork. It’s no surprise, then, to find an elegant and luxurious watch that brings all these elements together, letting you watch not only the passage of time each day but also the journey of our planet and its companion.
Designer: Theo Auffret (Complication), Olivier Gamiette (Case, Dial) for SpaceOne Watches
Analog watches are already quite complex because of the mechanisms that make the parts move, but the SpaceOne Tellurium takes that to a whole new level with additional complications for its unique complication (pun intended). Aside from the typical hour and minute hands, this titanium watch also shows tiny versions of the Earth and the Moon going around a proportionally minuscule sun in the middle. The smaller spheres don’t simply go around the watch and call it a day, though, because the movement of these miniature Earth and Moon mirror the actual rhythm of their celestial counterparts.
Connected to the watch’s Soprod Caliber P024 movement is a star wheel with 31 teeth, representing the days in a month. When the date changes, this wheel advances two small star wheels, both with 12 teeth, that advance the month and move the Tellurium complication, respectively. The Earth, and therefore also the Moon, is connected to a ring with 365 teeth, which makes it complete a revolution once a year. With this mechanism, you can accurately follow the movement of the Earth and the Moon and even predict the next full or new moon phases. Consequently, it also means you will need to adjust and fine-tune the watch every time the number of days in a month changes between 30 and 31.
The watch’s celestial beauty is complemented by its premium materials and stunning design. Grade 5 titanium gives the case and strap buckle durability and lightness while also lending an elegant appearance. Instead of the typical quarter division of numbers, the watch face is divided into three sections only, forming a triangular shape that feels more suitable for a space-inspired design. This visual is further enhanced by a black and blue color scheme, with a sprinkle of white dots to represent stars against the darkness of space.
Rather aptly named the JOAT, or Jack Of All Trades, this modular multitool holds the unique distinction of being the perfect EDC to have on you for practically any sort of crisis. Whether it’s gear that needs fixing or beer that needs opening, the JOAT’s uniquely equipped to help. Made from titanium and with modular elements that stack together magnetically, the JOAT has its own fold-out scalpel blade, set of hex-wrenches, pry-bar, portable saw, magnetic screw-bit holder, and a bottle opener… all in one thumb-sized form factor that fits around your keychain. The magnetic modules snap apart, making them easy to use individually, and they’re all crafted from titanium, so they’ll practically last a lifetime.
While most multitools try to cram as much functionality into the tiniest form factor (we’re looking at you, Victorinox), the JOAT’s approach is a tad bit different. It uses magnetic modules that let you pull different parts of the EDC apart, giving you individual tools that are easier to use without any of that bulk associated with larger multitools. Need a knife? Just take the knife module out. Need a wrench? You don’t have to worry about any of the other tools while you’re working the wrench.
The scalpel knife is perhaps the JOAT’s most standout feature. Unlike most knives that have fixed edges, the JOAT uses a standard removable/replaceable scalpel blade that you can attach to its folding arm. You can easily attach any standard scalpel blade to the JOAT, removing it during travel (so the multitool is TSA-friendly), or replacing just the blade when its edge wears out. Standard scalpel blades are ridiculously sharp, giving your EDC multitool a great outdoor or tactical advantage. The pointed tip and deadly-sharp edge are perfect for piercing, cutting, slicing, carving, shaving, or doing anything you’d require a portable knife for. That means easily being able to navigate any outdoor situations that require a cutter, or any potential self-defense scenarios where a tactical blade could prove to be handy. The blade’s replaceable design makes maintaining your JOAT easy, allowing you to just swap out old blades for new ones instead of sitting and sharpening your knife like you would with most other multitools.
Any good multitool needs to have a bit-driver, and the JOAT takes its name and reputation seriously. Really a jack of all trades, the multitool packs a bit driver and holder in one of its three modules, allowing you to store as many as two standard 1/4″ hex bits of your choice. Although most people recommend having an Allen-bit and a flathead bit handy at all times, the JOAT lets you choose exactly which bits you want to carry along with you, letting you either stick to traditional picks or go super obscure if you’re fixing things like tech or any special gear. When in need, just take the bit you want and dock it into its holder and you have a makeshift screwdriver for any sudden emergencies when your regular toolkit isn’t around.
