Awkard moments or negative responses while using your EDC!

[Polar_Bear]

Hmm I've never really had a bad response from me using my edc, but then again my friends who I'm usually with know what I'm like anyway. My knife got used everyday at college during the summer, as we all would go to the garage to get ice lollies and hardly anybody would have scissors with them.
A friend of mine however was not even allowed to have a small knife in his pocket at work ,which seems weird at first but when you find out more is even worse. Where he worked he had access to many chemicals which could destroy dna and be absorbed through the skin. Hmm which is more dangerous

[TafkanX]

I EDC a small Kershaw folder and a AAA mag lite (I'd upgrade to a Surefire if I had the money, but the maglite does what it needs to when I need it to), a Zebra F-701 (pen) and a Molleskin notebook. I used to carry a Gerber multi-tool but since the knife broke on it (yeah, there's a reason they tell you not to use it as a pry bar) I stopped but have wished I had it on multiple occasions. The Leatherman Ti is on my wish list, but I'm deviating now. My knife gets used pretty much every day for various cutting purposes (boxes for the most part), the mag lite only every now and again (but I'm sure glad I have it when I need it) and the pen and notebook almost daily. I started carrying all these things while I was in the Navy (especially the pen!) and feel naked without them. I get the occasional odd comment when they come out, but for the most part people are just glad I have something useful when it's needed.

[CajunHam]

My EDC did not startle anyone in the South, but a few years ago some of my daughter's high school friends needed a ride to a school function and they jumped into my Truck (4 Door 1 Ton Dually) but loaded with all types of Amateur Radio Gear (VHF/UHF and HF(shortwave)) and I happened to be speaking to one of my friends via the satellite then we switched to HF Shortwave. Needless to say this interested one the girls to the point to ask, "Say Andrea, is your dad CIA or something like outta TRUE LIES?"

Yeah, Mom's lipstick case is loaded, too.

Her friends at this point says, "Hey, ain't this stuff illegal? To which my daughter presents her Amateau Radio license, and replies, "licensed by the FCC complete with our own government callsigns!"


Her friends think now they are riding with the Incredibles!!!!

[Slugg]

my crazy russian driver got pulled over for going 45 over and the cops said the usually " do you have any weapons in the car" i didnt say a thing but my friend went " he does" so i was then like " i have a hatchet, sword and machete, oh and a pocket knife and sling shot" then they were like where were u guys going and we said 7-11. That was fun to explain. the slingshot ammo was unopened still so they werent nearly as mad as they could.

[mr_dave]

I hate to me too on the "I haven't had a bad response to my EDC" threadjack in the negative responses thread...

BUT

I can't think of a time where I've had a negative response to my EDC. I carry a LM Wave original most of the time and a Fenix P2D. Weekends I drop the wave for a Juice CS4. Most of the time people are just glad to have someone around with tools to fix things. For when I've needed a stronger knife than my LM Wave I've usually had my Gerber EZ-Out Skeleton in my day-pack to fall back on. Again, no negative responses to pulling that out when the situation requires it.

However, I've recently picked up a CRKT M16-13LE. Tacticool black coated blade, partially serrated, law-enforcement-blue handles, and a flipper that'll open this thing quick enough to make people ask if it's a switch-blade, the wonderfull all encompassing term up here for illegal knife. I really do like this knife. It's stronger, has a better action, and the blade steel (AUS8) will keep it's edge much better than my Gerber. I do get the feeling that if I have to fall back to it because whichever LM I have on me isn't up to the task I will need to stay conscious of who is around me and let that dictate:
1) how I open it - it may not be prudent to use the flipper
2) whether I take it out at all - it could be too scary for certain environments

I was talking with a friend earlier and we've basically accepted that up here pretty much any SAK is going to get a pass because people associate the red handles and/or the SAK logo with helpful-boyscout-type. The more utilitarian/military/LEO looking the knife is, the more conscious you need to be about who is around you.

I doubt I'd think twice pulling out my Juice. The bright blue handles and readily visible corkscrew don't exactly strike fear in the hearts of evildoers.

