Check out this amazing list of EDC:

Griffin Adventure Tool

The Griffin Pocket Tool set the standard for small keychain-sized pry tools. If you doubt that, take a look at all the places that have copied it and its features; imitation being the sincerest form of flattery and all that nonsense. Well Griffin isn’t one to sit on its laurels, and the company just released the new Griffin Adventure Tool.

The Adventure Tool is a bit wider than the original tool and incorporates some new features. In addition to the bottle opener, flat head screwdriver, scoring tool, 1.4-inch bit driver, and 8-, 9-, and 10-mm hex wrench of the original Pocket Tool, you also get a new proprietary carabiner built in that lets you quickly fasten the tool to your keys, pack, or belt loop, along with a #2 Phillips screwdriver, a split ring recess, and a notched ruler.

That’s a lot of utility in a EDC tool that slips unnoticed on your keychain or disappears into your purse or bug-out bag.

Size:  2.9″ x 0.7″ x 0.2″
Weight: 25 grams for stainless steel or 15 grams for titanium
Material: Stainless steel or titanium
Price: $40 for stainless steel; $60 for titanium
GriffinPocketTool.com

KA-BAR Dessert Destroyer

If I had an Alexa, I’d assume KA-BAR must have hacked into it and was spying on me, because all of the company’s oddball projects have me written all over them. Sporks, bottle openers, adult cereal spoons, and now the Dessert Destroyer Ice Cream Scoop.

These are all things I needed in my life, especially the ice cream scoop. Now, I have a lot of stick time in behind an ice cream scoop, which probably explains why I have to watch my sugar and I’m not skinny. I’ve developed a preference for the heavy steel, pointed scoops, so when I saw the Dessert Destroyer my feelings were mixed.

It has the shape of the steel scoops that I like, which is a plus, mated to the classic oval shaped KA-BAR style handle that mimics the stacked leather of the combat knife. That’s also a plus. It looks good and feels good in the hand.

My hesitation was the Creamid composite material that KA-BAR uses in its sporks, spoons, and other projects. It holds up fine in those, and is food and dishwasher safe, but would it hold up to hard-packed ice cream?

Well, in the interest in science and bringing the most thorough review possible to my readers, I gave the Dessert Destroyer extensive field testing to see how it worked and held up. I’m happy to report that the Creamid did just fine and the Destroyer worked as well as my heavy steel scoops on even hard-packed ice cream from my sub-arctic downstairs freezer.

If you’re an ice cream junkie, or even just want to have a good scoop on hand in case of emergency birthday parties, then definitely check out the Dessert Destroyer. It’s a must have item.

Weight: 0.25 lbs
Overall length: 7.688″
Width: 1.875″
Tang Stamp: KA-BAR/OLEAN NY USA
Knife Material: Creamid
Country of Origin: United States
Price: $17.34
KABAR.com 

CRKT TECHLINER

Tactical pens have been all the rage for a number of years now, but I think we’ve been seeing a trend away from ones that were brutal but a bit unwieldy. Now there are pens that can truly be used for EDC purposes and be practical for writing. They’re still rugged enough to hold up to serious use.

The CRKT Techliner is the brainchild of artist and machinist Mike Bond from Pearl City, Hawaii. The Techliner has a sleek modern look to it and is built from 6061 aircraft grade aluminum.

It’s very lightweight at 1 ounce even, and it uses the excellent and readily available Fisher Space Pen refills. One thing that really sets it apart from other EDC pens in its niche is a strong magnet on both the cap and the end of the pen, so you can stick it to metal surfaces such as your vehicle, desk, or other pieces of equipment.

If you want a rugged pen that can go from the board room to the battleground, then give the Techliner a look.

Overall Length: 5.063″
Weight: 1.00 oz
Handle: 6061 Aluminum
Diameter of Pen: 0.47″
Pen Weight: 1.40 oz
Handle: 6061 Aluminum
Pen Refill: Fisher Space Pen #PR4 Cartridge
Price: $59.99
CRKT.com 

5.11 Gnome Blind Packs Series 2

Anyone who has kids knows all about blind packs. They’re collections of toys that come in a sealed bag, and you don’t know what you get until you open the bag. It’s like a birthday gift every time you open one.

Typically, they come in series with a dozen or more possibilities and often have some rare limited-edition items as well.

So, in addition to collecting whatever the toy is, you also get the excitement of seeing what it is you got and if it’s something rare. What happens if you don’t get the thing you wanted? Well then you have to buy some more and try again.

Trust me, it’s addicting. My kids love them. What does that have to do with today’s column? Well 5.11 brings that same joy to adults with their Gnome Blind Packs.

