We were talking about knives in Facebook and a couple of us mentioned we carry two of them. I was asked why and after I was done, i realized I could use the exchange as a blog post and maybe it could help somebody make a decision about carrying blades.
My “social carry” blades. depending one how I feel or where I wear, I carry one of these most of the times when I go out:
And my utility blade:
These were my explanations during the chat:
Most people, the moment they see the little cross in the red shield denoting a Swiss Army Knife, they just think Boy Scouts or camping and don’t worry much. Mind you, this is a respectable main blade that is one-hand opening locks just like your tactical knife, but there is no association with danger-ZOMG-Assassin-Blade! for normal people.The other knives look menacing which in my personal experience have come handy to change the mind of critters thinking I was a victim. Whatever I am carrying does not come out unless I am back home and has to be put away or I need it to modify somebody’s aggressive behavior.
And, of course, those do not include blades I have all over the house and inside the truck. There be blades everywhere because sometimes they are easier to reach or you dumb plumb forgot to have one with you.
I almost forgot the official House Carry:
When you carry a blade, you are a useful individual. How many times a day do you find yourself trying to remove/open/trim/reduce/etc something and you can’t because simply you do not have the proper tool AKA a blade?
And if you carry at least one, how many times daily do we see people struggling with something and we say to ourselves “How come this person does not have a simple knife or even a box cutter?”
I regularly carry 2 . A CKRT neck knife, small non “tactical “ doesnt freak out snowflakes and a 4 inch Gerber folder. Sometimes the utility blade folder rides along too. I also have a Bushnell 250 lumen light in a 1911 mag pouch on my belt. I use a light multiple times on my job. Yall DO have a light with you too right?
Only 250 lumens in that size of light? You might want to upgrade.
Have a look at the Sofirn SC31 Pro in 5000k neutral tint.
It a compact e-switch light with an actual measured output of below a lumen to a max of 2000 lm. Integrated USB type C charging and includes a good 18650 battery all for around $35-ish.
It’s been my main EDC for about a year now with no problems. (You do carry more than one flashlight, right?)
Its actually 300 lumens heh heh. Its pretty compact. Takes 2 AA batteries and has a red led and a blood tracker. When it goes tango uniform I will prob see whats out there I bought that Nebo 12 THOUSAND lumen light($129.98at the time) this summer. Its kinda big for every day use but THATS a light…carry more than 1 light, too funny..
Of course I carry more than one flashlight.
Why wouldn’t you.
My second one is a Nitecore TUBE on my keys, it weighs almost nothing at a third of an ounce and is tiny smaller than a pack of gum, with a max output of 45 lumens (for my older version) with a ramping brightness from 1-45lm and a momentary on at max, USB rechargeable long runtime and all that for less than $9.
It’s a light for when you can’t carry a light.
I agree it’s always good to carry two cutting tools, one for everyday tasks, and and one for personal protection. A neck blade is sufficient for tasks and doubles as a back-up self-defense tool. An auto pocketknife handles self-defense events. And the brands I prefer are Winkler and Medford. A Medford Nosferato clipped to the front pocket, and Winkler Bottle-Opener Neck Knife hanging from the neck.
Mmmm… Kershaw.
I’m currently carrying the Tumbler as my EDC, but it could also be either a CRKT CEO or my Knife Rights marked SOG Terminus XR.
My little “don’t spook the normies” carry is a Leatherman Micra. It’s basically a pair of folding scissors with a knife as an afterthought.
My around the house carry is Civivi Ki-V in natural. It’s a frickin tiny little double detent knife.
I’m looking forward to the new CRKT CEO Compact. Looks like a great little flipper.
“My little “don’t spook the normies” carry is a Leatherman Micra. It’s basically a pair of folding scissors with a knife as an afterthought.”
Same here. Have been carrying that one for decades now. They get put into the junk draw when the scissors get loose enough to start bending paper, instead of cutting it.
It came in really, really handy white water rafting in Costa Rica when we brought the cervasas, but no one remembered a bottle opener. Has lived in my pocket ever since.
Supposedly Leatherman has been built in China lately, and quality has dropped off. Cannot confirm, but then again, my last Micra was about 6 years ago.
Sadly I can.
A recently acquired version is of lesser quality, not bad but just not as good as the US version.
I retired my ’94 copy last year for one bought in ’19, 25 years was a good run.
What Ratus said: quality has gone downhill since moving some of the parts manufacturing to China.
When I had to replace mine, I went to eBay and paid a little bit extra to get an older pre-owned-good-condition one instead of a brand-new one. Worth it in my opinion.
The 25-year warranty might be the same on all of them, but I don’t want to have to send it in for repair/replacement if I can just get a good one that won’t need it.
While I haven’t carried much in the way of social blades in a few years, if I have pants on then I have either a Gerber Dime, Gerber EAB (Exchange-A-Blade), a Milwaukee folding utility knife on me, or some combination of the 3.
