Five Lightweight Knives Perfect for Summer EDC

Just over a month ago, several of our contributors, myself included, penned an article about our favorite summer watches. While we each had a personal preference and strong reasoning behind our choices, it got me thinking about my summer EDC, and how it changes as temps begin to rise. Throughout winter and spring, I tend to carry larger pocket knives, but I find myself reaching for lighter options as the temperature and humidity increases. While they’re just as capable as anything else, these lighter blades carry more comfortably in shorts, and I even forget I’m carrying them sometimes. With this in mind, I thought it might be a good idea to list out some of my favorite summer EDC knives and why I reach for them.

Before we dive in, let’s look over the parameters I used to select these knives. I think one of the most ambiguous qualities that I’ll talk about is “lightweight”. While there isn’t a set standard and everyone is likely to have their own opinions, I’m using 2.5 ounces (70ish grams for my metric friends) as my max weight. As I’d come to find out while verifying the weight of my included knives, many of the staple EDC options fall under this weight! Using this weight also prevents me from sneaking in some of those heavier knives that I enjoy so much. Secondly, the knife has to be safe to carry in your pocket. While a single utility blade is very lightweight, having an exposed, sharp edge in your pocket just seems like a terrible idea. Along these lines, I’m also limiting myself to pocketable folders, as I’m not a fan of in-pocket fixed blades with shorts.  Lastly, I’m primarily choosing knives that I’ve carried and used frequently as they are ones I’ve recommended to people in the past, and will continue to recommend in the future. 

Benchmade Bugout & Mini Bugout

Ask any EDC enthusiast you know about knives they’ve owned and it’s likely that they currently own, or have owned a Benchmade Bugout. Arguably one of the most commonly recommended EDC knives, the Bugout, and its sibling the Mini Bugout are prime examples that strong and lightweight can co-exist. While the Bugout and Mini Bugout have many different configurations of scales and blade steel, the most common model is an S30v steel with Grivory (a glass reinforced thermoplastic material) scales that weighs in at 1.84oz and 1.5oz respectively. In addition to being ultra lightweight, the Bugout family features the iconic Axis lock that’s easy to use by both left and right handed people.

Having owned both the original and the Mini Bugout, I’ve found that I prefer the Mini due to its lighter weight and overall size. The 3.7” handle of the Mini Bugout fits in my hand wonderfully and allows a full grip while the sub 3” blade is more than capable of breaking down all the Amazon boxes I’ve thrown its way. I’ve added a simple para-cord lanyard to mine which allows me to easily remove it from my pocket, as the deep carry clip that comes with the knife is one of the best and deepest clips I’ve ever seen. Of all the knives I own, I’ve “lost” this knife several times, always finding it in the pocket of the shorts I wore last.

Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight

When I started hunting for my first “nice” knife, I was introduced to Spyderco, and their Military line of knives. Over the years I’ve added examples from the Military, Paramilitary 2, and Para 3 lines, with the Para 3 Lightweight that I own seeing the most pocket time of my Spyderco collection. Derived from the Para Military 2, the Para 3 lightweight features a similar design language, the iconic Spyderco Round Hole, and a compression lock, while being lighter in weight thanks to the Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon (FRN) scales.

While the specs of the Mini Bugout and Para 3 Lightweight are comparable, there’s a few things that make it stand out, and earn it a place in my pocket. First and foremost, the Para 3 LW blends the beefy design elements I prefer with lightweight materials to create a great middle of the road option. Since the Para 3 LW utilizes Spyderco’s trademarked Round Hole, instead of a traditional thumbstud, I’m able to utilize the entire length of the cutting edge when breaking down boxes as it’s less likely to get caught up. Lastly, the Para 3 LW uses a compression lock located along the back of the scales, which allows the blade to fully drop shut while keeping my fingers far away from any sharp parts. While the Para 3 LW that I own was part of a sprint run (limited release, dealer exclusive) from The Knife Joker, the Para 3 LW remains available in various color and steel combinations.

Vosteed Mini Psyop

Much like watch enthusiasts can get caught up thinking that Swiss Watches and movements are the top of the line, the same thing can happen for those interested in knives. For the longest time, I took pride in hunting down knives with a retail price of $300 or more, discarding anything under that price, made overseas, or not using the newest super steels. That said, after handling several knives that I’d describe as “budget”, I’ve realized that I’ve potentially missed out on some very solid offerings and I wound up adding a Mini Psyop to my collection. In terms of size, it’s very comparable to the Bugout Mini while having a slightly thicker blade, better blade steel, and stiffer carbon fiber handles. I’m not directly claiming that one or the other is better, as both of these see equal amounts of pocket time.

This knife came out of the box wickedly sharp (as a knife should), and I was quite impressed that it shipped with additional springs, the one component that fails over time in the clutch style lock. Despite being used hard and passed around, the coating on the blade still looks great, and it’s held an edge. I can’t speak for everything that Vosteed makes, but this has certainly been a wonderful re-introduction to China OEM knives, and I don’t see this one leaving the rotation any time soon.

Big Idea Design TPT Slide With EZ Swap

Alright, I’m going to share one of my “secret weapons” here, something that gets carried more and weighs less than anything else in my collection: the TPT Slide from Big Idea Design. I’ve said before that I often rotate out pieces of my EDC gear, but the TPT slide is the one piece of gear that has a permanent spot. Weighing in at 1 ounce flat, the TPT Slide is the lightest piece of EDC gear that I own and it sees the most amount of use. Since it’s intuitive to use and easy to replace the blade, this is the first thing I loan out when I get asked if I have a blade instead of a more traditional pocket knife.

I personally prefer to remove the pocket clip and carry my TPT in my 5th pocket , AKA that little coin pocket, or throw it in a pocket alongside my wallet. In addition to safely carrying a utility blade, the TPT slide incorporates 9 other tools that I’ve found to be extremely useful at times, namely the rear prybar/screw driver for tightening my pesky tripod plate that never seems to be tight when I need it to be. Between the three models I own (the TPT, Original TPT Slide, and this newer EZ Swap model), at least one of them has been used at every Windup I’ve been a part of since joining the team here at Worn & Wound. One last thing to note: removing the utility blade or adding in the safe carry insert that it ships with allows the TPT slide to technically be TSA compliant, meaning you can carry it with you when you travel. I personally haven’t had any issues with this in my bag, but it’s ultimately up to the discretion of each TSA agent if you can bring it through.

The James Brand The Palmer Clear

As much as I love carrying and using a good pocket knife, there are times when it’s just not the right tool for the job. Whether you’re in a crowded environment, restricted by laws, or you’re cutting something that you don’t want on your blade, the trusty utility blade reigns supreme. 

A modern take on the classic utility knife, the Palmer Clear is designed for those who want their carry to balance both form and function. While the original Palmer has become renowned for its compact size and design, the new Palmer Clear incorporates all of the same features, while shaving off some weight thanks to using resin instead of aluminium. An added benefit to using resin, the Palmer Clear allows you to see some of the internal mechanisms that are used to open, close, and even change out the blade once you’ve dulled it. I think it’s worth noting that almost all of our team owns either a Palmer Clear or a Palmer, which just speaks to how useful and aesthetic they are. Much like the TPT Slide above, the Palmer is technically TSA compliant without a blade, but it’s up to the discretion of each agent.