Choosing your EDC knife comes down to a personal choice. Which one do you like best? Which one do you feel is more functional? Which one is cooler? What is the use for the knife? And which one fits your lifestyle better? These questions are necessary to answer to figure out your choice. 
But everyone knows that we should all carry a folding knife, or should we?
Let’s Talk Knives
There are so many knives on the market today, and the price range is from inexpensive to mega bucks. When I was younger it used to be an easy choice when purchasing a knife, if you wanted a pocket knife there was one standard style, a small multi-blade knife that would fit in your pocket. There were no belt clips, no belt holsters just a small knife. Then if you wanted a fixed-blade knife you had to carry a large knife on your belt. But those easy choices are over now, there are so many choices in todays knife market and your decision gets more and more difficult.
Uses Of A Knife
Is this going to be an Everyday Carry (EDC) knife or will it be for a specilized purpose? If it will be used for opening boxes or packages, cutting string, twine, or rope, carving wood, then I would consider it a EDC knife. If you will be carving meat, personal protection, hunting or fishing, cutting seatbelts, breaking a window or other emergency uses, that would be a special knife.
Folding Knife Advantages.
A folding knife seems to be the most popular knife
out there. It is safe, easy to conceal, and can be in a small package and placed in your pocket. For many years they have been known as pocket knives. It is easy to get in and out of your pocket for daily tasks and does not usually get in the way. Some of the folding knives have a locking mechanism which keeps it open until you wish to close it.
Things To Think About When Using A Folder.
A folding knife is generally not as durable as a fixed blade knife. Since the knife has a hinge, it can bend or break when you least expect it to. One thing to remember is that folding knives are harder to clean. and if used very aggressively can occationally break.
There are two types of locking mechanisms to consider: a “lockback” style folder is a very secure mechanism but does require two-handed closing. The “liner lock” knife allows the user to close the knife with one hand.
Fixed-blade Knife Advantages.
A fixed-blade knife
is much stronger and ridged since it is made out of a solid piece of steel, they can be used rougher and work stronger than a folder. They are more durable and hold up to the elements well because they do not have a folding mechanism as with a folding knife. A fixed-blade knife is easier to clean and maintain and can be deployed faster in a self defense situation.
Things to think about with a fixed-blade knife.
The biggest downside to a fixed blade knife is they are harder to conceal and not as convenient to carry. But with the right style of sheath they can work very well.
Final Comments.
After reading all of this information, the biggest choice comes down to you and what you like. With all the various knive available on the market you can fine one that suites you and how you plan to use that knife. The other good thing is that you do not have to only choose one knife, you can have as many styles of knives that you desire for whatever activity that you are doing. Enjoy your knife hunting!
If you have any questions about this post or anything related to Everyday Carry (EDC)/Concealed Carry, feel free to leave a comment below and I will be happy to get back to you.
All the best,
Larry
Founder of Everyday Carry Essentials
shotgun and it works well. I decided not to use the tactical pressure switch as my thumb can turn it on or off the switch when it is handling the slide. The only thing that I added was a Trinity Base Rail Mount
for my magazine tube. This was a great place to mount my flashlight and it is easy to get to but out of the way. I highly recommend this tactical flashlight for your shotgun, rifle, or AR-15. 
I can only put on a 4-shot side saddle on my receiver and that limits my extra shotgun shells capacity.
until it is free from the end of the magazine and pull the barrel off, and set it aside.
just above the trigger and place it in a dish or safe container so it does not get lost. 
down and forward from the receiver and set it aside.
, two rails will become loose and they need to be set aside too.
so they will not get lost.
you can pull the forend grip out of the receiver and off of the magazine tube.
, as seen in the picture. My first choice would have been a bandsaw, but mine is out of commission right now.
I had a metal cutting blade in it so the cut would be very smooth. As I cut the synthetic forend grip I cut very slowly so I could keep control of the saw so it would not over-cut the grip.
, it really turned out great and if you did not know I changed it you would not know anything was different. 
to fit your receiver so it will be easy to put on, making sure that the serial number is visible and not covered up by the Velcro.
with alcohol to remove the dirt, oils, etc. that might cause the Velcro not to stick.
. Make sure you press all over the piece of Velcro so that the glue bonds to the receiver. (Leave it alone for a few hours so the glue sets well. It might be helpful to place a heavy book on top of the Velcro during those few hours).
, I like to have the loop facing forward so I can pull it off in one clean motion after racking the slide, then replace it with a full one.
on the market today and here are a few that work very well:
savers, 
If you decided to build your gun cleaning kit from scratch, you would first need a container to hold everything. My favorite is a fishing tackle box with three shelves, they have plenty of dividers to keep all your items separate and organized. Once you have your container picked out then you need to customize your kit how you would like it. I have collected a lot of cleaning supplies through the years so making my own was very easy. I added brass cleaning rods, brass jags, cleaning patches, cleaning brushes (nylon and brass), Q-tips, pipe cleaners, cotton swabs, Hoppes #9 solvent squeeze bottle, Hoppes elite gun cleaner, Break Free CLP, and some wash clothes. 
I have recently added a Otis Tactical Gun Cleaning System and it works great. I also added a bore scope, a 1911 front lug wrench, some small screwdrivers, needle nose pliers, a pick set (plastic), and some silicone rags. This is very mobile kit but I usually just use it at home for good gun cleaning. The newest addition to my cleaning kit is a Otis Tactical Gun Cleaning System, it has everything necessary to clean rifles, shotguns and pistols. It gives me the tools to always clean from the breech to the muzzle and that is the best way to clean. I just purchased a one piece cleaning rod to be used on very stubborn gun cleaning situations, these will not scratch your bore or crown when cleaning. I also added a smaller version of the Otis Cleaning System to my MB Sxowbmu Handgun Tactical Range Backpack (See the review on March 24,2022) for quick cleaning at the range.