[Apollo-11]

However, I've recently picked up a CRKT M16-13LE.

Yeah, that's my impression of how other people respond to the CRKT. A friend has one and he constantly gets those responses if he opens it quickly. It's pretty big, it's tacticool, and it opens quick. Must be bad. That's why I carry a SAK and a Leatherman... perception.

[Trebor]

Im sure everybody on here carries either a Surefire or Fenix brand of Led flashlight.

Nope, I love cool flashlights as much as the next guy, but I gravitate towards lights that meet my needs over just the "wow factor."

My every day carry light is a little Arc AA. It's just under 3" and runs on a single AA. I use it as my keyring so I *always* have it handy. It's just small enough to do that. It's bright enough to handle any "normal" lighting task and I use it all the time for chores ranging from looking for things in my car to finding my way around darkened theaters to running out to the backyard to check the pool motor without having to turn on the yard lights. It also gives a very nice run time with standard alkaline AA batts and even better with a Lithium AA, when I remember to buy one. Usually I just canabalize any convenient AA nearby when the battery goes dead. Ease of replacement batteries is one of the things I like about it. (The original price was $20, NIB, on a special sale. That version of ARC is now out of business though and the light is no longer available)

I also have a Surefire, an Executive E1E (I think?) but I gave up using that for an EDC. While it's noticeably brighter, the run time isn't long enough. I get tired of replacing the 123 batts on a regular basis. I'm not even sure where it is right now. I may mount it on my rifle or shotgun as a weapon light. That would get some use out of it and the low run time isn't as much of a problem there and the brightness is definately an advantage for that task.

I also have an ARC that uses 123's that I keep in my car. It's just over 3" and I used to use it as a key ring before I got the smaller ARC AA. It also has a larger diameter then the ARC AA so the overall size and bulkiness is greater. I like it, it's brighter then a Mag lite or the ARC AA, but has the same problem with runtime and batteries as the Surefire.

When I need a light to carry brighter then my ARC AA I once again turn to the standard MiniMag AA. Yeah, it's old tech, and there are better and brighter lights out there, but it's inexpensive, uses common batteries, is bright enough for what I need, and has a much better run time then any of the CR123 battery lights I use.

We just had to clean out my Grandfather's 100 year old farmhouse after he died. The power was out and most of the house was dark with the basement being absolutely black. The Minimag and a cheap 4 AA Wal Mart light where the two lights that worked the best. They had the longest run time and were bright enough for the job. The ARC 123 was brighter, which was nice, but went dead not too long into the first day. The little ARC AA was always in my pocket and I used it to find my way out of the basement when the ARC 123 went into "moon mode", which wasn't bright enough to navigate that minfield of debris.

So, what's out there that has a good run time, uses a single AA battery, is no longer then 3" and is brighter then my ARC AA? Anything? If there is, I may replace my ARC AA as I know the tech has improved since that light came out. So far though, it's worked best as my EDC.

[Gingersam]

Im sure everybody on here carries either a Surefire or Fenix brand of Led flashlight.

Nope, I love cool flashlights as much as the next guy, but I gravitate towards lights that meet my needs over just the "wow factor."

Me neither I have a solitaire maglite wrapped in a couple of feet of Gaffa tape. It does the job. The best torch I ever owned was a 3 squid rubber encased filament bulb torch my dad found in a bargain bin somewhere.

[Feuerlied]

I used my knife (4" Ti-Lite) to cut open a DVD case with a stuck lock in it. My coworker turned to me and said, "Oh my god why do you carry a knife?!" To which I answered, "Um... to cut things?"

I never heard anyone react like that when I used my knife. Some people must live really really sheltered lives.

[airballrad]

However, I've recently picked up a CRKT M16-13LE.

QFT

I have a CRKT M16-13Z. I EDC'd it for a couple weeks, then went back to my Gerber EZ-Out Jr. Not only was the M16 a little bit for my pockets, but it just looks and feels a lot more...serious. It just seemed overkill for an office workplace. I do love it to death, however, and carry it anytime I expect to be outside for more than the walk to my car.

