What are you seasoned guys carrying?

Like the OP I have gravitated towards fixed blades. I have carried my Altitude everyday since buying it. I appreciate how light it is, how well it cuts, the fact I can easily conceal it and how quickly I can deploy it when I need it.
1095380053459a67e050b873855dc7a9.jpg
f67d2eb3bdea39d985e4b0610ad12f9e.jpg
 
I started 3 decades ago with a Buck 110, to currently end up with a CQC-13. The casual Sebbie find its way inside my pocket, along with the BM Rift or 551-1, or Spyderco Shaman. On the journey, I left behind butterfly knives and other mallninja or “military” stuff.
When home, I usually carry a big bouhwie or a similar size fixed blade, customs mostly.
 
I'm not as seasoned as many, but I can say there has been a shift over time (gee thanks BF). When I was younger I really wanted a one-and-done knife that could do everything, so they were big "survival" style knives, or knives that "were not for self-defence" and then I realized over time why those knives never quite did what I wanted them to do. I was that "woosha!" idiot when I discovered how thumb studs work.

Now its smaller knives, ESEE-3 is my biggest fixed, and a standard Grip is my biggest folder. I've become more specialized in what I want, and carry. SAKs for everyday because I can, sheepsfoots for work due to requirements, and steels are for whats needed. So now I have a Native Salt for fishing and am planning on getting a Sheepsfoot Caribbean, because I'd like a bigger work knife for some days. Smaller thinner knives are what gets carried most, I'm enjoying my Bugout.

Probably one of the biggest factors was my move to Australia, as it meant getting rid of a bunch of my larger folders and only carrying SAKs for a few years. I still like the single blade folders for many reasons, but I know I can get by with one of the SAKs if I have to.

There is still change and movement along the way I'm sure, but hiking with a Bugout is a long way from from a SOG Seal Team Elite.
 
My bonafides include many dozens of knives, carried over the course of 20 years. I find I now gravitate toward knives with thin, slicey blades. The lighter the better. My carry for the last few months has been a Classic and an EAB, and I haven't felt underknifed.
 
Just posted in a very similar thread over in Traditionals:

Little different situation for me as a maker. I tend to carry prototypes and history seems like I carry em about 3 years or so. This is my Vaquero Ultralite model. I carried mine daily, as a prototype, for about 3 years and never found it wanting, or wishing I had a bigger knife (5.25" oal).

wXs74FQ.jpg


It didn't take long to realize I was onto something right with this design and started making them pretty quickly there after for sale.

L7iMUSL.jpg


Mine close to retirement out at the ranch. It's been used to castrate calves, check steaks on the grill, doctor cows, open hay bales, feed sacks, packages and everything else ya'd need an edc to do.

VqQF669.jpg


This is my current EDC prototype I'm carrying. Its a variation of an already existing design one of my Stainless Gordos:

5xJKwZv.jpg


The differences here between this one and my standard ones are that this one is hollow ground and its made from A2 instead of my normal AEB-L. I'll be retiring this one soon now after 3 or so years. This design is better as a full flat grind and while A2 is a superb steel for a larger hunting type knife, it doesn't bring anything extra to the table on this size a knife (5 3/8" oal). I'm gonna replace this one soon with something else. Probably gonna make me a Gordo, regular flat ground, out of Damasteel but we'll see. Here its playing prop in this holster pic:

q2wLiwb.jpg


There ya can see it on my belt as I'm waiting for Salty to finish castrating this calf before I brand it.

IdRRmKx.jpg


I've had this Moore Maker trapper since 1998 it looks like. I use to carry it as well as a fixed blade but kinda quit as my small fixed blades did everything this one could and this one didn't do anything they didn't. However it stills see service when we have to leave our mountains and go down to the big city. This is seldom, maybe twice a year. Some of those big cites don't like to see belt knives, even small ones. This trapper lives in its buckaroo pouch which is the best thing since sliced bread:

Y9r6xuh.jpg


WosYNh8.jpg
 
I started carrying a knife as part if my EDC about 35 years ago when I graduated from basic training.