Got some nuts and bolts that need tightening, the JOAT packs an entire bunch of hex wrenches in its third module, along with a bottle-opener for good measure. Ranging from an M2 wrench to an M6 wrench, the standalone module is grippy and easy to maneuver, allowing you to quickly tighten or loosen bolts. The fact that the JOAT’s modules are detachable and independently usable means you can potentially use the hex wrench and the screwdriver as separate tools, allowing you to hold and tighten with the same multitool.
Finally, the JOAT’s base platform comes with its own pry tool, along with a blunt serrated edge that doubles as a nail file or even a primitive saw for buffing/filing down wood, plastic, or even soft metals. That titanium build proves rather handy here, given its status as the strongest metal known to humankind.
At just 80mm (a little above 3 inches) in length, the JOAT’s exceptionally pocket-friendly. It weighs 1.8 ounces (51.5 grams) and comes with its own loop that lets you secure it to a carabiner or even to your keychain. The all-titanium multitool starts at $69, and for another $7 you could get yourself the leather strap and titanium machined keyring to go with your EDC (shown above). If the idea of a nude metal multitool doesn’t appeal to you, there’s even an option to get a PVD black version of the JOAT for an extra $11. The all-in-one EDC multitool ships globally, and although it doesn’t come with an explicit warranty, the fact that it’s machined from grade 5 titanium should speak volumes for its durability. Let’s just say, this might be the last EDC you’ll ever need to buy…
The term EDC broadly refers to a category of belongings referred to as ‘everyday carrys’. These could be everything from your watch, wallet, phone, to more obscure devices like pocket knives, multitools, flashlights, or even stationery. Most of the EDC we cover on this website falls within the tactical category, pocket blades, toolkits, Swiss-army multitools, etc. but the AceStand has a surprising feature that goes beyond your average set of features. Sure, it’ll open bottles and cans, tighten/loosen screws, and even help you start a fire outdoors… but it surprisingly also transforms into a tiny stand for your smartphone or tablet, making it uniquely useful enough that you’re sure to carry it everywhere with your phone and other belongings. It’s EDC for your EDC, simply put!
What we personally love about the AceStand is the fact that it ticks all the right boxes when it comes to effective EDC design. It’s compact, rugged, versatile, and most importantly, it’s well-thought-out, with features you’ll appreciate almost immediately, and a few that you’ll come to love with time. It satisfies almost all EDC needs, whether it’s working with tools or repairing things, or opening items like bottles, cans, and envelopes. The fact that it’s made from titanium makes it rugged enough to pass down even to your great-grandchildren, although the built-in phone-stand may come handy now, but who’s to say if phones will even be a thing in the year 2100?!
The AceStand features a two-part body that pivots at one end, opening and closing somewhat like a clamshell. Magnets hold the device together when you need to keep the AceStand shut, providing a satisfying snap that lets you close the stand while not in need. However, opening the AceStand reveals the sheer wealth of tools integrated into the stand’s overall design. With as many as 11 different tools built-in, the AceStand becomes useful pretty much anywhere. Hex wrenches let you tighten and loosen bolts, square wrenches let you work with bicycle spokes, a standard hex bit sits sandwiched between two halves of the AceStand, and can be taken out and used for working with screws. One of the AceStand’s tip serves as a pry-bar for opening tins and prying apart nails, while the wedged design helps serve as a flint-scraper to start fires, or even a dull-enough edge to open boxes. The stand opens 180° into a flat 14-inch scale that’s perfect for drawing straight lines or even measuring, thanks to the inclusion of both metric and imperial units engraved into the top. A bottle opener can also be found in the stand’s design, letting you crack open a brewski while you’re in the middle of repairing, work, or outdoor exploration… and if a chilled beer isn’t much of a mood-lifter, the stand’s pièce de résistance is the fact that when opened at an acute angle, it lets you easily dock a phone or tablet into two cutouts on the top.
