There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
I always am a fan of supporting ppl with brands they know and trust and have used in the field. Esee is a great company and have lots of videos on their abuse and use that live up to their great work horse reputation in all climates. The humid areas of FL where they are really tried out with their high carbon steel shows how even in humid conditions there is not much concern for their maintenance. One just needs to be cognizant of high carbon steels such as 1095 because they will rust quickly if not maintained or taken care of. This is valid when keeping a knife and carrying it IWB (Inside the Waistband) such as I do and you are stating you’d like to. If you are working actively and are likely to sweat, there is your humidity and something to consider.
Esee coats their knives and either a forced patina (which you could do at home) or coated blade willl aid in this topic. The fact you are going to be using it actively will probably not be a concern as you will be constantly engaging the bevel. I’ve owned about six Esee over the years and they have all held up well. If it also helps, the company has fantastic customer service and is also owned and operated by some fantastic people.
If you are interested in other stainless options, which are larger, but could be modified to carry how you are describing, look into Bradford‘s and also Spyderco’s Mule series. They are larger but, are excellent fixed blade knives for EDC. I personally rotate between these, a Lionsteel, and a Chris Reeve all IWB at the 5 o’clock position if I’m not carrying a firearm. The options are endless just about, but if you should decide to carry OWB, maybe look into Bark River Knives as they have some excellent knives intended for the working man/woman. Good luck, we look eager to hearing what you went with.