What's YOUR EDC Timeline?

[ElevenBlade]

I know everyone shares their stories in various threads around the forum, but I thought it might be nice to collect them here.  Many of you are excellent writers and I look forward to reading your story 

Like many others, I started using a knife in the Scouts.    I was gifted two SAKs in those days, but the scoutmaster types all carried some sort of lockback, and insisted that a lockback was "all you need".  I kept the SAKs in my desk drawer, and dutifully followed with a Buck 55 knock-off that I carried for many years, in more places than I should have.  I also got a Leatherman in high school, but only carried it when and where I expected to have to use the pliers - band practice and such.  At some point in college, I treated myself to a Cold Steel Voyager Tanto which I carried, but honestly, I discovered that the absence of a belly to the blade shape limited its use for me - particularly when I was out camping. 

For several years thereafter, I purchased and misplaced several single-blade folders - I'm still puzzled as to how I kept my original knife but lost so many others.  My favorite was a Buck Tac-lite with a wood handle. 

A few years later I got a job where I needed a plier-based MT, so I dusted off the old Leatherman and carried that and used it daily, but because of the cumbersome original locking mechanism, I upgraded to the Wave in a year.  I got accustomed to having those implements all the time.  I stopped carrying a folder and wound up carrying the Wave continuously for many years after I left the job.  One fine day I needed to get myself out of a bit of a pickle and it was then that I realized that the Wave was little more than pliers and a bunch of different screwdrivers (some of which are intentionally thick to double as pry-bars).  I grabbed my Vic Champion, and I think i used the slim file and awl on the SAK, and solved my problem in no time.     I immediately started EDC'ing the Champion, and that year I bought myself a Vic Soldier that I've been EDC'ing for 12 years now.  I've got about a dozen MTs or folders that I continue to use for one thing or another but it's going on 17-18 years that I have a MT as an EDC. I have the Wave in my guitar bag, a Gerber in my emergency kit in the car, and two lockbacks (Buck and Camillus) with my camping gear.

My pocket EDC timeline:

+ Buck 55 knockoff (as a teenager "If you can't do it with a single blade you shouldn't be doing it in the woods")
+ Cold Steel Voyager Tanto (+/- 3 years... tears through protective packing for a sheet of glass, but wasn't too useful for camping)
+ Buck Stockman (I got nostalgic for an outdoor knife, but it was a bit too slim for some things in civilization, got lost in a few months)
+ Buck Taclite (my favorite for in town and in the woods, lost within a year)
+ Leatherman Supertool (EDC for a year, initially at work, but didn't come off the belt for the rest of the day, used even more then I lost the Taclite)
+ Leatherman Wave (EDC for work and life, for about 7 years)
+ Victorinox Champion (EDC for a few months, now lives in my desk drawer. and always comes out to the woods with me)
+ Victorinox Soldier (current EDC since 2007, sometimes paired with Vic classic or LM Micra on the keys since 2015)
+ Victorinox Compact. (current EDC since 2017)

I have a Victorinox PioneerX waiting on deck if the Soldier ever meets its demise as scissors are now as indispensable to me as a locking blade once was.  But after 12 years, I can't leave it on the shelf 

What's your Timeline? 

[SirVicaLot]

My short story: Carried a Huntsman for a few weeks, found this forum and fell down the rabbit hole. Now I have too many options but i am happy about that 

[Poncho65]

Great story of your carry history, Eleven

I will have to take a bit of time to put something as well thought out as that if I put my carry history in here

[spudley112]

I grew up in a family of outdoorsmen, so knives were a regular carry item. However, when I was young, I had plenty of knives but never really carried any of them. Then one day at a family reunion, several of the boys went out into the woods and were making whistles from willow branches. I asked one of my cousins if I could borrow a knife to make one of my own and they all stopped and looked at me like I had just uttered pure blasphemy. One asked me, "You don't have a knife?" After that incident, I went home and put a knife in my pocket and have always carried one since that time. Most of the knives I had were Stockman or Trapper type knives at the time.

When I was in the Marines, I bought an aftermarket nylon sheath for my Kabar and it had a small sharpener pocket attached. Instead of a sharpener, I opted to carry a folding knife. I found a camo Tinker at the PX that I bought (I still have the Kabar, sheath and Tinker to this day) and it rode along with me throughout my time in the military.

