Knives by Nuge EDB First Look

By Nick Italiano

Introducing the Knives by Nuge EDB, the newest compact yet capable fixed blade in Nuge’s handmade line-up. The EDB, which stands for Every Day Bushcrafter, is a design collaboration between Nuge and baba_ross_bushcraft where it was decided the popular EDN neck knife would make a great full-sized knife. After a few different schematics were produced and the final design was chosen Nuge set off to make some prototypes and they were very positively received by the community and so the process of getting these into the line-up began!

SPECS

Let’s start with some basic specs. The overall length of the EDB is 7.5 inches with a 3.5-inch scandi grind blade. The blade width is 3/32 of an inch, making it thin but plenty tough to handle serious outdoor tasks. Like all of Nuge’s outdoor knives, the spine is 90 degrees for scraping and ferro rod striking. The blade steel is one of my personal favorites CPM-3V. This particular steel falls into the category of high carbon, with all the toughness you would expect from high-carbon steel but also boasts excellent edge retention, easy sharpening, and good corrosion resistance. The handles are green canvas micarta with beautiful flared copper tubes.

The sheath is an Ambi Kydex sheath made by Offensive Industries that is designed to be carried in your pants pocket. Allowing for discreet and comfortable carry. It can be carried in either front pocket with the blade facing either direction. If you haven’t experienced this style of sheath, I can tell you that there is no better way EDC a fixed blade!

DESIGN and ERGONOMICS

The design of the EDB is very cool, it has a striking and unique look to it; beyond just looking good, it is an absolute joy to use. The handle is very comfortable and allows a full grip in my hand (large-sized glove) and swells slightly on the butt end to fill your hand nicely. The scales are grippy, but not so aggressive it hurts your hand. The blade shape allows for a nice finger guard so there is no concern of accidentally sliding your hand forward onto the blade when using it. The EDB had a nice center of balance, and the tall blade stock in comparison to the thin hand provides excellent cutting angles.

IN USE

Though I have not used the EDB for a long time I’ve put it through my usual paces to check performance. The scandi grind processes wood like a champion, really biting into making it easy to remove material. The blade is thin enough to make processing plant materials easy, but certainly tough enough to handle thick roots. The spine does a nice job scraping both tinder and ferro rods and is completely unencumbered by the blasted finish on the blade. While scandi grinds are not your typical EDC option, this knife begs to be carried every day, due to the sheath and utilitarian design.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The EDB is an awesome knife that borders on full size in an easy-to-carry package. While this is truly an outdoor knife, this can easily double as your go-to everyday fixed blade. The EDB costs $350, which initially seems a bit high, but the use of CPM-3V super steel and the inclusion of the premium sheath from Offensive Industries as well as the exceptional fit and finish make the EDB worth every penny. At the time of writing, there are just a few left in stock, but EDB is slated to be a featured offering going forward and may see variations in handle materials and blade grinds.

Be sure to check out Knives by Nuge on Instagram or at his website!