I’ve tried several things, but My philosophy has ultimately come full circle, with me ultimately going back to pretty much my original set up of an SAK and fixed blade in a leather sheath for most days. The major change is the addition of a LM keychain tool (PS Style or PS4 Squirt) and higher quality fixed blades.

When I’m in an office setting (pretty rare these days) I typically carry a small CRK Sebenza in lieu of the SAK and FB.
 
I received my first knife when I was around 6 or 7 years old and have been fascinated with them since. I like nice expensive knives and have owned and carried many of them. At one time I wouldn’t buy a knife unless it costed over a hundred dollars and had a super steel blade. Now I am sitting in my living room typing this message with an Ontario Rat 1 in my pocket.
 
Thanks everyone who made meaningful posts, lots of excellent posts and certainly some reoccuring experiences and choices.
 
One of the first knives I got after I figured out you can have more than one at a time was a Buck 112. Thanks Bo and Luke. I've always been drawn to traditionals but I like modern folders as well. I don't do anything too extravagant and I've always kept my range under $200. I've always carried a modern and a traditional together and still do. Basically, I've always stuck with a 112 or 110 in standard or upgraded versions and now a simple 112 with finger grooves is what I've been keeping on my side non stop. I reckon it's my go to and has been for a while...
 
shinyedges said:
Thanks everyone who made meaningful posts, lots of excellent posts and certainly some reoccuring experiences and choices.
Click to expand...
Apologies for the hatchet post, but the timing was perfect!

For my working week, I carry a decent slipjoint, either a Spyderco UKPK or a Wasp. Out and about doing overnight/s camps I’ll have a decent locking folder and a fixed blade. If I know I can chop wood for a fire, a hatchet is added, of course! ;)
 
Pilsner said:
Apologies for the hatchet post, but the timing was perfect!

For my working week, I carry a decent slipjoint, either a Spyderco UKPK or a Wasp. Out and about doing overnight/s camps I’ll have a decent locking folder and a fixed blade. If I know I can chop wood for a fire, a hatchet is added, of course! ;)
Click to expand...
No worries, I saw the humor in it :thumbsup::cool:
 
78961139-CB0F-413F-BDAE-73197E33E7C7.jpeg This is an interesting topic, thanks for posting.

I am far from being seasoned and am still going through the “I like them all phase”.

This is kind of a sampling of an interpretation of my evolving preference (folding) starting on the left and most recent on the right. The Schrade was my first real pocket knife in 1985...ish.
 
Venice said:
If by "seasoned" you mean older; my Executive:
2MOsmH0h.jpg
Click to expand...
My first REAL knife (until then I carried cheepy / second rate folders I had gotten as a kid).
My mentor carried an executive so I got one to; for bicycle touring and bicycle KOA camping and EDC. This was in the mid seventies. Mine was red. I lost it eventually.
I now have a black one. :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
When in high school in the late 60’s I always had a Muskrat in my pocket. Usually a Schrade. I graduated to a Case stockman from the year I was born and when that knife disappeared under questionable circumstances I moved on to Buck. I was bitten by the Trapper bug until my wife bought me a Prince sometime in the late 70’s. Carried that for the next 20 or so years and then fearing I might lose it put it in the safe.
Went back to the Trapper for edc until recently it’s a custom shop 722.
My most recent purchase is a 1985 Case muskrat and it resides in my other front pocket. So I guess I’m back where I started. Wish I knew now what I thought I knew then.
 
Buck Momentum in s30v Carrying it daily for over two years now,not the best knife I’ve ever had but has never failed me,prior to this it was mostly a SAK and my Tinker is always close by!
 
Seasoned? Hmm. I’ve been carrying some kind of knife for, yikes, probably 40 or 45 years. Started with a cub scout-ish knife with a fork, spoon, can opener, and knife blade on it. Then a slip joint my grandfather gave me, followed by another one, an Old Timer, my father gave me. I still have the latter two. Most work days I carry either a Spyderco Tenacious or a Cold Steel Hold Out III. When not at work, I really like the Ontario Utilitac II (tanto version), Cold Steel XL Voyager (clip point), or Cold Steel Talwar (large, not XL).

So my choices aren’t much different now than when I started. I like folding knives. I really, really like Andrew Demko’s triad lock (maybe because I once had a fold-up knife fold on a finger).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top