Knife
Why is a pocket knife so important to your EDC? This question is far too seldom asked.
The fact is, most people think of their knife primarily as a weapon. If you are in this camp, here’s a question for you: Have you had any training at all to that end?
We ask this question a lot and the answer is almost always ‘no.’ In all honesty, there aren’t a lot of self-defense trainings that focus on knife fighting techniques.
One reason is that a knife is much better used as a tool than as a weapon. Knife fighting is a difficult martial art to master. Not to mention, you don’t want to bring a knife to a gun fight… or any other fight in which your adversary may be carrying a superior weapon.
The primary function of your knife is as a cutting tool. It may have to cut through ropes, cordage, clothing, etc.; and for this purpose there’s nothing better. In fact, if your “pocket knife” is equipped with multiple blades and other tools, all the better.
As long as your knife is easy to carry, then it’s a worthy candidate.