Based on Little's question about the Bowie Knife, what does everybody carry on a daily basis and why?

 I carry 2 Benchmade folders.  This is everyday, everywhere.  No matter if I'm hiking, camping, whatever.  I did 4 tours in the desert as a contractor and carried the same set-up there.  I like the blades to be 3.5 in but not more than 4.  Single edge with not too thick a spine.  I like the 50/50 edges because I cut a lot of fibrous material (Those Slings, you know).  I like the Griptilians with the holes not the thumb studs.  I love the axis locks, strong and reliable.  I keep them very sharp all the time touching them up on a daily basis sometimes.  I like good stainless, 154CM, BG42, S30V, etc, but don't care about coatings or non-reflective blades.  The valox type handles are very light making them easy to carry.  I'm interested in hearing about what you carry as well.

SOG Access Card 2.0 and either a SwissTool or ToolLogic card in my wallet, Utilikey on my keyring, and any of a dozen locking folders in my pocket (the current favorite is a CRKT Hole in One). If I know I have to do any real cutting work I substitute the pocket knife with a 4 to 6 inch fixed blade, but I'm never without the first 3 tools. (Although I'm looking at a Boker Credit Card Knife to replace to SOG.)

Not a day goes by where I don't use 2 out of the 4 knives I carry, even if only the utilikey to tighten a screw on my glasses and the swisstool to open a letter.

Swiss army knife, the one that was issued to Swiss troops mine is dated 1984. I would like the latest one as it has a locking main blade.

Any good folding knife/multitool,  assuming its of good quality,  though I dont usually care if it does the job.  I use large knives when hunting or anywhere in the woods,  I favor 7 inch blades more or less;  bowies are one of my favorites  :) good for a lil chopping or self defense against angry animals or anything else  ;)

I carry a Gerber lock blade with a 3 inch (75mm) blade, 1/2 serrated.  I use it many times daily, for all sorts of things.

I almost always have a CS Recon I,  been carrying that for years.    When I'm at work, I have a K-Bar "TDI" hideout knife I carry "weak side".

My favorite is an Spyderco Endura (#3, for those who know of these knives).  I like it so well I got a spare one for when my user knife need to go into retirement.  
Back in the old days my favorite carry was a Buck Folding Hunter.  If I need a fixed blade I usually use some mora knife.
timann

if i could i would carry some sort of sod buster or something. unfortunately most of my time is spent in school so i can't carry them. nor do i have any knives to carry- i have only one reliable folder that i can legally carry and that happens to be a pretty rare slipjoint from my grandpa (probably 70 years ago). i'm okay with using it, but i'm worried about loosing it.  

leatherman blast in the leather belt pouch....and a no-name frame-lock folder made in china.......found it on the ground one day in colorado.
its 440 stainless , holds an edge well enough, gets really sharp with a few strokes on my steel rod sharpener.
about a 3" blade ;)

When I work at the shipyard, we always have a small and simple kife with us. These knives tend to rust quickly because of the intense use near the sea.
If we've got to work underwater, we carry the typical scuba knife, which has to be very sharp because its main purpose is to save us in the case we get caught by vessel's nets.
Plus, last year I've found many EDC knives during our archaeological reconnaissances. 4 or 5, can't remember - since they're nothing of archaeological interest, I took them and now I've got a small collection  :)
Greetings,
Mauro.

I carry knives pretty much all hours of the day. My main knives throuihg most of the year are the CS Spartan (mainly for fighting) and the Smith and Wesson spring assisted Extreme Ops folder for utility.

In the winter when I know I'll be wearing a coat the whole time I prefer to carry my CS Recon Tanto in Sai Mai III as my fighting knife. 8-)

And when in the woods my ususal knife is the Mora 746g.

And every once in a while I'll carry my BK11 (becker neck knife) with a long lanyard so I can put my neck and arm through it and it goes underneath my left arm. Easier to conceal, easier to draw, and with a safty pin, it stays in place fine.

You actually carry a knife "mainly for fighting"... :-?

wrote on Nov 19^th, 2011 at 8:07am:

You actually carry a knife "mainly for fighting"... :-?

