Reddit mentions of CRKT M21-12G EDC Folding Pocket Knife: Everyday Carry, Black Serrated Edge Blade, Veff Serrations, Automated Liner Safety, G10 Handle, Reversible Pocket Clip

Well, first, congratulations on becoming a LEO. I am not one myself, but I have had a few convos with them and I'm going to start by giving you a couple of things to consider. The first one is, this knife will be a tool, right? A tool is used for all sorts of tasks, some it wasn't intended for like prying, scraping, or breaching/otherwise opening something that wouldn't the best tool for the job. One LEO I spoke with mentioned having to use his knife to do some limited demolition to a couple of walls in a trailer to find drugs. Stabbing through sheet rock, hitting studs, and nails and shit like that. I might suggest having a small pry bar as, you know, your tool that rides with at least, maybe find a belt pouch or way to carry it on your person. Better to have and not need than need and not have on this. Another thing, you might consider starting off with a more affordable knife, a beater. There are several reasons - tools you have on the job can be damaged or lost, and with a cheap beater you won't cry when that happens, you may need to hand it over as evidence in an investigation (used in self defense, etc.) and handing over your favorite knife can be painful even if you do eventually have it returned to you, you will already know about how LEOs and lawyers are not your best friends and having a big ol' scary knife may raise an eyebrow or two even in your position, and FINALLY there's the fact that you may be required to loan your knife out or use it in such a way that would ruin it. Any time you loan a tool out, it's great to expect to be returned in the same condition, but it's not always the case. Additionally, you may find you need it for an emergency, like in a vehicle fire or such a thing, mostly I'm imagining fire-related emergencies. A lot of knives are made with plastic scales which will melt all to shit but is technically still able to be used. This is unlikely, I know, but you're more likely to be there than me, so it is what it is.

After all that, I do have some recommendations!

Kershaw Clash - currently listed at ~$22, it's a fair knife for the money. It's spring assisted opening, a little larger both in size as well as handling (bad for finer cutting manipulation) but would be a great knife to get started with and treat as a beater. Would also serve as entry level EDC and would get you a lot of quick handling experience for the type of knife you'd actually want to get!

Kershaw Blur is a really well known knife by the knife community, combining quite a few really nice points at once. Currently listed at ~$58 (this model), this is also a great knife for someone looking for an all arounder. The blade steel is a little better than the Clash and several other offers from the cheaper side of knives, the scales are really comfortable for medium to large hands, and it doesn't break the bank. In my personal opinion it's probably one of if not the best knife for the money.

Kizer Vanguard is a different blade shape than the previous two, a much more classic style with a drop point. Currently this is on sale for ~$44 and this knife has a variety of handle colors available, which I think is neat. Based on my EDC use, it seems to be quite nice!

CRKT M21-12G has a few variations available with a similar size offered there as well as plain edge versus serrations. Personally I find serrations difficult to sharpen so I avoid them on my knives, but your mileage may vary. This knife is currently ~$46 and is worth it. This is a thicc chunk of steel with a thiccer handle even though the steel liners are milled out. Having taken it apart and put it back together a few times, I find this knife very easy to clean and service.

Ontario Knife Company Rat-1 is no frills and a solid knife. This is currently selling for ~$22 and is worth every penny. There's a few different models with the price varying quite a bit but overall it's below $40. This knife is a large chunk of metal with the scales and thick plastic liners too. However, there are etsy shops that make more custom liners that might be less chunky. Will likely cost more than you paid for the knife, but eh, whatever. This will be harder to lose, I think, since it's so large.

I hope one or more of these suggestions is helpful!

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: CRKT M-21 12


|Country|Link|Charity Links|
|:-----------|:------------|:------------|
|USA|smile.amazon.com|EFF|
|UK|www.amazon.co.uk|Macmillan|
|Spain|www.amazon.es||
|France|www.amazon.fr||
|Germany|www.amazon.de||
|Japan|www.amazon.co.jp||
|Canada|www.amazon.ca||
|Italy|www.amazon.it||




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