It’s that time of year again and the annual KPL holiday gift guide is here! This year we have assembled gift ideas that blend the lines of everyday carry and outdoor use, and every item is sure to delight the discerning Knife Lover, EDC Aficionado, or Outdoor Enthusiast in your life! Each of these tools has been vetted for quality and functionality and a majority of them are used on a regular basis by members of the KPL team. We even reached out to a few professionals to get some input as to what they think would make a great gift!
Knives By Nuge
If you’ve read any of our previous blogs, you’ll know we are big fans of Knives by Nuge! Tom Nugent makes each and every knife by hand in his shop in New Jersey. These knives are purpose designed to be functional, while also looking great. Tom’s attention to detail ensures every single knife that leaves his shop meets his very high standards of edge sharpness, fit, and finish.
The Wicket and Wicket XL
The Wicket is a versatile little knife that was originally designed as a neck knife, but the immense popularity led to many different versions being made. Starting at just $145 for the budget friendly Primitive model or something more premium ranging from $190 to $275, you can get one of the best small knives on the market for both EDC and the outdoors that is sure to impress.
The Wicket XL was designed to take the same ergonomic design and functionality of the original Wicket, but make it bigger! While the Wicket XL is too large to be a neck knife, it is exceptional as a discreet belt carry knife or even a pocket fixed blade.
Jack Wolf Knives
Jack Wolf Knives is owned and operated by Benjamin Belkin, who designs all his knives using AutoCAD and contracts production out, but ensures all production meets his very strict standards. Jack Wolf designs blend the traditional slip joint with modern materials and aesthetics to produce true modern classics.
Little Bro Jack
While we love the models, the Little Bro Jack is a favorite of ours (and Capt Rikki who supplied the photo). It is a compact blade that can be easily carried everyday, with a classic clip point that is popular among many outdoor enthusiasts. The blade is S90V, and the frame is high grade titanium with offerings with a variety of exotic material inlays.
The Woods Monkey
The Woods Monkey is a division of the well known handmade knife company LT Wright. The Woods Monkey Produces funky yet functional knives such as the Banana Peel Modular Friction Folder that we love! This year they have added some new items to the line up that would make great gifts for lovers of outdoor knives and tools!
The Kerf Carving Knife
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he Kerf Carving Knife is a compact fixed blade that is designed to carve wood, making it popular among bushcrafters and wood workers. The Kerf features a large ergonomic handle that allows for a full grip that is easily manipulated in the hand. The blade is a mere two inches with a scandi grind allowing for excellent control and detail work when in use.
Mink Titanium Spork
Let’s face it, who doesn’t need a high quality reusable spork! These are great for camping or as a very cool piece of dinnerware. The Mink looks as good as it functions with a variety of hand anodized finishes, these are sure to be a conversation starter around the campfire or while entertaining guests at home.
ESEE Knives
ESEE Knives is owned by Randall’s Adventure Training, as such, ESEE is known for making no-nonsense outdoor knives based on the needs of outdoor survival professionals and SAR(search and rescue) Team Members. We have talked about the Izula and Izula 2 a number of times on this website and by all accounts they are phenomenal knives, but this year ESEE has expanded their offerings with a new knife in some new steel options!
The Sencillo
Sencillo translates to simple and that is exactly what ESEE’s newest small fixed blade is, a simple straight forward knife that is thin and comfortable. The thin blade stock makes this an excellent slicer for EDC tasks, yet the tough A2 or Magnacut steel options allow this knife to perform equally well in a number of outdoor tasks.
The 3 inch blade has a drop point and a full flat grind and both steel options currently have brown Micarta handle scales and ship with an excellent kydex sheath. The Sencillo would make a great addition to any knife nuts collection!
Outdoor Element
Outdoor Element was founded by Mike Mojica, a mechanical engineer with a love for the great outdoors, in 2015. In 2017 he left his day job to focus solely on building and developing Outdoor Element with his business partner Joe Brown.
Outdoor Element focuses on making innovative gear for both the seasoned and novice outdoors person. While much of the gear is outdoor focused there are plenty of great items that would appeal to a prepared minded EDC user. It is also worth checking out their Kickstarter for the new Sparky and Scratch Key Fire Starters
Quick Feather
Who says a great folding knife needs to cost a fortune? While the Quick Feather is budget priced, it is feature rich! This Folding knife features a 2.85 inch VG-10 blade with a 90 degree spine section for striking a ferro rod and has custom designed easy to sharpen serrations.
The pivot has caged ball bearings and the blade opens smoothly using the flipper tab. Once deployed the liner lock will hold the blade securely in place and can be easily disengaged after use. The handle scales are made of tough textured G10, and the hardware accents stand out with a striking gold color.
Contour Knife
The Contour fixed blade serves a lot of purposes in one small package! This compact fixed blade 5.5 inches long with a 2 inch bowie pattern VG-10 blade. The blade itself has a ¼ inch hex slot while the back of the G10 handle has a loud whistle.
The sheath features a ferro rod and ceramic sharpener really rounding out this full featured package. The contour gives you everything you need while out in the field to maintain your blade, start a fire, and signal rescue if needed.
PNWBUSHCRAFT
Heather and Todd over at PNWBUSHCRAFT are known for making some of the finest waxed canvas and vintage wool gear money can buy, not to mention they are all around awesome people!
While much of their gear is focused around the outdoors after attending Blade Show for a few years they have become increasingly enthusiastic about making awesome gear for the knife and EDC communities. All their gear is handmade in their shop in Washington state and is built to last a lifetime!
