The 5 Best New EDC Knives of January 2022

With each new calendar year comes a slew of novel knife designs, updated classics, and tried-and-true EDC fan favorites being offered at a discounted price. And no single retailer — whether of the brick-and-mortar or online variety — carries a wider selection of newly-released knives than the team over at BladeHQ. With the new year now upon us, the Utah-based powerhouse of a knife retailer has just updated its already-expansive catalog with a host of freshly-released fixed-blades, folders, and autos — five of our favorite of which we’ve highlighted in this handpicked guide to this month’s best new knives at BladeHQ.

Kizer Mini Sheepdog C01C

Penned by Chris Conaway of Sheepdog Knives, the Kizer C01C is arguably the best cleaver-style EDC knife ever conceived. The immense popularity of the C01C has resulted in the premium Chinese knife company releasing the Mini Sheepdog in an ever-growing number of model variants, one of the latest of which sees it bestowed with a liner-locking frame adorned in a set of black Micarta scales and a 2.625” CPM 10V steel sheepsfoot blade that’s deployed via a thumbhole opening rather than the original model’s flipper tab.

Purchase: $84

Benchmade 15200ORG Altitude

A spartan, featherweight, and thoroughly premium take on a utilitarian outdoor fixed blade knife, Benchmade’s Altitude is a full-tang model that’s crafted from ultra-top-shelf, orange-coated CPM S90V blade steel that boasts a Rockwell hardness rated between 59 and 61. Despite its minimalistic design, this fixed blade model actually offers incredible levels of grip thanks to the use of jimping on the blade and a cleverly-designed set of micro-scales made from a combination of carbon fiber and grippy G-10 that adorn both sides of the blade’s base. Tipping the scales at only 1.67oz, this model is also sold with a custom camo Kydex sheath.

Purchase: $200

Maxace Balance MBL-101

The Maxace Balance is a brilliant example of a simple, minimalist knife design made from the finest materials possible — a formula that consistently leads to best-selling everyday knives. Deployed via a jimped steel flipper tab for added friction, the Balance MBL-101 packs a 3.67″ drop point Böhler M390 blade with a satin finish that’s mated to a textured TC4 titanium handle — the latter of which is equipped with a reversible tip-up pocket clip, a lanyard hole, and a frame lock.

Purchase: $252

Microtech Troodon Mini D/E

A mini, 5.375” (overall) California-legal version of the double-action OTF blade wielded by the titular character in the John Wick movie franchise, this upgraded Microtech Troodon Mini D/E variant sports a spring-loaded 1.99” dagger-style blade that’s made from top-shelf Böhler M390 steel and finished via a Bronze apocalyptic-colored PVD-coating. Weighing less than 2oz, this knife also packs a handle crafted from black-anodized aluminum and carbon fiber and outfitted with a double-action thumb-slide and a tip-down pocket clip.

Purchase: $422

WE Knife Co. Elementum Frame Lock Black Titanium/Damascus

Originally produced by WE’s sister company CIVIVI, the Elementum has now long been one of the most popular budget-friendly EDC knives on the market, and though it already existed in a wide variety of different versions, WE has now debuted its most top-shelf iteration of the accessibly-priced fan-favorite flipper knife to date. This spare-no-expense Elementum variant has received a set of frame-lock-equipped black-anodized titanium handles that have been paired with a 3.00” drop point blade composed of Hakkapella Pattern Damasteel. This version of the knife also features a blued titanium pocket clip that, for the first time in the history of the Elementum, is reversible.

Purchase: $540

The 5 Best New EDC Knives of December 2021

Still haven’t found the right blade to start out the new year? Then be sure to check out last month’s guide to our 5 favorite new knives for another diverse, curated selection of top-shelf fixed-blades, autos, and folders.