What REALLY gave me the SAK frenzy - Several years ago I happened upon a forum called SOSAK...yeah, that did it for me. I started paying attention to the varieties of SAKs available and found myself buying them up like crazy. Soon my collection grew and grew and I gotta say...I love everyone of those knives. I happened upon a yellow SAK on ebay one day and I knew I had to have one. I added several to my collection, including my beloved yellow Huntsman that has traveled with me everywhere I have gone. It is the one knife I do not leave the house without.

Over the years I have added a ton of knives to my collection. Friends that have seen the whole collection are usually stunned when they see how many I have. But the SAK still remains my go to knife and I cannot see it being replaced. I may often carry a second knife, but the first will always be a SAK.

[Aloha]

Great idea for a thread.  .  Great stories too so far. 

I've always liked knives and "stuff".  I can remember reading soldier of fortune magazine and playing out in the local canyons.  I was able lot get a couple of low end knives which at the time I thought were really cool.  I also watched a lot of westerns and loved seeing the sheaths on the gun belts. 

I got my first knife a Buck 110 at about 12-13.  My father promptly took it away and gave me a knock off smaller knife.  Over the years I picked up some cheap small folders and carried a box cutter for work.  Fast forward to college when I went to culinary school I carried an assortment of kitchen knives  .  Over then next decade or so that was my EDC.  As the next phase of life happened I was needing a small set of tools and I picked up a cheap and cheerful MT.  I also got a job working security and picked up a flashlight and folder.  I carried the MT for my day job and the 2C Maglite and folder for my grave shift security job.  I bought another cheap and cheerful MT then gave it to a young guy who worked for me then gave the first cheap and cheerful MT to another guy. 

I saw the sale on the Wingman and Sidekick that year and bought one of each.  I also got a Wenger Esquire and Recruit shortly after.  It was then that Leatherman made an impact on me and I went searching for nicer tools.  I bought the Wave and found MTO.   

[Gareth]

Nice idea. 

In the same way as many a boy I first got a knife or two when in the Scouts and eventually a SAK (a Wenger Forester to be exact).  Sadly that disappeared somewhere in the mists of time.

Fast forward quite a few years and I had qualified as a maintenance engineer and got curious about these multitool things and bought myself something cheap but sturdy.  Sadly Leathermans were, and still are, bloody expensive over here and I wasn't quite willing to drop a lot of money on something I wasn't sure about.  I finally bit the bullet and decided that a LM was worth it and that, from the ones on offer at the time, an original Supertool was the one for me.  I carried that thing for years and felt no need to look any further.  Still a perfectly reasonable option for a person who is going to use it day-in day-out IMO.   

All this time I was also interested in pocket and sheath knives for work and the great outdoors and my Supertool was useful as hell but not..."special".  Bushcraft knives were where it was at baby.    Anyway I was out for lunch one day and dropped into a branch of Blacks to have a nose around and stopped at the pointy things cabinet.  "Aww bless" I thought, there are some of those SAKs I had as a kid and that wee one there is actually quite cheap....My first SAK in years was a Vic Waiter and it was the re-kindling of a love affair that still goes on to this day. 

So my love of the little red scales brought me to a Climber (those scissors  ) and then a Huntsman (that saw  ) and then on to the old SOSAK page and from there I was doomed!  I never forgot about my good old Supertool though and added a nice PST to my at some point as a lighter option for when I wasn't working.  However SAKs were where it was at baby.    What's that Grant?  Have I heard of your multitool.org forum?  Why, no I've not....

Ten years later and I'm still hanging around like a bad smell and have far too many MTs, SAKs, lights, knives etc.  I've owned MTs from all the major makers and many more minor ones and have worked out what I definitely do and don't like.   I'll admit it's been quite a while since I bought a new MT but I do still sneak in the occasional SAK when something shiny catches my eye. 

[LoopCutter]

Subscribed and will return with story


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[ElevenBlade]

 

Anyone have a story they'd like to share?

[ElevenBlade]

 
Anyone?

[EMarkM]

Subscribed and will return with story

Ditto. I’ll have a think.

[ElevenBlade]

I realized that in between using the Leatherman ST and the Wave I had a short affair with a Gerber.

