Comparing your traditional knife edc traits

rockgolfer

rockgolfer

Joined
Mar 1, 2008
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I am interested to see everyones edc's and see how the knives you carry differ or what patterns you find amongst them. I am down to around a dozen knives and try to rotate them all, eventually. But I can say without a doubt the three knives I carry the most lately are my GEC #55 houndstooth. A swiss army alox farmer I recieved from my daughters for fathers day and my Jared Oeser eureka moose. I grabbed two other knives for comparison as well. The farm amd field hayn helper sees garage duty and is always in my pocket when im out playing mechanic. The t.k. cuban is new so its not as used but is certainly a gap filler for me.


The players:




First thing of note is the size. Aside from the cuban all my knives fall in the 3.5 to 3.75 range. I would say I am absolutly cmfortable stretching it up to the 4.25 range but find any knife under 3.5 to be cumbersome to grip and use for my daily tasks.

The straight blade:






The smaller two are 2.25 long which I find perfect for edc. I like the longer 2.75 hayn helper when I am doing durty work but, could easily live with a 2.0" straight blade on my edc without worry.


A little belly is good from time to time ;)





I prefer a slightly longer blade with belly. These all fit my needs perfectly and average around 2.5" long. If my straight blade is not a wharnie then I prefer to have a clip for its thin tip over the spear. I will say that 7 out of 10 times ill take a clip over a spear. Comes down to the tip, looks, and for me, the low profile of the clip closed. The spear usually sits to high and interferes with my grip while using a secondary blade.


Thickness:



These two top out in the thickness department with the alox being the fat boy at about .5" wide. I have no problem with it while wearing jeans or shorts. When I feel like something slim well, I have that option covered too.

One last shot to show off the covers:



I would say I have one or two more bone then wood. Those being my top preference. I love canvas micarta as well. Really not a stickler on the covers as long as I feel it fits the knife in my eye.

Overall I guess I have gotten pretty picky on what I carry. I know what i like and it works for me. This little comparison actually has just helped me nail some parameters for my eventual next, custom knife.

Jeff
 
Just me but, the 55 sticks out like the star saxophonist flanked by studio sidemen.
 
I will be getting a SAK Farmer soon, is it a good woods knife and edc knife? It would be great if you responded.
 
Jeff, I carry this one, and only this one. No rotation.

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It's the sweet spot for me. 3.5" long closed, 0.5" wide at its widest point. It disappears in my pocket even more than the TC Barlow it replaced.
 
Nice comparisons Jeff and great to see that Oeser from some different angles.

I too enjoy seeing what works for other people.

For me a big part of the fun of knives is figuring what works and what doesn't with certain designs and uses. However, I can forgive little foibles if a knife pleases my eye (I guess otherwise I'd just carry an Opi and that would be the end of it!).

At the moment I'm enjoying larger knives which I had put to one side due to pocket issues by finding ways to carry.



For example I've put a short leather loop with an 'S' clip on the lanyard hole of this large Trapper. The 'S' clips onto my pocket top. Hey presto!
 
Having spent a large portion of my life carrying a stockman pattern, I'm still exploring alternate patterns to see what else I like.
So far I think I have discovered that
  • I tend to be less satisfied with an EDC knife which does not have a Sheepsfoot, Wharncliffe, or Coping blade, plus at least one other blade for other chores. I prefer a Sheepsfoot over a Wharncliffe or Coping blade.
  • the optimal closed size for me is 3 5/8". That size disappears in my pocket, yet still gives a hand-filling handle.
  • I like at least two blades, but no more than 3.
  • I prefer blades to not be crinked (bent to fit). Easier to cut straight with them.
  • I really don't have much use for a spey blade. I find a pen blade more useful.
  • I don't care for California Clip blades. I like them nice and full, because I just do.
I think that if I ever found a 3 5/8" cattle knife with clip, pen, and sheepsfoot blades, in either D2 or 440C blade steel, I might have found "the one".
 
