What do we really use and what for???

B

bearthedog

Joined
May 17, 2006
Messages
4,290
Ok, I know we all have some pretty cool knives be it custom or production. My question is…what do you really use and why?

Let’s break this into a few categories.
1. EDC at home, work, or in the car.
2. Hiking- Day hiking
3. Backpacking- Remote camping and well established trail with plenty of people.
4. Travel/Work Tools

I will start with listing mine. Feel free to post yours and remember pictures speak louder than words, post em!

1.EDC- My EDC when I am home in the states is simple, a SAK on my keys. Most used item would be the little scissors which I would be lost without. I love the Wenger Traveler because it was my first SAK given to me by my brother in 1997. It has been to the top of the US- Mt Whitney two times and the Grand Canyon as well as a few other states.

Wenger Traveler
IMG_8190.jpg

Wenger Esquire or Victorinox Classic
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2.Hiking- I will always have either my Victorinox Hiker or OHT with me while day hiking. A simple SAK has always been there for me in my time of need. If I am just day hiking, that means I don’t have all my gear so I will usually take a fixed blade along with a SAK. I go between whatever I am working on for a review or I’ll just go with what works. To name a few: RAT RC-3, Breeden CUB, or a JK Hiker. Any of these combined with a SAK and I will be set up if the hike turns into a survival situation.

Becker Necker/Vic Hike http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=671890
IMG_7202.jpg


JK Tactical Hiker
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Breeden CUB/Vic OHT
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3.Backpacking- When backpacking places like the Grand Canyon, or Mt Whitney you will be around sometimes hundreds of people so the survival aspect is pretty much nil. In most cases a knife is pretty much useless. Besides, you will have your own shelter and supplies. However, if I am backpacking in a remote area alone or with a friend I forget about whatever I am reviewing or anything new. I go with what has been proven and what I know works without fail. That is when the RC-3/SAK combo is put into effect. Even on survival trips to Peru, Alabama, Mexico, or Philippines, these two always go! I always seem to disappoint fellow survival/knife enthusiasts when they ask me what I use the most in the bush. I actually have grown to like the slow look of disappointment mixed with utter surprise that appears on their face when I pull out my small Vic Hiker.

OHT
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RAT-RC-3 and Victorinox Hiker
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IMG_0536.jpg


Hiker
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4.Travel/Work- Victorinox Swiss Champ or Swiss Tool X. Sometime in 1999 I started traveling playing music for artists and nothing beats a Swiss Champ or multi-tool for having on the job. I often use the wire cutters for cutting the wires on my brushes and for cutting bass/guitar strings. The blade quickly shaves off wood splinters that start to protrude off the wood and make the stick unbalanced. The screwdrivers are always used to tighten up drum hardware and stubborn wing nuts. Anyone on stage can use it without having to be “knife literate.” The Swiss Champ has actually been to Mexico, Philippines, Australia, South Pacific, basically 6 continents without any custom officials having a problem with it. I have recently replaced it with the Swiss Tool X as my main travel tool because of the "tool vibe" it gives off, less customs officers question it as they know most photographers and hikers don’t travel without one. Also, the fact that it is not a one handed opening tool makes it legal in almost every part of the world.

Swiss Champ in the jungles of Bora Bora.
IMG_8869.jpg

IMG_8668.jpg

Swiss Tool X http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=694633
IMG_6339.jpg


Well, here is my list. Maybe it isn't too interesting or original but these are tools that over the years and through the trends have always been what works for me.

Please, feel free to add your own combos!
 
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To be honest my ESEE-4 covers just about everything for me, though I would love an ESEE-6 for hiking duties. Once I find a job, an Izula will probably take over for daily duties while on the job.
 
Around the house I use a combo of
Izula and Leatherman Crunch
in the garden it's
machete and Izula (+ some dedicated garden cutting tools like pruning shears)

hikes and camps:
as long as I don't have to make my own shelter on the spot:
Izula, with either SAK or LM Crunch

when I have to make my own shelter:
ESEE-3 and Izula and SAK or LM Crunch (and I need a new hawk)

You see a pattern here? The Izula is truly edc for me, I always have it on me.
(Apart from the few occasions I have to go through a no knive zone or even spend time in one.)
 
Hmmm.

EDC

out-and-about:
Spyderco Delica 4 Wave and Leatherman Squirt S4

at work: Spyderco Delica 4 Wave or Buck Folding Bucklite Max Small and Leatherman Squirt ES4

in car: OD Green RC-4 or RC-6

Hiking:
RAT Pack RC-3 or OD Green RC-3 and Leatherman Charge Ti

Backpacking:
OD Green RC-4 or RC-6 and Leatherman Charge Ti

Travel:
OD Green RC-3, Victorinox SwissChamp, and Leatherman Charge Ti

Work Tools:
Victorinox Cybertool Lite, and Leatherman Charge Ti, Buck Folding Bucklite Max Small, and Leatherman Squirt ES4
 
Ya know, it's one of those things.... I tend to have a different combo just about any time I leave the house. All of them are tried and true, just I have a lot of different blades. :)

EDC:
Work is REALLY picky about what I carry, for the longest time I couldn't have any kind of a sheath on my belt. Now a days, they let me carry a Multitool on my hip, because they have seen just how often I use it. But you can pretty much count on me having one of my leatherman, SOG, or Victorinox MT on my hip all the time. I also have a small locking folder in my watch pocket, like a Kershaw scallion or Gerber Ridge, and a Victorinox Huntsman or camper or something like that. I use these all the time, especially when pulling cable for our network or opening up one of the PCs.
Today it is: Leatherman Blast, Gerber Ridge, Vic Huntsman.

