Only about 10 percent of people are left-handed.
That means the vast majority of items and tools are made with right-handers in mind. Lefties have to put up with right-handed scissors, right-handed can openers, right-handed desks, etc. While the left-handed industry has grown over the years (they make left-handed everything nowadays like scissors and reverse spiral-bound notebooks), finding the same quality that right-handers are afforded is hard.
But it is not hopeless for left-handers. Right, Ned?
Fortunately, for all you lefties out there, some knifemakers are sensitive to your plight and have created truly ambidextrous knife designs. If you’re tired trying to adjusts to right-handed knives with their annoying liner locks, these 10 knives are great EDC options for left-handers.
1. Gerber Gator Knife
Gerber gets much maligned by knife experts for a number of reasons, including some that are well-deserved, but when they do something right, they do it really right. The Gerber Gator is the perfect example. This knife is a staple of the Gerber line and is made in the United States with quality materials.
The clip point blade is 420HC stainless steel and the textured handle is glass-filled nylon. You can grab the drop point in 154CM steel if your heart desires. But the real left-handed feature on the knife is the lock back mechanism (which is more specifically a mid lock). This mechanism can be used effectively with either hand.
There’s also no thumb studs or nail nicks on either side which means you can open it up by pinching the blade with either hand. Finally, a lack of clip won’t give you anxiety about which direction it should face.
2. Benchmade Griptilian Knife
If you want a truly ambidextrous knife, look no further than Benchmade. Essentially every knife in the lineup works seamlessly with the left hand thanks to the AXIS locking mechanism.
Here is the great Doug Ritter singing the AXIS lock’s praises on his site:
Operationally, the lock can be, and is in all the knives produced so far, completely ambidextrous since the locking bar extends through both side plates. While the lockback is also ambidextrous, the liner lock is not, and with few exceptions, southpaws have been left out in the cold when it comes to liner lock knives.
Because pretty much all Benchmade knives could be on this list, I narrowed it down to the two that are among the best EDC knives ever. The first to make the appearance is the Benchmade Griptilian.
There’s something about the design of the knife that makes it so darn functional and appealing. The originals featured an exceptionally grippy nylon handle with a 154CM blade. For those of us in regions with restrictions, the Mini Griptilian has a blade that comes in at less than 3 inches.
Then, of course, there’s the recently upgraded premium version of the knife with G10 handle scales, blue anodized titanium spacers, and premium CPM-20CV steel. Plus, the knife comes in all types of colors and black or satin blade coating.
There’s a Griptilian for every personality.
3. Al Mar Ultralight Eagle Knife
Al Mar is a legend in the knife community and the brand’s bird of prey line (Eagle, Falcon, and Hawk) are among the best EDC knives around. They’re a bit on the pricey end, but the Ultralight versions weighing in at less than 3 ounces are worth the price.
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