EDC for college student

DoctaD said:
I would respectfully disagree. There could be as much or more need for a knife on campus as off campus.
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If the off-campus place is somewhere you don't need a knife much - which is most of the world for most people - this is true.
 
The ESEE Izula! Customize the skeleton grips with some paracord and BAM!
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Thanks for the advice everyone!
My apologies, I may have mislead some with the college student title. I intended to use it to justify my current funds. I go to a lax school technical school that is considerably knife-friendly, it is a small campus and I would say 30% of the male students carry noticeable knives, (a few with fixed 4" in sheaths on their belt). So unless I do something that is violent or immature it won't be taken from me. I also live off campus with mature roommates. Already own several SAK and 4 Leathermans, also have kershaw shallot XXXX.
Ordered a new $9 clip for the Native, but would like to upgrade.
As to why an assist? I really like the easy one handed open that they enable.
 
Tech school? How about a Leatherman or other hi-quality multi-tool?
 
CWL said:
College? I'd suggest a relatively simple folder that won't matter too much if it gets lost or confiscated.

I think an SAK with bottle-opener would be the most useful in college (worked for me!)
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I dont think a man should ever pick a knife based on if it wont matter too much if it gets confiscated...
 
When I was in college I carried a Swiss Army Swiss Champ and a folding/locking box cutter with replaceable blades. The box cutter is nice - if the tip breaks or it dulls, flip the blade around and its good for another week. The swiss champ was (and still is) my multi-tool and the other my cutter.
 
Considering your last post on this thread, I think a Kershaw with SpeedSafe would be a good option. I would agree with other posts and suggest the Kershaw Blur or the Leek, since both are available with S30V, which is one of your specs. If you enjoy the Kershaw Shallot you already have, these will be comfortable and familiar in your pocket and hand.

You can also consider the Leek Composite with Sandvik 13C26/CPM-D2 blade, or the Blur Composite with ZDP189 edge and 14NC28 on the spine (if you can still get one, but it might be out of your price spec).
 
Benchmade mini nitrous stryker. assisted, plain edge 3" blade in D2. i'm not really sure how corrosion resistant it is.
 
I was a tech student (so to speak) and used a SAK Climber, however any multi-tool will do.

If AO's aren't a prob in the campus a ZT0350 is in your price range and spec range.
(Imo, as long as your intention it's for edc only while in college)

However, I do agree that tacticool is not necessary
(if that was your intention hypothetically. If not, then cool)
 
DoctaD said:
I would respectfully disagree. There could be as much or more need for a knife on campus as off campus. And, as to having something nice, that depends on the responsibility, vigilance, and financial situation of the owner. The only problems I see with an AO is related to the community and campus' laws/regulations and the possiblity of scorn from sheeple. All that said, I do think a SAK is a great campus tool.
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I spent 6 years going to college. I didn't even bother carrying a knife until grad school and even then I had to be creative to find uses for it. There isn't much you can do with one on a college campus. Depending on where you are at university police might be jerks about having a knife. A Vic tourist has a bottle opener and corkscrew. Those two tools are far more useful than a knife while in college.

A zt 0350 is cool but it's overkill. It does fit what the op wants, but it's far more knife than necessary for sharpening a pencil.
 
If just for pencils then yes, it is a big overkill
I guess It depends what type of tech student

Doing IT and sound (for eg) I use a native to cut through cable ties, utp network, cat3 power, cat 2 speaker or shielded sound cable
 
The zt0350 is imo is pretty beffy in appearance. The s30v leek looks promising but I have yet to experience a G10 handle, reviews on amazon say it's hard on clothes. How true is that? And the knife in general?
 
Assisted opening is not a good EDC for campus. Your best bet is a nice traditional from GEC if you don't want to turn heads, though I know that doesn't fit your desires at all. I would recommend a nice sak though quite frankly. I carry an Umnumzaan and a hardwood spartan on campus and the spartan gets pulled out for most tasks. I would look at the 710 and the AFCK if you like benchmade, or a ritter griptillian. The mini-grip is too small though, and I mention the 710 because I can open it much faster than any of benchmade's assisted open knives but it also has the option of sheeple-friendly slow open.

Leek is nice but all the ones i've handled had broken assist springs. Subrosa is my rec. for benchmade assisted if you do go down that route
 
Buckitboy said:
The zt0350 is imo is pretty beffy in appearance. The s30v leek looks promising but I have yet to experience a G10 handle, reviews on amazon say it's hard on clothes. How true is that? And the knife in general?
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The G10 is indeed a quite grippy material, which is the main reason to choose it for scales in a knife you want to handle securely for any cutting task. I have a Leek with G10 scales that has never caused any damage on my pockets, but I don't carry it all the time because I rotate it with other folders. I can see how it could wear out your pocket if it's going to be your EDC blade.

The main problems would probably be the edges of the scales - acting as a file to abrade the pocket material - and the pressure of the clip pushing the fabric against the scale. The 1st problem you can eliminate by judicious smoothing of the scale edges. I'm sure you or someone else at your tech school can find the tools and proper technique to handle that task. The second problem can probably be handled by carefully (keyword) adjusting the clip tension to slightly lessen the pressure on your pocket's fabric, and also using care when pulling it out of your pocket. You need extreme care to carry out both mods, and should work up incrementally to the desired condition of scale edge smoothness and spring tension. However, I suggest that if you do get the G10-scaled Leek, it's best to carry and handle it for a while (maybe a couple of weeks) before you decide if the mods are necessary.
 
Fanglekai said:
There is little need for a knife on a college campus. Anything nice is likely to disappear. I highly suggest you avoid assisted openers and just get a swiss army knife.
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This statement perplexes me. College students don't need knives because they are on campus? As if that's the only place they are for their whole college career...

And I suppose the hordes of office workers here on BFC really need their knives huh?
 
I assumed some mods similar to those would be needed. They won't be a problem to accomplish. But they won't matter if the spring breaks like justsomedude said in his experiences with them.
 
monger4142 said:
I dont think a man should ever pick a knife based on if it wont matter too much if it gets confiscated...
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Most universities have some sort of knife & weapons policy, if you choose to carry in spite of it, you can reasonably expect that you may have to surrender it or get it confiscated sometime during your time there. Based on a potential short lifespan of the knife, you should not spend more than you are willing to lose.

-How's that? That's called "choice under uncertainty", which is a basic lesson in Economic Decision Theory taught in universities.
 
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