EDCING A UTILITY KNIFE

RokJok said:
I will mention utility knives before the end of this screed, I promise. An entire book would be needed (and no doubt many have already been written) to address all the peripheral factors your query engenders.

Pablo668 has it about right. A small pocket knife should take care of blade errands during your journey. I'd recommend a small to medium SAK for its versatility, which is what I carried while there. Your behavior will be a *MUCH* more important factor re: getting noticed and/or hassled than an extra cm or two on your blade length

The most salient point to make, according to ~15 years married to a native Japanese lady and five weeks journeying through the north & south of Japan, is that the fear of others that motivates us to carry weaponry (guns, knives, canes/sticks, martial arts training, attitude, anything) in the USA or other countries is & will be useless in Japan. Fearing or worrying about the people around you on the streets or in stores/restaurants is wasted energy. The exception would be in some areas of port cities which can be rough, so just don't go there, eh.

With extremely rare exception, the Japanese populace is civil & courteous in the extreme. They are culturally conditioned to not mess with circumstances or people that fall outside their individual pre-defined role within the society. As a foreigner, you are well outside those limits. If anything, they will try to help you navigate their locale so they will be alleviated of removing this disruption (you) from the usual orderliness & routine of their life.

The toughest thing I found was the inability or unwillingness of the people to speak anything other than Japanese, even in areas where many foreign tourists came to sightsee. Train stations, especially in larger cities, tended to be better.

Quick illustrative story about how fearfulness is unnecessary there, then on to utility knives. During our journey in Japan, we accidentally left a coin purse with about $8-$10 worth of Japanese yen sitting on a low wall outside the gate to the most popular temple in east Kyoto. After about half an hour we realized the purse was not with us, retraced our steps back up the hill, and found the coin purse was still sitting on that wall where we'd left it. During that half an hour literally hundreds & hundreds (thousands?) of people had passed that coin purse sitting in plain view *AND NO ONE HAD BOTHERED IT NOR STOLEN IT!!! * You will be as safe as that coin purse. Guns, intimidating knives, and the underlying fears that justify their utility in other countries don't fit and aren't needed in that truly civilized country.

As for utility knives, the closest to EDC I get is the standard yellow Stanley rigid utility knife that lives on my tool belt and is an invaluable tool on just about every project.
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Great info thank you

But no one said fearful …. I don’t go anywhere without a knife
 
Could one carry a small blade fixed scapel type knife or a small bird and trout?
If allowed, a fixed just seems better

* I was joking about cutting up your fav, but maybe something could be Made....
 
I really like them, I have a couple of Chaves CHUBs, as well as the Civivi and another folder from Serge Panchenko. Its really a great way to have a cool fun knife, but never have to worry about the edge.
 
After getting done brutalizing my paramilitary2 and endela cutting drywall and insulation today, this is not sounding like the worst idea. Or maybe it's the wharncliff style blade that's attractive and not so much the disposableness? Could've definitely used a wharncliff shape tip today
 
AXE_EDC_AND_HULTAFORS_UTILITY.jpg

All you guys put my cheap toys to shame - all your knives are posh and purdy.
The hammer effort was a gift from a friend`s daughter.
I`ve donated all my cheapie utility knives and Stanley knives because I found a better one...
It`s a green Hultafors that is visible from a distance, has space inside for 10+ blades and it doesn`t need a coin or screwdriver to open.Plus it wont rust if the paint comes off and has zero blade chatter; was bought for a song as well.
 
Just to add to my previous post a bit.
My Swiss Army Knife was always in my bag, and it was a small blade that took time to open. As far as I could tell (I asked around a bit) that was fine.
Just to back up RokJok RokJok , Japan is really safe. I never felt under any kind of threat there. At worst people will just avoid you....maybe shout at you from across the street or something.
I'd also like to say, just go with the flow over there, be polite, you'll be fine.
 
I`ll second Pablo668`s observations RokJok been to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka on biz many times and never had any real probs - I just respected them and observed until I bonded then we could be more ourselves hehe !
Generally they are more reserved, contemplative and conservative when working but they can let their hair down at night and weekends - work hard - play hard etc.
Karaoke, all night gambling, vintage sake and the Japanese love decent local Whisky, aged Scotch and single malts - happy days !
 
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I've carried knife-sized folding utility knives, but I prefer smaller ones. I've tried a bunch of different slider types, and most of them suck. Iffy lockup, blades that grind against frame, etc. But ever since I got the Magnus SlidecClick a few years ago, I've carried no other utility knife. It's unquestionably the absolute best of the sliding types. Impossibly solid lockup, yet easy to slide in and out. Small, thin, and light, and doesn't have any pointless mostly useless "tools" built in. Not cheap by any means, but I've spent more on crappy ones that just sit around or I've given away than I spent on the Magnus.

I understand that something this small doesn't have the security or comfort in hand that a knife-sized one does, so it's not the best for everybody, but I prefer the small size and negligible weight, even though I use it at least once every day. I keep it in a small Collectors Knives sheath, in my coin pocket. 3 years+ of use and it still looks brand new.
280495125_5008807969214450_2179183186150362891_n_edited-jpg.1814978
 
roaduck said:
AXE_EDC_AND_HULTAFORS_UTILITY.jpg

All you guys put my cheap toys to shame - all your knives are posh and purdy.
The hammer effort was a gift from a friend`s daughter.
I`ve donated all my cheapie utility knives and Stanley knives because I found a better one...
It`s a green Hultafors that is visible from a distance, has space inside for 10+ blades and it doesn`t need a coin or screwdriver to open.Plus it wont rust if the paint comes off and has zero blade chatter; was bought for a song as well.
Click to expand...
Holy crap I have the same multi tool in red and black 😂
 
Worktools.jpg


I made my living with Olfa knives (as well asX-Actos & single edge razor blades).
There was a good chance of one being in my back or vest pocket.
They tended to accumulate on my night table. Along with Pentel sign pens.

Great, affordable, capable work horses.
 
Planterz said:
I've carried knife-sized folding utility knives, but I prefer smaller ones. I've tried a bunch of different slider types, and most of them suck. Iffy lockup, blades that grind against frame, etc. But ever since I got the Magnus SlidecClick a few years ago, I've carried no other utility knife. It's unquestionably the absolute best of the sliding types. Impossibly solid lockup, yet easy to slide in and out. Small, thin, and light, and doesn't have any pointless mostly useless "tools" built in. Not cheap by any means, but I've spent more on crappy ones that just sit around or I've given away than I spent on the Magnus.

I understand that something this small doesn't have the security or comfort in hand that a knife-sized one does, so it's not the best for everybody, but I prefer the small size and negligible weight, even though I use it at least once every day. I keep it in a small Collectors Knives sheath, in my coin pocket. 3 years+ of use and it still looks brand new.
280495125_5008807969214450_2179183186150362891_n_edited-jpg.1814978
Click to expand...

I have one of those too and love it. It is the best. It is a damn shame that he has quit making knives and pens in favor of making fidget tools full time. 😩 What a waste of talent…

Phil
 
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