Working almost like an easel for your phone, the AceStand’s cutouts let you rest a smartphone or a tablet in both landscape and even portrait modes. The cutouts are fairly wide, working just as well with thick phone cases too, making the AceStand a rather handy tool to have for when you’re bored, when you quickly want to watch a YouTube tutorial while repairing something, or when you just want to keep your kid occupied at the dinner table at a restaurant.
Carefully placed magnets inside the AceStand let you dock a hex bit of your choice, while magnets at the tip help close the EDC when you’re done using it.
The AceStand measures roughly 7.5 inches when closed, and comes with a keychain slot that lets you easily string it along with your keys or even wear it across your neck like a modern dog tag. The fact that it weighs a paltry 53.3 grams (1.8 ounces) makes it an easy carry too. The entire stand comes machined from solid Grade-5 Titanium, making it durable, waterproof, corrosion-resistant, rust-proof, and incredibly reliable (don’t worry about it breaking while in use), and a clever inclusion of three tritium slots on the outside let you add glowing vials in your EDC, so that it’s visible even in the dark.
The AceStand starts at a discounted $59, ships globally, and should easily last decades even with sustained usage thanks to the titanium construction (even though the maker doesn’t explicitly provide a written guarantee).
A Grade-5 Titanium body, a magnetic opening mechanism, and a replaceable blade that lets you stay sharp at all times. The G9 Knife by PICHI isn’t ‘default’ in any way. Every little thing about it screams ‘different’ and ‘better than the rest’, with a design that strays away from tradition, but still retains functionality, durability, and tactile pleasure that’ll make this your favorite knife to carry on outdoor adventures.
Most knives have a rather simple blade deployment technique. Some require manual flipping out of the blade from within the handle, others have spring-loaded switches that cause the blade to swivel or shoot out (switchblades, as they’re called) – the PICHI G9, however, opts for something a little more fidgety-fun. The knife features a two-part handle that opens up to reveal the blade sandwiched on the inside. Deploying your blade requires a bit of thumb action, causing the handle to disengage, revealing the blade inside, which can then be slid out. Magnets help the handle snap back into position, creating an opening experience that’s uniquely appealing, has a nifty tactile quality to it, and can be faster than most manual knives with a fair amount of practice.
Measuring a mere 3.14 inches long, the PICHI G9 is finger-sized, giving it a compact form factor that’s just designed for your hands and for travel. The entire thing weighs a paltry 55 grams (1.94 oz) blade and all, and comes crafted from grade 5 titanium, known for its quality and sheer durability. The knife, for all intents and purposes, can practically last forever with sustained use – a feature made easy thanks to the fact that it has swappable blades on the inside that you can replace, sort of like your grandfather’s shaving razor that probably still works just as well today as it did in the 50s.
The stonewashed outer body of the knife doesn’t have much detail to begin with, which allows you to really appreciate that unique texture on the knife’s body. However, there is a 3-stage safety lock that prevents the blade from accidentally being deployed, and a hinge on top with a brass insert that’s hollow, allowing you to pass a carabiner or paracord through it for carrying your knife around.
As for the knife itself, the PICHI G9 doesn’t go down the traditional drop-point route. Instead, it relies on a standard SK2 blade, known for its robustness, sharpness, and ready availability. The cutter-esque blades have a sheepsfoot design, which makes them great for piercing and slicing, while the blades themselves are symmetric, which means you can just flip them over if one tip gets dull, using the other side before you need to replace the old blade with a new one.
SK2 HC Blade
The fact that you can replace blades makes the G9 knife perfect for beginners who don’t know how to sharpen their knives (or experts who don’t want to spend too much time on a whetstone maintaining their blades). The SK2 blades are designed for heavy-duty use, and can take an absolute beating, slicing through paper like butter but also piercing through wood very comfortably. The knife’s rather simple design makes it perfect to use anywhere, whether it’s at home or in the great outdoors.
