Hey guys I'm trying to figure out something I see get asked a lot, and it was discussed a few threads ago but I've never really seen an answer that's satisfactory:
What is the best edc knife, and the best budget edc knife -- for self defense in a libshit state?
& What are some good EDC knives that would be decent in a pinch?
Requirements to be legal: 3.5" max with wiggle room for over-measuring, no fixed blades, no OTF, no daggers, no edgelord marketing.

IMO this is the criteria in order:
- Ergonomic grippy handle with some kind of swell or way to lock in the hand. Knife should be held in a hammer grip. Its vital that one can actually pull it out after one stabs something and equally important that it can't be dislodged from one's hands.
- Blade geometry: Thin-spined slicer type shapes, that look ideal for stabbing and puncturing. I've never seen slashing do anything in a knife fight.
- Lockout: Strength of the lockout is key here. Ergonomics and how fun it is to play with isn't as much.
- Deployment: Reliability of deployment is crucial. Single handed deployment is a huge bonus for knife vs knife fights if you're wearing a jacket and train to utilize, and less important if not. I don't think speed of deployment matters very much -- most knife encounters I saw are either by complete surprise anyways, or you have plenty of time. but you could weigh it higher if your knife is more of a tertiary defensive measure, since you'd presumably be deploying in the heat of things.
- Blade steel: I think this is the least important factor for a dedicated self defense knife, because its going to get used never or once. For a general purpose EDC+Self defense knife, this should be ranked higher.
I'm basing my 2c here off watching around 2k knife fights/stabbings, reading old dagger fighting manuals & personal martial arts experience. every 'system' i've seen is bs. I'm a combat sports guy so I hope you guys can fill the blanks 'cause I'm not a knife nerd yet.