How do you deal with EDC Anxiety?

Good to see you around Bo. How have you been?

NirreBosse said:
Little Out of topic. Just the other week i needed to use an axe. I sent Olle, my youngest son into the workshop to get one. He came Out With my most lowed axe, a gränsfors my brother gave me 1994. A few years later he died in an axident and i got to attached to the axe to use it for normal chores. After that i bought a duplicate that i since have used. When Olle came With the axe Lars gave me i went into the garage and changed to the beeter axe. Olles response to that was -i didnt want to take your best axe as i thought you was afraid to use it when doing ruff work. Wery much wourt some thought. Even more important after all theese years also i lowe the useraxe most. That is my tool, the treasured one i got from Lars is just a thing i keep for nostalgy. I plan to use that one when i Hunt in the future, just like Lars ment it to be.
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pertinux said:
As much as you respect and admire it now, I believe you'll be astonished at how much more you flat-out love it as it becomes an extension and means of whatever tasks are at hand throughout your days, and takes on the patina of your use.
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A safe queen is just another nice knife. On the other hand, a well worn user is a treasured tool having proved its worth over the years. People don't usually bother with junk, not when they have better options. A knife is a tangible reminder of times past and adventures taken.
 
I carry and use everything, even rare one-of-five short run knives. They were made to be used and using them makes me appreciate them more. I cycle through all that I have.
 
Generally I have more then one knife with me. There's a few that get carried almost everyday, I'll admit they aren't always traditional. They do the dirty work. I like to carry all my knives at one time or another, the ones I want to keep nice I use less. It takes me no more then 10 seconds to figure out what to put in my pocket on most days.
 
I don't have many knives which overlap in function. True, they all cut but some are legal in some places where I travel and others not. So that gives each a different geographic where it can be used.

Then there are some which are for home defense so that's where they stay. Then there are lockable knives which I like for rock climbing since they don't open when they shouldn't. Some are simply in different places to always have one at hand and then there is only a handful which I edc at home and rotate through. Though that rotation is slow and without a good reason I'm simply too lazy to switch to another blade. They are all so good nowadays. If I do switch because one needs sharpening for example then the new one will stay in the pocket until it's dull or maybe to bulky for a dress pant, which can be a long time.

I admit there are some long Blades which are real safe queens and in function more like a picture on the wall. But other than that I use all my 50 or so knives or have them ready to be used in some maybe fictional future use, home defense being one of these highly unlikely things. I hope. And even if that happens I prefer the easier to aim pepperspray to a knife any day. Its fine if get some blowback as long as the other guys swallows more of it than me. If it potentially messes up the house a bit, OK. It's not like it's happening every other month or so.
Do I need so many Kukris? Nope one should suffice but if one is heavier and good for hardwood and one is lighter for bush work then that's a good excuse to get both even if one could somehow be made to perform the other task though not as well of course.
Basically every knife has a reason why it was chosen and some might never even be used. That's ok since we are knife nutz.
 
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These days mostly I'm too busy to worry about it that much. Alox SAK plus Case Peanut is the default. They take up little pocket space and are usually overkill for my daily needs anyway. If I feel like it I may rummage around in the knife drawer for something other than the Peanut. This week so far it has been a Rough Rider small Coke bottle jack in lieu of the Peanut.
 
Habiru said:
I think it comes down to this: I spent so much on that GEC, I can't bring myself to use it in the way one would normally go about using their pocket knife. The thought of putting it into food or wearing the blade down kills me!
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I am reminded of this Bob Loveless quote...

A knife is a tool, and if we don't treat our tools with a certain familiar contempt, we lose perspective. - Bob Loveless
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Once upon another lifetime ago, I worked as a ski instructor. Ski instructors are poor. Skis are expensive. Much more so than knives. (And the skis of an east coast skier are as sharp as a knife!!) Ski instructors also ski in poor snow conditions. Conditions in which there are rocks that can rip out the edges of a pair of expensive skis. Many instructors (and skiers) keep a set of beater skis to use in thin conditions called "rock skis". Rock skis are the equivalent of a user knife. Then I fell in with a particularly hard charging and great skiing group... They were fearless. They skied with abandon and grace. They taught me their secret saying - Their credo.

All skis are rock skis!

It transformed how I looked at skis and frankly all other tools and even possessions. Own your knives/skis/bikes/cars and don't be owned by them.

This said... I do own knives I don't own. But they are heirlooms or oddities. Other than that, all knives are users.
 
There's so much fantastic, hard-won philosophy and perspective in this thread that it's quickly become one of my favorite threads on the Porch. So many gems!

In particular, I can feel these three rewiring my brain and making me rethink how I approach my knives:

pinnah said:
I am reminded of this Bob Loveless quote...

A knife is a tool, and if we don't treat our tools with a certain familiar contempt, we lose perspective. - Bob Loveless
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pinnah said:
Own your knives/skis/bikes/cars and don't be owned by them.
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pertinux said:
As much as you respect and admire it now, I believe you'll be astonished at how much more you flat-out love it as it becomes an extension and means of whatever tasks are at hand throughout your days, and takes on the patina of your use.
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Every knife in my small collection is a user, from SAK to custom. I carry and use them all, and if I notice that a knife never gets pocket time, I sell it or give it away.

