Back about 2008, I picked up a CRKT M16-Z EDC (or whatever it was named back then) at Bass Pro. I really liked it. This is not an assisted opening knife, exactly. The blade has a finger guard that protrudes through the spine when the knife is closed. Once you get the hang of it, you can pop the blade out with just your forefinger on the protruding guard. Of course it has a thumbstud for the more pedestrian among us. It has Teflon-coated bearing surfaces and is slick-working.
I bought a small car for my wife at the time as gas prices were approaching $4.00, and we had it for about four or five months until she wheedled me into trading for a much more spacious cross-over — costing me several thousand dollar on the smaller vehicle. I only have one wife — thank God. I have never seen how you could afford to be a polygamist — even a serial polygamist. Divorces are expensive, too.
Anyway, while I was gassing up the little car one day, I apparently let the M16 slip out of my pocket. The clip did not fail. I had, for reasons now forgotten, dropped it into my pocket rather than clipping it. Folded into the CCC (compact car crouch) as I was, the knife must have worked to the top of my pocket and fallen to the ground as I executed my wide-body extrication move. You get in and out of a truck. You climb out of a car. Trucks and motorcycles are the only decent vehicles. Anyway, somebody at the gas station scored a nice knife, and I fell into the Slough of Despond — probably weighed down by the forty pounds of knives on my shelves. Grasping at straws lest I drown miserably, I happened to be in some store somewhere when my eye lit upon a Gerber Evo Jr. with much the same configuration as the lost CRKT. It looks like this:
I have carried this Evo a lot for close to four years. As is typical of "tactical" knives, it is made from relative thick stock with a flat grind for the secondary bevel above the short, annoying primary bevel. As you can see in the picture above, I have a shiny line where the secondary bevel begins. This is from grinding off the primary bevel as pretty much must be done to get these knives to cut. It took me hours of work with a diamond hone to get the blade to a sharp and maintainable state. That's the bad part, and it is pretty well par for most modern folders. The fact that most of these blades are hard stainless helps with edge retention once you get a good edge on, but it takes more effort to accomplish it. I can live with it.
The Evo might not be quite as smooth as the CRKT was, but it is very slick. The linerlock is solid. Once the blade is deployed, there is almost no play in the knife. The actual blade on my tanto-point Jr. looks to me to be 2 7/8 inches. Most of the new ones I am seeing have a modified drop point with a bit of a back swedge and officially measure 2 3/4 inches. I think I might like the new shape better for general use, but I do trust the tanto point not to break off. I also have found the partial serration handy for cutting rope, twine, cords, or straps, but the Evo also comes in a fine edge with no serrations, if preferred.
As much as I love my CRKT Crawford Kasper (original review here), it is large for an EDC knife. It works fine out in the country in a pair of jeans, but, if I had to go into the office everyday like I used to, I'd probably not carry it. The Evo, on the other hand, is quite discrete packing in khakis or dress pants for work or in church. It's what I usually carry going to the amusement park with the grandkids where I'm liable to freak out families with small children. As I think I mentioned, I pulled the Kasper out at the mall to cut a pair of flip-flops apart for my granddaughter, and she was sure I was going to be arrested. That would not have happened with a knife like the Evo. Yet the Evo Jr. gives me plenty of "cutting power", and I have no doubt it would serve nobly in a self-defense situation.
OK, maybe, "noble" isn't exactly right, but it would let air in and blood out if it came to it.
Part of my confidence in the Evo Jr. comes from the construction and the aforementioned solid lock-up, part from the configuration. The pop-open tab/finger guard does keep the hand in the right place. The anodized aluminum scales, though very smooth, have oval cut-outs which reduce weight as well as assist the grip. You can hang on to it, but your aren't going to find any "hot spots" on your hand in extended use.
This is not a knife you have to baby or leave on the shelf. I think I gave around $30 for my copy, which seems reasonable to me, but I have seen them on the 'net for less recently. If you lose it, you won't have to cry long. I cannot imagine, short of using it for a pry bar, how I could break this Gerber, and I would not hesitant to use it for pry bar if necessary. It is a carry knife, meant to be used and abused.
I like it.
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