How do you decide which EDC to carry?

I contacted Alan Davis. Told him what I wanted and listened to his advice on how to make it even more awesome. Then I harassed him for months with tweaks and changes until finally my perfect EDC arrived. I don't have to pick anything anymore.

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I usually keep only a few favorite knives in my possession and give the rest away to friends and family.
It's pretty easy to choose when you only have 2 or 3 options. :)

I would probably be overwhelmed if I had "too" many. :p
 
First I stay away from dull(er) knives until I have time to sharpen them. Next, I think about the general size of blade I might expect to need throughout the day. And finally just pick one of the few options left. I also consider the clip on each knife, black if I want it less noticeable, deeper carry for shorts, etc.
 
I used to buy a new knife, carry it for a year or so, buy another new knife, carry it for a year or so, ...

I got into watch collecting some years ago and learned that collectors would have a group of watches that they wore and they would pick from this group each day. But they would also frequently sell watches that "got no wrist time". I vowed that my favorite watches would get worn equally so my scheme was to make a list of watches and wear them in that order, each Monday morning I would pick the next one on the list and wear it the rest of the week. Now that I got back into knife collecting I started doing the same with my EDC knives. I made a list of them and each Monday I pick out the next one to be carried for the rest of the week. That way they all get carried equally. If there is one that I get tired of carrying I just take it out of the rotation. Each Monday morning I look forward to starting to carry the next one on my list.

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I only have 3 folders so far... so i havnt had to deal with this yet! Though if i get a new knife i will carry it for a while until i start to miss the others. In other cases i take into consideration blade length.
 
I usually carry the same knives each day.

I buy knives for a purpose that I feel is necessary to fill, not because I feel like collecting.

I guess that might change how I answer this question, but if I buy something, it is for a specific purpose, not just to occupy space. It might just be that I got a good deal, and am hedging bets that I will save $$ by buying something I know I will need at some point........

That being said, I don't really have a problem of knives I don't carry. That problem resolves itself by dull knives. I have extra folders in a drawer that I sharpen as I get to it, and that way I always have a knife I am used to that is sharp and ready to go, even if I don't have the time to sharpen it first (my life is cyclically hectic).
 
The SAK (Super Tinker) always goes with me, along with one of four locking folders (Leek, Skyline, Delica, Mini-Grip). The locking folder selection is somewhat random. All four sit on my nightstand, and whatever catches draws my attention first when I get up in the morning is the one I carry.

I've bought a number of knives of different styles, shapes, steels, etc. I'll carry and use them for a while, and the ones I like most end up in the rotation. The others still get used sometimes, if I feel like revisiting that particular knife, but most days, it's something from my regular rotation.
 
Smokinape said:
I pick the one that matches my shoes and handbag...
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And I thought that I was the only one..........

Dunno. I seem to grab light weight folders for around town. I prefer a dark clip if possible as I don't want to advertise. Four inch is about right for me.
 
Think of what will be most useful that day if I have plans. Otherwise just grab my default, a Military and Opinel slim.
 
Which edc I carry depends on what I'm doing. For daily use I carry a Cryo, at work I carry a Leek and SOG powerlock b69 EOD, and when I'm out in the woods or performing manual labor (outside of work) it's a PM2. Prior to that I carried a delica full time before losing it.
 
Not that hard to choose when you own typically 2 knives at a time as i do lol. So for me it aint that hard choosing, but that's a problem on its own isn't it lol, i need to fix that and get some more knives later.
 
I have two separate cases- one for dress knives (mnandi, slipjoints, etc) and the other for non dress knives. Other than that I make it a game time decision about what to carry that day. Sometimes, I feel like a women by "trying on" several knives before making my choice. Since I don't have any knives I don't like, it will always be a good choice. Sometimes I carry two just because I could not decide!
 
it depends on the weather for me. for thicker clothes, and colder weather, i like a larger knife. like a spyderco military or benchmade bedlam. for the summertime when its warmer and my clothes are more akin to a shirt and shorts, my benchmade 960-601 is perfect. although your most likely going to find me carrying my XM-18 all year round. same with my paramilitary 2.

of course it also depends on if i think i need it for a specific task. in which case i usually bring a leatherman wave. but the ones mentioned above are just general EDC for me.
 
I rotate through them, sometimes I carry them for a couple weeks and sometimes it's only for a few days. I have one group that I carry at work, (desk job, corporate environment) these have less then 3" blades and are light, most have the pocket clips taken off. Then I switch to a larger folder when I get home or around town. (Keep a couple in the truck for this). Works well for me.
 
Today, I picked up my Sage 2 because the jeans I am wearing are a bit snug in the pocket area, and the Ti slips in and out easier than G10 or other textured surfaces. A lot of times, I open my knife drawer and look in there and a knife is begging to be carried, so I carry it. Also, if a knife is newer, it may get more pocket time. The Sage 2 is the only one I have had for some time that still gets considerable pocket time. My latest buys, Sage 1 and Chokwe are carried most right now. That Chokwe is hard not to carry I must admit.
 
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