Have we completely changed the meaning of EDC???

Sounds like a whole lot of hair splitting to me...

EDC means the stuff you carry every day, if you carry a knife everyday it seems like its reasonable to have a pool of knives you consider EDC knives...
 
I agree:) I have three knives I carry, rarely any others...I know that isn't truly and EDC but at his point the only thing that truly falls under the term EDC for me is a sharpwerks prybuddy XL, 2' of paracord (wrist), and keys. The knife dose change because I have more than one, and I like to have some variety. Good post:thumbup:


Kirby
 
I agree with Bigfatts. I consider my EDC to be certain kinds of tools and gear that I always have on me. There's always a SAK and a knife in my pocket, the actual models change very often.

I think that when a lot of people say that certain piece of kit is a great EDC item, they mean that it comes in handy for common daily tasks shared by most folks, as opposed to something very specialized.
 
Great post. I think the term has definitely evolved. While many use it as a categorical term, such as these knives I own are all capable of Every Day Carry, I totally understand where you are coming from. If you carried one specific knife (for say 3+ years like I have) you would know that specific knife was time proven and capable of completing the tasks you encounter. Of course, though I've carried and still do carry one knife day in/day out, I'd be lying if I didn't say that there are times when I either can't carry it or if I'm traveling I prefer to leave it at home so it isn't lost along the way. And I'm sure like myself there are many that will carry more than one knife at times to test it out or just for fun. Certainly something to ponder when people use the term casually though. Just because you EDC a knife one day a month doesn't necessarily prove that it is capable of all the tasks you'd normally encounter if that was the only blade you had... To play the other side though if you rotate knives after quite a bit of time either to try new stuff or to retire a knife doesn't make it bad. In fact I'm contemplating that right now, I've loved the knife I've carried for over 3 years and I know it is great, but I also know that there are many awesome knives out there that I'd like to prove to myself and enjoy. On a similar note, if you've proven a knife to yourself and then decide to rotate on a daily or monthly basis I have no problem with that either. Like I believe the OP is intending, EDC not only indicates that you carry it literally every day, but also that it has proven itself. In the last situation I highlighted I wouldn't refer to those knives as EDC knives though, just knives that are carried.
 
goodeyesniper said:
EDC. Every Day Carry...

Now, I could be wrong, but I take that to mean something you carry, um, EVERY DAY. However among the population of people who actually use the term "EDC" it seems almost none of them actually stick to one "EDC Knife". Which means they actually have no EDC knife whatsoever. They simply have a collection of knives they rotate through for daily activities.

EDC, in my eyes, is your grandpa who carried his old Buck knife for 30 years straight. Hell, I don't even look at it *too* technically, IMO, and I would consider it something you carry to work five days a week, but leave in a drawer on the weekends. As it handles your most common tasks, day in and out.

I understand when people use the phrase to say "I need a knife that can handle my EDC duties which consist of x, y, and z.", as that is a basic and helpful description, and they aren't necessarily saying it WILL BE their actual EDC. But when someone says "These are my 12 EDC knives that I rotate through every month." I can't help but think something got mistranslated along the way, as carrying a knife two or three days out of the month is hardly EDC....

Am I wrong? When EDC was coined did it not mean something you carry every day? If I'm wrong, what's the difference between "EDC" and any other knife you might carry at some point? Hell, if "EDC" simply means something that you carry every once in awhile, then all those people who take their Busses on a camping trip might as well say they EDC a Busse, right? Am I still being too technical? It just really seems like the Nutnfancy generation has simultaneously popularized and completely destroyed the meaning of the term EDC.

IMO, EDC should be a very positive definition of a knife, or any other tool, as it means it has survived the cut of whatever else you have tried to carry, and you now carry it almost religiously. Whether it's your tiny keychain SAK, Leatherman in a pouch, CR Sebenza, or anything else.

For instance, when I got my first quality knife it was truly an EDC. It was a Spyderco Native and I carried it anywhere I could for about a year straight. And it did everything I asked of it. Then I started buying more knives. Once I had a choice between 4 or so pocket knives, I no longer had an EDC knife, I just had a collection of knives which alternately handled my EDC needs. Then I got a sprint run Spyderco Military and it kicked everything out of my pocket for about two years. I once again had an actual EDC blade. Even though I occasionally carried something smaller in slacks, or something cheaper in my checked luggage at the airport, it was carried 95% of the time and could honestly carry the title.

Sorry, I'm a bit bored and it's something that has been nagging at me for awhile. Feel free to tell me I'm crazy.
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EDC means that if I were to dump my pockets or belt contents it would be there every day.
 
I have three EDC's. So I call them ETDC's (Every Third Day Carry). There are endless permutations.
 
Words are not univocal, they are equivocal - that is, they take on the meaning of the context. "I hate you" can mean many different things depending on the context. The same is true with "EDC". An excessively literalistic interpretation can mean one thing, but contextualized it means something else.

We all know what EDC means in the context of Bladeforums. It doesn't mean that you carry the same knife everyday. Its means that you carry a knife everyday.
 
Yeah, I'd agree that EDC mostly means "acceptable for and capable of performing regular, routine daily tasks." I don't think that it matters much if you carry it every day or not... really, in the context of a knives enthusiasts forum, the former descriptor is much more useful.

I'm not too into the semantics, though; I just love the knives!
 
