How many knives do you carry at one time?

[Ed Schempp]

How many knives do you carry at one time? How do you differentiate the tasks for each knife? Is one knife emergency; ie self defense or rescue, and one knife utility? When I was young and carried a three blade stockman, I used my clip for utility and the sheepsfoot and neuter blades were always kept sharp. Do those that carry two or more knives have one beater one sharp? I'm trying to gain perspective, thanks...Ed Schempp

[Hannibal Lecter]

Mr. Schempp:

How many knives do you carry at one time?

Always at least two, though three is more usual. Always a Spyderco Harpy, always a Wenger SAK, and generally one more that will vary based on the phase of the moon. :D Of late it has been a Spyderco Civilian.

How do you differentiate the tasks for each knife?

SAK for all day-to-day hacking, as it is quick to touch up the edge and cheap to replace if it wears out. 99% of my cutting is done with the Wenger SAK.

My Harpy is reserved for defense. I am still trying to convince myself that I can leave it at home while carrying the Civilian, but I do not yet buy into that theory. :p If I do eventually leave the Harpy at home, I'll just replace it by carrying some other Spyderco knife in its stead, so I am beginning to wonder if there is any point.

Is one knife emergency]

Exactly. I don't cut anything with a self-defense blade lest it be dull at a critical (and potentially lethal) time. I would, however, use it if necessary in an emergency (cutting seat belts, etc.) without another thought.

When I was young and carried a three blade stockman, I used my clip for utility and the sheepsfoot and neuter blades were always kept sharp.

I don't differentiate with the SAK. I use either the straight or serrated blades depending on what I need to cut.

Do those that carry two or more knives have one beater one sharp?

Again, pretty much so. I largely consider SAKs disposable, though I would not be caught dead without one on my person.

I'm trying to gain perspective, thanks...Ed Schempp

Good luck in your pursuit, Sir.

--------------
Warmest regards,


Hannibal Lecter
(The Spyderco Forums' Sociopath-At-Large) :p

[i.v]

i ususally carry a victorinox classic & a utilikey on my keychain & that's it.
knife carrying is becoming ever more difficult here & almost can't carry my cricket anymore, it is, however my preffered emergency blade (not for SD, i don't rely on knife for that).
by lack of choise the small blade on my classic is the "seat belt cutter" because it performs better than one might think in that area.

[clovisc]

since my manix arrived two days ago, i've only been carrying one knife. :)

BUT ordinarily, i am found carrying at least 2-3 knives on my person. normal carry looks something like this...

work:
1) PACIFIC SALT SE -- used for wet cutting and/or when i don't have time to clean my blade (... my work gets rather fast paced)... also for heavy cutting tasks that other knives can't do.
2) MERLIN SE -- the hawkbill shape is perfect for cutting open boxes and heavy plastic bags
3) CALYPSO JR PE, or MEERKAT PE -- for detailed cutting of paper
(i usually have a leatherman handy, too)

after work, at home:
usually just 1) a gentleman's folder in PE
and 2) a SAK or leatherman.
if i need something else, i can always visit the warchest.

after work, going into town or the city:
1) a knife to use for cutting in front of other peole... LUM CHINESE or DAVID BOYE FOLDER... or some other variety of gentlemanly folder with a blade of 3"... or else the MEERKAT.
2) SCORPIUS PE (emergency SD only)
3) MERLIN SE (for rescue or emergency SD)
(usually a leatherman squirt on my keychain)

walking through creepy parts of the countryside, late at night
1) a folding PE blade for standard cutting tasks... lum chinese, calypso jr, etc...
2) a big SD-only knife... MATRIARCH or SMITH
3) a smaller, backup SD-only knife... MERLIN (also suitable for rescue use) or SCORPIUS

visiting frightening parts of the big city:
usually a PE blade for normal cutting tasks, and two SD-only knives... usually MERLIN and SCORPIUS... all 3" or smaller

might be of interest to you, ed... i read somewhere that kung fu warriors always carried three blades/weapons... a primary weapon/tool... a second, concealed weapon to respond to sudden or sneaky attacks... and a dart, for throwing and/or use in very close quarter combat.

i think of my knife carrying (except for in my workplace, where the knives i carry are chosen to fit the kinds of cutting tasks i have to perform...) in similar terms. i like to have a primary PE blade used for 90% of all cutting tasks, a VERY sharp knife to use in SHTF self defense situations, and a back up SD knife that could also be used for rescue situations.

also -- i'm quite particular to hawkbill and s-curved blades... i like having one on me at all times.

[Simple Man]

Generally three;
-Military gets used 90% of the time, work, play, home, farm and other.
-Case stockman with CV steel gets played with more at the office, It is nothing for any one of several higher ups to be fondling knives in meetings, kinda like worry stones. I also tend to use it more at times when kids might reach and get hurt, I can cover the blade easier opening boxes and stuff (I'm more concerned about their safety than sheeple).
-Blade on SOG Powerpliers gets used for the beater stuff, drywall, goop etc.