He is a Cristian boy from USA.  What do we know of how they spend Friday and Saturdy nights... :D
timann

timann wrote on Nov 19^th, 2011 at 11:51am:

wrote on Nov 19th, 2011 at 8:07am: You actually carry a knife "mainly for fighting"... :-? He is a Cristian boy from USA.  What do we know of how they spend Friday and Saturdy nights... :D timann

;D

wrote on Nov 19^th, 2011 at 12:28pm:

timann wrote on Nov 19th, 2011 at 11:51am: wrote on Nov 19th, 2011 at 8:07am: You actually carry a knife "mainly for fighting"... :-? He is a Cristian boy from USA.  What do we know of how they spend Friday and Saturdy nights... :D timann ;D

gah as a moderator i feel like i should be removing this. but it's so funny ;D ;D ;D

however, in america carrying a knife for fighting, assuming you know how to use it (if your carrying more expensive knives then there's a good chance you do, like the CS spartan) isn't too unheard of. tons of dangerous places in america. just gotta make sure your local laws support you.

Well, if you know that much about knife fighting (apparently you regard carrying a fancy expensive knife as a criterium ::)) you would know a knife is a very poor choice for a self defense weapon. Little stopping power short of actually killing your opponent. Drawing one is a fine way to escalate a dangerous situation that could have been defused.
And what kind of opponents did you have in mind? Unarmed brawlers (you ´ll end up in prison, might even be on murder charges) other knife fighters (you´ll certainly end up cut maybe dead) people armed with guns (you know what they say about taking a knife to a gun fight...)?
Of course it is a great weapon for murdering an unsuspecting unarmed person....But that is more of an assassin thing, probably not what you had in mind.

Whoa, kuggur.

Opinel #6 or a sailing rigers knife(1/2 serrated,  1/2 plain, marlinedplke, blunt tip, shackle wrench,folder)

Whoa indeed Masia ;)
May have come down somewhat heavy, but I am interested for what kind of scenario people think they need a knife for actual fighting in their daily life. Who knows, it´s an international forum, maybe they live in a Mexican slum or something.....

While I disagree with Kruggur on many points I don't on this one.

I have been threated with knives 2 times; during the first my opponent was another Italian with different political views than mines, and the 2nd time my opponent was a Moroccan guy. They both were drunk.
During another brawl my opponent had a brench; luckily I've never been wounded by these weapons but I once saw a stabbed guy and I can tell you the blood ran like rain, and it is not a nice thing to see.
I also saw beer bottles being used as blowing/throwing weapons, and these are quite effective, too.
Not to mention cobblestones, but I'm running OT now.
Peace  :)
Mauro.

Many people carry knives as tools.  It is possible to use it as a last ditch self defence tool.  It is also possible to carry a dedicated knife for self defence, though  there is clearly more than one opinion about this.  
I asume it would be better to defend yourself with a tool you use every day than a tool you in fact never use for real until you need it.
BUT feeling a need for carrying a dedicated knife every day for knife fighting, now that`s another story.  Guess it would be done in environment with a lot of knife fighters which regularly engage each others in knife fights.

Dan, sorry, I did not mean to laugh of you, but you lowered your guard in such a way I had to pounce.  Scandinavian sense of humor, you know.
timann

A knife could be a useful LAST RESORT defense weapon.  I prefer a good, stout walking stick.  It has reach plus it's possible to render your opponent helpless without killing him.  A few years ago I was attacked by a prowler and used a small (like for little kids)  aluminum bat to defend myself with.  You woudn't believe the legal mess.  This was a prowler, on my property, that started the incident by attacking me.  I guess the law wanted me to let him kill me or my daughter.  I can only imagine the mess I would have been in had I used a knife.  I'd probably be in prison right now.  If you ever use a knife to defend yourself make SURE that you are 100%  covered, like with many friendly witnesses and no other possible option.  Even this won't be enough to save you from being arrested and a lengthy, expensive, mentally draining, life disrupting court proceeding.  
  BTW, the prowler killed himself prior to this going to court so everything was dropped.  Nice story... the moral... the law frowns on you using any weapon to defend yourself, apparently regardless of the situation.  

As a police officer, that's exactly the role of my "carry" knife.    I carry the K-Bar "TDI" weak-side, and the primary scenario you can see this for is the "gun-grab" where a suspect is trying to strip you of your weapon.   (these things happen... Guards have seen felons in prison practicing moves)

Hold onto the holstered weapon with the strong hand and draw the knife with the other.  

How often might this happen?  Not very.    A few years ago, an article in Police Chief magazine indicated that though police officers almost universally carry knives, they had been unable to find a single case where anyone actually used one in anger.
Since then, there have been two such incidents that I'm aware of and in both the weapon performed as intended.