I was gifted a Gerber MP600 blunt nose. and I quickly realized I wanted needlenose, and got one a while later.  I gave away the blunt nose, and still have the needlenose that stays in my bag in the car....

So yep... it does require some thought to come up with your story and stick to it.

[EMarkM]

I guess my “journey” started at around the age of four in the 1970s. My father was a tradesman and had been in the Royal Air Force for his National Service, and my mother was ever practical. My younger brother and I were brought up in a tough rural environment in the north west of England, Britain.

Dad gave me my first pocket knife, a one-and-a-half inch folder, at the age of four. He taught me outdoor skills from that point, and insisted that I practised all the tools he taught me twice as much with my left hand as my right, resulting in effective ambidexterity.

Mum’s dad, my dear granddad Arthur, insisted we joined the scouts. At some point my father gave me his old scout knife and belt. He inscribed the sheath himself.

My first fixed blade was a Christmas gift from mum and dad when I was about nine years old. It came in a sheath with an oak leaf design.

Amongst other practices, dad, being a plumber along with other skills, taught me to always have with me the tools I might need, and to avoid “single use” tools, hence our mutual love of Swiss Army knives. One of my Spartans is an old one of his. Another belonged to my mum’s Uncle Donald, a soldier who had served in British Intelligence in WWII, due to his civilian job as a professor of German language. He was one of the translators at the Nürnberg Trials.

Fast forward to the 2000s, and, no doubt influenced by the Internet, I was the typical amateur EDCer, carrying around everything but the kitchen sink in a rucksack.

It didn’t take me too long to see the light, and reduce my carry down to a couple of SAKs and keyring tools.

Apologies for picture quality of the two old knives, being dad’s scout knife with sheath inscribed with a swallow bird, and my blade with the oak leaf sheath.

[stugumby]

Started my adventure with dad giving me a a old bone handled 4 blade boy scout knife, had Leathermans (bought my own) in military as well as issued Gerber mp 400/600. Got the alox pox in 2000 and now have a bucket full of knives and multi tools. This years addiction is the Leatherman free series, but im buying them gently used and saving pocket change to get them 1 at a time.

[ToolJoe]

In a nutshell, I started with a Wingman and here I am with a Spirit now. 

[ElevenBlade]

Update to my EDC timeline. 

I few weeks ago, I did a couple of things -

1, took the Micra off the keyring. but paired with a Vic Compact, the screwdriver would have come in handy, and so the Micra went back on the keyring.

2, I retired the Soldier and have switch to the PioneerX for an EDC. 

So far I haven't been compelled to carry the Compact, though it seems appropriate for slacks and a fancy night out, if I ever find myself in such a situation,

So that's where I am now - PioneerX every day.

[Kaelriee]

Carrying a SAK is pretty new for me.  When I was a kid, nobody gave me a knife. They just don't give knives to little girls.  I loved to go camping though and wanted my own knife, so I saved up and bought an Imperial Ireland hobo knife from Kmart, the one with the fork and spoon lol.  I loved that thing!  I was 8 years old and had no idea how goofy it was.

Over the years I picked up a pocket knife here and there, cheap little things.  My dad would never buy me a SAK.  He always said a cheap knife from Kmart was good enough.  So I kinda grew up with this idea that SAKd were the "real deal", the unobtainable quality knife I'd have someday.

When I went off to college, multitools were becoming a thing, and I bought a Gerber MPT.  That thing was my EDC in my purse for the next 20 odd years.

Finally, in my 40s, I ended up with 150 SAKs as part of a TSA lot of seized knives I bid on and won.  In there I found a minichamp 2 I wanted to keep and parts to put a light and a pen scale on it.  It was my first-ever SAK.  Also in there were 3 antique minichamps that have been discontinued for over 25 years.  I sold the rest.  I was hooked.  Since then I've won more lots in more auctions, and each time I find a knife I'd like to keep.  My new EDC is a cybertool M and I still have that custom minichamp 2 on my keychain.  But I've also picked up a couple 30+ year old Champions and some other assorted antique SAKs.

[Chako]

Hmm...

Ok, here goes...

