O.K...So what determines your EDC?

[Kaizer]

Hi people,



As a follow up to my earlier post about *where* you carry your EDC knife / folder this one's to find out *what* determines a particular knife / folder to be your choice of carry for today (or the next couple of days, or the next week, or...you get the picture).



Is it on a whim you pick up a knife from the selection laid out in front of you or is it for a particular activity planned during the course of the day? Then again is it for convinience that you pick a particular knife / folder?



Thanks is advance.



OBTW: I choose my EDC based on how i feel at the time i make the choice. Right now it's the SE Rookie sitting right here next to the Key board. I hardly ever need to cut things up in my line of work but i *still* make it a point ot take a folder from my collection of spydies. Be prepared...



OBTWAgain: Sorry if this topic has appeared in the past...my memory is fading you see...



Have a great day thanks in advance,

Kaizer.



A door half open is a door half closed. But a knife half open is a knife fully closed.

[JBE]

I try to keep things simple by sticking with one primary folder - my Military.

"I'd come to realize that my job was less about saving lives than it was about bearing witness....."

[DAYWALKER]

Aloha!

As for me, my EDC must fit the moment so to speak. Like if I'm just around the house, Delica or D'fly. If I know I'll be spending the day in the yard, Endura or one of my "throwaways', like my CS Voyager. Going into town, it's my Matriarch...As of late, I have been using my D'fly a lot no matter where i am going or what I am doing!

God will put you over...if you let Him! Mark 11:23!

[The Deacon]

When it comes to using knives I'm left handed. This is a major influence on my knife purchases and thus on my choices for EDC. Out of close to sixty Spydercos, all but four are front locks, and my EDC is always a front lock. I find them easy to operate and have high confidence in their strength. I prefer plain edged blades, as I both prefer the look of a plain edge and find them easier to sharpen. Perhaps due to my age I favor traditional materials and construction. Bolster and scale models thus are my favorites, and the upcoming Kopa and Navigator II are the new models I am most anxious to get my hands on.

I work for a government agency where political correctness is venerated and where the vast majority of my co-workers qualify not as mere sheeple but as bleating heart liberals. While each of them have on their desks a New York State issued letter opener that, under New York State law could be considered a 6" bladed double-edged dagger, they manage to remain blissfully ignorant of its potential as a weapon, while getting large of eye and damp of armpit at the mere sight of a Merlin.

Most of the time I succeed in controlling my natural desire to shock the living daylights out of them and carry one of the models I've found to be least offensive to the terminally timid. However, each new addition to the collection gets at least one trip to the office to gauge their reactions. Call it scientific curiosity or just plain meanness. A jigged bone Kiwi causes slightly raised eyebrows. A grey Calypso Jr. causes those eyebrows to go to about half mast. A Persian gets them up to full staff and causes some slight increase in eye diameter, I can't wait to see it the mods I'm having done to mine will reduce this. A SpyderHawk produces extreme "deer in the headlights" effect in their eyes, major leakage from sweat glands, and possible (but undocumented) leakage from other orifices as well. But even the dreaded 'Hawk its baby brother the Merlin are more acceptable than "THAT THING!!!", my Benchmade 42. Can't wait for the release of the SpyderFly.

On weekends, freed from those concerns, I carry whatever suits my fancy, but do gravitate toward a Native if I think serious work may need to be done.

Paul

[Ted]

Pretty much what Paul said - my choice is heavenly influenced to what the people around me at work would consider acceptable.
Currently I 'dare' too carry a Spyderco Mouse - does that say enough?
During lunch I slice an orange apple in 4 with this - they all gaze at me when I do that...
Good thing is there are weekends! <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Ted

Edited by - Ted on 4/16/2004 6:29:30 AM

[Simple Man]

I reach for my Military 99.6% of the time. Those other two days of the year I think "Hey, maybe this would be a better EDC", but I usually end up tradeing out when I go home for lunch.

“…tractors don't have to look like Ferraris” – Sal <><

[HoB]

Ah, Deacon you definitely need a Vaquero Grande ;-)). I always wanted one just to test the sheeple reaction ;-))

[thombrogan]

Well, there's the SE s-curved Meerkat and generic Swiss Army-styled slipjoint that are my nigh-constant companions (the Meerkat often gets replaced with a red Salsa on weekends) and, these days, the Dodo has currently been my regular EDC because it's so handy and easy to control for detailed, little cuts.

[redhawk44p]

If I am going out of State it is my SS Dragonfly. At work my Native, Delica, or Endura. Weekends it is usually my Millie or Police. In the woods I like my Moran lightweight.