The 3-Stage Locking Switch
For the outdoor enthusiast, each PICHI G9 pairs wonderfully with its own pure leather sheath that lets you (safely) carry your knife with you wherever you go. Sure, you could carabiner that baby onto your pant belt loop, but there’s something satisfying about the holster-like design of the leather holder. The holder also comes with a deep pocket clip, letting you attach it to your pant’s waistline for quick and easy access. The G9 with a single SK2 blade retails for $89, while the entire kit with the leather holder will cost you $116, with free global shipping.
Looks can be misleading. Sure, the Titan looks like a sleek, gorgeous, gentleman’s EDC knife… but its quintessential design could fool anyone. This pocket flipper may look statesmanlike, but it’s an absolute beast on the ground. The Titan sports an S35VN steel blade, encased within a titanium handle, making it incredibly sharp, durable, and a reliable foot-soldier. It’s nimble-looking but packs a punch, has a well-balanced ergonomic form that’s a pleasure to hold, and boasts a design that’s such a modern classic, it would fit right into the tool kit of a certain Double O Seven.
The Titan sports a design so incredibly clean and sophisticated, it’s worthy of being a part of an elite EDC collection. The form embraces a combination of minimalism and utility, giving you a knife that looks pure on the surface, but has a reputation that can only be fully grasped when you use it. The knife features a 3.1-inch drop-point blade with a curved back that gives it a beautiful silhouette. Drop point blades are classics for a reason – they’re reliable and can handle various tasks from cutting to piercing, slashing, whittling, carving, and even chopping with a rocking motion given the blade’s curved edge. They’re easy to sharpen too, although, with the Titan’s durable S35VN steel blade, sharpening shouldn’t really be much of a regular concern.
S35VN is a martensitic stainless steel that’s known for its sheer toughness and wear resistance, making it perfect for rugged blades. The Titan, however, disguises the material’s true power with its rather civilized-looking design, but if push came to shove, the Titan could even open bottles and cans, slicing comfortably through thin sheet metal without so much as worrying about losing its edge. The blade sports a stone-washed finish that gives it its gorgeous textured sheen, which sits in a matte-finish titanium handle.
The 4.1-inch titanium handle is grippy, yet lightweight, giving you a well-placed center of gravity that you’d expect from good knives. The Titan is therefore comfortable to hold in any style, with the blade facing upwards or downwards. A mildly scalloped base on the handle lets your fingers rest comfortably, and a bear lock holds the blade in place, allowing you to disengage simply by sliding a switch at the tip of the handle and gently jerking your hand to have the blade obediently rotate back into its handle.
The Titan doesn’t get too extravagant with details… which means every single detail on it was carefully thought out before being added. A thumb switch on the blade lets you deploy your knife with a simple push of your thumb. The bear lock is within access of your index finger too, giving you single-hand operation on the field. The knife sports a titanium pocket clip that complements the titanium handle perfectly, and sure, there’s a palpable lack of a lanyard hole… but that’s with reason too. The Titan isn’t designed for keychains and carabiners – it’s made for pockets of suits and tuxedos. The pocket clip therefore serves its purpose rather well, giving the Titan its “gentleman’s knife” demeanor.
Available in one color (talk about being classic), the Titan weighs 3.70z (106 grams). It retails for $250, although you can grab it at a discounted price of $154 on Kickstarter with global shipping.
New Year New Gear, they say… but before we explore what 2024 has in store for us, here’s a look at our top EDC gear from the year gone by. Our love for EDC only grew in 2023 as we began venturing outdoors again (you know, after the entire 2-year house arrest), and we honestly believe 2023’s been a golden year for the category. Titanium finally went mainstream, with Apple adopting it for their flagship 2023 iPhones, and we saw multiple independent creators taking to platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to bring their EDC visions to life!
So what really constitutes this list and how did we arrive at our top ten? It’s simple, really. All the EDC have a few things in common. They’re built to be compact, robust, highly utilitarian, and have a wow-factor, whether it’s a unique feature, or just stellar craftsmanship. We’ve even awarded a Best EDC Design of 2023 to a certain multitool so scroll ahead to know more about why we loved it so much!