I've used my big CS Recon many times on duty... Almost always for rescue/first aid situations or simple chores like unpackaging items at the station.

I've cut seat belts, cut away clothing, that sort of thing.

"if one of is to be tried, and one to be buried, I will be the one that is tried" ~ El Fego Baca

It really depends on how you approach self defense and fighting. Waving a knife around is (in my opinion) a horrible way to de-escalate a situation, but in a self defense situation killing the other person is very much on the table. Not over money. Not over pride. Not if running the hell away is a possibility. But if there is no option but self defense, using a knife (as opposed to brandishing a knife) may well save you or a loved one's life. There's an important difference between wearing a weapon and carrying a tool/weapon to use in an appropriate situation.

As an aside, a stout stick or a baseball bat can also easily kill a man. the difference between knocking someone out and killing them is not as clear cut as TV would have you believe. The human body is both more resilient and more fragile than we often realize.

perpetualstudent wrote on Nov 20^th, 2011 at 10:05pm:

"if one of is to be tried, and one to be buried, I will be the one that is tried" ~ El Fego Baca As an aside, a stout stick or a baseball bat can also easily kill a man. the difference between knocking someone out and killing them is not as clear cut as TV would have you believe. The human body is both more resilient and more fragile than we often realize.

True, you can kill someone with a bat or walking stick, but you are much less likely to do so accidentally than you would be when using a knife.  As a former MP I was trained how to use a black jack without causing lethal or even permanent damage.  If you avoid head shots, or strikes to the joints and organs (like a kidney strike) you can subdue someone with minimal damage.  I'm not talking out my butt.. it's something I've done on numerous occasions as an MP.  It's also how I handled the prowler.  I could have easily smashed his skull if I wanted to, but as it was he suffered only minor injuries.  Had I used a knife to defend myself I'm sure the resluts would have been very different.

A dull knife is terrible for fighting(I call it fighting but reallly mean SD, not like dueling in regular life). So I, and most that study knife fighting carry one that isn't really for utility use just for those really bad occasions. Most Fri and Sat are usually at home  ;) often with my best friend, saturday was pretty much spent raking leaves, making self bows, and slinging. That's pretty typical for the days I don't spend partying.  :)

(jk for those without a sence of humor)

Thank God I have never had the occasion to have to use my SD knife, but if the need arises the saying "better to be judged by 6 than carried by 12" comes to mind.

I have been studying knife fighting for 4 years and Kenpo for 8 years and thankfully have never had the occasion have to use them (I am pretty good a cooling down a controversy, if I need to)

You can use a knife nonlethaly btw, if you read the armed citezen in The Rifleman (NRA magazine) you probably know that most gunshot victims no longer feel like commiting crimes with a hole in them and run away and are ususally picked up by the nearest hospital.  
As for using one for self defence I really wouldn't use it unless I really had to, I can use just my hands pretty well unless there were just too many or they had guns in which case the knife would be a force multiplier. 90% of the casses (99% involving common thugs) where a knife is pulled by the defendant the other guy runs away. Thugs look for victims, not guys yelling at them with a fighting knife. I read an account on Cold Steel forums of a guy who pretty much had just that happen too them he had 5 or so (pridefull) guys come up to him and his wife wanting to fight (him) he pulled his knife out (not planning on fighting) and well, they no longer felt the need to fight.

My fighting knife is for last resort, as I can probably do what I need to with my hands, but it's nice to have a last resort.

We haven't had a good thread on knife fighting for a while, this should be fun.

Last thing, here is a great soruce for an over view of SD knife fighting. This along with practice will really increase you chances of surrvivasl in really bad odds. (watch video) http://www.coldsteel.com/warriorsedge.html  parents got me this a few Christmases ago, best dvd out threre on knife SD.

@ Ratman
I did not mean to imply that you were  :-[ I just see a lot of misunderstanding of using blackjacks/bats/sticks etc, there seems to be a widespread belief that these are non deadly weapons, when what matters is how you use them. Also it's just the way I approach this subject, by the time I would be using a weapon (because of my limited training), I'm not going to try to subdue with minimal damage. I'm too untrained to attempt that. If you've got the training though, they are less deadly and arguably more useful.

back to the original question.....

I carry a gerber multi tool 600, though almost never use the blade.

But my main edc knife for the last 18 months has been my mantis buzzard.
Just the best engineered and made tool I think I've ever owned - even better made than the gerber.

