When your only tool is a hammer: my thought on EDC knives

I’ve read lots of posts about the best knife for EDC.  My personal preference is to select the tool that’s right for the job following the old proverb that if your only tool is a hammer then every problem looks like a nail. 

I was on a forum recently where in the “introduce yourself” thread they suggested you name one thing unique about yourself that folks might not know.  Mine was – I’ve carried a knife every day since the summer that I was 6 years old.  I grew up in a different time.  Boys carried pen knives to school. Heck I remember going hunting at a friend’s house when I as in high school.  I handed my cased shotgun to the bus driver. He gave it back to me when we arrived at school. I carried it into the office where they kept it until it was time to ride my friend’s bus to his house.  Different times……

I walked right past the no-questions-asked barrel when I went into basic training.  There was no way I was going to dump my prized case stockman in there for someone else to have.  Having the only knife in the platoon made me a popular person when we were out in the field.

The Barlow at the top of the picture is the one given to me by my grandfather when I was six.  After pestering him about it for weeks he handed it to me with these words of wisdom, “Don’t do anything stupid.” 

My old Cub Scout knife still finds its way into my pocket when I’m in the office. It’s light and the rounded edges are easy on the pockets.

I bought the “demo” knife when I was in AIT at Fort Gordon. I carried it the entire time I was in the Army and it’s still my go to knife when I just need to have something in my pocket or if I'm working around the house.  If I’m in the woods carrying a belt knife this is the knife that’s in my pocket.

The Schrade titanium replaced the Gerber below it as my Sunday dress knife.

I have worn the A. G. Russell neck knife on the left on all of my trips to Africa, Argentina and anywhere I feel the need to have a little something extra, like DC. The Kershaw assisted opener on the right is my current out in public knife.

Following my EDC principles I always have a knife but I refuse to limit myself to just one.

A lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path: EDC Flashlights

(Maglite, Surefire 6P, S&W "tactical" LED, $2 LED, LP200, UK4AA)

Over the years I’ve tried numerous types of flashlights.  I’ve received browning LED keychain lights and I’ve tried the Sapphire keychain LED which I liked but neither survived my pocket.  I’m not complaining. I have destroyed unbreakable plastic thermoses, ruptured a steel Stanley and once dropped a linked, stainless keychain that the locksmith claimed was unbreakable only to watch keys scatter everywhere. Heck, I’ve even had a standard key split-ring break.

I’ve also run though many different AAA and AA variations on pocket torches starting with the venerable Maglite 2-AA.  Most have a life expectancy of 18 months at best. 16 years ago on my first trip to Africa I carried a SureFire 6P with the 120 lumen upgrade light. At the time it was leading the pack in tactical lights.  That trip shaped much of what I look for in a light when I needed to find batteries they were expensive and very difficult to find. I spent most of that 28 day trip relying on cheap AA backup light.

 My current requirements for an EDC light are that it must be comfortable in my pocket. Many tactical flashlights have too many sharp edges and protrusions to meet this requirement. It must put out at least 35 lumens.  It should be powered preferably by a single AAA or AA battery.  Finally it must not break the bank.  Currently I’ve settled on the Lux-Pro 150 LP200.  It was $12, runs on one AA, is round and smooth and if I remember correctly it’s rated at 120 Lumens.  We’re somewhere around that 18 month window and it now needs a smack to get going from time to time.  It has a lifetime warranty (with receipt) but for $12 I may just buy a new when needed.

My second choice in lights is the UK4AA.  I have both the twist-on and front switch models.  I keep one of these in my laptop bag. While they are only rated at 38 lumens they are both completely waterproof and certified for use in hazardous environments. Even though they are little larger than I’d like, being flat, they are very comfortable to carry.  

Note that the only light here that I would consider ‘tactical’ is the SureFire 6P.  The specifications of a tactical light don’t meet my requirements for EDC.  Yes, I’m willing to spend more for a tactical light.  So why not just carry one as EDC?  Think about standing in a semi-dark server room, a foot or so away from the back of a rack of servers looking for the serial number on a device.  Now hit that area with a 250 lumen light with your face a foot away.  Good luck reading that number now that you've flash blinded yourself.  Keep in mind that I use a layered approach to EDC and switch out my gear to meet daily (mission) requirements. I carry a tactical light when and where it may be needed. Heading out to dinner; gear is swapped.