1. Prytium Titanium Multitool by G.S.G (Best EDC Design of 2023)
With a staggering 14 features built into its compact, lightweight, machined titanium design, the Prytium Multitool wins our award for just being the most versatile, capable, and handy piece of EDC money could buy. Perfect for pretty much any situation life throws at you, the Prytium is the kind of EDC you wish you’d have if you were stranded on a desert island. It’s got possibly every conceivable tool from a folding knife to a bottle opener, pry tool, nail file, glass breaker, and even a few wrenches and screwdrivers to get you through a whole gamut of worldly situations, whether they’re mildly frustrating like a hangnail or actual emergencies that require tactical tools.
Why is it noteworthy?
Aside from being made from Grade-5 that is well known for its sheer durability, the Prytium really surprises with exactly how much it manages to pack into its pocket-friendly design. It does so rather cleverly too, offering tritium slots so that your EDC is visible even at night, a deep pocket clip so you can attach your multitool to your clothing for convenience, and my favorite bit, a removable replaceable blade that you can change whenever the old one gets dull… so you spend less time sharpening your blade and more time using it instead.
2. Septimo Multi-tool by Jeremy Valdez for CRKT
The CRKT Septimo Multi-Tool may appear to be your typical pocket knife, but it’s ingeniously designed to offer far more than just a flipper blade. Crafted to combine compactness, ergonomic comfort, and a rich array of features, this versatile tool was conceived by Jeremy Valdez, a seasoned member of the 7th Special Forces Group. Inspired by his vision of the perfect everyday carry multitool, the Septimo (which translates to ‘Seventh’ in Spanish) boasts a 2.86-inch fold-out American Tanto blade with a secure liner-lock mechanism. It also includes a built-in bottle opener, a dual-purpose flathead and Phillips head screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, and a handy glass-breaker tip for those tricky situations. Plus, with its convenient pocket clip, you can keep your Septimo Multi-Tool easily accessible, ensuring you’re always prepared for a wide range of everyday situations.
Why is it noteworthy?
Necessity may be the mother of invention, but for the Septimo Multitool, it was more like a strong survival instinct. The origin story of the Septimo is probably the wildest thing you’ll ever hear. A member of the 7th Special Forces, Jeremy Valdez was posted in Afghanistan in 2009 when his helicopter crashed during a combat operation. In the heat of the moment, Valdez realized that the tools he had at the time failed miserably at real-world applications when it came to prying open fuselage, cutting harnesses, and freeing his fellow soldiers from the blazing, mangled chopper wreckage. Some people live in the trauma of such incidents, but not Valdez. He went to the drawing board and came up with the Septimo – a tribute to his fallen brothers and sisters, and an EDC so capable it has literal military experience.
3. Rike Knife S05 by Rike Knife
This knife almost won Best EDC of the Year for just how bonkers-beautiful it is. Intricate to the point of being absolutely impossible to counterfeit, the Rike Knife S05 has one of the most unique Damascus blades we’ve ever seen. In fact, I can say with a degree of confidence that I’ve never seen a blade this beautiful. With a dizzyingly detailed pattern that’s brought about by using different grades of metal that are hammered, forged, and acid-etched to reveal the marbled texture, the S05’s blade is a literal work of art. It sports a clip-point design that folds into a titanium handle that has a marbled pocket clip too. The price of such beauty? Well, given that you’re paying for top-tier craftsmanship, the $550 price tag doesn’t really hurt as much.
Why is it noteworthy?
I’m going to sound like an absolute broken record at this point, but that Damascus blade has my heart. Almost like a piece of psychedelic art, it has something hidden in every corner, from checkers and strips to even Japanese symbols. Oh, and as far as the blade’s sharpness goes, it has a viciously sharp edge that cuts through materials like they’re made of butter.