---

That´s a nifty little gadget CA.
I carry a leatherman fuse everyday, it´s my "salon tool" (and like you with your gerber I seldom use the blade), when I am wearing my farm clothing I carry one of my many mora´s, for the real cutting jobs, opening round hay bales, cutting rope etc.

Now for my $.02. I carry a ZT301. Not a particularly small knife, but one that I really like. I carry it for emergencies. This covers a pretty wide range, whether it be cutting a seat belt or cutting through someones clothes to start an IV, of as a last ditch defensive option, or maybe to see if my grilled steak is done enough. My knife is both tool and weapon depending on how it is deployed. I wanted one strong enough to be used for anything that might be necessary. This knife does just that. It is with me 24/7. The only time I don't carry it is when I travel outside the country. then I usually carry a Spyderco Endura as is is lighter and slimmer.

bigkahuna wrote on Nov 21^st, 2011 at 9:46pm:

Now for my $.02. I carry a ZT301. Not a particularly small knife, but one that I really like. I carry it for emergencies. This covers a pretty wide range, whether it be cutting a seat belt or cutting through someones clothes to start an IV, of as a last ditch defensive option, or maybe to see if my grilled steak is done enough. My knife is both tool and weapon depending on how it is deployed. I wanted one strong enough to be used for anything that might be necessary. This knife does just that. It is with me 24/7. The only time I don't carry it is when I travel outside the counry. then I usually carry a Spyderco Endura as is is lighter and slimmer.

how heavy/ large is it? i haven't looked at the zt301 but with the majority of Zero Tolerance knives... it must be a tank.

The ZT301 is a assisted opening knife 4.25 inches long, weighting in at 8.6 ozs. It has a S30V steel blade with Tungsten DLC coating (with Tiger stripes). It's a handful.

bigkahuna wrote on Nov 21^st, 2011 at 11:24pm:

The ZT301 is a assisted opening knife 4.25 inches long, weighting in at 8.6 ozs. It has a S30V steel blade with Tungsten DLC coating (with Tiger stripes). It's a handful.

and you can carry this?

i guess i'm just a small person, that big of a knife for me would be too big for me to carry without normal people noticing a big ass chunk of tac steel sticking out of my pocket.  :)

my own EDC  pocket knife is around 4 inches long folded, one 3 inch blade and a 1inch smaller blade. it's a slipjoint with only a single liner, extremely thin and nice but a little too expensive and would be a pain to lose :(

It is a big chunk of metal to tote around, but I carry so much other crap in my pockets that I rarely notice it. The blade is 4.25 inches. Open, the knife is almost 9 inches long. With the assisted opening it sounds like someone racking a shotgun. Not subtle! ;)

I carry a Boker Gnome.  Here is an interesting video about it,   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUT7CIsm3Mw

I made a paracord necklace for it and wear it whenever I leave the house. Its main functions are normally limited to opening boxes/mail, but yesterday I cut a cigar with it and also used it in preparing dinner.

bigkahuna wrote on Nov 22^nd, 2011 at 3:13am:

It is a big chunk of metal to tote around, but I carry so much other crap in my pockets that I rarely notice it. The blade is 4.25 inches. Open, the knife is almost 9 inches long. With the assisted opening it sounds like someone racking a shotgun. Not subtle! ;)

Yeah I carry the CS Spartan and it has the "pocket snag" so if you pull it out of your pocket quickly it snaps open. Discussing this feature wit other guys they actually say it more intimidating than my fixed blade tanto in some ways. The blade and handle profile helps with that too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kymcirr0VKM

# Dan, the Spartan is way über-cool and should be the right tool for the job if you ever get in a that`s not a knife, THIS is a knife situation. ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01NHcTM5IA4

# ilovepancakes, that Gnome was really nice.  Fortunately, I have many knives filling that niche laying about, so I don`t even want that one (I`ll just repeat this for myself as often as i has to....guess I`ll believe it...).
:)
timann

#edited to add video link.

How does he sit down with THAT stuck in his pants??? :o

bigkahuna wrote on Nov 27^th, 2011 at 12:34am:

How does he sit down with THAT stuck in his pants??? :o

Hey, have you never heard of the "Crocodile Dundee carry".  Knife diagonally across the back, tip by left shoulder blade, handle by right hip (or opposite).  Works perfect for big knives, in the movies.

