Why do you edc a knife?

Well this might sound a bit out there, but I carry a folding knife to cut things. I have used mine in a pinch to cut food, but I would say the majority of use comes from just needing to cut things... tape, rope, boxes and other packaging.

 

Multi-Tools are a scattergun approach. You get a lot of functions, but the individual tools are not as good as free-standing tools. A SAK have a great knife and I EDC a Pioneer X but there are tradeoffs. The knife is not centered to the handle, the handle is not ergonomic, the blade does not lock and the blade steel is on the softer side. On the other side you save on weight, for light work you do not need the ergonomics or a locking blade, so could be considered not neccesary. The softer steel is easy to sharpen and the convex grind is quite utilitarian

This said i would not whittle much with it, I would use a fixed scandi-grind for that. For cutting cardboard i would use something with a thin replaceable blade and for meat i would use either a hunter or a kitchen knife.

So my EDC knife selection reflects my expected activities, my need to be prepared for anything and how much I feel I can comertably lug around with me. I would like to carry my Carl-gustave bayonette with me at all times, but it would poke a hole in my waterbottle, it is a terrible whittler and the local police would take a dim view, so some practical considerations must be made.

Sometimes you NEED a BIG knife. Some of the bigger apples out there my SAK just can not handle

 

I carry:

Multi Tool - Because it packs a lot of commonly used tools into a small easily accessible package and saves me a ton of time at work as well as ensuring that I always have those common tools on me even when I'm away from a tool box.

Knife - Because there's always something that needs to be cut, it's a fun thing to fidget with when I'm bored, and as a last resort will work in self defense if pushed that far but I don't identify with my knives as weapons because I also carry...

Gun - Because as the age old saying goes "it's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it".

 

For work, I carry a fully serrated blade for the dirty jobs like digging grass/debris from yard working equipment (I work at a rental company) I also carry a plain edge blade for regular cutting tasks and I carry a multi-tool because I am often out on the road away from the shop and tools.
For times not at work, I still carry the multi-tool on my belt and a knife in my pocket (can be anything from a SAK to tactical folder to slip joint) just because I feel naked without them, and I often find them useful.
Of course I could also state the real truth...simply because I want to.

 

Grandpa. A knife and handkerchief. I call it a bandana. He would have loved the flashlights we have today. He'd check my pockets. Knife, handkerchief, and if I passed he would give some walking around money. He was a normal guy. This forum would make no sense to him.

mumbo dumpo 6_29_16 by mumbojumboo, on Flickr

 

Dude, sometimes things need to be cut.
How many times have you said "I wish I had less knife for this task?" Carry as large as is practicable.

 

My Dad gave me a knife over 40 years ago and I've carried one ever since . Long before I'd ever heard of a multi-tool. Since then I've carved, whittled, etc and even defended myself with a knife. As mentioned, there are also jobs where you need something with a long blade, locking, or just prefer the ease of use or something lighter than the MT not to mention that deploying a folder clipped to my pocket is a lot faster than deploying the others. I'd also bet that 80%+ of the jobs I perform are just basic cutting so my folder is probably the optimal EDC for me even though I usually have a SAK or MT with me as well.

Agree. That's awesome!

 

Because I was raised to believe a man should always have a pocket knife... for everyday tasks, from splitting
an apricot you just pulled off the tree, to cleaning the dirt from under your nails before washing up for lunch.

 

A gentleman always carries a knife.
Better if 4" blade or more.

 

I raised rural when every man had a pocket knife . They were of a age when their stuff was wood and leather. Beat up pocket knives were the norm. I started carrying one at about 8 ,mostly little ones . Big knives weren't common at that time .Then came the buck 110 and many cared them . I had scout knives and case folders . All ways a hunting knife or two . These old timers wouldnt think twice about caring a pocket knife ,but most were smaller .The barlow pattern was very common and about as large as most carried .I bought one to carry to honor these tough old men . Common butcher knives were often used as food prep and heavy cutting jobs . Corn knifes were used for cutting weeds . They were really machetes used for farming.
Today it's a small Sebenza ,but down in my pocket is a peanut or redbone handled great eastern . And on my key ring is a small swiss lite model for last 20years .
Why ? I worked in a place that would loose power at night . That little guy can get
me to a flashlight !
As far as the multi tools I never warmed up to them . But they are useful .
Yea I am a knife guy !



