Thoughts on EDC knives

Q: “Do you EDC a knife, and if so, which one?”

A: Yes, I carry a pocket knife almost everywhere I go.

I carry a Kershaw Blur and keep a SOG Cash Card in my purse.

I picked the Kershaw Blur because it’s been my husband’s EDC knife for years, and it’s held up incredibly well. He beats that thing up, and with a bit of maintenance, it works reliably.

I wish it were a smidge smaller, but I like how it fits my hand, and the grip texture is helpful. It’s a flippy boy (assisted open) that’s easy for me to open and close with one (small) hand.

Now, let’s talk about EDC knives and their purpose and function.

I hear many people recommend that women carry knives for self-defense, and I couldn’t disagree more.

I carry my knife for utility, not self-defense.

If you’re going to carry a knife for self-defense, you should be trained in knife fighting, and it’s no different than carrying a gun. I’ll vehemently defend your second amendment right to carrying a firearm without training, but I’ll still recommend it.

A knife is better than nothing and might be the last resort you need. In some instances, pulling a knife might even scare someone who’s unarmed away.

Time to ruffle some feathers.

Even if you’re trained in knife-fighting, a knife is not the best self-defense tool.

You have to get real close to someone to use a knife, unlike a gun or even pepper spray.

Most of the time, fights don’t end quickly, and that leaves too much time for injury or worse while trying to get away or neutralize a threat.

The truth is, you can get seriously injured or killed trying to use a knife for self-defense with or without training. And if the other guy has a knife too? Fuggedaboutit.

So, do I recommend you carry a pocket knife?

Yes. You never know when you’ll need to cut an apple or remove a loose thread.

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• Knife: Kershaw Blur