Spyderco Forums

So I've been looking around the internet looking at keychain knives. I have a few classic SD's laying around, was thinking about putting them on my keys, but then I thought, why would I carry a knife on my keys? I usually always have a larger more capable folder that I never forget, and sometimes a smaller folder as well for those non-permissive environments. I myself always remember to put a knife in my pocket before leaving the house in the morning, and my keys. One of the reasons I don't want to carry a knife on my keys is because I feel like I would forget it at the airport or the courthouse or at a sports game and have to throw it out or walk back to the car. But it got me thinking, why do you carry a knife on your keys?

Yep. One of my most used knives too.

Why? Because I can. Do I need a better reason?

Always have a Ladybug on my keys. Best two reasons are 1) if I ever forget my main EDC knife I will still have an edge on me, and 2) when I'm around non knife people and it's a bad idea to pull out a full size or even medium size knife, an innocent little Ladybug usually won't scare people away. It's also usually a much finer point and edge than a lot of knives I carry so it gets used for picking splinters and manicures etc.

I have it attached on a double hangman knot like this.

I've tried but I just don't like it. Tried keeping flashlights or pry tools as well even beads and still can't get into it.

Yes and yes. I have two sets of keys and both key rings have a knife. One has a Ladybug H1 Hawkbill and the other has a Victorinox MiniChamp. It is nice to have a very discreet blade for times when you don't want to scare the sheeple. I find the MiniChamp to be very useful since I replaced the normal scales with those from a Signature Lite. This gives me a small LED light and a pen instead of the tweezers and toothpick. The blade, scissors, and bottle opener are also very handy at times. There are a few other tools on the MiniChamp but I don't really use them and could probably do without.

I carry a Vic Classic SD on my keyring. Anything larger or heavier would be in the way. But, this way I have a larger knife of some sort (even if it is a DF), and I have a thin small blade, scissors (I use a lot), screw driver, cap lifter, tweezers, toothpick, wire stripper, file, and etc. in my pocket.

I don't like things in my pockets and don't even carry a wallet. :eek:

I dislike keys the most and only carry the absolute minimum, truck, truck toolbox, front and back door and I'll usually hide them somewhere rather than carry them but I always carry a knife. :)

I do, a classic Alox, a Minichamp or a Wenger Pocket Tool Chest.
As an only-blade knife, the smallest I carry is the DF2, but having an extra blade in the keychain is always nice and my keychain is my "last line of EDC" containing the basics in case I have to go out running or in an emergency, as my keys are 24/7 on my pants.



Keys have flat driver, Phillips, blade, scissors, light at least 365 days a year

It looks like a lot but the carabineer clips to a belt loop and it all tucks into my back pocket so it doesn't jingle or get in the way.

No. When I use a knife, even a small one, I don't want a mess of keys coming along with it. I like my key ring as minimal as possible.

I always carry two knives. One larger knife like a Delica and my SAK Classic. The SAK is more for the scissors and toothpick but still, it just rides as a standalone tool in my pocket.

Thanks all for the replies. I carry my keys on a carabiner on my belt loop and tuck them in my back pocket, but I'm one of those types that hates a bulky keychain. I have 3 keys on it, 2 car keys and a house key and other than the carabiner, that's it. I couldn't stand even having a nite ize doohickey on it much less a classic sd. I usually carry two folders, a larger primary one handed opening/closing and a smaller traditional. Both are light and skinny. I never forget to carry a primary knife, but it's much easier to simply not put the knife in my pocket when going somewhere you cant take it than to have to remember that you have one on your keys and then have to take it off.

SAK Classic for the past month on my truck key key ring.... And on my house key key ring.. Leatherman Squirt P4 for the past 10 or so yrs.. I keep my house/truck keys on separate rings as I don't want a pile of keys hanging off my ignition switch and beating up my steering column.. John :)

Yup. I use the flashlight and pry bar all the time. The knife... not so much.

I currently keep a victorinox rambler on my keys. I've also had a victorinox classic sd, leatherman style ps, leatherman style cs, and leatherman micra on my keys.

It's a great way to have a lot of utility in an unobtrusive package.

