EDC is the acronym for “everyday carry.” Most times this is referencing things in your pocket that you might carry. Many people include things you wear as well. For me, this means my EDC stuff includes: keys, pocket knife, wrist watch, and cellphone. I suppose depending on how you interpret the term, I could also include my cross necklace that I never take off. These are all things that regardless of where I am going or what I am doing, I have on my person. Since I work in a school district, my pocket knife I bring to school is actually a small safety ceramic cutter made by Slice, it gets the job done most times but I miss having my normal pocket knives when this is all I can carry.
The reason I’m posting about this though is because it got me thinking about the types of EDC items. For me it breaks down into two categories: those items that I have only one of, and those that I have options for. My keys and cellphone I only have one of, so that is what I carry. My cross necklace, I do technically have others, but always wear the same one. But for pocket knives and watches I have options. I’ve found that having 4 or 5 options is ideal. My pocket knife collection includes blades ranging from 1.75″ to 3″ (plus the tiny ceramic one) and different styles. Depending on what I’ll be doing that day I decide what to carry. My watches include a dressy analog watch, an older Timex, and my normal everyday watch which is an old Fortis manual wind watch. I’d like to add a quartz watch like a Bertucci A-1S as an everyday watch for when I’m splitting wood or working on cars etc so I don’t damage the Fortis. Someday I’ll do that. But at least my pocket knife collection is complete. I see no need to purchase any more pocket knifes for the rest of my life, unless or until one goes missing or is damaged beyond repair. I like that feeling. I have five total and each one was very carefully selected for certain attributes and qualities. None were horribly expensive either with the entire collection being worth only $125, or $25 per knife (though it isn’t evenly distributed like that).
