EDC... Why more than one?

Joined
Feb 14, 2002
Messages
255
Howdy...

I do not by any means want this to sound derogatory! I want to know why, however, a lot of people I have seen here at BFC carry multiple knives that are of similar size, shape and action....?

I see a lot of posts asking.. "what's in your pocket today?" and I enjoy seeing the results. But I have seen descriptions/lists and pictures of pockets full of three or four 3-5" folders! I don't get that.

I usually have a folder with a 3-4" blade, a pen, my keys (have a small SOG knife on it as well as a mag-lite), wallet and Zippo, smokes, and a Leatherman Wave on my belt. So.... technically I have five blades on me most of the time, but they are all very different.

Is there a rhyme or reason to carrrying several blades that are the same, except for 'cool factor'? I guess if I were an accomplished knife fighter and had to protect myself, Id like a few knives that were practically identical, one for each hand ya know? but I wouldn't know what the hell to do with a knife in each hand, I'd probably just stab myself while wiping my nose or something....

So...any ideas here? why a bunch of folders/fixed blades/whatever?

-Dave

P.s. hope I don't have to use this new 'smilie' soon:footinmou
 
I only have one on me now, but if I can have several (of course not identical), i.e. one CS29LT, one BM710, I would. Not just for the cool factor, but for feeling good. I can always take it out and admire and enjoy the feel of them.

I guess :yawn: (you see, I am blabbering here .. too sleepy:D )
 
-Hi Chris... I totally understand that... That is what I meant by the 'cool factor'.... not being cool 'cuz you have a bunch of knives on you... but just taking them out periodically and thinking to oneself "ah... Cool!"

That is the only time I've ever carried multiple 'similar' knives. I got 4 folders in one week due to trades, and yes.. carried them all at once for a day or so.

I was wondering what other reasons a person would carry multiple/similar knives.

If Balis were legal to carry here, I'd probably have one in each pocket too! I taught myself to swing 'em ambidextrously. I have never even held a Balisong that cost more than $20 in my life though..... I would love to buy/trade for a good one... but if I can only carry it in my house... I don't think so!

Thanks for the response:)

-Dave
 
With the exception of hiking trips, I've never felt the urge to carry multiple blades. I normally tote a small folder and a multitool or SAK. Anything more would be more that I could use and would make me feel too loaded down. But, hey, we're all different, right? If carrying four or five knives makes you feel good, by all means, go for it!
 
usually carry my emerson SOCFK as a SD folder, and a spydie delica w/a 3" blade as my utility knife, mostly so i dont scratch the finish on my SOCFK on a staple when opening an box/envelopelike to carry one nice knife and another for utility work. saves the black coatings on your nice knives imho, and ya still can get some boxes cut open lol.

my utility knives right now seem to be a small spydie delica SE,CRKT falcon, and a spydie SS police SE, they do all the box cutting for me

greg
 
Greg - I just read your post on the "Show Your Equipment" thread and I gotta say, you go way beyond carrying "multiple knives". Jeez, I guess there's no way I should feel "loaded down" with just a small folder and a multitool! ;)
 
Greg..

Good call... exactly what I was looking for... I am trying to decide if I should buy any "art knives", because I myself have a hard time using quote unquote 'beatiful' knives to do anything with.

I plan on USING my Mayo on order, but I think I'm gonna be bummed at the first scratch. I think the Beauty in it is not just the aesthetics, but the functionality.

I have a slipjoint now, that I carry as a "gentleman's knife" (basically clean my fingernails, cut threads of my jacket....) and it has inlays of coral and turquiose...

Also have a Fowler blade on order, and plan to use it too... made for hunting/fishing.

I guess I just want to see WHY someone would carry a WHOLE BUNCH of knives with them at once, especially if they in the same "family" of knives.

-Dave
 
As a mechanic for a local Govt. Operations and Maintenance, division I find myself constantly in need of a sharp blade.
I also have different blades/grinds for different purposes, one works better at scraping gaskets, and deburring PVC pipe, while another is better at slicing boxes,(like the ones new equipment comes in).
Not to mention coworkers whose knives are either dull or non existent, constantly borrowing mine because it's sharper, or available.
One other reason is the backup factor, whether for SD, or just to always have a sharp knife available.
People who depend on their knives either for a living, or to stay alive will always have more than one, it just makes sense.;)
 
Along with my Leatherman Micra, I always carry 2 other knives. The larger one (Spyderco Endura or Chinook/REKAT Carnivour), I don't use much at all as it's reserved as my "defensive/offensive" knife, while the other one (Spyderco Native/REKAT Carnivour Cub) is my "utility knife" to handle my daily "cutting tasks", and one that won't scare the hell out of "Sheeple" when it's out of my pocket.:).
 
Speed. You don't want to be fumbling aroudn for a blade in your front pocket when you're crouched on the ground. That's why I usually carry a plain-edge in the front pocket to cut assorted little things, and a larger 50/50 fixed blade IWB at about 4 o'clock. They complement each other, so that in a situation where I couldn't reach one, I could reach for the other.

When you're doing some urgent cutting tasks, it also helps to have multiple blades, in case you drop one or shove it deep into a pocket. Of course you could always carry an open blade in your mouth while you're not using it, but that sucks for two reasons:

1) You can't talk. Try barking orders around a lump of steel in your teeth. The knife gets all wet and also gets teeth marks. :(

2) TUF-Glide tastes very, very bad.

