Know anyone with the proverbial ONE EDC knife?

mnblade

mnblade

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Feb 7, 2000
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Even though he was a carpenter and glass man by trade and a fisherman and hunter (though, sadly, he'd stopped hunting before I was old enough), my grandad only owned one knife other than kitchen knives. It was a two-blade Robeson jack, kept oiled and sharp as heck. He'd clean fish with knives from the kitchen (carbon steel, naturally) and when he was hunting, my dad told me he used to just wrap up a few kitchen knives in newspaper with a stone and steel and take 'em to camp. Those and the ever-present Robeson (a <i>real</i> EDC!) were all he needed.

And a childhood friend of mine's dad, he was our scout leader, only ever seemed to have one knife. It was an equal end pen, something like Case's modern Eisenhower models. Whether he was just around the house, working on one of their cars or taking us kids on a scout trip, that was the only knife I ever saw him with.

We often talk about "if you could only have one knife, what would it be?" But has anyone else known someone who has that proverbial one EDC knife? What's their story?
 
that would have been my dad for most of his life (hes 70 now) carried one of the old "wengerinox" swiss army knives for years. The blade is paper thin from being sharpened and he gave it to me a few years back, and I gave him a 605 I made in chocolate jigged bone with a brass oval shield with his initials. I modified the handle and made a cutout for the stud, I also polished the bolsters and handle to a nice lustre. Now he wont use the new knife! says its too pretty!!!

I had come close to stcking with the avalanche as my primary edc, but the 721 has give it a run for the money latley, oops I also carry my leek, I guess I fail!!!! :o
 
>"I had come close to stcking with the avalanche as my primary edc, but the 721 has give it a run for the money latley, oops I also carry my leek, I guess I fail!!!!"

=========================

Odds are <i>very</i> good that, if you're on this forum, you fail. ;)
 
Most of the people I've given knives to as gifts still only have that one knife and that's the one they carry every day.

Phil
 
I carried the same 1 or 2 knives for years before I came here.
 
the thing is...they don't care if somethings better out there cause they are fine with what they have...there must be some specal knife nut gene that comes along every now and then case where a rare breed :D
 
My wife has several knives but she only carries one: a blue Delica.

My oldest brother has a small Buck lock-back that he has carried for at least 10 years.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
Originally posted by phatch
Most of the people I've given knives to as gifts still only have that one knife and that's the one they carry every day.

Phil
Click to expand...

Yep. I was given an old "Barlow" when I joined the service, and that was it for more that 10 years.
 
Interesting question. Most people that I know carry no knives. I know, I know, I should be working harder to convert them...:)

Of those who do carry, nearly all carry only one knife. For the vast majority, that is a multitool, usually on a belt sheath. I would estimate that is about 80% of people that I know who carry. The SAK is still hanging in there with maybe 10%. The rest are a mix of slipjoints or inexpensive lockbacks from the hardware store. Non-enthusiasts do seem far more likely to have a true EDC than we are.
 
For work and "everyday" I carry the CRKT M16 tanto. I'm afraid I'd loose/ruin anything more expensive. It cuts, it gets dull, and I sharpen it.

My dad had always carried them cheap barlows. For Christmas this year I want to get him a nice knife, nothing too expensive, but with a better blade.

steve
 
Originally posted by Will'em
the thing is...they don't care if somethings better out there cause they are fine with what they have...there must be some specal knife nut gene that comes along every now and then case where a rare breed :D
Click to expand...

I often think what an eccentric breed "collectors" are whether they be collectors of sports trading cards, coins, or knives. What I don't understand is why some people collect multiples of the same production folder. I can understand if they were custom or rare knives but having a dozen CRKT KFF's doesn't make sense to me. Then again, who says a hobby has to make sense? Myself, I'm somewhere in between. I'll buy a new production folder if it strikes my interest but it won't get used at all as I still go back to carrying a cheap CRKT K.I.S.S., or -- my preferred EDC -- a Spydie Native FRN. Doesn't make me appreciate knives any less than the guy who goes out to buy 20 Sebenzas each with different scales. That said, all the power to him (or her) and I wish I didn't have other expensive hobbies so I could buy more knives!

But yes, those guys who go 20 years with the same knife are a breed apart from us all. They are like samurais who have their trademark blade.

