Knife or Flashlight?

Kinda apples and oranges. It's kind of like asking which is more useful your shoes or your watch. Different tools for different jobs.
I probably use my EDC flashlight (Nitecore EX 10) more than my EDC knife (Leek Damascus, today). But I use knives in the kitchen, more than my flashlight.
 
If I could only carry one, it would be a flashlight. Given the choice between not being able to see, or not being able to cut, I'll take the latter. If you can see in the dark, you can find anything else you may need.

Plus, my first obsession was flashlights, so that may explain my thought process as well.

A cell phone can serve as an emergency flashlight, so that supports the knife-only argument.

Fortunately, I can carry whatever I dang well please. :thumbup:

That list of Flash Lights blew me away!
 
I find a knife and a flashlight each indispensable. I would not give up one or the other. Which is why I EDC both all the time.
 
In my line of work, I'll take the knife. Hubby would take a knife for work too, he has pretty good night vision.
 
Kind of hard to open a box or cut an apple with a flashlight

You can open a box with your hands and you can eat an apple with your mouth.

A flashlight is much more useful for me. If you need to cut something you can improvise with what ever is around you.
 
lol! ...For some reason I find this question strangely random on a knife forum.:confused:

I keep several flashlights around the house, and one in each of my vehicels only for emergencies, but I would have to say there is no comparison ...KNIVES hands down.

I always carry a knife, and use it all the time, as in multiple times a day, every day. I do carry a light at night when I'm camping, but other than that I don't find myself wondering around in pitch-black darkness much.

If I think it may be needed I'll throw my led light in a pocket, but honestly I think I've needed it only a couple of times.

Of course I don't work outside at night, so that might have something to do with it. But even so I have ALWAYS been facinated with, and excited by knives. I just don't feel that way about a light.

...BTW, is there a flashlight-forum out there for people like powernoodle??? :)
 
The flashlight is very important to me since I work in a job that requires a light and my light also has some wicked strike bevels so that helps too. I would feel naked without my knife thought. I always have a Nebo LED light along with my one to two knives. Both are equally important to me.
 
It is kind of funny question to ask on Bladeforums. Everybody are knifenuts here and only some flashachlics. :D
On serious note, I EDC knives for about fifteen years and carry flashlight about a year and half. I carry 2-3 Spydercos and Novatac. For some reasons I use knives much more often.
 
You can open a box with your hands and you can eat an apple with your mouth.

A flashlight is much more useful for me. If you need to cut something you can improvise with what ever is around you.

Not if you need to open the box cleanly or make apple rabbits.

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I find flashlights extremely useful having one in almost every room in the house, not to mention the vehicles, but the knife rules supreme in usefulness for me. I'll take it over a flashlight in ultimate usefulness and practicality anytime.
 
I never carry flashlights with me in the city.
Here in San Diego I think the cops would be a bit suspicious of someone walking with a flashlight in the darker hours.
Lotta creeps and crooks out there...
When I live in the sticks I always have a flashlight on me.
If I had to choose it'd probably be a knife, though it's a tough call.
Knives cover more bases than a flashlight in most survival situations.
 
Of the two, I would take the flashlight in the end. Yes, each has its uses, in a time and place but in the long run, I would rather be able to see.
 
Can't help but think, it must be a lot darker where you guys live than where I've been. Maybe I just have good night sight :confused: because I can't recall the last time there wasn't enough ambient light around for me to see well enough that I felt like I needed a flashlight.

...Funny, listening to you guys talk about how serious you take edc'ing lights makes me think "now I know how other people feel when I talk about knives" ...haha, well I guess flashlights are at least more usefull than collecting stamps or comic books! :thumbup:
 
Just considering which I've used more over the years, the flashlight has shown to be more useful for me. I still like knives more however. Kind of like how I've found multitools more useful than strict folders, but I prefer your regular folder over a multitool most of the time.
 
Can't help but think, it must be a lot darker where you guys live than where I've been. Maybe I just have good night sight :confused: because I can't recall the last time there wasn't enough ambient light around for me to see well enough that I felt like I needed a flashlight.

...Funny, listening to you guys talk about how serious you take edc'ing lights makes me think "now I know how other people feel when I talk about knives" ...haha, well I guess flashlights are at least more usefull than collecting stamps or comic books! :thumbup:

You seem to only be considering when there's absolutely no light. In my experience, the flashlight can just makes things simpler rather than working hard to look around in dimly lit areas. Just like opening boxes with knives. Sure I can find a pen to cut the tape, but a knife in my pocket makes it more convenient.
 
You seem to only be considering when there's absolutely no light. In my experience, the flashlight can just makes things simpler rather than working hard to look around in dimly lit areas. Just like opening boxes with knives. Sure I can find a pen to cut the tape, but a knife in my pocket makes it more convenient.

Makes sense. I just never thought that much about flashlights.

Though I do own several, and I know they can certainly come in handy when they are needed. :thumbup:
 
I cant give a really good answer because I carry both (and use them) everyday.

It comes down to what you could use more at the time. I just spent $100 out of my knife fund because I got a Shimano Symetre (fishing reel). Now that its summer and the oil is drifing through the Gulf I wanted to put more into catching some Redfish. I already have plenty of rods/reels but I wanted to get something to be a great Redfish setup.

I have more than 10 folders and plenty of fixed blades to do what I need.
 
I EDC a Quark 1AA, Leatherman Squirt P4, and usually a Ti JYD.
I find the light to be most useful outside of work and the knife to be most useful at work.
That's why I carry a light, knife, and MT. Different uses and different tools so I carry all three to cover my bases.
 
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