4. KeyMaster by EDC Monster
I’d like to think that the KeyMaster is key-shaped because of its sheer ability to ‘unlock’ any kind of real or metaphorical door that holds you back. Sure, the key-shaped design means it’s the ideal size to fit on your keychain, but let’s also acknowledge the fact that this key-sized EDC has 14 different tools built in, including multiple wrenches for bicycle spokes as well as hex nuts, a few popular screwdrivers, a fold-out scalpel blade, a bottle opener, and even a miniature scale that has BOTH metric as well as imperial measurements.
Why is it noteworthy?
It’s small enough to sit on your keychain, weighs a paltry 29 grams (1 ounce), and is made from the most durable metal known to mankind. What’s not to love?! The KeyMaster is a handy-dandy EDC for when you need to perform minor repairs or when you need a small knife to cut open boxes, slice paracord, whittle wood, or defend yourself. And when you’re done, crack open a brewski with the built-in bottle opener!
5. Folding Travel Cutlery Kit by Uphold Living
The problem with travel cutlery is that in the interest of portability, it often makes a few unfortunate trade-offs. Take the spork, for instance… a two-in-one piece of cutlery that saves material/space, but is just an odd contraption that nobody loves to use. The Uphold Travel Cutlery Kit possesses the unique distinction of being a rather no-compromise solution. Designed to be as small as a bunch of credit cards, this kit contains not one, not two, but three cutlery sets that you can use just as you would the ones at home. The Uphold kit features a working spoon, fork, and knife that sit flat when not in use, but curve to assume their ergonomic shape when you need them, thanks to clever design and the use of flexible materials at exactly the right points, while relying on food-grade titanium alloy and aluminum alloy for the rest.
Why is it noteworthy?
Single-use plastic spoons and forks are a menace. Not just for the environment, which they pollute by thousands of tonnes every year, but also for humans. Why? Because flimsy plastic spoons and forks don’t offer any robust functionality at all. They bend and flex when you try to cut through food, and they’ll melt if your gravies are too hot. Uphold’s alternative is vastly better. Not only is it made from durable metals like titanium, but it’s also designed to be compact when tucked away, and incredibly functional when you need to dig into your food. The full-length design gives you all the convenience you need while you eat, and the fact that you’ve got a separate knife, fork, and spoon means no more dealing with that spork nonsense.
6. Typhoeus Morphing Knife by CIVIVI
We’re big fans of CIVIVI’s knives in general, but when I laid our eyes on the Typhoeus for the first time, I honestly felt my jaw drop a little. The Typhoeus isn’t your conventional folding knife, because it has a handle that folds too. Once you flip the blade out, you can either use it as a conventional clip-point knife, or fold the handle further to turn it into a push-dagger. This unique format gives you two knives, a conventional one and a hardcore tactical one, so you can cut open boxes and defend yourself with equal effectiveness. The Typhoeus features a 14C28N steel blade sitting within a G10 handle, but our eyes are on the Damascus steel variant that gets an upgraded aluminum handle for a more robust experience.
Why is it noteworthy?
The novel format is exciting and really reinvents a category (knives) that doesn’t see too much out-of-the-box thinking as far as mechanisms are concerned. Plus, with the Typhoeus you really get two knives for the price of one, and that itself should be enough to convince the moderate skeptic!
7. A2 Badger OTF Knife by Tekto Knives
Another one of our favorites remains Tekto’s OTF range. In a world where most portable knives have blades that swivel inwards and outwards, Tekto’s OTF (or Out The Front) knives shoot outwards when you hit the switch on top. The A2 Badger grabbed our eye this year for how compact yet capable it was. It eschewed the spear-point edge seen on most OTF blades for an American Tanto-style blade, crafted from titanium-coated D2 steel, and features a glass-breaker tip on the reverse end of the handle, giving you a knife that’s dangerous from head to toe!
Why is it noteworthy?
We firmly believe that if you’re an EDC enthusiast or even an amateur collector, you NEED to have an OTF knife in your arsenal. The A2 Badger, to that degree, is perfectly compact, well-built, and designed to be reliable and last long. The titanium-coated blade holds its edge remarkably well, and that aluminum handle feels great in your grasp, whether it’s for cutting or for shattering even laminated glass. When all’s said and done, that pocket clip lets you slide your OTF knife right into your jacket or pants, for another day.
