EDC thoughts

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faca

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Hi. First of all I must say I love blades.
I want to carry a blade always on me in urban ambient when sport dressed or suit dressed.
Now my thougths about.
Task to fullfill:
Defensive: no really, I have not the trainning and wish to, but you never know.
Prying: no, if you want to be prepare to pry doors or windows belive me you need a big and specific tool.
Cutting: this is my main and most important task to be fullfilled and this includes
-pencil sharping
-cut rope,cord
-cut boxes
-open envelopes
-cut sandwiches and cakes in the office :D
-cut some hair from my face. ;)
-clean nails :o
-cut auto safety belt
Needs:
1.easy deployment
2.one hand ready
3.ligth+slim+easy covered

Options: folding knife or little fix blade

My election:

1.pocket placed, I don´t like any blade hanging from my neck and no smart whem you need to take it and I don´t like how a shealth looks in my waist.
2.one hand openning foldable knife, yes I know a fix blade is ready itself you don´t need to do nothing but are no so confortable in my pocket.
3.foldable knife, my election Spyderco SS Dragonfly is slim, light, strong, ATS55 blade and is no offensive looking in office or urban ambients.
Ok you can see that after a lot of development and new trends I go in the tradicional penknife way in my pocket.
Any feedback of comments should be wellcome.
Enjoy
 
I think that an EDC should be capable of prying. By definition, you can't schedule an emergency. The guy in the twin towers who saved himself and several other people by using a squegee certainly didn't think beforehand, "I think I'll carry my squegee today in case I need to cut through a wall."

Now, opening paint cans isn't an emergency. A true emergency justifies abusing or destroying the knife, no matter it's price, to extricate oneself. Therefore, the EDC doesn't have to (and shouldn't be expected to) remain perfect, with no blade play, broken tips, etc. thorugh repeated use as a prybar. But it must be capable of performing at least one time as a prying tool.
 
I have a Dragonfly in my pocket right now, but that's mainly because of the blade length restriction in the federal building where I work. For its size, it's ergos and cutting ability are impressive. But when I get home a larger knife goes in my pocket. The blade is thin, but the steel handles are pretty stout. Not sure how much prying or wall chopping you could do with it.

I'm mostly with you on the prying. I also have a SAK with me at home or work. I use the large screwdriver for prying as needed. Paint can is a prime example. If it breaks (never has), I'm not as upset as if I'd used an expensive knife.
 
I've carried a lot of knives in construction, outdoors and office environments. All my choices held up. One hand opening is my preference. Lost tips here and there and notched a cuppla blades and over-torqued a few folders to the point of loosing the hinge. Flat busted the blade on one Buck 110. Never had cause to really make a knife do more than the basic requirements it was designed for beyond hammering a few small nails with a 110 (a frequent EDC). Being somewhat resourceful, I can usually bypass my knife in favor of a more suitable or more expendable tool.
Despite sitting at a computer most of the day my EDC gets used to open boxes, cut food wrappings, trim plants, trim paper (ala 'exacto'), turn tiny screws and who knows what else. Though I have been 'over carrying' lately (a 5" LOA 2 blade Case folder or a 110), my Spyderco Endura has performed those tasks and more for years. It is also put thru its paces at home (7+ acres of Texas hill country) and as a River carry when I do unofficial service as water rescue on the nearby Guadalupe River. It is a quick rope cutter to free entangled masses of tubes, rafts and people which occasionally necessitates umm....letting the air out....of rafts and once sawed through a fiberglass paddle handle (nasty situation that one... :barf: )
A small clip-on as you have mentioned as I am certain most people won't have to rely on their knife to save their life. That is a difficult thing to plan for and you prolly don't want to carry a backpack full of assorted knives and blades to cover all the possibilities. :p
 
Two items.
Atwood Prybaby on your keychain
Good EDC knife
:)
Or make your EDC a small Graham Bros. Razel, they pry pretty well. No point though, so you can't clean your nails.
 
Keith Mayton said:
I have a Dragonfly in my pocket right now, but that's mainly because of the blade length restriction in the federal building where I work.
Click to expand...

What is the blade length restriction? I'm amazed they let you carry anything.

Keith Mayton said:
I also have a SAK with me at home or work.
Click to expand...

Which SAKs are your favorites for home and work?
 
Mr.BadExample said:
Or make your EDC a small Graham Bros. Razel, they pry pretty well. No point though, so you can't clean your nails.
Click to expand...

What is a Razel? Can you give me a web address for it?
 
Razel

If you absolutely must be able to pry with the knife (emergency, not regular basis), a tanto knife is the best choice. A Strider or the upcomming Swamp Rat folders would make good choices in this regard.
 
The Dragonfly is a good choice but the Calypso Jr. might be even better since it's a little larger in both handle and blade.

Some other recommendations:

Kershaw/Ken Onion Rainbow Leek
Benchmade 556 Mini-Griptilian
Spyderco Military

Happy hunting,
Allen.
 
For folder the Spyderco Delica suits pretty well for your mentioned cutting tasks. Though IMO it is absolutely not a pryer. For prying and FOR EDC, you may consider a fixed blade, maybe Benchmade Nimravus Cub/Fixed resistor.
 
you may also want to check out the CRKT Prowler if you feel prying may be something you'll have to do one day in an emergency. i carry a Prowler i got off ebay for 17$ clipped to my right pocket just in case and a Victorinox soldier in my left pocket for all my real-life cutting needs. i think the Prowler is a good deal if you want to cover prying and EDC since it isn't too big and doesn't look too mean and is easily carried since it is a folder.
 
Get a Benchmade 556 Mini-Griptilian...It's a stout but lightweight folder that comes in different scales colors.
 
spoonrobot said:
you may also want to check out the CRKT Prowler if you feel prying may be something you'll have to do one day in an emergency...
Click to expand...

Have you used it for prying?
 
cardimon said:
Have you used it for prying?
Click to expand...

yup. i bought two since they were so cheap and have been abusing one and keeping one in new condition. the one i've been abusing is a champ, the tip and blade are very thick and everything i've pried has been beaten by the knife. i use it around work so i pry a lot of wood, paint cans, a metal filing cabinet open, and a bunch of other stuff that escapes me at the moment. i know there are proper tools for these things but i wanted to see how much abuse my knife could actually take, since it really feels like a tank. so far it hasn't let me down yet.

p.s. the 555 mini-grip has a much stronger tip since it's a modified sheepsfoot.
 
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