Gentleman's Carry

A guide to EDC blades to accent your style.

- Jim Henry 

It’s like an endless sea. Have you noticed? In the last few years, “tactical” folders are flooding the knife market. As a result, it doesn’t seem there's much taking place with the tried-and-true gentleman’s knife. It’s always a relief to see a simple, sleek design that you can put in the pocket of your blazer and carry during the day, open your letters with, and even use to cut your steak that evening.

Sometimes referred to as “traditional,” or even as a “dress knife,” this category still has its place bumbling around in modern pockets. These blades don’t necessarily have to look like grandad’s three-blade Stockman that he kept in his tackle box all those years, but they are definitively simple, stylish, and downright functional.

We’ve tracked down some of the newest, most handsome designs that are sure to charm the eye of one who appreciates an interesting, yet basic approach to the classic pocketknife.

Spyderco: Advocate, by Gayle Bradley

Designed by renowned knife maker and cutting sports professional, Gayle Bradley, the Spyderco Advocate displays sleek and smooth lines, boasting solid titanium scales finished with an orange peel texture that feels very kind, yet secure to the hand. Only on the second look around the knife, does one notice the intricacies that Bradley meticulously incorporated into this production version of one of his proudly made custom knives. Other than the obvious physical features, the Advocate uses wisely designed friction-reducing ball bearing washers to ensure a speedy open, regardless of whether you’re using the flipper, or Spyderco’s Trademark Round Hole cutout design.