In addition to other things, I carry a Victorinox silver alox Cadet every day in my right front pocket. Left rear pocket beside wallet is the rotation slot. Most often it is occupied by a traditional pocket knife in the 3 1/4" to 3 3/4" range, with occasional exceptions.

Usually the rotation slot is a Case, Buck, or GEC 2 or 3-bladed knife of various patterns.

Today was one of those exceptions. I carried a full-sized Case Trapper in addition to the Cadet. Didn't need either of them all day.
 
I much prefer multi-blades and carry them at least 80% of the time. A clip main with a nice point and a straight-edged blade are my favorite, so I carry a stockman a lot of the time. If not a stockman, then a two-blade jack with a clip and either Wharncliffe, coping or sheepfoot, or even sometimes a pen secondary. Here are some of my usual suspects, one each in bone, stag wood and acrylic. Size runs from 3.5 to 4.1 inches closed. If I ever get around to having a custom made, it would be a 3¾" shadow sowbelly jack with slender clip and sheepfoot in D2 or CPM154.

EDCfoursome_zpsa5460a5b.jpg~original
 
Some great knives being edc'd :thumbsup:

MA, the farmer is a great edc knife. If you dont think you need the saw, grabbing the pioneer would make it a bit smaller. I personally dont mind the extra thickness as I use the saw a bit for work. Its stout and will give you decades of hard work im sure.

Frank, you and I share a lot in common in our wants. When I first came over to this sub forum I was amazed by how many choices in patterns and blades can be had. I think I feared getting locked into one particular niche from the start and really dove right into the ocean. Now that ive been thrown a life jacket and had a chance to rest on deck awhile, im confident that im not settling. Hope to learn more from your future purchases.


The 55 is certainly the most pocket worn my friends. Its just so hard to leave the little guy at home. It disappears until I need it and fits my hand like a glove.

Really enjoying everyones stories :)
 
knarfeng said:
[*]I tend to be less satisfied with an EDC knife which does not have a Sheepsfoot, Wharncliffe, or Coping blade, plus at least one other blade for other chores. I prefer a Sheepsfoot over a Wharncliffe or Coping blade.
Click to expand...

I keep trying to come up with a reason to use a blade such as those but the only use I have found for that blade style in my EDC knife is for cutting open those plastic blister packs, in which case I usually use a pen blade if I have one.

So what do you use those blades for? I am trying to justify a stockman right now over a few others, but I just can't see myself using those blades right now.
 
Straight-edged blades are great for precision cuts, because you always know where the edge is.
Like Frank, I too prefer the short, stout sheepfoot over the longer Wharncliffe or smaller coping.
 
Bob6794 said:
So what do you use those blades for?
Click to expand...

I am also curious. I have great respect for Franks experience and hope he shares.
My guess is rope. Things you cut on a board pushing straight down.
Im new here, and so far, I find it is almost impossible to get people to say what they cut, beyond envelopes and food.
I suspect a lot is taken for granted by people who carry knives, my guess is they work with different materials, and their hands. Computer geeks like me, have to buy unsliced cheese and salami to justify a sheepfoot blade :-). But Ive never had a stockman, and I dont cut rope. And I really dont like the way sheepfoot blades stick way out of the frame when closed.

What do you cut?

my edc traits: my barlows are all about 2.75" primary blade and 3.5" handle
1. I carry a single blade spear point charlow daily
2. I carry a backup barlow with clip point and spear, or a peanut, in order to have a small blade, the pen
3. I favor a coping blade over a sheepfoot or pen
4. I have not had any wharnie interest
5. I just cut food with my 3.5" folding traditionals
6. I rely on a Puukko with 4" blade and 4.25" handle when camping, split wood, feather sticks, kindling making, plus food
7. The peanut size is too small for my food needs and I dont need the sharp pointy clip. the pen sees some use, but peanut primary blade sees no use since the charlow arrived.
8. Im sensitive to weight. A peanut weighs 33grams half a 2 blade barlow at 72grams. The single charlow is 58 grams.
9. As a minimalist, my pockets usually only have one knife, but I have others in my bag.
10. I like scissors, midnight rabler, vic classic, or on my leatherman

