Finding a great every day carry (EDC) knife is a very personal event. What works for one person may or may not work for another. I have many knives and tend to grab a different one depending on what I think I will be doing that day as well as what I am wearing. Sounds crazy right? We aren’t talking about a watch here. But to me, it matters. I don’t want a huge knife or clip when wearing dress pants or going out to eat at a nice establishment. And on the flip side, I don’t want a small knife when out in the woods.
So, why does the Benchmade 470-1 Emissary end up in my pocket most days? Read on for a few details.
When reviewing the Benchmade 470-1 Emissary I was a bit skeptical. I was skeptical because $180 is a lot of money for a smaller knife. Quick break for the knife details.
First thing you notice is the blade length isn’t very long, just 3–inches. Long enough to do most things but not for hacking off a tree limb. I am fine with this for an EDC knife as I rarely need to cut tree limbs off. Another reason I like this knife is that it is lightweight at just 2.2-ounces. It doesn’t tug at thinner pants fabrics. These things are important to me, but the real reason I grab this knife more often than others when running out the door is that it feels great in my hand and works even better. The AXIS-Assist locking mechanism is quick and easy to use. Read more about that here. The clip is a deep-carry style which means the knife is recessed below the pocket edge and doesn’t feel the need to show folks the knife handle.
Some other nice details are the Osborne S30V blade. Razor sharp and hard enough for tough jobs but soft enough to sharpen when needed.