EDC Travel Tray
The EDC Travel Tray has been a mainstay of my EDC carry since Blade Show 2022. This unique organizer provides three slots to organize your gear while in your pocket and not much makes me happier than clutter free organized pockets!
When not in your pocket the EDC Tray can easily unfold and snap together to become an actual deep tray to keep your gear in on your bedside table, while staying in a hotel, or providing a safe and dry area to put gear down while in the woods.
Maple Pocket Knife Roll
Do you or your loved one have too many knives? Of course not! There is no such thing as too many knives…but if your collection is large you probably need a place to store all those knives! The Maple Pocket Knife Roll is a great option to safely store your folding knives and is excellent for when you need to travel with your collection! With 15 total slots with some variations in width you can add quite a few knives and it will easily roll up making this a nice compact way to store and protect your knives.
Tuff Possum Gear
Tuff Possum Gear is known for making high quality nylon soft goods with intuitive designs that have served both the outdoor and EDC communities well! Tuff Possum is Owned by Jayberry Miller and is run as a true family operation with the help of Jayberry’s wife and parents.
Each design is extensively tested before going into production to ensure it meets the very high standard of quality and functionality Tuff Possum customers have come to expect.
Shackleton EDC Satchel
The Shackleton is a compact EDC shoulder bag that is just big enough to hold your daily essentials without being cumbersome. This bag features a good amount of organization including two exterior pockets and two internal pockets as well as the back wall being lined with a velcro loop so you can attach optional accessories such as the first aid pouch, velcro skittles pouch, or my personal favorite the satchel organizer panel which adds three more pockets and large zipper compartment. You can pack it for your daily commute, a day in the woods, or your emergency essentials!
Pocket Possibles Pouch
The Pocket Possibles pouch is a compact little pouch made out of durable stretch fabric that is designed to easily slide into your pocket. The Pocket possibles pouch also has two durable loops, one on either end, so that you can easily lash it onto your pack. This little pouch is a daily essential for me as it houses my mini survival kit and a few small tools.
They come in a variety of colors to suit your tastes or if you are into color coded organization. There is no limit to the versatility of these little pouches, I’ve seen them used as boo-boo kits, wire and cord organizers, wallets, small tool pouches and so much more!
WAZOO Gear
Back in 2012 Dustin Hogard an avid adventurer, and Nick Blackman an accomplished Engineer came together to create WAZOO, a company focused on making everyday gear with wild capability. For more than a decade they have been doing that exceptionally well! Each piece of gear that WAZOO makes is designed to be worn or carried daily, look good, and provide an essential survival function.
The Spark Necklace
The Spark Necklace is a compact fire starting tool that also happens to be a really cool looking pendant! The Spark consists of a small ferro rod, a zirconia ceramic striker, a quality leather cord, and an easy to use clasp. While the concept seems simple a lot of R&D, prototyping, and testing went into making this the premier fire starting necklace.
From a functionality standpoint, with a little practice, you’ll be using the rod and striker to throw hot sparks to get your fire started in no time. The design is rugged and visually pleasing, imparting the wearer with a sense of preparedness and independence. You can’t go wrong with this cool piece of functional jewelry, it doesn't just spark a fire, it will also spark conversations!
Cache Beanie and Cache Cap
These high quality hats will do everything you expect a good hat to do; The fleece lined Merino wool beanie will keep you head warm in the winter and the polyester lined ripstop cotton cap will keep your head cool and protect you from the harsh sun. What makes these hats special is that they both contain well placed hidden pockets so you can comfortably carry some essential survival gear, spare cash, or any number of things inside!
MODL Infinity Tool
A few years ago three friends, Barak Zitron, Zack Leitz, and Justin Guld got together to create a flexible and versatile multi-tool and the Infinity Tool was born! Fueled with the core belief that human creativity and ingenuity should be encouraged and embraced, the flexible infinity tool uses are only limited by the end user's creativity.
These tools now come in two varieties, standard and glow in the dark. The standard tools are rated for 70 pounds while the glow tools are rated for 40 pounds either way this leaves a lot of options for use. I have personally used mine to lash gear to my pack, as makeshift handles, to bundle kindling, and the glow tools I’ve used to mark important gear around my home and camp.
Failsafe Goods Leather Accessories
Ryan Kibbee, owner and maker at Failsafe Goods makes “leather with character.” Each wallet and EDC accessory is 100% made by hand in his home workshop in New Hampshire. Ryan believes in supporting other small businesses and prides himself on sourcing his materials from locally.
Failsafe Goods leather products are designed to be functional, while maintaining a rugged and classy character that just gets better with age. Everything is made in small batches so it would be difficult to recommend any specific item, but take it from someone who owns a few Failsafe wallets as well as a few other EDC accessories, each and every item Ryan makes would be an exceptional gift for the EDC or outdoor enthusiast in your life!
Knife Pivot Lube
Our Holiday Gift Guide wouldn't be complete if we didn't mention some of our own knife maintenance products! As always we would like to extend a special discount to readers of the blog by using code BLACKFLAG at checkout!
KPL+Skiff Maintenance Tray
Skiff Workshop is well known for their best in class caged ceramic bearings as well as a number of tools for both knife makers and knife lovers. New this year is an awesome collaboration with Knife Pivot Lube that is sure to please any knife enthusiast.
This Machined Aluminum tray is designed to store all your knife maintenance supplies including 3 bottles of KPL knife lubricant, cleaning swabs and a Skiff Cheat Sheet Card.
KPL Holiday Gift Box
If you want to get yourself or the knife enthusiast in your life a complete knife maintenance package, check out the KPL Holiday Gift Box! This package includes our most popular products giving you everything you need to clean, protect, and maintain your folding knives and fixed blades!