IMG_8630.JPG


I disliked the proud sheepfoot enough to lower the kick to drop the blade a full extra 1/8" into the pocket, knife on right after filing kick
IMG_7184.JPG


these are stock unmodified sheepfeet
0C772C1E-4ABE-4C4C-B48E-568D46C28F46-3967-000001715608383C_zpsa84618ad.jpg
 
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Caulking tubes, card board to mix glue on. Corrugated plastic for templates. Sharpen my pencil. Cut a plastic band around a pallet, shrink wrap around a pallet. Cut away old caulking. Use the point to cut tape on stone to leave behind a line to grind to. These are just some of the things I use a sheepsfoot, coping or wharncliffe blade for on a daily bases.
 
Interesting question.

I started my knife life with the ever so useful camper.

Got a big Buck 110 and promptly fell out of the habit of carrying a knife. Tried multi-tools but that didn't work for daily use either.

Some where along the line I got an Opinel in trade for some bike parts and that sent me on a binge of other single blade knives. I've tried a bunch. Enough to be settled that the N9 Opinel is my knife.

The other piece of the puzzle for me is when a buddy suggested that I move my key ring tool to my LFP. Now I have more functionality than my old camper and a better knife in my pocket.


EDC Pair by Pinnah, on Flickr
 
Didn't have time to post my EDC traits I like in a knife. My traditional EDC preferences aren't set in stone as I haven't explored traditionals too much beyond my SAK's and Canoe which is currently my favorite knife by far.

For me these are things I look for:
-2.5-3in blade
-comfortable to hold, decent grip
-lightweight, and decently small
-for traditionals I like to keep the knife around the size of a credit card in length as I secure it to my credit cards with a rubber band in my pocket
-leaning towards carbon steel after I bought my first opinel, my first and only carbon steel knife we will see where this leads but so far I am loving it
-not have wood in the construction despite loving the look of it (Ultrasonic + wood = swelling and took off some of the coating on my opinel)
-prefer cheaper knives as they are all meant to be used, and some dedicated to be used/abused work knives if need be such as my opinel and 1-2 lockbacks I have.

So far the Canoe is my favorite pattern I have ever handled, I just wish someone made a good carbon steel version for less than what I am finding them so I don't feel like I should baby it.
 
Bob6794 said:
I keep trying to come up with a reason to use a blade such as those but the only use I have found for that blade style in my EDC knife is for cutting open those plastic blister packs, in which case I usually use a pen blade if I have one.

So what do you use those blades for? I am trying to justify a stockman right now over a few others, but I just can't see myself using those blades right now.
Click to expand...

rockgolfer said:
Caulking tubes, card board to mix glue on. Corrugated plastic for templates. Sharpen my pencil. Cut a plastic band around a pallet, shrink wrap around a pallet. Cut away old caulking. Use the point to cut tape on stone to leave behind a line to grind to. These are just some of the things I use a sheepsfoot, coping or wharncliffe blade for on a daily bases.
Click to expand...

Bingo. Better than my response below.

I mostly use my knife for utility cutting when I'm doing fixits.

I don't use a pocket knife for cutting food.
I no longer hunt, so I don't need to skin critters.
I do need to open packages. Especially clamshells and plastic bagged packages. Homeowners have to do that a lot, especially if your house is a few decades old. All the hardware at the big box stores comes that way these days. A sheepsfoot or Wharncliffe just can't be beat for opening packaging.

Aside from that, for most cutting of any kind of sheet material a straight blade works better than a curved blade. For rope, small branches, et cetera, a straight blade works as well as a curved blade.

So I have cutting chores that are best performed by a straight blade and none which really require a curved blade.
 
Besides the pattern I also like to try different steels everyday.
1095
D2
CV
ATS 34
3G
and a mysterious one.

cam00913.jpg
 
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