a friend asked me what I recommended he decided he needed a new one and could I recommend a good one.
So I though it would be interesting to see what you all like

my every day go to for most everything is a buck 110 slim select

Buck 110 slim select
USA made blade
Deep pocket clip
420HC blade steel
3.6 inch blade
One hand opening stud
Back lock

420hc is not great steel but it isn't bad steel just needs sharpening a bit more often.
a big part of this one for me is , available , and around 30 dollars not that big of a deal if it goes missing. buy another.

decent slicer , light easy to carry , deep pocket clip so it rides low in the pocket but still easy to grab, one hand open
for daily stuff opening packaging , slicing some cheese and sausage for lunch, cutting a steak when the provided knife stinks , a little field cooking , but also works good for gutting a deer , cleaning a squirrel or pheasant , cutting line
edc for me means good at a bunch of stuff , easy to carry all the time near everywhere
strong lock , centerline point , blade with a little belly , not too heavy, reasonably thin blade and overall size are things I like in an edc

for me it should be no work to just have it there always.

what traits make an edc for you and what is your go-to

I have other knives and carry a fixed blade a fair amount but I still almost always have the buck

I suggested 3 too look at with different price points , let him make his own decision any of the 3 would be good then it is personal preference.

I have a collection of buck knives but I seldom use them anymore, I've started using the havalons and outdoor edge knives that have replacement blades

Buck stockman. Not expensive. Very usable blade shapes. Not always my first choice but will get done most knife jobs I encounter unexpectedly and many I am aware of ahead of time.

my son EDC is a Spyderco Para 3 lightweight

it is good and it works for him , I am cheap so dropping 150 or 1/2 a weeks groceries is harder than 30 or 1/10 a weeks groceries.

I tell my wife we go through a nice rifle in groceries every month and that hurts but I do like to eat.

so the buck was the budget option

I recommended the Kershaw Iridium as a nice middle

and the Spyderco as a good option if more money isn't an issue.

I am not much on serrated blades , they have their use but I find them harder to sharpen well and they do still get dull.

everyone needs to find their fit and not everyone has the same cutting tasks in mind

for more expensive knives I do have an automatic , it was a gift and I like it , but this friend has to do business in the ILL state often and autos are Illegal in the ILL state so not a good fit for him.

before I carried the buck 110 slim or it's variations I carried a Schrade Trapper back when they were US made

like this but with the USA on them https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021482596?pid=252971

Case XX large stockman and a Leatherman Wave+.

Case mini trapper I carried for 25 years? Smooth shiny bone grips used to be rough. Has a small crack in the grip on the other side so I retired it. Has gutted quite a few deer skinned a lot of fur. Case knives now have a shiny steel I don’t care for.

Case Mini Copperlock for me.

I like my carbon steel I also like one hand open for daily carry because there are so many times you already have a hand full when you need a knife

I have a few Camillus with carbon steel and many carbon steel fixed blades mostly Russel

back when I carried a buck 110 before the slim with the pocket clip and stud for one hand opening , the brass was heavy enough to grab the blade and give it a flick and open the handle. it worked not exactly Ideal.

Old Timer

Improved Muskrat USA

Always in my pocket for a couple decades now, while not convenient I can open it one-handed. Have a buck 110, 10 yrs old, that is usually on my belt.

I cary a small folding Case every day. When I say I keep it razor sharp, I am not exaggerating. I stroke it on my F. Dick hypersteel every few days, even if I haven’t cut anything. I get lots of satisfaction from sharp knives. Our kitchen knives will shave as well. I hit them at least weekly.

I buy these small black handled Case knives two or three at a time on the Internet. There is a universal law that says if you loose you knife today, you will probably lose its replacement in a few days. For that reason, I keep several pocket knives in a bedroom drawer, and almost never misplaced one.

Have about every imaginable knife to edc and I hardly carry one any more. Kinda agree with the first post BUT the buck 112 with a pocket clip/ Micarta scales is hard to beat.

I always have a Gerber sport multi tool with me. It has saved me so many times I can't leave home without it. Recently just picked up a civivi yonder to have something for easy one handed opening. It's a little bigger than I needed but hardly notice it in my pocket. Opens and closes supper smooth and came sharp. haven't had it long enough to know if I love it yet but it's looking good.