They certainly would get less looks than pulling out a Skallywag Tactical dagger or Microtech OTF knife to open a box. Also, even though I don’t travel in circles where a social pokey-stabby boy would be cause for alarm, if I need to loan out a blade to a compatriot I’d rather not hand over my nice Privateer or similar blade. The folding utility knife is just fine for them.
I carry a knife, because when I use my 9mm to open packages, doofuses get to excited and it gets messy.
The “soldatenmesser”. I would carry that SAK, except it doesn’t come with scissors. Scissors are the most used tool on mine.
“Hey man, can I borrow your knife?”
“Sure. Whatcha cuttin’?”
“Why do you need to know?”
“Because that’ll determine which knife I loan you.”
“WHICH knife? How many knives do you have?”
“Whatcha cuttin’?”
I carry 4.
I also carry two knives. The first is a large multitool with multiple bits. It’s very useful, but is not quick to pull out and use. While it has a lot of tools, all are a tiny bit unwieldy. It’s great to have a multitool screwdriver when you need one, but it’s better to have as real screwdriver.
My second is a 3 1/2 inch automatic pocketknife (automatics are legal in my state), which is great because it means that I can hold something in my left hand while I draw and open the knife in my right, without having to let go to open the knife. This has been very convenient when opening bags and, most important, cutting rope and twine.
“My second is a 3 1/2 inch automatic pocketknife (automatics are legal in my state”
Automatics are legal in most states, if I remember correctly. Something like 40+ states, and I carry an automatic most of the time for exactly the reason you do. Too often, I am holding something at an odd angle, and need to open the blade. Yes, spring assist knives are good, but not as easy as an auto. Got a Raven Tactical (mainly because it has that lifetime warranty, but it is also a good blade), and a cheap chinese knock off.
One bit of grief I have with most autos is blade lock up. Because of the automatic nature of the knife, it tends to have a bit of a wobble in the blade when open. Not really a problem, unless you are doing something more “technical”
I hear you CBMTTek, concerning blade wobble as you put it. I always believed if I put too much muscle into certain cutting actions, that it would break. Then….I decided to throw money at the problem. Tried a few autos in the $3-400 price range and eventually the blade started to have some ‘wobble’ when open. So I threw more money at the problem and tried a Medford auto, “The Nosferato”.
After almost two years of daily usage, cutting everything from boxes to wood, plastics and rubber, the knife still operates as it did out of the box. It’s a high-end quality knife that will handle anything from chores to self-defense. And it has a lifetime guarantee and free sharpening when needed. And it holds an edge like no other–cpm-s35vn steel
It’s great to have a multitool screwdriver when you need one, but it’s better to have as [sic] real screwdriver.
I’ve found that’s true for pretty much everything on a multitool. The companies try to market quality and versatility, but the real selling feature is portability; it’s small and light enough that you’ll actually carry it.
My EDC includes a Leatherman with interchangeable bits. It came with several, and a friend gifted me the full “bit kit”. Using the multitool’s screwdrivers can be awkward — the handle is bulky and uncomfortable, the bit is off-center to the handle’s mass, etc.* — and dedicated screwdrivers would work better most of the time. But unlike a 42-piece set of screwdrivers, the multitool-plus-bits is something I’ll actually have on me when I need it. That counts for something.
———
* – Not coincidentally, those are the same reasons I don’t care for using the Leatherman’s knife blades if I have a folding knife with me.
Good morning all,
I was told by someone I greatly respected and was training with 50+ years ago, to always carry 3 knives. 1 that everyone knows about, 1 that some people know about, and 1 that no one knows about – I consider this to be the minimum EDC.
Today I carry a Microtech SOCOM manual clipped in my right front pocket. (autos, gravity knives, balisong are some of the knives prohibited by name here, Basically, unless it takes 2 hands to open your knife it is illegal in NM) (I used to carry my Microtech SOCOM auto there, but decided not to give TPTB anything to complain about.)
In my left front pocket, I carry a leather change pouch, and in it, I carry a Microtech SOCOM mini auto that I use as a money clip (that some people know about) and a Leatherman Squirt
In my right leg pocket, I carry an original version of Leatherman, among other things.
On my left side, on my belt, next to my dbl mag carrier, I carry a 1980s Gerber Guardian 3.5″ Fixed Blade Knife. I also carry at least 1 other knife that no one knows about.
Why carry two knives?
Because two is one, and one is none.
Because it’s better to have a spare and not need it, than the other way around.
Because unless you’re carrying two of the same knife, for a given task one will be better-suited than the other.
I too am a Kershaw fanboy but, a SOG key blade is very stealthy.
I’ve kind of moved to the two knife system myself.
-a clipped folder in my pocket, for normal stuff- typically a CRKT Ken Onion
-a small, fixed knife on the center line for physical entanglements.
The center mount (on the left side of my belt buckle, handle towards the middle) allows an easy and quick draw with either hand.
Plan is to move to a Shivworks Clinchpick in the near future.
I’ve been eyeing a Clinchpick for awhile now, but it just hasn’t been a priority.
I assume you’re getting a trainer too, it might even be a better option in some cases.