Moses2792796 said:
I think the term is used by people who carry A knife everyday, but not necessarily the same one. If it's a knife you would carry on a normal day doing normal things around town then it's an 'EDC'. Just because you don't literally carry it everyday doesn't mean it doesn't fill that role. Why do you want to ruin a useful terminology by reading it literally? :)
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The point is that the terminology is ALREADY ruined, and I'm trying to clarify it.

If literally ANY knife you have ever picked up and carried, even for an hour or two, can be called "EDC" then "EDC" loses it's entire meaning. EDC as it stands on forums and youtube right now means NOTHING to most people, except that it's a knife which can be used to cut things (usually). Maybe there is just a tiny bit of meaning that has not been murdered from it, when someone might refer to a more reasonable knife as "EDC" and a more burly knife as a "camp knife" or something.

But then you have people say "this is my work edc, then i come home and change it for my home edc, or weekend edc" it just seems to defeat all purpose of even saying those three little letters. They have literally just replaced the word "knife" with "edc". See how that ruins the whole meaning behind those letters? I can understand not carrying it 100% of the time. but when your work knife is different from your everywhere else knife, it's not even remotely EDC (unless you live at work), it's your WORK KNIFE, then your HOME KNIFE, then GARDEN KNIFE. Why do we say EDC instead of knife? Especially when the knives we refer to aren't anything resembling an every day carry?
 
Terry M. said:
How about "Exciting Daily Carry" ? I love all my knives and I love carrying them. When I pull one out to cut something it makes me happy. I enjoy sharpening and keeping sharp. The hobby "excites" me. Come to think of it, I like this idea.
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Terry, I couldn't agree more! It's always exciting to carry a Spyderco, BM, MT, CRK, or Hinderer. It's so exciting that I never leave home with just one! :D

All joking aside. I agree with Sniper. Before I let knives became a hobby, I EDCed just a cheap assisted open that was gifted to me by my gf at the time that blade went everywhere I did. That knife never left my side until I got into more branded blades. That was a true EDC, hell I saved a pelican that was caught in fishing lines with that knife on a beach trip on spring break years ago. Now the only blade that comes to a true every day knife would be my SAK. Everything else from BM to Hinderer, I still rotate every single one.
 
I'm not sure "EDC" is really used in real life, outside YouTube and the various knife forums. Like others, I'd consider it to mean any knife you would or could carry on an everyday basis. But I'd feel silly using it in an actual conversation. I'd be more likely to say, "Yeah, I carry this one a lot...."
 
powernoodle said:
Words are not univocal, they are equivocal - that is, they take on the meaning of the context. "I hate you" can mean many different things depending on the context. The same is true with "EDC". An excessively literalistic interpretation can mean one thing, but contextualized it means something else.

We all know what EDC means in the context of Bladeforums. It doesn't mean that you carry the same knife everyday. Its means that you carry a knife everyday.
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My whole problem is with how I see it used in improper context. (in my eyes)

For instance, people who change their knives every day can still use EDC in a variety of ways. Saying, "I EDC a knife, no matter what." makes sense, as it is a broader category. However labeling a specific knife you rarely carry as "my edc knife" just seems wrong, and it literally means nothing. You can take out the letters EDC completely when people refer to their knives this way. "Switched it up to carry my EDC Kershaw today." "Switched it up to carry my Kershaw today." see the difference? Removing a word that in one way is redundant, and in another way is misleading. "My Kershaw saw to my EDC duties today." makes sense, and does not mislead or cause redundancies.

We have just essentially bastardized the word into the F word. In nearly every context there is a better word you can use, instead of using one word incorrectly as an adjective, verb, noun, etc... I'd rather EDC at least retain a modicum of meaning.

Say carry, if that's what you need to say. Say knife, if that's what you need to say. Making every variation of carry, knife, or task as "EDC" just waters it down.
 
Are you trying to get people to stop using EDC incorrectly? I get annoyed when people say "I could care less" when they really mean they COULDN'T care less. I am powerless to stop this behavior....much like you and your EDC fixation. Let it go, man...let it go.
 
I agree 110% I've thought about it before when seeing people say they rotate but never really said anything or thought about it for more then a minute or two. I actually carry 1 folding knife every single day wherever I go. It's nothing special just a cheap blade That I COULD CARE LESS if i lose or break it and I could easily replace it no problem. I do rotate some others in there for different situations but I always have that 1 knife
 
Every knife I carry regularly is one of my EDC's. I don't feel at all locked down to a specific knife every day. I don't pick knives to carry, and think, oh wait, if I switch this knife out, I can't call it my EDC anymore because some on online might think it is not really an EDC anymore.


Knives that I rarely carry, like many of my fixed blades. Because I would not consider them to be a knife I would carry on an every day occasion.
 
I own mutliple vehicles, but my Lexus is my everyday car. That means I drive my Lexus to and from work, to and from the store, etc. Do I occasionally drive my other vehicles? Certainly. Do I love my other vehicles? Certainly. Could I use my other vehicles for everyday use? Certainly. That does not change the fact that my Lexus is my everyday car. Similarly I have a pair of dress shoes, work boots, hiking boots, and running shoes. None of the them are everyday shoes. I have a specific pair of shoes that get worn on a daily basis. That makes them everyday shoes. I own a lot of knives, but ony one knife is my current everyday carry knife which gets carried everyday. Thus the meaning of the word "everyday"
 
All of the people who took the term EDC literally posted about 5 times and then once they found their one knife, stopped posting here.

So you are left with those people who don't take the term literally. It's a form of survivor bias.
 
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