Should I feel Guilty? EDC Post

I have drooled over expensive knives then got over it. I feel proud to whip out my opinels or my vics (even if i'm alone) because they come from a long lineage of great knives and they are from the same part of the world as me. They remind me of home and of times past. I understand the American guys who swear by their good ol' Buck 110. When i put my hand in my pocket, it comes out holding a piece of my traditions.

Don't get me wrong, I like other knives, i just like those better. And i sure as s*** don't feel bad.
 
Why would you feel "guilty" ? You are "guilty" somehow if your knife is not "expensive," whatever that means?

And why do you have "zero control" over knives once you leave your house?
 
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There's no wrong way of enjoying this hobby (within reason, of course). Some people enjoy carrying and using every knife they own, others keep a few users and the rest of their knife collection sits new in its boxes. Do whatever you want as long as you're happy.

I love using every single knife I own. Sure, some might go untouched for years, but I won't buy something that I'm not willing to put some wear on.

My dad, on the other hand, has two or three rather unremarkable EDC knives (a SAK, an Opinel and a fixed blade knife by a local maker). He keeps the rest of his knives in their original boxes and doesn't use them, even though he can certainly afford to replace any of them. He gets pleasure from maintaining them in pristine condition.
 
CustomDreamer said:
... I want to speak to the fact that I find myself walking out the door with knives that I am not worried about losing or abusing. Should I feel guilty that some days I have a Rat I in my pocket instead of a Benchmade 940 or a Sage? My theory when purchasing all of my knifes was that I want to get knives that will last for decades but I find my self walking out of the door more often than not with a knife that I am not so proud to carry....

Obviously I am conflicted every day.
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I carry all my knives except the one I paid the least for new---a Benchmade Panther. :) Don't want to lose that baby.

Look, you decide what you are going to do with or use a knife for. It's a decision you make every time right before you pull it out. If you are carrying a nicer, more expensive knife bypass some of the messier jobs and use something else....just like you would if you didn't have a knife with you.

Just because you're carrying a fine knife doesn't mean you have to use it for anything that comes along that you might tackle with a beater. Just use some judgement.
 
Nothing wrong with carrying a Strider or a CRK, but sometimes I carry the RAT-2 which is a great cutter/slicer...which is what I use a knife for.
 
I have both, but I have been careful about what i carry. I decided on a DPX HEST because it meets all of my requirements for most uses. That said I also carry a RAT 1 very often. Not the two at the same time. I have another RAT 1 in my grab bag. It will most likely be a second knife but will be a very welcome companion should I have to grab and go.
 
The knife I've put the most use on over the last 6 months or so is my Cold Steel Tuff Lite which is among the least expensive folders I own. I carry and use my more expensive blades too, but the Tuff Lite is almost always riding loose in a pocket. No shame, just enjoy what you use.
 
Bear Claw Chris Lappe said:
They're tools, not jewels.
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Ain't that the truth. Outside of stay at home, living in a box customs, sometimes we elevate a knives value to where it's too valuable to carry and work with, as if it was a museum piece later to be sold at a Christie's auction. It's then at the owner loss, losing the enjoyment and pride of owning/carrying it and why it was bought in the first place.

Kind of like all the 35 to 50 thousand dollar, Heavy Duty pick up trucks you see on the road sporting an off road logo, if it goes off road, it's in areas where a subcompact car could follow and the truck beds are as pristine as the hood.

In the end, you can't take it with you, better enjoy it now because there might not be a later.
 
Carry what ya want, its your things and your pockets. Why be afraid, its a simple thing, use a knife for what it is made for. Stay awaying from prying, digging, etc. Use the right tool for the task. Hell, carry a multitool with it.
 
I carry these two, not sure if the photo will post after the update to tapatalk and will have to do it later. Alox cadet and a rough rider mini barlow. I've tried to edc other things like a Domino, sage 2, Le Thiers, Northwoods presidential but none have won out Mon-Fri over this little peanut sized knife. It's incredibly sharp too. I stropped it on wood last week barely touched the blade and it bit me.

I am more attached to my users than the knives that I pick up just because they are a great knife but cost a bit more.
 

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Knives are made to be used and are tools, but that doesn't mean you have to use them. I'm pretty sure a stamp collector doesn't use his stamps either and nobody thinks twice about that.
I have a lot of knives, but only use about 5 smaller ones, simply because i don't live in the jungle and work at an office, that and the police will confiscate em if they find em :p (weird law here: you can posses and carry a knife, but the police can confiscate them for whatever reason they want^^)
I do have bigger knives, but don't really use them, but they give me pleasure just fondling them :p
 
Xytras said:
Knives are made to be used and are tools, but that doesn't mean you have to use them. I'm pretty sure a stamp collector doesn't use his stamps either and nobody thinks twice about that.
I have a lot of knives, but only use about 5 smaller ones, simply because i don't live in the jungle and work at an office, that and the police will confiscate em if they find em :p (weird law here: you can posses and carry a knife, but the police can confiscate them for whatever reason they want^^)
I do have bigger knives, but don't really use them, but they give me pleasure just fondling them :p
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Apples and oranges, if a stamp collector uses his stamp it's gone, when i'm done with my knife it's still right here. If you don't use your knives you're missing out on something.
 
Why would you be not so proud to carry a RAT-1? It's a really cool, effective knife, that works well and, added bonus for me, is inexpensive. Good knives that work well for less than $50 are my favorite kind of knife.

An Opinel is about $15 bucks, a Mora is about the same.... these kinds of knives are hardly things to be not so proud of... certainly not ashamed!
 
Quintalito said:
Apples and oranges, if a stamp collector uses his stamp it's gone, when i'm done with my knife it's still right here. If you don't use your knives you're missing out on something.
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Even when you get past the para-religious aspects (My knife makles be who I am.), condition is a factor in market value.
 
Life is very short.
And one day each of us will be gone . . . forever.

No matter what, I carry a Vic Super Tinker pocket knife with me. Handy little thing, on a daily basis I probably use it more often than any other of my knives.

That said, I look forward to getting my custom sheath this week and carrying my custom Fiddleback Forge knife that I bought recently.
I always carry more than one knife.

Life is very short.
 
Perhaps the feelings of "guilt" are a cry for validation rather than any moral or materialistic dilemma. The knife itself is an object, and can be the recipient of a projection of relative value through both individual belief systems (BS) and collective belief systems (also BS). Of course, finding the balance between one own's BS and the BS of others' is the crux of the biscuit of most life affirming or destroying decisions.
 
$22 - always in my pocket since I got it:



$30 - 3" blade restriction at work, so it's my work carry:



$220 - my most carried and used folder. As you can see, I baby this one:



 
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