But I still reach for a "beater" knife sometimes, such as when I'm cutting something like a thick zip tie. Now I'm thinking that maybe I shouldn't do that -- that, instead, I should just use the nearest knife at hand, and not worry about it.
 
I understand your anxiety, but I will say what many have said. If you really like it, use it. I collect some, have accumulated many and use several. I try not to keep knives that I don't have some kind of passion for, whether it be a collection or to use. But even some of my collection knives get used.

I would carry both and keep the whittler in a knife slip to maintain its beauty. But use it.

When you find the knife that refuses to stay home, carry and use it. It has bonded with you and will haunt your dreams if you ignore it.

As to "the one," I have found it ... several times. Now I'm looking for the Other One.
 
My anxiety comes from deciding my #2 knife of the day. I have a Case Peanut & small Stockman as well as a Schrade 72OT and a 108OT. one of which is always in my watch pocket. The second knife I carry varies from a SAK of some sort to Schrade & Case Stockman & Jacks and I also try and work in a Gerber LST. So yeah its hard to choose, sometimes I switch 2-3 times a day.
 
On the weekends I solve it my carrying more than one knife! During the week I choose my knife, along with my work clothes, the night before and set everything out so I just grab and go.
 
hamsco said:
My anxiety today is when I have left for work , and forgot my EDC. :eek:
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Ha ha. That would seriously ruin my day. I might have to take a long lunch just to go pick one up from home.

per the OP, I find that looking at pictures of other people using their expensive knives (and seeing how well they hold up) makes me want to use mine. Then it just gets fun to put your own marks and stories on them.

Also, I usually carry two - a modern one-handed folder in my right pocket, and a small traditional in the watch pocket. I will take out the modern folder when I work or am at home, but the traditional stays in all the time until I go to bed. I find I use it all the time for tasks where my modern knife is just out of reach or in the other room.
 
Kamagong. Nice that you asked. Im good. The family is good and life is good. The sons trains biathlon and airrifle. We Hunt and fish as usual In forest and alpine hills. I do visit this subforum rather often to read. Makes me happy to see you old ones and i think Its great to se some new people. Sometimes i wonder a little about people that was regulars together With me that nolonger post and hope everything is okay with them. As i always did since i was a kid i carry a slipjoint or seldom a lockback. I have not bought a new knife for at least the last 2 to 3 years but i have many splendid knifes. I have sometimes lust for a gec or a Moki lockback but trout to be told Im blessed With more knifes Then i need. I soon turn 50 and this may change this a little. The reason i almost dont post here anymore has nothing to do with the forums. Soon 2 years ago i got a letter about a park of windmills in Digerberget. My loved homevillage. 54 of them. 220 meters hight bouth close to the village and in the wilderness i Hunt. First i was devastated but then i desided to see what i could do about it. Now two years later and hundreds of hours studying tecnic, environment, and politics this has ment that a few windmills is stopped, a few is moved and that our small villages gets proporly paid for the inconvinience. About 75 miljon swedish krowns over a 30 year period. This has ment a LOT of work but the result ahead of us is a big gain for our forest villages. Im glad Sweden is a peaceful country, my belive is that you cant fight this hard against big corporations everywhere. This will take me one or two years more to secure. This will not make me any money but Im satisfyed to make this for my neighbourhod. Lastly Christian i very well remember i owe you a kåsa and it has almost been been ready for years now. We stay in sight of eatchother you will be able to use it as an old man😉

Bosse
 
Oh i forgot in my precios post. Influence over the years from this forum has made me carry small and medium stockmans a lot. 15 years ago i didnt see anyrhing good in them and now i carry them a lot. The first one a case 32 with bone and cv sunnyd here sent me and for that im grateful. I now has 3 more i also use.

Bosse
 
Dadpool said:
There's so much fantastic, hard-won philosophy and perspective in this thread that it's quickly become one of my favorite threads on the Porch.
Every knife in my small collection is a user
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I agree with Dp on both of these sentiments! Thanks for posting a question that many of us have faced. I personally think anything I buy is ready for immediate, light use. When I think it's a keeper, I pocket and use it. In particular, as far as GEC goes, I have seen no diminished value with a light (sometimes more) patina. This thread has made me think about the knives I own that were manufactured well before I was born, which get very little pocket time. I have always been confused between user/collector. And I think that may be the issue for a lot of us "small time collectors." If you have, say, 200 knives, I can see 40 of them mounted in a glass case, just historic beauty and art. But If you have a dozen? And my 2 Keens are sitting in a plastic tub. Now I'm confused again, darn BF!:grumpy::D Hmmm...more thinking to be done.
 
Worse. Worse by far.

I have two Camillus Army Engineer's knives (4-blade camper/scout/utility) from 1942-44. Which to carry each day? One is more "sacred" — it has a areas of original mirror polish on the blades — the other doesn't, so is less sacred, but it was first-bought, so it has priority.

When I carry one, the other's pining on the shelf, I just know it.

Luckily, EDC Knife #2 is a Vic Classic, the same Vic Classic for about the last year — in hunter green. No decisions there.

What's totally ridiculous about all this is that I'm at least halfway serious.

But here's the thing: I would never, ever, not even for a moment consider retiring either Camillust to the shelf for good. It may be 70+ years old, but every good knife is a user knife. Period. Paragraph.
 
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