Sometimse you also have to lend blades to friends.
 
I deal with maybe 1 auto accident every 8-10 weeks so I carry either a Colt Fireman or a Spyderco Police for the serrated edges for seatbelts; I scrape sending units off of windshields/open packages/cut rope with a BM 942; I'm walking through empty houses at 2am with an alarm going off so I carry either a MOD Tempest (or recently) a Dalton Companion; and for little misc crap a William Henry lancet. Now...I should be receiving my 1st Sebenza this week and what knives (maybe all?) this will replace, I don't know.

Whoops, forgot my Kershaw Chive on my keychain...why????who knows...
 
Some guys like to have a spare, some need different types because of their jobs. I'm in neither category.

I'm down to one (of course, as I write this, I have two) and I'm actively trying to clean the junk out of my pockets, my house, my truck and my knife drawer.

If I was caping game on a hunt, I might carry a small blade with a very extreme edge. That's all I can think of for my life.
 
My EDC is a Small Sebenza and that is always with me. Most of the time I either have a LeatherMan sideclip or wave with me too. My keys are with me most of the time and a little SAK is clipped on that. When I go out to do the lawn or yardwork, I usually clip on my fully serrated Spyderco Endura. And for other chores, other knives are added.
I guess for me knives just add up, I never really start the day intending to carry so many :)
 
I don't carry similar knives for the most part but I do carry multiples for several reason.

1. To lend to people who don't carry a knife. (For my trouble I feel that I then have the right to lecture, ridicule, and otherwise annoy them with a long diatribe on why they need to get with the program and carry one of man's most basic tools with them at all times.) Obviously, this is a knife that I won't cause me to have a fit when the try to loosen a Phillips screw with the point.

2. My personal EDC. Kept sharp and ready for any normal cutting jobs.

3. Leatherman or multi-tool which really just happens to have a blade on it...I rarely use it unless I'm concerned about damaging my main blade.

4. SwissCard in the wallet. The tiny knife on the card makes small jobs around "sheeple" less troublesome.


5. Redundancy...just in case.
 
Most knife people feel their knife is a critical item and like to have redundancy. And if they're anything like me, they have so many cool knives, they just can't decide which to carry and thus carry several at a time...
 
just wait till this fall...

currently carry 4 spydies, 2 fixed(bearclaw and CS readyedge), and a multitool...

buying(merlin and native on aug 17th) a spydie merlin(pe) to replace my left carry(delica) and claw. The spydie native(se) will be the left/front, replacing the Cricket(se) and CS readyedge(neck). Picking up both a Lil Temp(rhino/pe) and Military(ce) as soon as I can order them(Aug 17th) and get them(from texas).

also picking up the spyderench, replacing my pos multitool...

my carry will go down to:
merlin(l/f), native(se)(l/f/belt), lil temp(r/f), SpydeRench(in sheath, right hip)... and my keys...

you look at the pile and tell me they are anywhere close to being the same.
 
Six String, I don't loan knives; too many idiots have cut themselves and made me clean my formerly pristine knives.

As for redundancy, I've got an LCC with me today, soon to be replaced with a Strider AR. I will probably break before they do.

My job is a mile from home. If I dull something I can quickly sharpen or retrieve a replacement.

SD? Well, maybe if I'm attacked by a UPS box.
 
I always carry multiple knives. Here's what I carry:

SOG Night Vision - belt pouch, left side
G-10 Harpy - clipped to top of left boot
Axis AFCK - belt sheath, right side (or IWB if a sheath wouldn't go with my outfit)
Something else (blue inlay Native, serrated Endura, 710hs, 730CFHS, Forum 705, 940, LCC DA, etc.) - RF Pocket
LM SuperTool 200 - belt pouch, left side
LM Micra - on keys

A few reasons for carrying what I do:
Always have a backup, and a backup for your backup.
The RF pocket knife is the one I'll use most for basic utility stuff, and what it is depends on what I expect to do that day and who I'll be around.
The Supertool and Micra happen to have blades on them, but they never get used.
Some people carry two knives (or two weapons), one on strong side, one on weak side; while others carry both on strong side - I couldn't decide, so I carry two strong side an one weak side.
The SOG is a tanto, which is excellent for scraping, and laterally it's the strongest folder I own, in case I need a folding prybar other than the Supertool.
The Harpy is for specialized tasks, and because I think it's a good idea to carry at least one weapon off the waistline.
I also carry OC and impact weapons, all weakside (some accessible to right hand though)

Do I really need to carry all that I do?
It's not a matter of necessity. I carry what I want. I like knives, so I carry them (emphasis on plural).
I also carry two cigarette lighters, 3 Photons in addition to a real flashlight, more than one pen, at least two pads to write in, so my doubling up on things I consider important isn't all that unusual for me.
 
Usualy I have 3 knifes on me :)

Kersaw Chive for "office use" (even my ex girlfirend don't think it's a deadly weapoint :)

Camillus EDC (for more serious use, like cuting oranges or apples :)

and Letherman Wave (never used as knife :)

P.S. I don't think they are very similar :)
 
I carry daily, a mini-Bucktool on my keychain.An Emerson Commander on RH side for SD. One of several Spyderco's on my LH side for utility and a SAK for the scissors and philips head screwdriver.
 
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