Corrected my username. DOH. This is what happens when you spend the preceding hours working an AWS issue.
There was a time when a man didn’t leave his home without a knife. A knife is one of the most useful tools a man can have.
As a boy, I carried a something like a Case “Stockman”. It had three different blades. My memory is dim, so it could have been a two bladed version.
In my teens, my cousin sold me a Swiss Army knife, for a penny.
That knife lived in my pocket for years and years until I think I lost it. I replaced it with the same version. This means I’ve been carrying the same version of a Swiss army knife for over 45 years.
That knife was useful in so many ways. Mostly it was a simple knife, when needed, a corkscrew, nail file, and screwdriver. The scissors were useful, mostly for getting into bubble wrap.
The interesting thing is that I seldom reach for that knife.
At university, I upgraded to two extra knives. On my left hip, I carried a USN issued Ka-Bar that was gifted to me by a UDT dude. It was the knife he carried in Vietnam. It lives on my desk, today, I just pulled it out to verify the markings.
On my right hip, I carried a Gerber Bolt Action Exchange blade. It had three different blades. Two were carried in the pouch, while the third was in the handle. Exchanging the blades was fast and easy.
After several years, I figured out that I never used the extra blades, so I just carried it in my pocket.
My next addition to the EDC tool set was a Leatherman. It was one of the first of the multitools. I found that I used the pliers the most, the blade seldom, and the screwdrivers fairly often.
When that was misplaced, I replaced it. I’ve since sold it, for a penny, to somebody that will use it.
My replacement was a Gerber multi-tool. The MP600. It has the pliers that I use regularly. The different screwdrivers, the blades, the file, and the can opener.
Except for the pliers, I could do all of the above with my Swiss Army Knife, but this is so much faster and the tips on the screwdrivers so much better.
So my current pocket load out is:
Left pocket, clipped to the edge, O-Light flashlight. In the pocket is the Swiss army knife, a USB thumb drive with current Ubuntu Install media, container with ear plugs. If I am not carrying mag pouches, a spare mag will go there.
In the right front pocket, clipped to the edge, is a Cold Steel Code-4. In the pocket is the Gerber multi-tool.
I am currently looking at the Kershaw Select Fire. I like that it has a standard bit driver and is built around a knife and not the tools. My bits would be #2 square drive, #1 Philips, #2 Philips, and a slot driver.
Thanks to Lenard for lots to think about. Thank you for all the feedback we’ve gotten from other users.
For a basic blade, I have replaced my folding knife with a Boker Kalashnikov Wharncliffe automatic side folder. It has two big advantages for me. The first is that being an automatic knife, I can be holding onto something and still get the knife out and open trivially easily. The second is that the end of the knife is a lot like a utility knife, and is great for opening boxes and such. The blade is strong, so I can use it to get into little crevices and wiggle things loose if I have to. It’s made of AUS-8 steel, which has a Rockwell hardness scale of 59. That’s hard enough to hold an edge, but also fairly easy to sharpen. I’ve been carrying it for about six years, and I like it. The other nice thing is that it’s easy to buy replacement springs, though I’ve never had to.
My multitool is also a Gerber like yours, but I don’t remember the model. I like the center-drive screwdriver a lot, which is why I switched from a Leatherman. I also carry a small magnifying lens (with cover, because they scratch), and a Boker Tango Bar because I end up prying at things sometimes and I don’t want to bend or damage a blade.
Drop me an email, I’ll send ya my select fire for a penny!