My first knife was a cheap Hobo knife bought for a camping trip when I was around 6 or so by my father, I still have that one. I used it a lot for eating in the trailer that year, and put it away for safe keeping afterwards. My father was a tradesman and always wore a knife on his belt, but I was a bit too young at the time to emulate him once home. They wouldn't have it...and that was a wise decision. 

My second knife was bought for me when I was in High School, and it was a Ruko lock-back made in Japan with wood inlays in the stainless steel handle. I still have that one as well,.

Back in the early 90's, My father and I took up archery as a bonding exercise. At the time, I was in University, and we both knew it would be soon that I would have to go out of town to continue my education. We bought a matching pair of American Camper pliers based multi-tools to wear on the outdoor range. We found that lighter gear was needed as the outdoor range was built in rough terrain. A multi-tool was the perfect pocket toolbox needed out in the field. It was during this time that my father started to wear a multi-tool to work after seeing how useful they are, He soon went in the direction of trying a variety of cheap multi-tools that he could test and abuse on the construction site, and a good model for dress purposes at home. The multi-tool quickly replaced the knife that he always wore.His first "good" dress model was a Schrade Tough Tool, which was quickly replaced with a Leatherman Pulse. During this time, I found a Coleman ProLock which looked like the Schrade. One that I could afford. Thus this was my second tool after the American Camper which stayed with the archery kit. I used the ProLock for many years.

Around 2008, my father passed away after battling cancer for a couple of hard years. I eventually went into his room to clean up, and found an assortment of multi-tools stashed everywhere. I had no clue that my father had such an assortment ready for construction duty. After getting them all together, and to keep my mind off of things, I decided to look for online information about them. I quickly found this web site back in 2008 and was able to get some info on a couple of models. It took me a year of lurking before I decided to join this website and to participate in these forums. Between my first visit and registration, I had started to collect multi-tools as a way to honour my father. I had always been a collector, but this one had special meaning for me. It wasn't long before I combined my drive to collect multi-tools with my hobby of photography and to post my first photograph. At the time, there were not many online photos of multi-tools. let alone quality ones. I decided then and there that I would combine both and contribute meaningfully towards this website.I have slowed down now, but am quite happy to note there are now many awesome photographers sharing photos of multi-tools.

While on this forum, I noticed that I couldn't really contribute anything towards the Swiss Army forum. After reading and checking out SAKs, I got the bug to collect those as well. It was an easy side shoot as I viewed SAKs as multi-tools. Before I knew it, both collections became equal, and extensive. I have slowed down now simply because I ran out of room.

During this time, I was now an educator and was looking for something I could wear to work. I was the computer contact for the school and needed a small portable tool that would help me repair computers. If I could do this, I could prevent having to send them to the School Board IT Department, which would take the computer out of use for a few days to a few weeks. I wanted something with no knife blade because of our safe school policy. I ended up EDCing a Leatherman Knifeless Fuse. I wore this on my belt for many years and only retired it once I found out it was no longer in production. By this time, I was no longer the school computer contact, and was also working in a different High School. Because of this, I now wear a Swiss+Tech 6 in 1 Utilikey on my key-chain. I have found that small tool to be almost perfect for my usage. It hides in plain sight, and has an amazing functionality for something so small.

During my outdoor excursions, I also like to use a Schrade Navitool that I strap to my backpack. I know I may be in the minority here, but it makes a nice little survival tool. I tend to carry a Bic Lighter in it and I do like the compass as well. For when I go out on my motorcycle, I will wear a Leatherman MUT. Likewise, I carry the MUT to the outdoor range.

Because I have an extensive collection of multi-tools, I also like to wear a new acquisition to see how it works and how I get along with it. I always seem to tend towards Leatherman tools for some reason. If I plan on using a tool, I will purchase 2, one for the collection and one for a user. I have a few doubles in the Leatherman lineup because of this. I have doubles of the Knifeless Fuse, Wave, Charge, Core, and MUT. These days, unless I am motorcycling, or hiking, I just wear the Utilikey on the key-chain. I know, a bit shocking considering I have so many tools to choose from, but I like to keep things simple an light. The Utilikey is the perfect EDC. You know its there, but it is so small and light that you do not mind carrying it.

 A short history in chronological order...

