These replaceable-blade utility knives cut to the quick of convenient EDC.

I have to say, I have never been a fan of utility-style knives for everyday carry. Certainly, there is a place for them, and they are suitable for a multitude of jobs a regular knife might not do as well. Handyman detail comes to mind, where an always sharp blade and thin edge are appreciated. However, traditional everyday carry knives tend to excel in EDC duty, except, perhaps, in one facet—convenience.

From air travel to avoiding the sharpening stone, EDC utility blades have an undeniable edge on their fixed and folding counterparts. Additionally, knifemakers have further improved the utility of these pocketable cutters, offering different blade styles tailored to different circumstances, allowing the right tool for the job.

I grabbed four replaceable-blade knives and took each of them to work with me to see the pros and cons of each. A large part of my focus was on convenience, as you can buy different blades for all of them, save one. Let’s roll on to what I found out about these tools while putting them to work.

CobraTech OTF Utility

I thought I would start off with the coolest concept for a replaceable-blade utility knife. For folks who need a fidget toy, CobraTec’s OTF Utility fits the bill. Someone there had their thinking cap on with the design. It takes a standard utility blade—with toolless replacement—but this genre offers several styles—hooked, serrated and razor. If you need some added durability, titanium-coated and ceramic blades are options. Note, pay attention to the blades you use; the quality can vary widely.

The body of the knife is built out of 6061 aluminum that is anodized blue or green. For the blade bracket—what holds the blade—CobraTec uses steel. There was only a small amount of play in the bracket when deployed, an important feature. You want as little wiggle as possible to facilitate an easy and accurate cut. The OTF Utility is a double-action auto, shooting the blade in and out crisply through a switch on the side. The company provides two carry options: a sturdy pocket clip and a small nylon belt pouch. Personally, I would chuck the pouch. The pocket clip makes it much more convenient. It is a solid tool and cool as well. The OTF Utility has an MSRP of $90.

Outdoor Edge Slidewinder

Outdoor Edge has a neat little tool in the Slidewinder. I first stumbled upon this when I was looking for something TSA-compliant to take with me to trade shows. The blade is easily removable, and the frame by itself should pass through TSA. At least it has for me in the past. I have taken it on a few airplane trips without a hassle. Keep in mind, in the end, it depends on what TSA agent you get when you go through security. When I get to my destination, I simply buy another blade.

The Slidewinder is multitalented, boasting a bottle opener, a standard screwdriver and a flat Philips screwdriver to go along with its blade. The credit-card-sized tool takes regular utility blades and holds them securely in place. Blade replacement is a snap, as simple as pressing a button on the slide. To deploy the blade, you move the slide forward.

Outdoor Edge uses one steel scale and one G10 scale, available in orange, blue and black. For easy carry, the knife has a low-profile pocket clip. I would have to say the SlideWinder makes for a great little tool and is convenient for travel, as I mentioned. On the other hand, its size makes it more of a light everyday carry and not suited to heavy jobs. Outdoor Edge puts an MSRP of $11 on the SlideWinder.

Havalon REDI

Havalon’s REDI is an assisted-opening everyday carry knife. The company uses a proprietary blade made from AUS-8 stainless steel in a drop-point pattern. The knife comes with two blades with different edges—razor and half serrated. A nice touch, the company includes a small plastic case to carry the extra blade. Changing the blades is easy, with a retention release button and a forward slide freeing the cutting portion of the knife. Havalon provides a tool with the knife to depress the retention button, but it isn’t necessary. A thumbnail should suffice.

There is some play in the blade, but the retention system holds it in place. The blade itself is held in place with a liner lock and has a solid deployment via thumb studs. To aid your grip, Havalon uses polymer scales that are textured and come in three color choices: orange, black, and green. The REDI has an ambidextrous tip-up carry pocket clip. I find tip-up works well with an assisted opener.

It’s a good knife and a solid carry option with a replaceable blade. My one point of contention with knives is the proprietary blades. You must keep extras on you. I know people would say it’s a similar story with other utility knives. The obvious difference is that I can source regular utility blades nearly anywhere. Overall, the REDI is a good carry and very versatile, just keep the blade issue in mind. With an MSRP of $55, the REDI is at the more expensive end of this class of knife.

Gerber EAB Slim

The EAB Slim is exactly that—slim. Compared to earlier models I tested, like Gerber’s Prybrid and the original EAB, this model is trimmer. Yet, the extra length gives the utility knife a better grip, even compared to some of the options in this article. The EAB uses a standard utility blade and deploys from a slide lock. It is not the smoothest system, but it works and is dependable. If you want to retract the blade, just reverse the motion. Gerber added a bottle opener and a lanyard hole for some bells and whistles. I suppose you could put it on your key chain, but I would find it a bit bulky because of its 4.4-inch length.

Gerber has added some subtle gimping at the front of the handle. The texture is helpful and keeps you from struggling with the thin knife’s profile. It’s a good tool I would carry for light jobs—opening packages or even as an extra, inexpensive blade to stash in a backup kit. When I worked retail, this would be a perfect edge for all my regular chores, without adding bulk to my pockets. At $16, the Slim is light on the pocketbook.

Convenient Utility Carry

These utility knives aren’t full-fledged knives, but they do everything we need over an ordinary day. Working in maintenance, these knives cover most of my cutting duties and are easy to carry to boot. Due to their compact size, they aren’t my first pick for heavy-duty jobs. However, if you aren’t in maintenance or construction, these would be a great way to carry an edge for quick jobs.

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