32 picks
Everyday Carry
Pocket knives, small tools and a lighter, carried daily and repaired for decades.
Some objects are too settled to compare. The design stopped changing decades ago, one maker got it right, and that maker still repairs what they sold you. This page is for those: the lighter and two small tools sit here, and the knives have their own pages below.
Knife carry laws vary by country, state and city, covering blade length, assisted openers and where a knife may be carried. Check the rules where you live and travel.
- 11 picks
Product photograph, VictorinoxSwiss Army Knives
Victorinox knives whose tools pivot on steel pins and whose spare parts are still sold.
- 6 picks
Product photograph, Buck (110 Folding Hunter, ebony and brass)Traditional Pocket Knives
Slip joints, lockbacks and an Opinel: old patterns, plain steel and handles that wear in.
- 12 picks
Product photograph, BenchmadeModern EDC Folding Knives
Modern folders held together with screws, so a pivot can be tightened and parts replaced.
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3 picks on this page
| Rank | Pick | Brand | Why it lasts | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leatherman Micra | Leatherman | Spring-loaded scissors and tweezers 路 Stainless steel, small knife and file | Buy |
| 2 | Leatherman Rev | Leatherman | Package opener and screwdrivers 路 Stainless steel | Buy |
| 3 | Zippo Brass Pocket Lighter | Zippo | Free repair for life, no receipt needed 路 Insert, flint and wick all replaceable | Buy |
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Product photograph, LeathermanLeatherman Micra
LeathermanA keychain tool with spring-loaded scissors, tweezers, a small knife, a file and screwdrivers, all in stainless steel. It carries the same 25-year Leatherman warranty as the full size pliers tools and is small enough that it ends up on the keys and stays there.
- Spring-loaded scissors and tweezers
- Stainless steel, small knife and file
- Leatherman 25-year warranty
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Product photograph, LeathermanLeatherman Rev
LeathermanA pocket-size Leatherman with a package opener and screwdrivers among its tools, built from stainless steel. It is the inexpensive way into the 25-year warranty, which covers the tool whatever the price.
- Package opener and screwdrivers
- Stainless steel
- Leatherman 25-year warranty
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Product photograph, ZippoZippo Brass Pocket Lighter
ZippoZippo has repaired its lighters free since 1933, with no receipt and no time limit, which is a warranty so unusual it is worth stating plainly: send it in and it comes back working. The case is a stamped brass shell that outlives everything inside it, and the insert, flint and wick are all consumables you replace rather than reasons to buy another lighter. Being windproof is the point: the chimney keeps it lit where a butane flame blows out.
- Free repair for life, no receipt needed
- Insert, flint and wick all replaceable
- Windproof chimney design
- Brass case, made in the USA
- Mechanism unchanged since 1933
- Product photograph, Leatherman
Leatherman Micra
LeathermanView on AmazonA keychain tool with spring-loaded scissors, tweezers, a small knife, a file and screwdrivers, all in stainless steel. It carries the same 25-year Leatherman warranty as the full size pliers tools and is small enough that it ends up on the keys and stays there.
- Spring-loaded scissors and tweezers
- Stainless steel, small knife and file
- Leatherman 25-year warranty
- Product photograph, Leatherman
Leatherman Rev
LeathermanView on AmazonA pocket-size Leatherman with a package opener and screwdrivers among its tools, built from stainless steel. It is the inexpensive way into the 25-year warranty, which covers the tool whatever the price.
- Package opener and screwdrivers
- Stainless steel
- Leatherman 25-year warranty
- Product photograph, Zippo
Zippo Brass Pocket Lighter
ZippoView on AmazonZippo has repaired its lighters free since 1933, with no receipt and no time limit, which is a warranty so unusual it is worth stating plainly: send it in and it comes back working. The case is a stamped brass shell that outlives everything inside it, and the insert, flint and wick are all consumables you replace rather than reasons to buy another lighter. Being windproof is the point: the chimney keeps it lit where a butane flame blows out.
- Free repair for life, no receipt needed
- Insert, flint and wick all replaceable
- Windproof chimney design
- Brass case, made in the USA
- Mechanism unchanged since 1933
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