what's an EDC for?

B

bennyandthesets

Joined
Nov 1, 2005
Messages
27
I work in theatre and use mine for anything and everything. I see all these posts talking about what you shouldn't use your knofe for but it seems to me if I followed all of them all I could do would be to look at the pretty curves of metal. I am safe with it but I am not afraid to "misuse" it when I need to, but then I also will use my drill gun as a hammer if I need to. Just wondering if I am alone here.
 
I really baby my knives, but I like to carry two at all times. One high end piece I don't use for anything but cutting plastics, cardboard, etc... Things that will not overly damage the blade, and a cheapo knife I don't care if I bang around a bit. Even then by 'bang around', I'm incredibly careful with it. I don't think any of the knife enthusiasts here like to see a knife beaten badly and used as a prying tool even on their EDCs.
 
One of the reasons I carry more than one knife is for that question. I have one carry knife for most tasks, and I use the Leatherman blades if I'm doing really heavy cutting. The other carry knife I keep pristine for any emergencies. ;)
 
Some knives are cutters and some are scrapers. :)

I like to have a larger knife and a smaller knife with me, with the smaller knife for jobs that the big blade would be clumsy. But they all get used, even the Sebenzas.

I can see babying a dress knife. I probably wouldn't use my Mnandi for the heaviest, dirtiest job, unless that was all I had. At least I know I can clean it up.
 
I bought a couple new knives just for EDC but now that I have them I think i'd feel bad about using them for heavy stuff. I've bought a used Blur on ebay for guiltfree heavy usage.
 
bennyandthesets said:
I work in theatre and use mine for anything and everything. I see all these posts talking about what you shouldn't use your knofe for but it seems to me if I followed all of them all I could do would be to look at the pretty curves of metal. I am safe with it but I am not afraid to "misuse" it when I need to, but then I also will use my drill gun as a hammer if I need to. Just wondering if I am alone here.
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No, I'd say you're definitely not alone. There are two schools of thought on the subject, #1 is: use the right tool for the job, I use a knife to cut stuff. And #2 is: I'll use whatever I have to to get the job done.

Group #1 tends to keep their tools in working order longer than group #2. Neither saves money because even the people who take care of their knives tend to buy new ones. My philosophy: feel free to do anything you want, and I hope nobody gets injured in the process! :D
 
bennyandthesets said:
<stuff deleted> I am safe with it but I am not afraid to "misuse" it when I need to, but then I also will use my drill gun as a hammer if I need to. Just wondering if I am alone here.
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I grew up being taught to use a tool in the way for which it was designed. Even so, you need to get stuff done with the tools you have. Accordingly, I tend to carry a high quality knife (for me, a sebenza) and use it for anything it was designed to do. I also carry a more expendable knife with more functions (for me, Vic SwissTool or Deluxe Tinker). It's often got the right tool for the job, and if not, it takes the abuse as well.
 
I grew up using either a 2 or 3 blade folder.
The main blade was only used for proper cutting use and one of the other blades was my "junk" blade used for come what may (within reason)
I own a few "pretty" knives but they don't see much action as an EDC.

Today I tend to carry two knives one of which will be used as a "junk" blade
 
My Spyderco rescue with G2 steel has seen more "abuse" than any of my other edc knives. I purchased it in 1993 and carried it for many years. The tip of the first serration on the tip of the blade was lost at some point, but otherwise it's pried and cut through pretty much everything, to the point of wearing down the serrations. Sent it back to Spyderco for sharpening, and the serrations are back good to go. I wouldn't pry with a knife with a sharp tip, but the blunt thick tip on this knife is one of the reasons I have always liked it.
 
when I said use my drill gun as a hammer I didn't mean on nails, just to coax bigger things when you might be better using a dead blow. My drill gun is and 18v makita that's about 6 yrs old.