In reality, well...good luck.  If you bend forward those behind you will see a clear imprint of the knife.  It would be easy to pull the knife out.  As we speak big knives here it might in fact fall out by its own weight unless the sheath is perfectly suited to the task.
Putting the knife back might be a little tricky, if done slow and carefully only damage to the clothing and sheath is to be expected, done in hurry a kidney will likely be stabbed.
timann

My EDC is Dad's old knife.  It's an ancient folding knife with a blade around 4".  It's got a bone handle.  There's part of a name or something on the blade, but it's been sharpened so many times over so many decades that the writing is mostly honed off.  Dad already had the knife for many years before I was born.  I have no idea how old it is and Dad's been gone for 13 years now so I can't ask him.  It's got to be at least sixty or seventy years, probably more.  It's a good old knife.. it holds an edge and is a good, sensible size for carrying around.  The only down side is that I'm very afraid of loosing it.

So, Rat Man, both your father and you has used this knife, year after year, and neither of you has either thrown it, pryed with it, or used it as a screwdriver.  Only used it for its intended purpose, and sharpened it in a sensible way.   Makes me happy to hear this.

I have some old heirloom knives from relatives, many of which has broken tips, and for the folders, loose joints from prying and twisting >:(.
I can only hope that at least the damage on some of the knives was done after the original owner was gone, but before the knife fell into my hands.  
A surprisingly large number of people (I know several myself) will look at a loose screw, or a can of paint which need to be opened, and think something like; fathers/grandfaters/grandmothers/uncles/brothers old knife can fix this.... :o
Later they may give the sad remains of the knife to a member of the family when they learn he collect (hoard)  knives.
timann

Hey share a picture!
Greetings,
Mauro.

timann wrote on Nov 27^th, 2011 at 7:18am:

bigkahuna wrote on Nov 27th, 2011 at 12:34am: How does he sit down with THAT stuck in his pants??? :o Hey, have you never heard of the "Crocodile Dundee carry".  Knife diagonally across the back, tip by left shoulder blade, handle by right hip (or opposite).  Works perfect for big knives, in the movies. In reality, well...good luck.  If you bend forward those behind you will see a clear imprint of the knife.  It would be easy to pull the knife out.  As we speak big knives here it might in fact fall out by its own weight unless the sheath is perfectly suited to the task. Putting the knife back might be a little tricky, if done slow and carefully only damage to the clothing and sheath is to be expected, done in hurry a kidney will likely be stabbed. timann

nah, i can carry pretty big things in my pockets and be totally fine (i have a 4.5in smartphone, and that fits fine), and in my other pockets a whole mishmash of duct tape, cord, keys, etc. the spartan probably come with the standard CS clip- tight and strong so it should be pretty stable in the pocket.

Griptillain HG with hole opening or Spyderco Delica Generation 4.  Sometimes I use a Byrd Cara Cara w/ G10 handles.

RAT3, ESEE4, Extrema Ratio Tanto and for hard days my british service kukri

Michel

CS Spartan saved my bacon a few months ago.  Going through a deserted parking lot I was suddenly confronted by a thug
waving what looked to be a Paki clone of the Buck Esquire.  "Gimme your money or I'll cut you, man!"  I pulled out the Spartan with the wave motion and it clanked open resoundingly.  I got into position, took a step toward my assailant...and he shouted an expletive and ran for dear life.

Since then I've upgraded to the CS Espada XL (first model) and train with it daily.

For utility, I also carry either my old bone handled Boy Scout knife or the CS Pocket Bushman.  There's no possible way that
I'd consider using a nearly $400 blade to scrape tar off linoleum! LOL!  

As far as using a knife as a weapon is concerned, we do live in a pretty violent society.  It's a good thing to be prepared to defend yourself and/or loved ones.  I don't brandish and I don't threaten, and I don't go looking for trouble.  I pray it never finds me, but if it should at least I will be prepared not  to be one of the sheeple.