The Gnome Blind Packs are a series of morale patches all centered on your garden gnome buddies in various military, tactical, and first responder roles. This is actually the second series of gnomes for 5.11, and I think the company upped its game with this set.

I’m not a patch collector, but I do like unique patches that make your gear stand out from everyone else’s, and these gnomes certainly do that.

Series 2 has 13 great options, although I think the Viking, the WWII Airborne Sergeant and the Air Force Pilot are my favorites. There’s a special Golden Gnome in there as well if you’re lucky enough to snag that one.

I have a few bags coming, and I can’t wait to open them up and see what I got. The gnomes sell out fast though, so if you miss this series then keep an eye out for the next one—more EDC are coming.

SIZE: 3.25″
Compatible with 5.11 apparel and bags or anything else with a Velcro patch
Easy on and off
Hook-back adhesion
Laser-cut to size
Rich detailing
Price: $9.99
511Tactical.com 

“Knife Engineering: Steel, Heat Treating and Geometry”

Get any group of knife nerds together, and inevitably talk will turn to steel, heat treat, and edge grinds. Sometimes the talk is even educated, and the folks know what they’re talking about.

If you’re weak in those areas or even pretty good but want to up your knife steel game, then the new book from Larrin Thomas, “Knife Engineering: Steel, Heat Treating, and Geometry,” is the resource for you.

Thomas is a metallurgist from Pittsburgh (shout out to my hometown) and the son of Devin Thomas, famous for his Damascus steel. Thomas has a PhD Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines and works on developing steel for the auto industry. Like his dad, he has a passion for knives and has done a tremendous amount of work on knife steel.

I became aware of his book when I started seeing it pop up on the social media pages of many of my knife-making friends. If these well-regarded custom makers were taking notice of his work, then I knew I had to check it out too.

This isn’t a knife-making book in that it isn’t a walk through on how to grind, affix handles, and the physical construction of the knife, but it is an invaluable resource to learn from before you hit the grinder.

Honestly, when I flipped through the book and saw all the charts and tables, I was a little intimidated, but Thomas does a great job of explaining what it all means so that even a layperson can follow it.

He goes in depth in regard to the types of edges and grinds and their pros and cons, and dives deep into the properties of steel and heat-treating process. It helps you understand the science behind steel, educates you on why you do the things you do when you make a knife, and gives you information to avoid potential pitfalls as they relate to steel choice, heat treat, and grind.

Do you need this book to be a knife maker? Obviously not, as there are a lot of people out there who have been making great knives for decades before this book came out. But will it make you a better knife maker? I think I can say that it absolutely will. Don’t take my word for it though.

Just take a look around at how many respected custom makers jumped to grab this book as soon as it came out and have been telling folks about it since. Check in on Thomas’ blog Knife Steel Nerds for more information on purchase or jump over to Amazon to grab a copy.

Weight: 2.13 lbs
Paperback:450 pages
Dimensions: 7″ x 1.02″ x 10″
Price: $39.95
KnifeSteelNerds.com 

Work Sharp Benchtop Whetstone

You’re reading Knives Illustrated, so that pretty much guarantees that you’re going to be sharpening knives eventually. There are a ton of great products on the market for doing that, but sometimes nothing works quite as well as a basic whetstone.

A whetstone is what our ancestors have used for thousands of years, and the folks at Work Sharp just took that concept and updated it for the 21st century. The Work Sharp Whetstone doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does give you a quality EDC offering at a very affordable price.

The Work Sharp Benchtop Whetstone uses a two-sided water stone with a 1,000-grit stone on one side for restoring a dull edge and a 6,000-grit aluminum oxide sharpening stone on the other to give a polished and refined edge.

It uses the traditional medium of water to create a slurry while cutting that preserves the stone and helps glide the knife along. The plastic sharpening base provides a stable platform due to its anti-skid feet, and it has a reservoir to control the water and keep things from becoming a mess as you sharpen.

It comes with two sets of angle guides for 15-degree or 17-degree angles; optional 20-degree and 25-degree guides are sold separately. The guides let you keep a consistent angle while sharpening but are also easily removed if you want to freehand sharpen.

You can sharpen anything from pen knives to chef’s knives on the Work Sharp Benchtop Whetstone. It’s a great update to an age-old sharpening system EDC and lets you actually learn how to sharpen on a stone, and not rely on expensive system that you may not have access to in the field. KI

Sharpening Angles: 17°, 20°
Included Abrasives: 1000 Grit Ceramic, 6000 Grit Ceramic
Abrasive Size: 7.1″ x 2.3″ x 1.1″
Price: $34.95
WorkSharpTools.com