I wrote the following at another thread but I think it's more appropriate here:

It reminds me of this side story on the news I saw a couple of years ago. It was just a human interest story of this old timer (no pun intended)guy -- probably in his 70's -- who sat on his porch "widdling" wood.

They showed him sharpening his ol' trusty widdling knife. It wasn't any fancy Sebenza, or Microtech, or Spyderco, or even CRKT folder for that matter. It was just a very old drugstore pocket knife (Case style) which had been used so often for so many years that the original blade profile and curves had been long ground away, and the blade was scuffed and tarnished. The real value of the knife wasn't the steel composition, or handle material. It was the history, and the blood and sweat behind it in the hands of that ol' man. He didn't use a fancy dianmond or ceramic sharpener either. Just your basic hardware store wetstone but, like a maestro, put a scalpel sharp edge on it.

Then he went back to widdling the piece of wood while sitting on his porch at one with the knife. I thought, "Now that's a real knife, and a knife nut!"
 
I totally agree. I don't think you have to have a huge collection of blades to be knife nut. A knife nut is also that person who will not go anywhere without having a knife because he/she appreciates the usefulness of it as a tool.

My dad has always carried a pocketknife. Through the years he has gone through several different ones, usually getting a new one to replace a lost one. However, he has always only carried one at a time. He carried a Leatherman Micra for a long time, and about two years ago I bought him a small SOG steel gent's folder, now that's the only one he carries. He takes it everywhere and uses it all the time. I don't think my dad realizes it, but I consider him a knife nut to some degree because he won't go anywhere without that knife.

I think there are grades to knife-nuttiness. Some of us are more "obsessed" than others, and some of us would own every knife ever made if we could afford it! Others of us have one or two favorites that go with us everywhere!
 
I love knives. No, really...I have genuine affection for my blades. Is that normal? My passion is military knives and bayonets, though I do buy the odd production blade now and then...the staff at the House of Knives knows me by name. I really enjoy going out and finding those rare collectables in antique stores mixed in with the old licence plates and green plastic army men. The best part is reserching the piece and learning its history.

Anyhoo, I'm rambling...I used to carry a Gerber Gatormate as my EDC knife but a small mishap while executing a one handed opening changed that (its not a one handed opener). Since then I carry a Timberline Discovery every day. I chose that one based on the locking mechanism as I have had a few too many "lockers" unlock on me. Has anyone taken one apart? That opening/locking machanism is magnificent! It has yet to fail and believe me I've tried.

I'm rambling again...I've not had any task that the tanto point and partial serrations could not handle.:)
 
I carried a Buck Cross Lock for quite awhile..then moved to the smaller Seb...and now a large Seb. Though I have a feeling this little Kershaw Double Cross I picked up recently will stay with me as part of my EDC for as long as it stays together.

I think of the Kershaw Double Cross as " very sheeple" freindly.
 
Yeah I must admit I've got more sheeple friendly lately. People used to regard my knife addiction as an amusing quirk. Now they look a little alarmed. So my little soldier SAK is the one I tend to carry the most.
 
ahah, I've got one. There's this bloke I know called Louey. He works as a shearer, roustabout and general farm hand. He's a big dude, about 6'4" and bald. He's a bit mad (a few snags short of a barbie we would say over here). Sort of a Kramer of the outback.

He always wears a pair of old shearers duds and a blue singlet and carries a small carbon steel fixed blade that has been resharpened down to almost a sliver. He reckons his Dad gave it to him so who know how old it is.

I went to a wedding in his town a few years back and Louey was there. He'd showered, so he didn't smell of wet wool and sweat like normal. He had also pulled on a moth eaten suit jacket over his blue singlet....and he was still carrying that fixed blade.

He carries it on a belt in a leather holster, with no snap or closure of any kind. I've known him for more than 25 years and I haven't seen him without it.
 
I'm 18 at age i guess 11 or 12 i asked for a knife for X-Mas and my dad got me a SAK tinker, i loved the hell out of that knife and still do, i always had it on me when i wasnt in school, then i got a gerber gator, but that was only ever used to gut deer in season. But no matter what i always had that SAK on me. Then very recently i came here and now i have a knife in the mail to me right now.... I was the pure one knife EDC and now look what all of you have done!!!
 
My father owns about 100 knives but the only knife he EVER carries is a single blade SAK pioneer, drives me crazy.I on the other hand own about 100 knives and carry every last damn one of 'em, drives HIM crazy.
 
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