Julian1066 wrote on Jan 3^rd, 2012 at 7:47pm:

Since then I've upgraded to the CS Espada XL (first model) and train with it daily.

have you ever looked into the cold steel espada g10? it's their cheaper version of the knife.


i personally don't carry a self defence knife for a multitude of reasons- mostly being 1) i don't have one ;) 2) i'm still a teen and many tend to discriminate against my age 3) i haven no training whatsoever 4) i'm getting better and better at running ;D

but if i were to ever have to defend myself i would definitely go for a fixed blade- something like a Becker Necker on my hip- i find fixed blade knives a lot faster to draw than folding knives. reason being that when you pull out a folding knife the position you grip the knife to swing it open, and the position you grip the knife to use is different and requires a second or two to switch. i find those seconds simply too long. i guess a wave feature overcomes that, as well as an OTF design. seeing that most OTF designs are illegal and the wave feature on knives is often out of my price range (although the CS tilite comes close) i'll stick with a good fixed knife.

not that fixed knives are legal to carry in California..... :-?


here's a pic of my EDC. it's a GML, which is a german company that began producing knives during and after WWII. i think this is from the 50's-60's. whatever it is, it's sharp as heck.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg543/scaled.php?server=543&filename=pocketknife1.jpg&res=medium

I have the BK 11 (becker necker) and It's good steel, good blade design, the only thing I don't like about it is it's short handle. If the made the handle 1/2in longer it would be a great knife but my medium-large hands I kinda have a 4 finger grip. Thouhg If I were to use it in reverse grip in a "fight" it wouldn't be as much as an issue cause you can just cap the butt if the knife with your thumb.
For a super easy to conceal fixed blade I got the CS Scottish Spike which has a full handle and a really thick blade that tappers down to a needle point.

Althouhg I normaly prefer fixed blades, I can probably pull out my Spartan faster than most fixed blades. My other main EDC knife is the CS Recon Tanto in SMIII and It does take a little longer to pull out but it's a little more intimidating with the polished blade.

S&W Military/Police spring assist usually, but when I'm running I take a small gas station knife.

---

on the farm,a usa made recon tanto. out in the urbanite hovels, a small skeleton knife. strong, sharp, slim, sleek. the four "S"s all in one

Time to update the EDC thread, I think. My nonknife tools are a Swiss Gear card holder, iPhone 4s, Mophie juice pack PRO, a Fossil watch, and a little free keyring LED. Keys, car keys, and LED are on a paracord lanyard that I clip to a belt look with a small carabiner.

Well, my wallets kept falling apart from the SOG Access Card and SwissCard combo, the access card's lock has worn smooth, the SwissCard is broken, and the Utilikey is lost. So I've reevaluated my EDC.

Around town I now EDC a 2.75"-3.9" (7-10 cm) locking knife and a Swiss+Tech Micro-Tech multi-tool for the screwdrivers. Current favorite big blade is the CRKT M21 and a Case Russlock on Sundays. Since I miss the scissors on the SwissCard and don't like how easy the Swiss+Tech folds in use, I just bought a Victorinox Compact to carry around as my multi-tool. I've tried carrying my Leatherman, but it's too big when I've already got a dedicated knife. Plus, I don't really have much use for pliers in town. When I do I'm always in a position where I cam use the the needle nose ones in my tool box.

When wasting time outside I carry the same locking knife and my Leatherman Blast. For camping I'll also have either my Ontario Freedom Fighter or my extra small kukri and my Wetterlings Large Hunter. The plan is to retire the Leatherman when the SAK shows up and start carrying 1 set of EDC tools everywhere and add things as needed.

I'm really close to being knee deep in the airline maintenance industry, which could mean a lot of international flying. Ether the Gerber Shard or Victorinox Jetsetter would become my EDC then. Since I can't fly with a knife blade, a 7cm slipjoint will be packed in my checked bag. Not that I need the excuse, but as soon as I have the money I'm buying an EnZo PK70 to fill that role, and it will be my dress knife while I'm stateside. Just look at how gorgeous it is!

---

Its some cheap gerber. I don't remember what the name of it was. I liked the big hole to carabiner it to my belt loop. I'm not keen on clips, they always bend open and they also make it harder to dig my big paws into my pockets.  I also do not like EDC'ing expensive knives...there's always some task that I wouldn't want to do with a good knife.

Of  note: the edge on mine is rather brittle and developed quite a few chips. I have had to re-grind an edge on it once already. YMMV as I am abusive with knives at work.

---

I have a Gerber with a brittle edge, also.  It's not the same model, so the problem is starting to seem to be one of quality control in the tempering section and the final inspection areas.

The SAK came!  :D http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/masiaka/476486e7c4d3b0c37b93c1e18205b719_zps09c3f312.jpg

My edc are: Victoinox Pioneer black/Wenger Standard Issue 70.