When I was young and carried a three blade stockman, I used my clip for utility and the sheepsfoot and neuter blades were always kept sharp. Ed Schempp

Same here, the clip blade has an edge but is factory fat, 60°-70° maybe, the sheepsfoot is down to 40°, and the spey blade is narrowed down to 30°.

[The General]

Day to day usually 2 knives, my Spyderco Penknife and a larger blade with a lock, usually one of my customs from Pat Crawford or Bob T.

The Penknife gets the most use and the lock knife is there for the really big jobs where I want or really need the larger blade and lock.

The Penknife is just so easy to use, no fiddling with a lock and thus does 99% of the knife related tasks.

Sometimes I also carry my Murrey Carter neck knife... That is a large neck knife and razor razor sharp.

[CKE]

I usually have 2-3 on me. I always have a Spyderco for their sharpness and ease of use. Of late it has been the Yojimbo...a great utility knife. I also carry a Strider AR...for the tough work, prying, digging just general stuff i would not want to expose my Spydies too. Not saying the AR is better/tougher than a Manix for what I need to do it just has that warranty I can't argue about. I had to pry some panelling from my basement wall the other day. It was an emergency situation and I had the Yojimbo and AR. I would not have thought to pry the panelling off with the thin tip of the Yo. Now the AR came through with flying colours. I would also like to carry a small neck knife but Mrs CKE hates them :rolleyes: and gives me grief about wearing one.
I would never use a knife for self defense unless it was life or death and I had zero options left.
At work I carry a SS Dragonfly PE and it gets used and abused all the same. Hope this was of some help. Take Care!!!

[greencobra]

1. Ladybug on car keyring
2. Ladybug on house keyring (car & house keys on seperate rings)
3. Schrade Peanut
4. Kershaw Scallion
5. Delica PE FRN (going to take the place of the Scallion)
6. One of those high end folding box cutters I got from A. G. Russell

[Fisher of Men]

I carry one. Most of the time it's a Calypso Jr.

I am afraid of what on officer would think if I ever go pulled over for anything and they found three knives on me. One knife I can see. Not three. Three would get me in trouble and maybe jail for the night. One knife I could get away with because it's a tool that I use. I'd have a tough time explaining three or even two.

:)

[HoB]

After a recent experience that made me feel really bad, I try to carry consistently only one knife. I had a Spydercard in my briefcase that I carry to work every day in one of the front pockets. Totally forgot about it. And then tried to take my briefcase onto an airplane. Let me just say, the security gards were not happy. For a moment it looked as if I was in REALLY BIG trouble. But then they saw that I was totally shocked myself. I told them to just take it, if that would avoid filing a criminal charge. I guess that set the tone. So they just kept it off the record and I hope that the Spydercard found a caring new home. But I am not sorry for the loss of it. I made a mistake, I paid for it and they let me off the hook. All in all I was rather relieved. It just taught me the lesson, never to carry more knifes than you use on a regular basis.

I still keep a beater in the drawer of my desk at work. No harm there. Although I feel sometimes ashamed that the beater, which is not a heavy duty knife,l has had more to do than my Manix or Lil'T.

[ghostrider]

I usually carry two but lately have expanded it to three.
One for Emergencies that have not yet happened. Thank God. The second if for EDC (cutting anything that needs it). I have taken a liking to the FRN CE Endura for this purpose and that is where the third comes in.

The third is a Calypso Jr. in hopes that it is sheeple friendlier than the Endura :) . It isn't much longer than a SAK if at all and grey is a less intimidating color than black.

I also cary a couple multi-tools but they are rarely if ever used for cutting.

[clovisc]

I am afraid of what on officer would think if I ever go pulled over for anything and they found three knives on me. One knife I can see. Not three. Three would get me in trouble and maybe jail for the night. One knife I could get away with because it's a tool that I use. I'd have a tough time explaining three or even two.

fisher of men -- i'm not sure about the laws of your state... but in my state, a 3" blade is legal, even for "concealed" carry... and there are no laws restricting the number of knives one individual can carry at one time. if you feel like you need 2-3 (or four, or six, or ten!) knives for your work, or for your daily travels... it's your right as an american citizen under american law to carry that many!!!! (providing, of course, that you comply with limits on size and "concealment"... which often are nebulous...)

also, in the case of being pulled over... i doubt you could get in trouble for what kind of manual folding knives you're carrying in your own car!

in any case... FEAR OF THE POLICE SHOULD NOT STOP YOU FROM LEGALLY CARRYING KNIVES!

under the american constitution, we have a RIGHT to bear certain types of "arms" (within appropriate legal constraints). that's an IMPORTANT right that SHOULD be exercised! we live in a democracy where people are entitled to a degree of power and autonomy!

if responsible people who respect the law don't carry knives (or any kind of "weapon" or self defense tool), only the "bad guys" will have them...

