Looking for an EDC knife and handgun combo? More companies than ever offer both in one place.
Who offers the best Knife-Gun combos:
- Wilson Combat Les George Eagle & CQB
- Ruger Follow-Through & SR1911 Officer-Style
- Browning Vortex Drop Point & 1911-380 Black Label
- M&P Oasis & Smith & Wesson Performance Center Ported M&P 9 Shield
- Wilson Combat X-TAC OTF Automatic & EDC X9
- Kimber 3.25-Inch Folding Knife by Kershaw & K6S DC Revolver
Marketing experts will tell you that many consumers purchase products based solely on brand recognition and loyalty. From breakfast cereal and bread to clothes and cars, we tend to gravitate toward particular companies whose products we feel are inherently superior. Gun owners are particularly loyal, and when a company provides a high-quality product at a fair price, remaining faithful and supporting your favorite brand is a wise decision.
Many gun companies now offer their loyal customers the opportunity to purchase their firearm and all accessories in one place. For concealed carry and personal defense, one of those accessories almost certainly includes an EDC knife. Carrying a sharp knife is a luxury for some, but there are plenty of real-world scenarios where having a sharp blade close at hand is a matter of life and death.
If you’re a true loyalist, here’s a look at six of the best EDC gun and knife combos from some of your favorite brands.
Wilson Combat
Knife: Wilson Combat Les George Eagle 40th Anniversary ($599.95)
Gun: Wilson Combat CQB ($2,865)
WilsonCombat.com
Wilson Combat makes world-class 1911s, and the company’s CQB is one of their most popular pistols. It isn’t cheap at $2,865, but you’re not going to find a custom 1911 of this build quality for any less. The CQB features a carbon steel slide and frame, a five-inch stainless match barrel and match bushing that are hand-fit, G10 Starburst grips, a light, crisp 3.2-4.5-pound trigger — and much, much more.
The frame-to-slide fit is seamlessly smooth with minimal tolerances, and no detail of this pistol has been overlooked. It’s among the most accurate pistols I’ve ever shot, and the gun I fired has zero issues. No, it isn’t cheap, but it’s one of the most affordable life insurance policies available. Plus, 1911s offer both a grip and manual safety, so you can feel confident carrying this gun cocked and locked. Since this is a Wilson Combat pistol, there are plenty of optional custom touches you can add to make your own gun one-of-a-kind.
A gun like the CQB demands a knife to match, and that’s what you’ll get with the 40th Anniversary Wilson Combat Eagle Framelock Titanium Flipper based in Les George’s famed Eagle model, a standard among carry knives. This knife comes with a Carpenter XHP “Super Steel” stainless 3.6-inch blade equipped with a trigger finger flipper for rapid deployment. The handle features fiber laser engraving with a special 40th anniversary motif, and the weight is minimal — just 4.8 ounces. If you want one of these knives to complement your CQB pistol, don’t wait around, though: Only 40 will ever be made and they’re selling quickly.
Ruger
Knife: Ruger Follow-Through ($41.99 at Gun Digest Store)
Gun: SR1911 Officer-Style .45 ACP ($979)
Ruger.com
This Ruger combination isn’t in the same price class as the Wilson Combat combo, but this gun and knife combo actually offer a lot for the money. The new-for-‘18 SR1911 Officer-Style .45 is CNC machined for smooth and reliable operation — and with a 3.6-inch barrel, an overall length of 7.25-inches and a weight of just 31 ounces, this compact .45 carries seven rounds in the magazine and offers the added safety of the Model 1911 design features. The slide and frame come with a low-glare stainless finish, the sights are drift-adjustable Novaks and G10 grips are some of the most stylish and functional you’ll find on any production 1911. The SR1911 Officer-Style offers plenty of stopping power in a conveniently-sized pistol package.
More EDC Articles:
- How Much Sight Picture Do You Need?
- Medium-Bore Match-Up: .38 Special vs 9mm
- 10 Top .45 Pistol Options For Any Budget
- 6 Semi-Auto Pistol Options For Any Occasion
- After Drawing, When Should You See Your Sights?
Ruger’s an old name in the gun world, but the company recently began offering an expanded line of knives that includes a number of great EDC options, including the versatile and affordable Follow-Through. The 3.75-inch drop-point, flat-top blade is made from 8Cr13MoV 58-59 HRC stainless-steel, and this Matthew-Lerch designed knife also comes with a locking liner and blade flipper as well as Ruger-inspired diamond-checkering glass-reinforced nylon handles. Even if you aren’t looking for a new carry pistol, the Follow-Through is a heck of a deal with an MSRP less than $80.
Read More: Ruger Adds SR1911 Target Model
Browning
Knife: Browning Vortex Drop Point ($29.99)
Gun: Browning 1911-380 Black Label Pro W/Rail ($829.99)
Browning.com
If there’s a company that knows about brand loyalty, it’s Browning (have you visited their “Show Us Your Buckmark” page and seen the number of people with the brand’s logo tattooed on their body?). Indeed, Browning has developed something of a cult following, but that didn’t happen by accident. Innumerable companies have cloned the Colt 1911 pistol design over the years, but Browning did something truly bold and ingenious and created an 85 percent scaled version of the world’s most famous single-action semi-auto pistol.
Chambered in .380 ACP and dubbed the 1811-380, these guns come with composite frames with fully machined 7075 sub-frames and rails and a stainless steel slide. It’s plenty powerful to handle the mild .380 ACP round, yet it’s lighter and more compact than competing 1911s with standard-sized component parts.
