How Many Is Too Many?

jideta

jideta

Gold Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2020
Messages
2,099
Some of you pack some serious steel (check out the EDC thread).
Personally, after two knives my pants start to hang down. Worse if I got shorts.
I may pack a fixed and a folder, or two folders and small SAK, but some of you, well I don't know where you are headed out to.
Knives, flashlights, pens, pry tools etc. seriously? and then there's the keychain!
When did you say that's it! I gotta leave one home?
How many is too many?
Confess!
 
When Im not at work. I pack a lot of stuff at work (flashlight, pry bar, knife, all the essentials, plus my open pocket often picks up allan keys or torx tools etc.) but when Im not at work I am most often in a more stripped down bare essentials carry setup.
 
I’ve tried a few combinations.

A Griptilian and a multi-tool was one. Nope.

A fixed blade and multi-tool...nope.

As much as I like the idea of EDC multi-tools with knives, it just does not work for me.

Having a MT as a secondary item in my car or pack works perfectly.

Out of everything I have tried, a SAK Cadet paired with something bigger seems to work the best.
Like a Grip and Cadet for example. This offers me a slight addition in weight but offers a host of extra tools.

A SAK Spartan also works for just a little more weight.
 
I carry a lot of gear in an EDC backpack that goes with me most places, but especially from home to work. That's where I keep my MT, tools, bigger notebooks, books, and notes on current projects, and I was carrying an IFAK for a while but I took that back off as I keep a medkit in my car, office, and home so there's one nearby most places already and then I carry the IFAK when I'm out in the woods. When I was filling in for production managers during COVID, the IFAK was part of my carry as I was in different places a lot more but now that I'm back at my normal routine, mostly, I feel comfortable without it.

I found I didn't use the MT much when it was on my person and it was rarely needed immediately so it was just extra. Pen, flashlight, and knife are the main ones for me. When I'm at home, usually just a knife and I have SAK's staged all over the place and a few MT's mostly at my main work stations (workbench in the garage and basement and my main desk).

My deciding factor in what I carry generally comes down to, "have I used this at all in the past week or month?" Or, "do I mind carrying the extra knife to fondle or have?" I often carry a couple knives because I like to and because I try to keep a dirty task/clean task knife around. Often, that's a 2-blade slipjoint.
 
I always have 2 folders and a fixed blade along with a Swiss army knife and.A.money clip which also has a.blade n scissors n a nail file. Add on a.pen.and.A.flashlight thank god Kitanica !makes pants with lotsa pockets!IMG_20201022_051039.jpg IMG_20200110_085004_kindlephoto-860822376.jpg
 
What makes me laugh is these folks who post up pics showing their pocket dump and most of the crap layed out on a designer hanky and everything is in mint condition and matches their outfit. Even funnier when they throw in a fidget spinner or yo-yo or brass doo-dad with a lanyard and beads....good grief!
 
I usually just carry one knife I know can handle most tasks, usually a CRK umnumzaan. I have a small flashlight on my keychain and I'll sometimes put a slightly bigger flashlight in my watch pocket if I think I'll need it. I have a fixed blade and a Leatherman in the car if I really need them. I don't want to be carrying around a lot of junk unnecessarily and I don't wear clothes with a bunch of pockets all over them. It looks silly and gets in the way. I don't need 4 knives, 2 flashlights, a multitool and some pry bar thingy to run errands around town.
 
I used to carry a pocket full of stuff: knife, flashlight, screwdrivers....

As I got a little older, I started to have more confidence in my ability to deal with the randomness of the world, and I didn't feel like I "needed" as much in my pockets to help me do that. Part of it was growing out of the ADD a little, so I could plan ahead better. A cell phone, a working credit card, car keys and house keys go a long way to fix most of the first world problems I face, now.

When I do bother to leave the house, it's mostly just wallet, keys, and a knife. If I think I'm going to need more, I grab the canvas ruck and toss it in the back seat. Good enough.
 
~4 inch folder
Small flashlight
Wallet
Keys with small key ring knife

I’ll sometimes carry a larger fixed blade instead of a folder.
 
Cowboyfromhell666 said:
What makes me laugh is these folks who post up pics showing their pocket dump and most of the crap layed out on a designer hanky and everything is in mint condition and matches their outfit. Even funnier when they throw in a fidget spinner or yo-yo or brass doo-dad with a lanyard and beads....good grief!
Click to expand...

I laugh about stuff like that with my wife all the time. I'll carry two knives, which are useful, but a mini pry bar... Nope. Flashlight? I have my phone. Hanky? Lol! I've got a Klein backpack full of tools in my car, and a bunch in my closet. If I need something I don't have I buy it. I don't need to carry tools on me.

I have told her she needs to start making hanks and selling them. She'd make a killing!
 
DA64B4A2-62A0-4288-A951-18352BE6CE5C.jpeg


This is my at work pocket dump. Sometimes add a multitool. Usually not so many spare 10mm sockets. The tip has been broken off the HK/Benchmade and it has been reprofiled since the pic was taken.
 
in my pockets - 2 knives. spyderco domino, kizer mini begleiter. ridge wallet and car keys. thats it.
i carry a pack back and forth to work, and use otherwise as well that has useful stuff like flashlight, notepad, pens, measuring tape, etc.
 
Flannel shirt - w/two pockets, bib overalls or jeans with a belt for a multi tool & a fixed blade, a couple knives per pocket, one or two in the boots and a neck knife...

IIRC, my "high" for the total number I carried at once was 17...

No - it's not an everyday thing, but, it was fun to do for the weekly drunk (also known as the weekly Sunday visit to my wife's parents' house ((& I defy anyone to deal with her side of the family sober...I dare you....)).
EDC these days is usually two - and on rare occasions three.
Nothing special these days - just whatever I happen to grab.

Yesterday was an old Kershaw "Lever Lock" & a 4" bladed Lennox I picked up as a beater type work knife.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top