[KeithM]

For some time I've carried a Victorinox Tinker along with a larger, locking blade folder -- usually one with a 3.5-4" blade -- Manix, Chinook II, BM 710HS, or the awesome Persian (the best looking of the bunch by far :D ). Sometimes in addition to those two I'll carry a small locking folder in my shirt pocket, like a Calypso, Jr., BM Mini-Grip, or small Sebenza.

[JD Spydo]

I used to carry 2 knives for EDCs but now due to more demands on my job I have found it necessary to carry 3. I am somewhat reluctant to report that one of my EDCs is not a Spyderco. This is what I have carried for the last 3 weeks: Blue PE Dodo, Big Dyad C-44P&S, Benchmade Boguszewski Spike. The reason for the Benchmade is because I don't have a Spyderco with the same blade geometry. So far with these 3 I have not encountered a job in which at least one of the 3 won't get the job done :D :spyder:

[The Deacon]

[quote="Ed Schempp"]How many knives do you carry at one time? How do you differentiate the tasks for each knife? Is one knife emergency]
Hi Ed,
Around my apartment, most of the time I don't "carry" any. Don't really need to, the place is so small that I always have a few within reach.

When I'm going out theres always one in my pocket, which does change with my mood on weekends but lately has been the same PE Stretch I carry almost constantly on work days more often than not. Gets used mostly for food prep and mail processing.

Then there's the burgundy micarta Jester on my keyring, that's with me anytime I step out the door. Doesn't get much of a workout, mostly just serves as backup.

In the car there's a Salt I, for emergencies, or in case I realize I stepped out of the house with empty pockets (fat chance of that!).

On workdays, theres another :spyder: clipped in my shoulder bag. What model depends on how lazy or how paranoid I'm feeling on a given day, could be a Mouse, could be a Civilian. On days when my paranoia meter is truly pegged out, a Stanley Wonderbar also finds its way into the bag.

Finally, in my desk at work are a BRK Native, for loaning to folks I would be loathe to entrust with a decent knife, an S30V Native in case I arrive at work without a knife (picture that!), and what may be the only hair popping sharp "state issue" letter opener in the Capital District.

[Hapkidoin]

I consistantly carry three knives on me at any time. I carry my Civilian everyday on my strong side, a Camillus Heat (assisted opening on my weak side) and my Chinook II deep pocket (jacket) carry on my strong side. The Camillus bears the burden of a general cutter for boxes, letters, cord, etc.

[Jimd]

Usually three.
A fixed blade most of the time (Strider) for ridiculous tasks.
A heavy-duty folder (Strider).
And a smaller folder for fine cutting tasks (A Spyderco).

[Sundown]

On Duty carry: 3 folders, 2 pry tools, 1 fixed blade, 1 multi-tool. Manix PE or Chinook I PE (S30V): strong side, front pocket (for heavy use cutting requirements). Scorpius PE: in trauma plate pocket of my BPV (as a back-up). EKI "waved" Mini-Comander PE (154 CM): weak side, front pocket (for weapon retention & quick weak hand access). Leatherman Blast: in a sheath on duty belt (for quick access to any other tools needed). Atwood Prybaby: back pocket, behind wallet (for light duty prying requirements). Becker TacTool: in duty bag (for extreme heavy use cutting and chopping). Stanley Wonderbar: in duty bag (for heavy use prying).

Off duty carry: 3 folders, 1 multi-tool, 1 pry tool. Manix PE, Chinook 1 PE (S30V), or Schempp Persian PE (VG10): strong side, front pocket (heavy use cutting). EKI "waved" Mini-Comander PE (154 CM): weak side, front pocket (for quick weak side access). Navigator Almite PE (VG10), Dragonfly PE (ATS-55), or Ti Salsa PE (ATS-34): strong side, in change/lighter pocket (for delicate cutting). Leatherman Blast or SOG ParaTool: in sheath on belt (for quick access to any other tool needed). Atwood Prybaby: back pocket, behind wallet (for light duty prying needs).

I carry several blades, both on and off duty, for the simple reason that I never want to find myself in a situation where I need a knife and don't have one. If I need to cut something, and in the process, break a blade, I always have others to fall back on. I also like the idea of being able to give family members or other Officers (if I'm working) a spare blade to use in an emergency. If my family or partners need a knife in a pinch, they don't have to go running back to the car to get one.

You can never have too many tools! And remember, always use the right tool for the right job! :spyder:

[clovisc]

WOW sundown.

that is a LOT of SERIOUS knifeage!!!

[Sundown]

WOW sundown.

that is a LOT of SERIOUS knifeage!!!

You're right, clovisc, it is. However, I'm a firm believer in the old saying, "I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."

Thanks,
Sundown