How portable is it? The Black Label Pro version with a 4.25-inch barrel measures just 7.5-inches long but weighs a scant 18 ounces and holds 8 rounds in the magazine. The 1911-380 Black Label has three-dot sights that are perfect for close-range shooting — even in low light. And, there are plenty of nice additions to this pistol, like G-10 composite grips and an accessory rail for attaching add-on accessories such as lights or lasers.
The Browning Vortex Drop Point is a functional and very affordable EDC knife that features a 440 stainless-steel titanium-coated, 3.4-inch blade with partial serration and a black G-10 scaled handle. The blade has a 56-58 Rockwell rating, and when folded, the knife measures just 4.5-inches long. It’s also an extremely affordable option and remains a good value at under $30.
Learn More: Browning 1911-380 Review
Smith & Wesson Performance Center
Knife: M&P Oasis
Gun: Smith & Wesson Performance Center Ported M&P 9 Shield ($510 for the Combo Kit)
Smith-Wesson.com
Smith & Wesson is another company with a dedicated following, and their new Performance Center Every Day Carry Kit makes buying an EDC pistol and an EDC knife as simple as possible since they both come as part of a single package. Making this offering even more appealing is that fact that Smith & Wesson also throws in a pistol portfolio and an M&P Delta LED flashlight as part of the package price. What’s all this run? Just over $500 MSRP.
The M&P 9 Shield needs no introduction. These pistols are among the most popular carry guns in the country, and more than one million of them have been sold. These striker-fired pistols come with 7- and 8-round magazines, a stainless slide and barrel and HI-VIZ fiber optic sights. The Shield has a 3.1-inch barrel and weighs just 18 ounces. Its narrow design and roughly 6-inch overall length make these guns easy to conceal, and the durable black finish stand up extremely well to the abuses of daily carry. Breakdown and maintenance of these guns is extremely simple, and the Shield has an enviable reputation for durability and reliability. The ones I’ve shot have also been accurate, and the grip design manages recoil effectively.
The Oasis folding knife features a 3.25-inch 7CR17 high-carbon stainless drop-point blade that’s titanium coated. It also features dual thumb studs, a Linerlock locking system and a skeletonized handle that minimizes weight and simplifies cleaning. At just 4.75 ounces, this lightweight knife is easy to tuck inside a pant pocket, and it’s easy to open for rapid deployment. The Performance Center EDC Kit is a superb value from a trusted brand.
Wilson Combat
Knife: Wilson Combat X-TAC OTF Automatic ($384.95)
Gun: Wilson Combat EDC X9 ($2,895)
WilsonCombat.com
Wilson Combat gets another mention on this list because they offer so many great carry gun/EDC knife combinations. The EDC X9 pistol is a double-stack 9mm 1911 that offers match-grade accuracy in a portable, lightweight package. The 4-inch stainless cone barrel features a cool flush-cut reverse crown and this gun’s double-stack design holds 15 rounds of 9mm ammo on-tap. The barrel and chamber are both fluted, and carry cuts and ball endmill cuts are standard. The grips are made of G-10 with a Starburst design, and this pistol lacks the traditional grip safety found on most 1911s — but it does have a Bullet Proof thumb safety.
Despite its impressive capacity, this gun measures just 1.4-inches wide and weighs an impressive 29 ounces unloaded, making it an ideal carry pistol. Is it accurate? Very. I tested this gun recently and found that it held its own against other custom 1911s with longer barrels during 25-yard accuracy test protocols.
The EDC X9 comes with X-TAC front and rear cocking serrations that match those found on the X-TAC OTF Automatic Wilson Combat/Hogue knife. Before purchasing, it’s important to check state laws regarding auto-open knives, but this knife is perfect for EDC where legal. The 3.5-inch clip point blade is made from CPM-154 stainless-steel with a black PVD finish, so it can withstand the rigors of hard use and the total weight is just 5 ounces.
Kimber
Knife: Kimber 3.25-Inch Folding Knife by Kershaw ($64.99)
Gun: Kimber K6S DC Revolver ($1,155)
KimberAmerica.com
Here’s one for all the revolver fans out there. Kimber is widely-regarded as one of the world’s top production 1911 manufacturers, and they offer many great semi-auto pistols that are ideal for carry. But, the K6S, introduced a few years ago, moved to the head of the class among compact carry revolvers.
The DC (Deep Cover) model features a stainless-steel frame and stainless 2-inch barrel with Black DLC overbrushed finish, which stands up well to abuse. This DAO .357 Magnum comes with a six-round cylinder and weighs just 23 ounces unloaded. Overall length is 6.62 inches, which makes this an easy gun to conceal — and the black and gray G-10 grips are well-designed and offer a secure grip on the pistol, even when firing heavy magnum loads. Night sights come standard, but the feature that really sets this gun apart from competing revolvers is the smooth trigger pull. If you’re a fan of carrying a revolver for personal protection, then the K6S is a superior choice.
The Kimber 3.25-inch Folding Knife is built by Kershaw, a name that’s familiar to even the casual knife enthusiast. The thumb stud and blade flipper make this an easy knife to open and close, and the blade and body are made from high-quality steel with a durable black finish. I’ve had a chance to carry this knife for over a year and it has become my go-to EDC carry blade, perfect for just about any task that you can imagine. It’s lightweight, robust and easy to clean — and the blade holds an edge very well.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
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