8. M-Stand Titanium Multitool by ActMax
The M-Stand proves that there’s always room for more features in an EDC. It might look like your conventional push-dagger, but the M-Stand, as its name suggests, also doubles as a stand for your smartphone or tablet simply by splitting it apart into its two halves. Neodymium magnets hold the two titanium halves together, giving you an EDC you can wear around your neck simply by sandwiching a chain between the left and right elements of the M-Stand. However, when you need to use its vast catalog of features, split it apart and you’ve got two knives that also have built-in features like hex wrenches, a bottle opener, a paracord cutter, pry-bar, fire starter, and the phone stand, as I mentioned earlier. Snap them back together and you’re armed with a rather capable spear-point push dagger that you can wear between your knuckles and use for everything from self-defense to shotgunning a beer-can!
Why is it noteworthy?
The beauty of the EDC industry is its rather low barrier to entry. Sure, you’ve got a few big-name brands that dominate the category, but then an independent small-time creator shows up with a novel design and a Kickstarter campaign, getting the entire EDC community excited to see something new. The M-Stand is that novel design. It’s unlike any multitool we’ve seen. It does its job well, and has a fidget-like quality that’ll have your hands and eyes falling in love with it every single day!
9. Batch #003 Knife by Leatherman
When it comes to multi-tools, Leatherman is practically a household name. Back in 1975, during a European holiday, Tim Leatherman and his wife Chau found themselves encountering leaky hotel plumbing and making roadside repairs to their temperamental Fiat. This experience sparked a brilliant idea that gave birth to the plier-based multitool – a remarkable innovation that Leatherman is renowned for pioneering. Based out of Portland, Oregon, the Leatherman company still champions this category as one of the most functional tools in their catalog, but earlier this year, the company developed a new kind of EDC that caught our fancy. The Batch #003 isn’t your everyday EDC knife. It comes with Leatherman’s proprietary interchangeable blade system. Press a button and you can pop out the old blade for a new one. Unlike most knives with replaceable standardized blades, Leatherman actually makes their own blades in-house, offering you a choice between a drop-point and a sheepsfoot blade, both made from 420HC stainless steel and completed with a stone-washed finish.
Why is it noteworthy?
Aside from being a gorgeous folding knife, the Batch #003’s proprietary blade-changing system sets a standard that I really hope more knives follow in the future. It’s difficult to sharpen some types of blades (especially serrated ones), and discarding a knife for just that fact seems like a truly wasted potential. Swapping blades is a great way to prolong a knife’s overall lifespan. Did I also mention that the Batch #003 comes with its own torx and bit drivers too? Just as a nifty cherry on the cake!
10. 8-in-1 EDC Multitool Scissors by Eiger Design
The world of EDC goes well beyond just knives. It also includes tools, fidget toys, stationery, wallets even… but you’ll be hard-pressed to find an EDC scissor, yet here we are. Perfect for indoor and outdoor culinary adventures, this 8-in-1 EDC Scissor comes apart to double as a set of knives… but what’s more interesting is the fact that it also has a built-in bottle opener, can opener, nut-cracker, and even a fire-starter, all in one handy package. Quite like the M-Stand from before that splits into two, this pair of scissors can separate into its individual halves, giving you two knives, and a variety of multitools on demand. Put them back together and the hefty scissors can cut through hard materials like cured meats too, while also relying on a serrated mid-section to crack through walnuts.
Why is it noteworthy?
This gizmo is the kind your kitchen couldn’t live without, but it’s also perfect for outdoor cooking on a camping trip. Use it as a single scissor, two handheld knives, or by its whole gamut of features… the 8-in-1 EDC Scissors get points for being clever, practical, and reinventing an aspect of life that isn’t just outdoor/lifestyle. Pair it with Uphold’s travel cutlery for the ultimate cooking experience outdoors! Oh, and if you’re looking to buy your own pair of scissors, we recommend checking out the YD Store.