I tried carrying my Gerber Mini-Covert for awhile to see if I could get the weight down but I just felt Nekked without that big chunk of metal in my pocket. :)

Can't find my pocketknives this week, so I've stuck this one in my bag:

http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq132/Stormsforge/DSCF4891_zps73b4d97a.jpg

http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq132/Stormsforge/DSCF4894_zps9227a0c5.jpg

About a foot from tip to pommel, carbon steel blade, Pennsylvania Maple scales, brass pins.

Built by me under the watchful (read, "Perfectionist: Do It Right Or Start Over") eye of Cliff Morris, professional knife maker.

First knife I've ever successfully made. Sharper than heck. Not overly fancy, but I'm proud of it.

My large folder

---

My swiss army knife

---

My Leatherman Wave

---

I usually carry at least two knives, with my SOG Micron ll as a constant, and switching my between no-name karambit and my Fury folder. I will be receiving a RAT-3 soon, and I plan to make that my EDC, but how to carry it (as a neck knife, on the belt, in the pocket, etc.)  remains to be decided

Last year I stopped EDCing the Boker Gnome and started carrying a Victorinox Farmer.

ilovepancakes wrote on Mar 8^th, 2015 at 5:42am:

Last year I stopped EDCing the Boker Gnome and started carrying a Victorinox Farmer.

Best victorinox there is, IMHO. The Vic Compact is my other favorite.

now I carry a small gerber folder... love the thing. Sharp, short, holds an edge. simple.

Mine right now is an Outdoor Edge Lockback knife with about a 3 inch blade with a very slight kukri shape to it with a thick pocket clip.

Masiakasaurus wrote on Mar 8^th, 2015 at 9:08pm:

ilovepancakes wrote on Mar 8th, 2015 at 5:42am: Last year I stopped EDCing the Boker Gnome and started carrying a Victorinox Farmer. Best victorinox there is, IMHO. The Vic Compact is my other favorite.

I like the Compact, I had never heard of that model.

well apart from the mantiss buzzard (best mini-knife/tool EVER)

I also have an old gerber plierman 600 (complete with diamond file and scissors that have cut through everything from fuel tube to wire)  and a folding credit card wallet knife. Mostly used for slicing salami :-)
Great bits of kit and stupidly cheap.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Domire-1pcs-card-folding-knife/dp/B00M0I3L5G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425907608&sr=8-1&keywords=folding+credit+card+knife

ilovepancakes wrote on Mar 9^th, 2015 at 8:31am:

I like the Compact, I had never heard of that model.

The only downsides are the easily scratched handle scales and the thinness of the blade.

Yea I went with the Farmer because of the larger blade, it's a shame you cant get the tweezers and toothpick with the alox scales though.

Victorinox farmer

http://www.swissarmy365.co.uk/images/products/1365098824-52833300.jpg

Nice mix of tools - but no scissors.
Have to say the scissors on my gerber are probably the most used part of it.

True C_A I would love to have a pair of scissors on the Farmer but I have found I can use the blade for most of the scissor work. Also there isn't a tool that I would take off of it and I don't think I would like the thing as much as I do if they added another layer for scissors. Thing I miss the most from other SAKs I've owned is a cork screw.

I dig that farmer!

I have been EDC'ing my Mercator almost exclusively, although sometimes I will switch it up and carry my uncle's B.S.A. knife from the 40's or 50's, with about six feet of paracord lanyarded onto the loop. It is similar to the farmer but minus the saw and the scales are imitation stag.  I don't carry it too often because after getting used to the Mercator,  everything else feels like a boat anchor in my pocket.  On the upside, I can always find it in my pocket.

There's a vibrant community of SAK modders (custom Swiss Army knife makers) who take the scissors from 91mm plastic scale SAKs and put them on the 93mm Alox SAKs.
http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/masiaka/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps7ifiqtwe.jpg

AT, when I'm going minimalist, I carry my Alox Bantam SAK. It's a single layer, aluminum SAK with the same blade and scales as the Farmer, but with a combination can opener/cap lifter/screwdriver/wire stripper tool. It disappears in my pocket but has a lot of functionality.
http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/masiaka/2971A154-E2E8-476C-9E90-D2BF706E2C33_zpsaxj53w61.jpg
http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/masiaka/74F49459-D190-4109-98D3-16A848FBB863_zpsokikefbg.jpg
(Mine was a custom job, but Victorinox does make an 84mm version in both plastic and Alox.)