Does EDC actually mean Every Day Carry?

Because I can't resist, I'll add one more linguistic note to this. In English, 'every day' and 'everyday' mean slightly different things which, IMO, contributes to the confusion of EDC as an acronym. 'Everyday' means something routine or normal, while 'every day' is the more literal reference to something that happens daily. So if you want to get really pedantic about it, an everyday carry would be things that it's normal for you to carry while an every day carry would be something you literally carry every single day.
 
For me it is a mindset and group of items that is on your person every day. The mindset is having a knife. For me a traditional slip joint in left front pocket and a lock blade on the belt. My wallet and watch are part of the carry items as well.
The knives are not always the same exact one as the day before but same form, fit and function. Wallet and watch are the same.
When I leave my abode I will add an assisted opening knife and handgun.
Still the same mindset and base items are the same.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
Because I can't resist, I'll add one more linguistic note to this. In English, 'every day' and 'everyday' mean slightly different things which, IMO, contributes to the confusion of EDC as an acronym. 'Everyday' means something routine or normal, while 'every day' is the more literal reference to something that happens daily. So if you want to get really pedantic about it, an everyday carry would be things that it's normal for you to carry while an every day carry would be something you literally carry every single day.
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Yep. According to the dictionary, 'everyday', is an adjective, and 'every day', is an adverb.
 
Depends on whether you use the term as a verb or a noun. I use EDC as a verb since I carry a knife every day. I can't properly use EDC as a noun since I don't carry the same one day and and day out.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
Because I can't resist, I'll add one more linguistic note to this. In English, 'every day' and 'everyday' mean slightly different things which, IMO, contributes to the confusion of EDC as an acronym. 'Everyday' means something routine or normal, while 'every day' is the more literal reference to something that happens daily. So if you want to get really pedantic about it, an everyday carry would be things that it's normal for you to carry while an every day carry would be something you literally carry every single day.
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Good point. I’ll just add one more in the interest of being pedantic.

Since “EDC” is assumed to be an acronym, which is an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words, that means that it does stand for “Every Day Carry” and not “Everyday Carry”.

Since “everyday” is one word and not two, then an acronym that stands for “Everyday Carry” would simply be EC.

-Mike
 
The strict rules of acronyms must be followed. You either have an EDC knife, or an EC knife. Period.

iu
 
celticrogues said:
Good point. I’ll just add one more in the interest of being pedantic.

Since “EDC” is assumed to be an acronym, which is an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words, that means that it does stand for “Every Day Carry” and not “Everyday Carry”.

Since “everyday” is one word and not two, then an acronym that stands for “Everyday Carry” would simply be EC.

-Mike
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If we're being pedantic, then you might want to check the acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
 
JPD1998 said:
I started to go hunting with my father in 1973 at age 14, I carried a fixed blade on my belt.
A few years later I had a revelation.... if I bought a pocket knife , I could carry it everyday, even when not hunting.

So I've been carrying a pocket knife every day since 1975. Not the same knife , but a pocket knife.
To me EDC means a knife that can be carried everyday.
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I carry a fixed blade everyday
 
catspa said:
I vote against “The strict rules of acronyms must be followed.”

At least in the CONUS, you Canadians will do what you want anyway...
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No worries, I was being facetious.
 
I’ll put it this way, I have every day clothes but I don’t wear the same set of clothes every day. Same with shoes or boots. Every day ————— whatever is a term that has been around at least since I was a kid. Just ordinary stuff.
It meant that it was commonly used and ordinary stuff that was not like my Sunday go to meetin stuff or a school Christmas choir. At least that’s the terminology that was used in our area.
 
jackknife said:
As an old dyed in the wool revolver guy, I LOVE that revolver!!!!

What is it and where can I get one?