In my mind, the frequency that I need a tool:

Daily or near daily: toothpick, knife, scissors
Weekly: screwdrivers, nail file, pen
Infrequent, but really want to have when you need it: tweezers,corkscrew
Infrequent, and can usually substitute or wait: pliers, wire cutters, awl


I choose to edc an additional folding knife or pocket sized multitool. Currently it is the dragonfly 2 frn. Of the 3 items I use daily, there's no reason for me to carry a larger toothpick. And it's more useful to have a larger knife than a larger pair of scissors.

Carrying a knife alone, which i do utilize more often than any other specific tool ... well, I'm not using my knife as a toothpick, pen, or file. And I really don't want to use my knife as a screwdriver, scraper, awl or pry bar. Whereas I wouldn't have an issue with using the multitools bottle opener or screwdriver as a pry bar, and I wouldn't mind using the screwdriver as a scraper, or the scissors as a makeshift awl.

Frankly, I think multi tools are under appreciated. People complain that the knife blades are too small and too thin. Well, my thought is that they don't need to be any bigger nor any more stout because all they need to be is a knife. You've got other tools in the package that can be used for non-knife duties. Whereas if you're carrying a knife only, you're using that knife for non-knife duties more often.

yablanowitz wrote:Why? Because I can. Do I need a better reason?

Yep, that ^^^^. I have a Ladybug II (SE sheepsfoot) on my key chain. It'll get replaced one of these days with a Manbug Salt.

I do. I've been carrying an SE Ladybug Hawkbill Salt for over a year and have just replaced it with an SE Manbug Sheepsfoot Salt. Featherweights each, they cut way above their class.

Yup. Here is one of my favorites:

http://www.swisstechtools.com/proddetail.aspx?PID=5

The Swiss Tech UtiliKey. It looks like a key and has a knife edge and it folds. The only drawback is that to use it, you have to detach it from your key chain, though some may have figured out how to use it without doing that. Even so, it can do a lot, from opening mail to cutting string and opening packages etc.
I ought to get one of the Spyderco ManBugs or Dragon Fly for that.

Mora2013 wrote:I currently keep a victorinox rambler on my keys. I've also had a victorinox classic sd, leatherman style ps, leatherman style cs, and leatherman micra on my keys.

It's a great way to have a lot of utility in an unobtrusive package.

In my mind, the frequency that I need a tool:

Daily or near daily: toothpick, knife, scissors
Weekly: screwdrivers, nail file, pen
Infrequent, but really want to have when you need it: tweezers,corkscrew
Infrequent, and can usually substitute or wait: pliers, wire cutters, awl


I choose to edc an additional folding knife or pocket sized multitool. Currently it is the dragonfly 2 frn. Of the 3 items I use daily, there's no reason for me to carry a larger toothpick. And it's more useful to have a larger knife than a larger pair of scissors.

Carrying a knife alone, which i do utilize more often than any other specific tool ... well, I'm not using my knife as a toothpick, pen, or file. And I really don't want to use my knife as a screwdriver, scraper, awl or pry bar. Whereas I wouldn't have an issue with using the multitools bottle opener or screwdriver as a pry bar, and I wouldn't mind using the screwdriver as a scraper, or the scissors as a makeshift awl.

Frankly, I think multi tools are under appreciated. People complain that the knife blades are too small and too thin. Well, my thought is that they don't need to be any bigger nor any more stout because all they need to be is a knife. You've got other tools in the package that can be used for non-knife duties. Whereas if you're carrying a knife only, you're using that knife for non-knife duties more often.

I couldn't have worded it better. It's exactly my line of thinking.
I carry a knife for knife things,



my multitool is there to trim my nails, pull out that painful thorn, make that hole in the belt or pry that stubborn drawer open.

The only thing it doesn't give me is light and writing capabilities, but those are covered by my AAA flashlight and the mini pen in the Vic SAK that goes with me everywhere, copying your pattern, my needs are:

Daily or near daily: knife, scissors, light
Weekly: screwdrivers, prybar, pen
Infrequent, but really want to have when you need it: tweezers, file, corkscrew, gripping/pinching action (pliers)
Infrequent, and can usually substitute or wait: saw, wire cutters, awl, fire (lighter)



very nicely put mora2013!

I carry a hawkbill LB in a kydex sheath on my keychain.