Hiking:
For me, this mostly means I grab my camera bag and head out to do some photography. Normally I still have my EDC gear with me, so I have a small bag that adds a second MT (LM Juice or something like that) a solid folder (Kershaw mini cyclone) and something like the Izula, maybe a KaBar Adventure Piggyback blade or Becker Remora. I tend to use these blades for everything, trimming away branches that are in the way, digging down to level the tripod, name it, these blades do it.

Backpacking:
Well simple, RC-3 or TAK-1 plus my EDC. I have yet to find anything I can't tackle with the RC-3 or TAK-1. A lot of times I will carry both, plus my EDC blades. I also carry a "loaner" fixed blade, folder and MT if I am going with a friend. Generally those are a Gerber MT like the Suspension, a SAK, and Gerber Profile, something alone those lines. One rule of thumb thou. If I am off the beaten path, locally or remote area, every SAK and MT I carry has both the main blade and a saw. Always. I just find that in the woods, the saw is used a lot.

Pretty much the EDC items are inter-changeable, simply because I have so many of them. I think my SAK collection has topped 250, and I have at least two dozen or so MT's, not to mention all the fixed blades. In truth, I could probably get by with just a LM Blast, but..... well I own the damn things, they ARE gonna get used :)
 
A Leatherman Pulse is my standard carry in all situations. I carry an Izula for EDC and work/travel when I can (I work at a school). For hiking and backpacking I bring an ESEE-4.
 
EDC: Leatherman PST, I have a ballistic cloth pouch for it that I modified and keep my small ferro/mag stick from my Izula kit in it. I keep my Izula in my pocket. I have a Leatherman micra on my keychain, as well as a Houdini emergency tool.

Hiking: I'll pack my HEST or RC5 as appropriate. I've also got a Bahco Laplander saw in my Versipack, and my HEST usually hangs out in the Versi as well.

Backpacking/Camping: I bring em all, may bring my SOG hatchet (or even an axe if car camping). I'll belt or pack carry the RC5 as needed.
 
I EDC a Victorinox Climber SAK in my left pocket and a full flat ground Spyderco Delica clipped in the right.
I hike with a Vic OHT SAK in my pocket and my old faithful (and indestructible) TAK on the belt of my butt pack/bottle carrier.
While working 'round the house, I'll often clip my Izula or my RAT3 to my belt for easy access for opening mulch bags, boxes, etc. I also frequently carry a Leatherman Wave on my belt when any 'mechanical' work may enter the picture.
When traveling, I bring the SAK, the Delica the Wave and my RAT Pack RC3 clipped to the daisy chain on my backpack. (Obviously NOT when air travel involved!)
 
Fallkniven f1 goes with anytime I get hiking or camping it's in the car all the rest of the time, just in case I need it. Leatherman wave is always in my pocket, izula in my psk along with a oht. Finished off with a manix2 for edc. So far that's been working out for me.
 
EDC IZULA: Mostly used everyday to open packages/envelopes/paracord or anything that needs to be cut really. More recently it's been my friend when cooking.

Brought it to my first electrical lab and used it to cut lengths of wire and trim excess plastic off a PCB board so it would fit in the project case.

It also makes an excellent cigar cutter ;)

RC-4: Basic camping chores. Batonning small amounts of firewood. Use it to practice trap making. Use it in the garden at home to prune grape vines and remove excess brush around our backyard.
 
EDC/work: A selection of Vics, because I know what I need and use, but I don't want it all in one knife. Those are: Soldier, Alox Classic, and Waiter. Soldier gets the most use as just my general pocket knife. Classic gets used for the scissors, and the Waiter for the mini-screwdriver and toothpick/tweezers. Leatherman Wave and SOG Flash II on the belt.

EDC/home: Transition to either (generally) an ESEE-3MIL, or HEST, with the same pocket gear, but no Wave or SOG. Add a sidearm. HEST or MIL gets used to open a lot of bottles, and general cutting about anything.

Working in garage or yard: ESEE-4, sometimes the Wave, same pocket gear, sidearm.

Camping: Fallkniven A1 (chopping/batonning), Buck Vanguard Alaskan Guide (about everything else), Wave, Victorinox Huntsman.

Backpacking: Wave, Huntsman, Vanguard or Fallkniven S1.

Hunting: Wave, Farmer (Vic), Fallkniven H1, and either ESEE-3 or -4. The H1 is ONLY for meat work, ESEE does anything else.

Travel: Wave, Soldier, HEST

Hmmmm.... Looking at the rundown... I apparently like the Wave the most of anything I own. :eek:
 
BTD,
I also have a stayglow or dayglow whatever OHT from Swiss Bianco #78 ,Great SAK had to get a JRE custom belt sheath for it ,for me the OHT is to heavy to carry in my pocket
 
I hear you. I use this light Carabineer that attaches to my belt loop. Looks like this. It frees up my pocket.
RangerGrip4.jpg

IMG_8849.jpg
 
texastonydobbs said:
lol ,cheaper than the JRE Sheath ! but the sheath is cool,holds the OHT & LMF army model firesteel
Click to expand...
I have seen those, very cool.
This carabineer way of attaching it also makes it easy to tuck in your pocket when around sheepish people or in towns, yet it doesn't sit in your pocket bringing your pants down like me at my 2 year physical yesterday!:D

-RB
 
EDC- I work in an office, sodbuster country cousin pocket carry & swamp rat RMD in briefcase.

Hiking-Bravo 1

Travel- swiss army waiter

Car Camp- Rat 7
 
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