1. Cheap Ireland Hobo Knife.
2. Ruko lock-back folder knife.
3. American Camper multi-tool.
4. Coleman ProLock multi-tool.
5. Leatheman Knifeless Fuse Multi-tool.
6. A wide variety of multi-tools carried for a few days to a a few weeks to see what I really liked...over many years. Have doubles of Leatherman multi-tools for use.
7. Schrade Navitool for outdoor use.
8. Leatherman MUT for motorcycle and range use.
9. Swiss+Teck Utilikey for EDC.

So there you have it,

[ElevenBlade]

Carrying a SAK is pretty new for me.  When I was a kid, nobody gave me a knife. They just don't give knives to little girls.  I loved to go camping though and wanted my own knife, so I saved up and bought an Imperial Ireland hobo knife from Kmart, the one with the fork and spoon lol.  I loved that thing!  I was 8 years old and had no idea how goofy it was.

Over the years I picked up a pocket knife here and there, cheap little things.  My dad would never buy me a SAK.  He always said a cheap knife from Kmart was good enough.  So I kinda grew up with this idea that SAKd were the "real deal", the unobtainable quality knife I'd have someday.

When I went off to college, multitools were becoming a thing, and I bought a Gerber MPT.  That thing was my EDC in my purse for the next 20 odd years.

Finally, in my 40s, I ended up with 150 SAKs as part of a TSA lot of seized knives I bid on and won.  In there I found a minichamp 2 I wanted to keep and parts to put a light and a pen scale on it.  It was my first-ever SAK.  Also in there were 3 antique minichamps that have been discontinued for over 25 years.  I sold the rest.  I was hooked.  Since then I've won more lots in more auctions, and each time I find a knife I'd like to keep.  My new EDC is a cybertool M and I still have that custom minichamp 2 on my keychain.  But I've also picked up a couple 30+ year old Champions and some other assorted antique SAKs.

 

[pomsbz]

I'm a born and bred urbanite and despite holidays in the Highlands of Scotland every summer, climbing mountains and trails, I don't ever remember a pocket knife being part of the life I led. My dad always had plenty tools, his work table was great place to be for a kid, but he wasn't into knives. My mother loathed pocket knives because a favourite uncle had been stabbed in his Glasgow shop by a Ned when she was a girl. Fast forward to my teenage years and I had a slipjoint, I think it was yellow and had two blades but I've no idea about any other details, it was a swapsie with a friend. I remember it being blunt and not much more. We were spending our money on air guns not knives.

Take a break for some 15 years and from the age of 17 I don't remember ever carrying anything at all. EDC was a phone, keys and tissues. I had tear gas in a coat pocket for SD though it was very illegal at the time in the UK. Even when I served in the army out here, knives were never a thing. A good pocket flashlight (incandescent maglite mini was my pride) was far more useful and treasured. We had rifles for offensive use and the loadout was heavy enough as it was. After that work had the tools required and I did a lot of flying, 80 flights a year at one point. A knife didn't even come into question.

Then in my early thirties I started commuting to work by electric bike. It came with a little tool pouch which was woefully ill equipped. I had started reading the 'Art of Manliness' website and came across the idea of EDC and the pocket knife. I found a deal on Amazon and bought a Skeletool and Style CS package and they became my EDC for the next two years. I found forums which talked about EDC and it rather fitted the lifestyle I was aspiring to at the time in my 30's. More gentleman than cool. I started down the rabbit hole of the EDC lifestyle for some years. They all changed over time but I've been pretty steady with my EDC both pockets and bag carry for years now, it really is an EDC, only the handkerchief ever changes and EDC moved on from being a hobby to simply being the stuff I have.

Timeline? It's was more experimentation than a true timeline but each of these had EDC status in my pocket/belt for a year or more.

Unknown Slipjoint (youth)
Skeletool
Case Sodbuster Jr
Queen Copperhead (the loveliest knife I ever owned, sold cause money was tight at the time)
GEC #15 Navy Knife (bought to be police friendly in a time when terrorist stabbings were a common occurrence in the city)
Victorinox Pruner (My first real exposure to Victorinox and boy was it a great one!)
Lionsteel Roundhead (A truly great knife except that despite its m390 steel and 3 pro regrinds, it would never hold an edge)
Victorinox Spartan (If I'd started here I would never have bothered buying anything else. End of story, finito)

EDC straight out of my pocket for this thread:

[SteveC]

Carrying a SAK is pretty new for me.  When I was a kid, nobody gave me a knife. They just don't give knives to little girls.  I loved to go camping though and wanted my own knife, so I saved up and bought an Imperial Ireland hobo knife from Kmart, the one with the fork and spoon lol.  I loved that thing!  I was 8 years old and had no idea how goofy it was.