[E]

Not really negative , but after I used the saw on my Leatherman at work a co-worker said "You and all your Boy Scout shit...."

yeah I get that. I carry a wave on my belt, and people always give me shit about it.
I don't have a murse (but I'm slowly getting to that point) but my pockets are always loaded with my gear. Most of it hasn't been negative, but I have gotten weird looks when I use my knife or give someone a light when I don't smoke. I've had people look in my trunk and go (to quote the best explative ever) "Sweet Jesusfuck that's a lot of shit"

Funny how when they need a knife or a screwdriver or a bottle of water, or a light or....... they shut up when I pull *insert item* out

[BobtheBreaker]

Wow!

I had a similar experience with OMGWTFBBQ U HAZ A NIFE DON REDRUM MI KTHX. While taking the plastic wrap off a pallet at work.

People seem to overreact to such things quite quizzically.

[olaf_yahoo]

I went to the Atlanta Blade convention a short time ago and had something weird happen with my EDC. Now bear in mind folks this is the LARGEST knife convention and expo in the WORLD held annually. So I bought this beautiful Cuda Max folder (5.5" of D2) and stood off to the side of the counter to cut through the tape with my SOG Pentagon Elite II. This guy standing a couple feet away goes "damn, where the hell'd you get that thing!?" I just looked at him and said "you should see what's in the box".

[Apollo-11]

OMGWTFBBQ U HAZ A NIFE DON REDRUM MI KTHX.

You know, that was even funnier because we just got a baby kitten, and she's looking at me like I'm a spaz for laughing and holding my gut. Something poetic about laughing about a lolcat and then getting laughed at by a real cat.

[phoenixmastm]

Just remembered, last week I had to help unload the truck & stock the shelves, and we're issued boxcutters with rounded points.....taking off the plastic wrap is next to impossible with those things, and even harder when you're just trying to stretch it to the breaking point. So I busted out my Gerber Suspension, got the knife blade out and cut it off.

The guy who was teaching me that day just said "thanks a ton, that little sucker just saved us a lot of pain."

I haven't used it at work since then, seeing as there was never any need for it, but I did let my boss know that I was gonna carry it and asked before hand if I could carry it. He said sure so long as I was careful and didnt try and threaten anyone with it.

[EODTech256]

I can only remember a handful of times that I had anything close to a negative response to my EDC.

One was while working at Target in the stockroom one of the managers came back for an item and needed the box opened. So I pulled out my pocket knife which was at the time a large folder from CRKT. When she saw it she asked why I needed a pocket knife like that. Being kind of a smart ass I asked why she didn't and why she at least didn’t have a box cuter. Her reason for not carrying a store issued box cuter with her for the same reason I didn't, the cover would slide back in your pocket and you would end up cut by the blade.

The other time that sticks out was right after my wife and I started dating. I carry a full size XD almost all the time in an IWB holster. One day while we were out shopping she touched my hip and felt it. When she asked I told her it was a hard carrier for my work stand by phone. Being in the middle of the mall probably isn’t the best place to tell her about it. When we got back to the car I told her that I had lied and what she felt wasn’t a cell phone. She asked what it was and I told her that I have a CCL and that it was the grip of my pistol. She was a bit shocked and asked why I needed one and if I always carried it. I told her that I carry it for protection and yes I always carry it unless I am going to a place where carrying is not allowed. She was a bit shocked that she had never noticed it and I told her that’s why is called concealed carry. She was a bit unsure of it for awhile and has gotten used to it being there now. The only time she flat out asked me not to carry it was to our wedding.

[Apollo-11]

So, I am at work... I walk into the server room. A couple of guys I know are there typing away. One of them looks up and sees me.

