Why do you EDC?

Lamina said:
I'm feeling more and more a knife as a nice object that I like to own, not so much as a must EDC tool.
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We buy knives, multitools, flashlights, guns and Man Sacks because they allow us to manipulate our environments in some small way. Life is chaotic and unsure, even in the best urban environment. And by carrying a knife, it gives us a small sense of security in an otherwise insecure world. So even if we don't "need" a knife or MT, we like to know its there.
 
A knife for cutting.
A pen for writing.
A wallet for necessary cards.
A smartphone for everything else.
 
I mostly use my knives to trim my nails and cut fruit at lunch. The fact that I don't use my knives for anything hard, or even every day, doesn't bother me. They're something that can be appreciated for their history, design, aesthetic appeal, how they feel in your hand, and for someone interested in steel metallurgy it's neat to have a little piece of finely made steel in my pocket. Tools are inherently interesting and valuable to me even beyond their utility as tools. What can I say, I'm a human, proclivity towards carrying tools made us what we are today, and even if it's nearly vestigial at this point a lot of the time I still embrace it.

A $1.30 mechanical pencil might use the same lead and accomplish the same goals as any other pencil from a utilitarian perspective, but I still enjoy using my Alvin Draft/Matic, even if it's just jotting down a quick note. It's a neat piece of engineering and has visual and tactile appeal, even if I never had to write a single thing I'd probably still enjoy looking and fiddling with it, sometimes carrying it around just to engage my sense of touch while walking from one place to another. Same goes for a nice knife in my pocket with jigged bone or smooth bone, or a knife that I can flick open with my thumb or finger just to immediately close it again without even thinking about cutting anything.
 
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I work in construction and always find a need to cut something. Wether it's wood, plastic, cardboard, paper, rope, drywall, wire, or anything else; something always needs to be cut. I also use my knives for light prying and scraping, like prying open an access panel or baseboard, or scraping drywall mud off a new window or concrete off of my level.

I also carry a flashlight everyday too. A flashlight is my most used tool, and is definitely a must have; there is always something that needs to be seen.
 
When not working outside, occasionally there will be something that needs to be cut. With my outdoors work, there is always something that needs to be cut. When not at work I could get by without one. At work, it s a necessary tool. Having an edc on me makes life easier.
 
Got my first knife when I was 9 or 10 years old. Been carrying a knife ever since. Between work and home, i use a knife at least once a day. I get upset at myself if I forget to slip a knife in my pocket when I leave the house. Very useful for many things besides cutting stuff (scrape off labels and stickers, scribe for marking wood and plastic, bug squasher/poker, splinter removal etc.)

Ric
 
I work in a kitchen so I use my chef knives for most food prep, but I use my EDC as my pairing knife a lot. There is always boxes to break down, and open. I also just like playing with my knife whenever I get a free second. PLus I just feel naked without it. If I leave the house without my phone ill go the day without it no problem, but if I leave with out my pocket knife ill turn around and get it.
 
I've carried a knife pretty much every day since I was 8 years old. I'm 61 now and have lived in the country, in urban and suburban areas as well as 3 years in Germany while in the Army. While I will admit I don't use my knife every day (it makes a great worry stone!) I do not feel dressed unless I have a knife in my pocket.
 
Phydeaux said:
bug squasher/poker
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Oh Mannnn..so politically incorrect.., what did those bugs do to you anyway??

So now before I resign from bladeforums all because of you, I agree on the talon/claw aspect.

Knives are superefficient fingernails. :cool:
 
I LIKE knives because it's about the only place steel, leather and wood come together. I like the look and precision workings of many quality folders as well as the beauty of a perfectly ground and handled fixed blade.

I CARRY knives because I think men should carry a knife. Other reasons are that I find use for one quite often, such as cutting and prying :eek:.....I like being able to assist others who didn't carry a knife that day and need one for something :cool:....it is probably the number 1 'emergency' item you want to have on you if something does hit the fan, minor or major :)....etc. And because I like them (see above).
 
Lamina said:
What's your experience, usage cases and what environment do you live in (urban office / rural farm / etc.)?
Thanks!
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I carry a knife for a lot of reasons. One is habit. I've been carrying and using knives for well over 50 years. During that time I've been a construction worker, truck driver, lab worker, chemist, and development engineer. In all those jobs I frequently needed to cut things. Now I work in a cube farm, so during the work day, I seldom need a knife. But, I still carry one from habit.