Over the years I picked up a pocket knife here and there, cheap little things.  My dad would never buy me a SAK.  He always said a cheap knife from Kmart was good enough.  So I kinda grew up with this idea that SAKd were the "real deal", the unobtainable quality knife I'd have someday.

When I went off to college, multitools were becoming a thing, and I bought a Gerber MPT.  That thing was my EDC in my purse for the next 20 odd years.

Finally, in my 40s, I ended up with 150 SAKs as part of a TSA lot of seized knives I bid on and won.  In there I found a minichamp 2 I wanted to keep and parts to put a light and a pen scale on it.  It was my first-ever SAK.  Also in there were 3 antique minichamps that have been discontinued for over 25 years.  I sold the rest.  I was hooked.  Since then I've won more lots in more auctions, and each time I find a knife I'd like to keep.  My new EDC is a cybertool M and I still have that custom minichamp 2 on my keychain.  But I've also picked up a couple 30+ year old Champions and some other assorted antique SAKs.

Hello and welcome to the forum   

[Aloha]

Welcome KAELRIEE.  Its always nice to hear from a woman perspective. 

[Aloha]

@pomsbz,  great carry. Its interesting how after so many years the gears we carry currently.   

[pomsbz]

@pomsbz,  great carry. Its interesting how after so many years the gears we carry currently.   

Thanks! Annoyingly they don't make the wallet any more and mine is starting to go. I don't really want anything else. I suppose I'll need to start trawling the forums making WTB posts.

[pfrsantos]

Thanks! Annoyingly they don't make the wallet any more and mine is starting to go. I don't really want anything else. I suppose I'll need to start trawling the forums making WTB posts.

If it's just the stitching, you might be able to mend it yourself, or any reasonably decent shoemaker. Or even a seamstress. If it's the leather, you might use the wallet parts as template to cut the shapes from some new piece of leather and make one from scratch.

[pomsbz]

If it's just the stitching, you might be able to mend it yourself, or any reasonably decent shoemaker. Or even a seamstress. If it's the leather, you might use the wallet parts as template to cut the shapes from some new piece of leather and make one from scratch.

It's requires a much tighter and consistent stitch than I could do by hand unfortunately. I do a bit of leather work and this requires a much higher level of expertise than I have.

[pfrsantos]

It's requires a much tighter and consistent stitch than I could do by hand unfortunately. I do a bit of leather work and this requires a much higher level of expertise than I have.

I say you try to make some other projects first, to get used to leather stitching. Some simple pouches or pocket caddies. After that, work on your wallet.

If you still don't feel confident enough, take it to a shoe repair store (after this covid has died down) and have them do it for you. If you do this, I suggest you watch while they do it, to have a hands on tutorial on how it's done.

 

[pomsbz]

I say you try to make some other projects first, to get used to leather stitching. Some simple pouches or pocket caddies. After that, work on your wallet.

If you still don't feel confident enough, take it to a shoe repair store (after this covid has died down) and have them do it for you. If you do this, I suggest you watch while they do it, to have a hands on tutorial on how it's done.

 

This is stuff I've done and I still don't think I could begin to do this wallet by hand. It uses a very tight stitch with thin leather and material liners that requires a machine and experience to get right.

[Aloha]

  Looking good. 

[pfrsantos]

Looking very, very good.

FTFY.

If you still don't feel confortable doing it yourself, take it to a taylor/seamtress. They'll know what to do.

 

[pomsbz]

Or just stop carrying or dealing with coins, it's that added ability which makes my Natsu wallet so unique in its tiny size. I have a really nice Verge card/notes only wallet shown below. Last time I did no coins in the wallet for an extended period of time I did miss have some higher denomination coins on me, good for charity for a start. I also wrecked a bunch of shirts using my shirt pocket for coins given as change. Coins are still very much a thing in these parts.


 (manufacturer pic)