I have been EDCing some sort of blade for about 50 years now. From some awful folders back in the day when kids could carry them at school. (Can’t believe I see these pop up on the forums and people are happy to get them.) Some fairly good Victorinox, Leatherman, etc, and some SRM and Enlan knives. For my current EDC needs, the Gerber EAB lite is by far the best blade I have carried. I have never carried a high end knife so this review my not be applicable to people who do.
I like to carry a “razor sharp” knife. My test for that is to shave my arm hair or cut a single sheet of paper cleanly. My mind was quite prejudiced against utility knives. I associate them with hard work and being dull. However, I don’t EDC a blade to cut rock, asphalt, or flooring. When I did my standard arm shave test it was like a light bulb went off. This thing is very sharp and if it does become dull it can become razor sharp again in a matter of seconds with no sharpening skills required! For every other blade I have carried, when they became dull, it took a lot of effort from me and the results were not guaranteed. The ability to always have a razor sharp blade in my pocket is the strongest pro of this knife.
The engineering is quite impressive to me. Easily fits in the coin pocket of jeans or can be clipped under a belt. Very unobtrusive carry. The blade screw acts as a thumb stud and while not perfect allows for one handed opening. Not a fidget toy by any means but works predictably and reliably. The liner lock is solid and also allows for one handed closing. The design has a solid place for your thumb to safely control the blade and a lower profile that offers decent grip and protection for your fingers.
As for the cons… This is a very sharp and quite short blade in a fairly small handle. Really need to be conscious of how you are using it. While it is very well engineered for what it is, and I do think that it is set up for safety and control, it is not particularly comfortable in the hand. For prolonged sustained cutting sessions another knife would be better.
This knife just really matches my needs for EDC at this point in my life. Nearly every time I use a blade these days (excluding food prep) it is to open a package, cut rope or wire, or break down cardboard boxes. This knife excels at these tasks especially when it is so unobtrusive to carry.
“EAB lite”: https://www.gerbergear.com/en-us/shop/knives/all-knives/eab-lite-plain-edge-31-000345
This was an entirely accidental EDC purchase. I bought it to cut out bathroom caulk. Never expected it to become my EDC. Quite happy to have found it.
