Lately I’ve been carrying a Gerber Bear Grylls clip-point, lockback folder. I love the feel of the rubber handle inserts, and I’ve gotta tell ya, the black and orange combo just looks cool. But this isn’t about me. It’s about what knife industry professionals say are selling, being carried, receiving positive feedback and working well as EDC’s.

I recently interviewed a few industry pros, and following is an excerpt from what they had to say. To read the entire article, see the September 2013 issue of BLADE® on newsstands now, or subscribe to BLADE by clicking here. For more EDC knife options, click here.

“You could poll 10 people and have 10 different opinions on what the ideal EDC knife is,” suggests Dan Weidner of Boker USA. “A construction worker is not going to select what an office worker or traveling salesperson carries, and a first responder won’t choose what an outdoorsman wants.

“Most folks have a few EDC knives,” he adds. “I carry the Boker Plus Damascus Gent II to the office. It does everything I need during the day, feels good in my pocket, is easily accessible, and when a visitor arrives, I have a beauty that I can say, ‘Look what I have.’ After all, at the end of the day we like to show off what we carry.”

What the Damascus Gent II locking-liner folder (this issue’s cover knife) has to show off is a 2.75-inch, 67-layer-damascus, drop-point blade, ebony handle scales, dual thumb studs and a detachable pocket clip. Weighing 1.6 ounces, its manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) is $89.95.

“It’s just a classy looking knife, and the damascus blade and ebony handle blend into artistic cutlery,” Weidner comments. “When it comes to packing for a hike into the Rockies, it goes on top of the dresser and out comes a more formidable piece that can handle rugged duty. Yard work calls for good old-fashioned high carbon steel, sharp as can be, with a totally blackened blade. 

“It’s this chameleon EDC change-up that keeps the industry rolling!” Weidner concludes. “I think most will agree, there is no best EDC material that covers all bases.”

Rob Sterner, senior vice president of sales for Swiss Army Knives, says the Victorinox Hunter Pro Folding Blade has been designed to meet the needs of the serious hunter, as well as the general outdoors enthusiast, making it a versatile knife. “For the first time, we have incorporated the blade steel from our professional knives, which we’ve provided to the slaughterhouse and meat-packing industries since 1884,” he explains.