Some product launches are predictable — most spring and summer collections have already been released, revealing faster running shoes, lighter camping gear and everything necessary for playing in the water. Some items don’t come out in season-timed launches though, like pocket knives and EDC tools.
The companies and designers that make these items work year-round, and manufacturers that roll out as many as 50 new knives and multi-tools per year spread them out over that period of time, so there’s something new to ogle every week. It’s our mission to keep you up to speed with the release of knives and tools that have the potential to become your next daily sidekick or a worthy addition to any collection. In case you missed one, we’ll round up our findings here in one concise, easy-to-scroll article.
In May, the EDC brand Quiet Carry produced its first fixed-blade knife, Benchmade updated its slipjoint Proper Family, Spyderco expanded its popular Dragonfly line and more.
Quiet Carry Current
Quiet Carry is among a host of newer everyday carry-focused knife brands, and its latest model is its first fixed blade ever. It’s called The Current, and it’s 7.23 inches long with a 3-inch blade. That might be considered small, but Quiet Carry employed a drop-point design with a deep shape and full belly that calls to mind a miniature chef’s knife. The Current debuted on Kickstarter, where it raised over $31,000, but it’s already available at Quiet Carry’s website for $185 or $195, depending on the finish.
Benchmade Carbon Fiber Proper
Benchmade released the Proper Family of knives as a simple take on the classic everyday folder. Initially available with various blade shapes, the Proper is now getting a handle upgrade in the form of carbon fiber. The lightweight material gives these classic slip-joint pocketknives a refined and stealthy look that’s markedly modern.
Spyderco Dragonfly 2 Emerson
Spyderco fans may recognize the Dragonfly name, but they’ve never seen its blade in this unusual shape. That hook on the spine is called an Emerson Opener, and it’s meant to provide a means of unfolding the blade quickly. To deploy it, the user draws the knife out of a pocket from the clipped position. When the hook catches the pocket’s fabric on the way out, it pulls the blade open. It’s an uncommon feature, and a convenient one in place of a flipper tab in a knife this small; the Dragonfly 2 Emerson’s blade is 2.28 inches long.
Leatherman Signal in New Colors
On the heels of its most significant release in years with the Free, Leatherman revealed a subtler upgrade to its outdoor survival-oriented Signal: color. Blue, tan and grey are the new handle hue alternatives to the standard black of the Signal’s previous iterations. Everything else about the multi-tool remains the same: It packs 19 implements including a saw, Ferro rod and emergency whistle.