IS the pen mighter than the sword: EDC Tactical Pens

I haven’t quite bought into the whole tactical pen concept.  I like the idea that a pen can be used for self-defense but it wouldn’t be my first weapon of choice. The corollary to this thought is that tactical pens are best deployed when they are already in your hand.  I would consider LEO’s the demographic that would be most likely to actually deploy a tactical pen. The problem I have with this is that they (mostly) are not designed for this. Think about it. If you are writing a citation you want a click pen; something that you can use without tying up your hands or taking your eyes off your task.  But in reality wouldn't you rather drop whatever is in your hands and pull your primary weapon?

The Gen-1 pens all feature removable caps.  This takes two hands and changes the dynamics of the instrument. Twisty pens like the S&M Gen-2 are more suited to the task as long as they don’t take multiple revolutions.  Push button pens such as the Gerber Impromptu or SureFire EWP-2 would be better choices. 

I personally prefer a smaller pen.  From many years my EDC pen was the small, very worn pen in the picture that looks like a fisher space pen.  It’s not. It’s a twist pen that I picked up at an IT trade show.  It’s been replaced by the S&W twister pictured next to it.  I removed the fire starter crap that only weighted it down. Being in IT I usually have a sharpie on me. Even the plastic version has its uses for self-defense.  The gold dress pen was selected specifically for the flat end cap.  It’s perfectly adequate for self-defense. The two S&W pens in the middle came with stocking stuffer knife sets that I've received over the years. I usually carry one in my laptop bag and the other in my tool bag.

EDC - AKA crap in my pockets

My thought process was started for this post several months back after reading an article (sorry, I didn't save the link, though it was probably on ITSTactical) about overloading rucks in tactical situations.  I thought the same could apply to many folks in the EDC crowd. Let's get real: How many of us really want to carry around a Maxpedition Versipack full of stuff?

I think that men have been fascinated with perfecting their personal kit since the first man tied a stick to a rock.  The current EDC craze traces its roots back to the days of dial-up bulletin boards and modem based internet connections. When the first multi-tools came to market they were stupid expensive and everyone wanted to know the pros and cons of each before parting with their cash. I see several differences between then and now.  First, I get the feeling that many of the people posting their pocket dumps are trying to one up the others by posting the classiest, most expensive, coolest gear they can find.   Who wants to spend $45 on a skull shaped titanium bottle opener and how many times a day do you really think you’d need to open a bottle? 

I carry the stuff in the picture in my laptop bag. Note the titanium "ice pick" in my picture. It was hard to pass up 3 bucks and free shipping.  Saying titanium to an EDC guy is like saying buy one - get one to a woman shopping for shoes.  The pry bar and knife in that picture are also titanium. Their only saving grace was that they were each under $6 and were impulse buys with other orders so I didn't pay for shipping.  But really? The only items I use anywhere regularly are the sharpie and the Gerber mini-tool.

Many guys seem to be loading down with enough junk that we now have pocket clips to hang the gear so it doesn’t tangle up in the bottom of your pocket. Finally, many guys seem to be tied to specific carry items, never swapping for a more appropriate tool. I have a list of items I always have with me.  I then swap the item as needed to meet specific requirements for the day.  For example: I typically carry a light that uses a single AA battery.  If I’m heading into the woods I swap that light for an Underwater Kinetics 4AA. I have yet to find a single EDC item that will fit the need for every situation. When in the office I will carry a multi-tool.  When out and about I prefer to carry a single hand folder.

I also like to take a layered approach to my EDC. The items in my pocket are meant to save me the trip back to my desk.  The items in the kit at my desk will get me to my vehicle. My vehicle kit is designed to get me home.  This means I’m not weighted down. The items on my person are used every day.  The layered approach also helps counteract the one-is-none factor as each location has an improved/ more robust version of anything in the previous kit.

My Pocket Dump:

Wallet

Handkerchief/ Bandanna

Watch

Keys

Knife

Flashlight

Pen

Reading Glasses in case

Cell Phone