I always thought the 1860 pattern Colt army was one of the most beautiful handguns ever made, but I've never seen one with a birdseed grip. Leave it to the Italians to make a repro that looks better than the original!
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Its a Colt Army cap and ball in .44 caliber. Came from the factory with the short barrel and birdshead grips. It's a nasty machine and very concealable. I think the Traditions website might still have some in stock. They make them in .36 as well. 400 dollars or so to your door.
 
Sonnydaze said:
I'm guessing a 110.
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Camillus/Remington stockman. I did have a 110 in my pocket on the day I bought it. I had just completed a long exhausting hike the day before and had an easy short hike planned for later in the afternoon. I decided I wanted a smaller knife that I could just drop into my hiking shorts that day, so I could leave behind the daypack and the 110.

By the end of the day I had forgotten the knife was even there and then I just dumped everything into what I was wearing the next day, and the day after that....

n2s
 
As a verb, I EDC a particular tool or gear set and its members.

As a noun, my EDC is either that set of tools or gear or a relevant member of that set, depending on context.

An "EDC Slot" is a category of gear that is part of my EDC.

I have an "EDC rotation" for each EDC slot in my EDC. That allows me to best meet the needs of the day and match what I'm wearing, what I'm doing, what I feel like, etc.

"An EDC knife" can be a member of that rotation or a knife worthy of belonging to that rotation for me or someone else, depending on context.

I typically refer to a knife as either "in my pocket", "in my EDC rotation", or "in a box somewhere" (etc.) if not in rotation.

A "primary EDC" is an item that gets carried most often in a particular slot.

My regular EDC slots include: Knife, Watch, Wallet, Phone, Gun, Multi-tool, Flashlight, Lighter, Medical Supplies, Bandana, Pen, Notepad, and Miscellaneous Doodads on my titanium key ring. The latter is variable but currently includes the Civivi Torx tool, a Ruike S22, and a Kizer Siren that doubles as a quick bottle opener. I've dabbled with pocket organizers and that allows for the addition of a small pry tool but that hasn't gone mainstream yet for me.
 
I'd like to know when this "EDC" stuff as a label got started?

I don't recall the men of my childhood ever talking about 'EDC" or even when I was in the army, any 'EDC' stuff. There was stuff a man always had in his pockets, like a pocket knife, a bandana, a pencil stub for marking stuff or jotting a quick note. (Reliable ball point pens had not happened yet and fountain pens leaked and ruined shirts, so people carried a small pencil. ) And everyone wore a watch. It was considered bad form to show up late at work on a regular basis.

The 1950's was the heyday of the keychain stuff. Every five and dime store had the little stand up cardboard displays up by the cash register, (this was before the credit card revolution and people actually paid for things with actual money.) There were keychain pen/pocket knives with one or two carbon steel blades, or even those Trim brand keychain knives that had one sheep foot blade, a nail file, and a screw driver/bottle opener combo tool with a sheet metal handle. There were keychain screw drivers like the ubiquitous Sear's keychain screw driver, and even disposable keychain squeeze lights tiny flashlights. It was just a given that if a man had pants on, he was equipped for the day. Most men carried a pack of matches, even if they didn't smoke. Just nice to have fire on hand if you had to light a candle for lady at a nice supper, or she needed a light for her cigarette, or the power went out and you had to light a candle to keep from tripping over the coffee table. Every restaurant and other business had a bowl of match books by the door with their name on it, so you'd grab one or two on the way out. Good way to get the word around on the cheap. And the inside of the matchbook was handy to jot something down with the little pencil you carried.

But every man, if he pants on, had his pocket knife. It wasn't considered EDC, just part of what a man carried. Stuff came wrapped in brown paper with that brown packing tape that went on wet and dried like iron. You needed a sharp little knife to open packages then. No pull tabs or pop off lids. Or stuff came tied up with that while butchers twine that had to be cut. Even most women had one of those little five and dime store pocket knives in their purse to open stuff or sharpen a pencil, or whatever.

Whats called EDC today was just stuff everyone carried as normal stuff in their pockets or purse.
 
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