Just today I have used my knife (BM mini-grip 440c, as my Chive is waiting for a replacement bar) to put a small hole in 1/4" luan for some wire, cut and strip said wire, cut oodles of tape, cut off a pnumatic hose that poped on me, shave down a shim, pick some corn out of my teeth and probably loads of other stuff I can't remember right now. I'll touch up the blade tonight, but I look at it as just being another tool. Granted one I have on me at all times but I am not afraid to use it.
 
bennyandthesets said:
Just today I have used my knife (BM mini-grip 440c, as my Chive is waiting for a replacement bar) to put a small hole in 1/4" luan for some wire, cut and strip said wire, cut oodles of tape, cut off a pnumatic hose that poped on me, shave down a shim, pick some corn out of my teeth and probably loads of other stuff I can't remember right now. I'll touch up the blade tonight, but I look at it as just being another tool. Granted one I have on me at all times but I am not afraid to use it.
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I'm with you on the Griptillians - they beg to be used and misused. I could care less whether I chip the blade on mine. I've used it to turn screws, pry, scrape, etc...

Now my Sebenzas on the other hand, I tend to baby them a bit, but still would use them for any cutting chore. I would not however use it as a screwdriver, chisel, scraper, or hammer.
 
I use my edc for whatever needs to be done. But, I don't carry an expensive EDC, either. For that matter, I do not own any knife that cost than $45 (street value, not list). I love steel, but part of its value to me is what I can do with it. If I'm afraid to use it, it has lost part of that value.
 
I carry a nice traditional slipjoint for pleasure and people-friendliness, and a locking one hand opener, most often a Spyderco for hard cutting and/or emergencies. I don't carry a junk blade but I do find that I like a somewhat expendable knife, like a Walmart Native, so that I'm not reticent to use it hard when necessary.
 
I pretty much use my EDC(small Sebenza) for everything cutting-wise that I have to do. Last week I cut a bunch of drywall for two days and enjoyed using the knife for its' intended purpose-that is until I ran it across the concrete floor:rolleyes: . Today, I used it to cut wire ties for fire-extinguishers. Oh well, if I don't wear it out, I haven't tried hard enough. I do carry a multi-tool or a Spydie for other people to use, though. I'll wreck my Sebbie, not someone else...
 
My EDC is a paramil and I use it on just about anything; cutting rope, denim, plastic zapstraps, plastic bags, cardboard, tape, sometimes even light glass... knives should be functional but not as replacement for other tools (e.g. prybars, screwdrivers, etc)... unless you're willing to buy another one if its broken or damaged.
 
To clarify when I said junk blade I ment a blade to take the abuse. If it got chipped ect oh well.
We all no a true junk knife can be more of a hinderance then help
 
I like carrying a SAK as my EDC because of the versatility it provides. I use the big blade for standard cutting of food items, envelopes, or tape, plastic strap, shrink wrap, string, or thin cardboard. The small blade comes in handy when I need to cut something in a confined area such as getting inside a ziptie. I also use the small blade when cutting stubborn items like plastic clamshell packages or heavy cardboard because I feel I have better control with the small blade. The screwdriver/bottle opener is used a lot for prying and scraping. This saves my cutting blade from doing dirty work.
 
I carry two knives and a multitool every day at work. The blade on my multi is for scraping or some other "not so knife friendly activity". My model 1 use for general activities and at lunch. I try to keep this knife always sharp because I also consider this to be a very formidable back up weapon. My second knife is a superknife. It looks like a folder but has an interchangeable blade. I use this things like cutting sheetrock or shingles and just about anything that would render my model one useless. I find with this group of tools I would have no real reason to abuse any of my tools. I think this covers all my bases.
 
I see allot of people extolling the virtues of a knife as a self defense item. I have a friend who works with the police processing evidence and it&#8217;s shocking to hear how bad you can hurt yourself &#8220;defending&#8221; yourself with a knife. A knife can also up the stakes if someone comes at you with bare hands and you pull a knife. You will then be looking at an ADW charge no matter who started it. Personally I take Akido and if someone came at me with a knife I would less worried than if they seemed to actually know how to fight. Be careful that you don&#8217;t let having a knife make you braver than common sense should dictate. I kinda know this is gonna get ever other person on here riled up about how they were tought in the service how to kill 9 ways with the tooth pick from a SAK but it's just not true. When I was enlisted I took as much hand to hand as I could and every step of the way they tought us a knife is just going to get you in trouble, you are better off with bare hands.
 
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