A Utility Knife for EDC

One tool I use quite a bit is a utility knife. I’ve tended to buy knives that I would just keep in the shop like the Milwaukee Utility Knife . These knives work great, but they aren’t the smallest profile knives and take up a lot of room in an EDC pack. Lately I’ve been looking for something smaller that is safe to carry. One design that really interests me is the Rexford RUT. I love the small profile and the addition of the bottle opener and pry bar. What I don’t like is the cost. To be fair, the RUT is a titanium tool made by Todd Rexford. It is more than just a tool, it is fine craftsmanship. It is art. That is the reason for the cost. The cost of the RUT has caused me to look at other options. What I finally decided to try out is a Gerber 31-000345 E.A.B.Lite Pocket Knife.

Gerber Utility Knife (Opened)

 Let’s focus of the pros first.The knife looks nice and it has some nice features like a liner lock. The knife is small, making it great for EDC. It folds up. It has a pocket clip. It fits well in the hand and is safe to use (See the guard on the front side of the blade). From an EDC standpoint, this is a great utility knife.

The issues that I have with the knife revolve around the lack of craftsmanship and the lack of allowing for spare blades. While the design is fairly well thought out, the construction is poor. The liner lock is weak. It is a very thin piece of metal that could easily bend. The metal is somewhat jagged when it was cut out and the pieces do not fit together in the flush manner. The surface paint of the knife rubs off easily. These craftsmanship issues stem from the utility knife being produced in China as opposed to the USA. I would like to see Leatherman produce a similar tool in Oregon and then compare the two tools.

Based on what I was looking for in an EDC utility knife, I would recommend this knife with the caveat that the quality is not comparable to other items I’d recommend. Unfortunately I haven’t found a product made in the USA that compares in quality without looking at items that are more than just tools. This utility knife makes will be in my EDC pack until I can find a replacement at a reasonable cost.

Liner Lock

-Matt