[AllenETreat]

Here's what determines mine -

For everyday, it has to be light weight,
durable & sharp <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> Compactness is also a
factor ; I'm also ATR when dealing with
the yokel cops ( four fingers, NOT 4" or less! ) So that's what dictates the Cricket
as my EDC ( with the PE rev. 'S' Meerkat &
SE Jester in there as well <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>) Larger ones
go into the collection.

Every now and again the SE Merlin pops up <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

I notice most of our forum-ites are from Texas where 5" or less is the standard, and
as Texans aren't as stuck in the mud as us
Connecticut Yankees, one could feasibly carry a Military or Police model <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

That's the problem with the Union - the law
is heavy on both ends ( east & west coast )
and light in the middle ( for the most part ) And the south generally has a cavaliere attitude towards knives ( ****,
some of the best knifemakers ( A.G.Russell
comes immediately to mind ) are from there )

So it's two SE ( Cricket & Jester ) and one
PE ( rev. 'S' Meerkat <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>)

AET

Some things are necessary evils, some things are more evil than necessary. John Le Carre

[Xibalba]

Another vote for EDC that those around me will find the least offensive.

I work at a major University doing social science research, so many in my department are not exactly knife afficionados (although, surprisingly, many on OUR project do not bat an eye at knife carry - one young woman carried a 2" gerber on her keychain via lanyard). However, I have found opening the occasional package easier with the help of either my Copilot or Meerkat, two knives that while I am sure they actually violate university policy, do not raise any eyebrows amongst my coworkers.

On weekends I used to carry my Native PE, although for the past few months I have been unable to shake the VG-10 PE Delica. Mmmmmm....classic Delica <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Mike

"'Good!' said Legolas. 'But my count is now two dozen. It has been knife-work up here.'" -J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

PS - My birthday, however, is in June, and I am strongly suggesting to my lovely wife that the green Jester/Photon combo would make a wonderful gift. Should this come to pass, I could see it easily becoming my workday EDC.

Edited by - Xibalba on 4/16/2004 1:59:59 PM

[Civilian]

I usally go for the mose offensive. CF Civilians in both front pockets, and a Ronin around my neck!!!

But really my EDC is Usally My Military, I abuse it almost every day and use it everyday. Although on Easter I took the Lum Chinese Folder PE to the party. nothing opens a bag of ice like that!
_________________
MAT<img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>TER

[John Watson]

Several factors play a part in what I carry, where I am going, what are my particular knife interests at that time, what is allowed, what clothes I am wearing.

While slip joints are my present interest, I will have a Military in one of my pockets when out on a walk as well as the slip joint. Just in case those two friendy Chows down the block decide to be less friendly than their owner thinks they are.

[silverback]

HoB:
I have a Vaquero Grande, but almost never carry it.
Got it just for the coolness factor plus it was a bargain.<img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
The sheeple reaction is wide eyes and a step backwards. Definitely worth it.<img src="tongue.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

But now for the EDC:
Usually I have a favorite for a few days and switch to whatever catches my fancy next, mostly regardless of size and sheeple reaction.
Although I make allowances for special situations/dress codes/comfort of carry.
Recently I made a horizontal leather belt sheath for my police to increase its carry time.
It works.<img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Few people think more than two or three times a year; I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week. -George Bernard Shaw

[cdf]

For me it's wether I'm on or off duty , the nature of the expected tasks , and the ambient temp . Excessive sweat plays **** on nice cutties !

[brownie0486]

I carry several that are rotated but none are carried with concern for the sheeple as these are defensive knives and are not "brought out" in public to cut when mundane chores crop up.

For that, the SAK Hiker gets called on from the LFP where it resides permanently.

The defensive folders are lockbacks or framelocks, no linerlocks for this old boy. Usually the Persian, the Chinook 11, or the Perrin 5" Bowie

Brownie

[Jenner 515]

My EDC choice depends on what I may encounter for the day. This week its lots of pallet banding and shrinkwrap, so this week its the Buck STB Police Utility. Last week it was lots of three strand poly rope so it was the Persian.

[Jimmy_Dean]

Maybe it's gonna sound silly but I become emotionnaly attached to my things. Like my pen, my watch, my pocket knife is the only one for me. I have plenty that I'll use for many different tasks but the one that goes into my pocket is always the same.

-Dean

[Alan2112]

Most of the time I like something big & sturdy, but not overly heavy. My current EDCs are a PE Military, and a BM 735BT. Ocassionally I carry our Native III for something even lighter. RKBA!