However, I am also an urban homeowner. My house is about 30 years old and frequently needs a repair or so. I use a knife for:
cutting twine
opening those clam shell packages that everything seems to come in.
opening boxes
cutting up empty boxes so they fit in the trash
trimming flash off plastic parts.
cutting garden hose so as to replace a section which is leaking
Trimming shrubs in the garden.

I likely use a knife a half dozen times a week. I carry one so that when I need it, I have it, and I know that the blade is sharp and ready to go.
 
knarfeng said:
... Now I work in a cube farm
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Had to google that. The images are scary.

188564.jpg
 
powernoodle said:
We buy knives, multitools, flashlights, guns and Man Sacks because they allow us to manipulate our environments in some small way. Life is chaotic and unsure, even in the best urban environment. And by carrying a knife, it gives us a small sense of security in an otherwise insecure world. So even if we don't "need" a knife or MT, we like to know its there.
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Interesting viewpoint, on it being a way foe us to limit the effects of random/chaotic events. Or rather, as a way not to feel or "be" powerless in a given situation. There is some truth to that for me at least.

I carry one because they are just plain useful. I don't usually carry one for a specific purpose, although sometimes a specific purpose does change what I carry that day. When I was 13 I got my front teeth knocked out by a boat, and my dentist says my veneers would come out if I ate apples the way most people do. So I do have apple eating as a "reason". But if I'm honest with myself, I frequently carry a separate knife for that purpose.

Anyway, I always cary a locking folder on my person. My bag has a sak (mostly for screwdrivers), an opinel (apples), and svord peasant (the backup/ just in case blade, almost as sturdy as a fixed blade). I end up mostly using my main folder for packages, zip ties, threads, random whittling/carving, and occasionally cutting food.

Interesting thread :).
 
I work in aviation and we have all the required tools for the job which sometimes includes razors to cut electrical tape, etc. but instead of using the dull razors they supply I would much rather use my sharp blade just to get the satisfaction of getting to use it because other than that I usually don't get to use it so sometimes I will find things to cut. That's usually when people (mostly my wife) ask why..

I'm currently thinking about changing career paths to a job that I would actually need my knife on a daily basis (Fish & Game Warden). Not only for that reason but I love being outdoors and who wouldn't want a job where you actually use your knife as a tool.

I don't actually think of having a knife as a weapon or that it gives me the upper hand in a situation (fighting) unless it be food prep, or opening boxes etc. so I can't agree with it allowing us to manipulate our environment. If in a fight, I would much rather use my body because I actually know how to use it as a weapon & because one little slip up the knife could also cut yourself. In situations like that your hands will sweat and you have to rely on instinct to know what to do. Personally I don't train with a blade but if you do then by all means use it.

I simply just enjoy carrying a knife and always will. It gives me a satisfied feeling when someone asks for a blade. Makes me feel like a hero until they start pouring blood. Then I feel like a hero again when I get to practice my first aid :D
 
I read this quote on another forum (a motorcycle forum actually), and I incorporated it into my personal philosophy- "A sharp knife is mans best hedge against the uncertainties of life".

A knife has countless uses. A knife can be small, and easily carried. So why not carry one, or two, or three.

Of course I know there are a lot of people who can go days, or weeks, or months, or perhaps even longer without needing a cutting tool away from home. But what will they do when the time comes that they do need a cutting tool?

Some days I use my knives frequently (like working construction). And some days I hardly use them at all, or not at all. But I still like the peace of mind that carrying a knife gives me. I like being prepared. And that brings me back to the quote above.

I receive a genuine sense of satisfaction when I unexpectedly need to cut something and I have a knife with me to do the cutting.
 
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Leftytwogunz said:
Right on. The ability to use tools really sets us apart from the other animals.

Plus I always need a knife to open new packages containing knives, LOL.
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Yes....quite satisfying using a knife of choice to open a package or box that you know contains another knife that you've been
anxiously waiting for to arrive....:) B.T.B.
 
Self defense.

Emergency situations.

Cutting things when my scissors, pruning shears and axe will not work for the job at hand.

Picnics and camping when I do not have my regular kitchen knives around.

Cate
 
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