Him: "So, what are your plans for the zombie uprising?"
Me: "I'm a member of Zombie Squad, the elite non-stationary cadaver suppression task force. Here's my membership card."
Him: (Speechless)
Me: "We have specific plans for all kinds of contingencies. See, the zombie thing is a metaphor. It fits all kinds of possible disaster scenarios. If you are prepared for a zombie uprising, then you pretty much can handle, say, an earthquake, if it happens in the meantime."
Him: (Crickets chirping)
Me: "If you didn't know it, we are also preparing this building to be an emergency disaster shelter in case you are stuck here at work when the disaster hits. You can be part of that preparation if you want to."
Him:

I guess I came on a little strong.

[E]

I guess I came on a little strong.

perhaps just a little bit

[CommonHighrise]

Yeah, the whole "Oh god, why do you carry a knife?!" question gets my blood pressure up a little. Sure, my MaxPed manbag loaded up with everything from zip ties to nitrile gloves might be a little unconventional, but a knife? What has happened to society when a pocketknife is considered scary and dangerous? My girlfriend said she even got looks, and was refered to as Samurai Jane for using her Buck Whittaker to open a package. For reference, the Whittaker has a blade smaller than the pad of my thumb. Ive personally gotten reactions from all my knives, excluding the multitool blades.

Knives aside, the rest of my EDC supplies usually gets a shocked reaction off the bat, but once people take a few seconds to think about it, its usually "yeah, guess it would be handy to carry that".

[Gent]

Yeah, I've had the whole range of reactions - and that's just for my boring old Victorinox Swiss Champ I have on my belt. Mostly it's the grudging admiration kind of comments, but occasionally it's the OMGWTFBBQ kinda nonsense.

At those times, I wonder what they would think of the Ontario spec8 machete I have tucked away...

[AmirMortal]

My most awkward edc moment.

I had just been approved for a job on a cruise ship, and had to leave in like a week. I had just gotten off of work, and jumped in the car. After a 5 hour drive to Miami to get my emergency passport, I walked into the Federal building having forgotten about the five knives I edc. Oh boy, that was interesting. This was in February of '02, and quite frankly, the guards were taken aback.

I figured it was too late to just turn around and walk out as I started dumping my pockets into the basket. Out comes the CRKT Sea Hawk, Kiss (full size), Kiss (mini), Bear Claw (around neck), and Leatherman wave. Picture dumbfounded amazement, coupled with utter confusion. Those poor fellows couldn't even figure out how to close them. They were understanding and let me take them back to my car.

For the most part at work we're encouraged to have sharp pointy things to cut with. I am a stagehand, and mostly work in a harness. In a rescue situation one must be able to free oneself, or others. Not to mention cutting rope, tape, opening boxes, and such.

Oh, and I live in Florida, there are no laws against having a pocket knife, unless it's like a folding machete. Personal defense is legal, if not encouraged.

[Joopson]

Hmm, back when I was a sophomore in high school, I was carrying my knife on me (against the rules). It was a little foldable knife that I got from the dollar store. So anyway, I was walking down the hall, and I look down only to see my foldable knife hanging out of a hole in my pocket! If I had gotten caught, I could have been suspended or expelled. It was just awful. No one did notice though, and if they did, they didn't care much. I never wore those pants again...
This was just awkward to me, but it was pretty awkward.

[Doryman]

And if I had a sister, she would probably have her own knife

Heh, when she moved to Edmonton (Stabmonton) my little sis carried a penknife and a... Marling spike. I've corrupted her well.


A while back I was on a bus trip with a bunch of aquaintances, and someone needed a package opened. I passed up the Leatherman, they used it, and someone asked. "Hey... why would you need to carry that around anyway..."

sigh... I explained that he had just witnessed a damn good reason... still didn't sink in.

[el Punisher]

I mean, you were opening a box. if you were opening up an abdomen or a windpipe, then yeah, she might have had a point.

Sigged.

*L* I like how there are now little bits of me sprinkled all over the ZS forum. it's like I'm pollinating with sig posts or something.

Or somebody fed you after midnight and your multiplying

hahah gremlins, that was the wierdest movie still a laugh, throwing little monsters in a microwave is more than enough entertainment for me