What do you decide to carry?

Japacheze

Japacheze

Joined
Feb 3, 2019
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I'm assuming most folks here have a collection of knives. Some are very specialized, but some are EDC.

Do you rotate your EDC, or do you pick a knife based on criteria . . . casual, tactical, formal wear, etc? How do you decide on a daily basis? If you have favorites, then why? How do you enjoy your knives?

Those that use them for work have specific needs, but what about deciding on a day's carry?
 
Well this is a copy of a post I just made to give you an example.
Very often I buy and carry knives that I haven't tried before and compare them to . . . 1. The knife I have in my imagination as the ultimate for my use and 2. The knives I already have and in many cases have modified to improve them.

Lately I have been thinking about grinding my 940 full flat and thinner .

Barring that I would be more pleased with my existing Ti Lite IV CTS-XHP which I full flat ground and thinned to 1.9mm. Great, great steel (it's not M4 though)

The last few weeks I have been carrying everyday my Delica with HAP40 and carbon fiber and my latest purchase a stunningly satisfying but embarrassingly inexpensive Kershaw Chill.

That said I have had enough of thin handled knives for a while and today swapped out my Delica with FRN (fatter handle) with Wharnclife and my Endura 4 ZDP-189 FRN.

I used them both several times at work today and love these knives and had a good time but I must say I was missing my more straight handled knives such as my large Trappers and my Ti Lite mentioned above.

I had already laid out the Ti Lite to carry to work tomorrow before seeing this thread. I keep coming back to the thin ground Ti Lite.
( I'll have a couple smaller knives with me for the lighter work )

As far as a largish user it's the STUFF !

END OF COPY OF MY POST FROM THE OTHER THREAD.

What I carry ends up being a compromise from what I want and have in my head.
I may get tired of lock backs and carry my axis locks or compression locks because they are more fun.
Then I get tired of not having the blade shape or thinness of blade that I want so I start carrying my Grails which are both liner locks (the Ti Lite mentioned above and my Urban Trapper).

Then I want my favorite steel and reach for something with M4.

Those have funny handle shapes so I then want one of my Traditional Trappers (best dang handle shape and size . . . I swear) or my Ti Lite.

Maybe I get wanting something extra weird and fun and go for a hawkbill or a Spyderco Balance . . . that doesn't last long and I am back to the ones mentioned above.

Around the house it is my Cold Steel Holdout I (six inch blade slices up my cinnamon rolls and is great for other food prep but the authorities tend to take a dim view of that length in a folder around here so mostly she stay at home).

PS : my Spyderco Pattada in N690 gives my Ti Lite a run for its money so sometimes I grab that.

Does any of this make any sense or answer your question of am I just randomly talking about my knives ?
 
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Work office: Chris Reeve Snakewood damascus Mnandi.

Special occasion: Chris Reeve Small Sebenza 21 Mammoth Bark

EDC Rotation: Chris Reeve Small Inkosi, Large Micarta Inkosi Insingo, Shirogorov Neon Ultra Lite.

The trail: Fiddleback Forge Bushhermit Osage wood handle or Fiddleback Forge Handyman English Walnut handle.
 
I have two folders for work in case one gets dull.
I have three folders for non work EDC. See avatar.
The GB2 goes with me when I’m hanging out with my buds.
The 940-1 goes with me to parties/dinners and the Rookie G10 is for when I don’t think I’ll need a knife but I’m carrying one anyway.

The GB2 and -1 fight for the vast majority of pocket time.
 
Since I got into the YouTube thing, deciding what to carry has become really easy. Kinda works like this:

Am I carrying something for review?

If yes: that’s it.
If no: it’s almost definitely a Massdrop Keen.
 
Vic Alox Cadet most days unless I have a reason to carry something else. Otherwise I have a small set of go-to knives that I'll grab one for whatever purpose needs something more than the Vic.

I leave a few in my car in case something comes up when I am away from home where the knife du jour was the wrong choice.
 
Ever since I bought a black micarta Sebenza it's found it's way into my pocket almost every single day. Whether it's work, casual, or dress it fills the bill for everything. Occasionally I'll take one of my other knives out for a spin just to mix things up or drop a traditional in my pocket with it but there's generally no rhyme or reason for that.
 
I like to keep my Contego in the truck as a rescue knife. I've been carrying a PM2 for it's slicyness and lightweight pocketability. I don't consider that a hard use knife but the s110v really keeps a keen edge. It's good for most of what I'm needing at any time. I'm becoming aware of weight more ala NUTNFANCY.
 
sliceofaloha said:
I like to keep my Contego in the truck as a rescue knife. I've been carrying a PM2 for it's slicyness and lightweight pocketability. I don't consider that a hard use knife but the s110v really keeps a keen edge. It's good for most of what I'm needing at any time. I'm becoming aware of weight more ala NUTNFANCY.
Click to expand...

For your consideration: he was always harping on weight because he thought in terms of systems. The idea was to save weight on each item, to reduce the weight of the whole.

He also frequently carried a huge pile of gear, including 3-4 knives.

The weight race has become a parody of itself.
 
Even though I've scaled down considerably, I still rotate between the ten modern folders. It's more a whimsical choice right now with the current situation. Before I became a useless bag of bones, I had certain parameters. No metal handles in the winter. No g-10 etc with slacks.

My most carried knife is my Manix 2 CTS-XHP. They all get carried/fondled (some to point of restraining orders and arrest warrants)/drooled on, but the bigger, heavier ones often didn't make the cut unless I was wearing jeans.
 
Right now, I carry 2 knives everyday:

1) A Bastianni/Marcaida Pika for possible SD use

and

2) Any knife among the others that are in my collection to use for whatever other purpose that may arise.

How I choose #2 is random and just depends on what grabs my attention that day.

However, there are only around 20-30 out of over 275 knives in my collection that I'd actually carry. So, there is some sort of rotation that goes on in my head but it is not organized in any way. The only "rule" is that I won't carry the same knife more than 1-2 days in a row.
 
For work my carry is 90% of the time this
3HuqVdC.jpg

And that is pretty much locked in. The Kershaw gets a day off when it needs sharpening.

For the other parts of my life it varies. The newest knife will get carried until the novelty wears off, then I rotate through the rest of them.
 
It depends on:
1. What I think I may need the knife for
2. The environment and especially if I will be at the office
3. The activity:clothes of the day
4. The mood of the day


My default go to knifes are a large sebenza when I am not at the office and a small Inkosi on the office days
 
I tend to choose the knife based on whether I am working in the city or not and what I am doing that day. For the city (NYC), I choose among a few small slip joint knives or friction folders. If I'm doing dirty work where a knife is likely to see some abuse, I will choose a rough knife like a Svörd. If I expect a typical day, anything legal to carry. My SAK goes with me everywhere.
On my days off, I choose whatever I want since I am not legally limited from carrying anything I own. And I do have a couple of nicer knives for "dressy" occasions, though I admit I prefer to avoid those as much as possible.
 
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