Jake

 

Aside from a SAK or small multitool, I do NOT carry EDC a knife.

My Pioneer can handle just about all the knife tasks I am likely to come across in a typical day, and quite a few I am definitely not. For me, EDCing a larger, single function knife would just be cumbersome, impractical and, quite frequently, illegal and wildly unpopular with both law enforcement and the general public.

Of course, whenever I head into the woods or the mountains, go fishing, or for other reasons know that it is likely that I will need a knife, I will bring something more substantial, like a large, locking folder or a fixed blade.

Other people leading different lives, working different jobs in different places may find it useful or even necessary to carry a single function knife. For me, however, a SAK or keychain sized multitool is a much better choice.

 

I carry a Spyderco UKPK FFG which gets much the same use I'd get out of a multitool or SAK blade (I also carry a SwissChamp SAK) - opening packages, cutting apples, cutting cordage, etc. I chose it because it's single-handed opening (a feature I find extremely useful!).

Other marginal factors include the choil making it less likely to close on my fingers than a SAK while still staying UK-legal, the jimping on the top of the blade helping with control and the deeper blade making it slightly more capable than a SAK (though there's not a lot in it).

 

On any given day, I might need to cut something. This applies at work, at home, and in general. So I EDC a knife because I might need it, and I prefer a good knife to a blade on a MT or some such that doesn't perform as well. That said, I have nice knives for EDC because I just like knives and prefer a higher standard of tool, even if a $5 Wal-Mart knife will cut stuff too.

 

Comes in handy. But with the recent addition to my carabiner/keychain LM Style CS I really don't carry my Skeletool and SAK Trekker all that much outside of work.

My keychain is getting crazy but I can't seem to part with the stuff yet.

 

I typically carry at least three.

1. Multitool - LM Rebar for the last 3 years
2. SAK/slippie - Today it's a Supertinker
3. Utility knife - lately a dewalt folding razor knife with spare blades

I will swap out my multitool for a couple different one's every now and then, and if I'm wearing shorts I sometimes carry a Vic Executive. It's an amazing little tool all by itself.

Sometimes I carry a folder, sometimes a slipjoint. I find that within these parameters I'm not likely to run into a scenario where I won't have a tool that will get me through it, at least day to day. Long story, I carry a knife to cut things. At work, my utility knife is my go to, since it's got the replaceable blades and I get them from work. I love carrying one of these.

BUT, all that said I can get by with just one of the above, either my Rebar or my Supertinker/Executive, for day to day use. I prefer to live by the "two is one, one is none" mantra however.

 

Just like some already mentioned above, I mainly carry a knife out of tradition.
My grandfather carried one because he was a farmhand and regularly needed to cut rope or other things. My father carries one because he used to be an electrician and stripping wire is best done with a knife. Or so he says.
And although I work in an office environment, I keep the tradition going. That said, when I'm out fishing and I decide to take a Zander home for dinner, I need a sharp knife for gutting it.

 

When I was 8yrs old my Dad gave me a knife before going to Girl Scout Camp and I've carried one every since, because you never know when or for what you might need it. My Mom is a counselor and she said Girl Scouts aren't allowed to use the knives any more, it is a complete shame. That is how I learned knife safety.

 

I'm guessing that carrying a knife/multi tool is mainly a man thing,....now why is that? Could it just be part of our DNA, going back to cave man times, a sharp stone were the first 'cutting tool' that man would have picked up/carried and found extremely useful basically.

Now even in today's modern world, where easy tear off packets etc have been invented to make our lives easier, I still find a use for a cutting tool, pair of pliers or screwdriver from time to time.