My Evolving Thoughts on EDC

 I have watched a lot of videos (a lot!!!) and read more than a few articles online on EDC (Every Day Carry) since getting into my 'knife hobby'.  And my views have evolved.  There are a lot of ideas out there as to what a person should carry.  Here are a few of my evolving thoughts....

• EDC is different for all people.  One size does not fit all.  Urban EDC is different than country or outdoor EDC.  And EDC differs for those in the trades vs. office workers.  And so on. 
• You can end up carrying more than you need.  I used to think that I needed to be prepared for any and every situation.  Screwdrivers, both Philips and flat heads were critical.  Yet now that I look at my actual daily routine and needs, do I really need all this stuff all the time?  Probably not. Most of my needs involve small tools, not large ones, and only a few at that.  
• I do have EDC rotations for different scenarios.  For example, my EDC for working at the Fire Department is different than my daily one and different than my carry when in dress clothes.  And when I go out hunting next fall there will be yet another.    
• Knives: Online you will hear people criticize inexpensive knives and test them to death, comparing the quality of steels used in blades. They literally beat them to Hades. As others have noted, who should really baton wood with a knife, let alone a folding knife?  I understand there are emergency situations, but unless you do a lot of extensive hiking or camping in the wild you are less likely to get into situations demanding serious bush craft.  For yard work where I often have to cut weeds and small trees at the edge of my yard, I bought an inexpensive machete from Harbor Freight.  Some people put knives through severe tests such as cutting piles of cardboard, which I now understand is very hard on blades because of what is in cardboard.  But I carry smaller tools to break down boxes.  I rarely must shred them.
• So, I'm content to keep more affordable knives on me on a daily basis.  Again, as many observe, much of the use of a carried knife is for opening letters, breaking down boxes, cutting string, etc.  You don't need 'super steel' for this.  
• Some also carry knives for cutting food.  I have to admit I struggle with this one.  If I camped a lot I think I would have designated knives for this, and clean them regularly.  
• Now I do like Swiss Army Knives for their varied tools.  Such as scissors.  These I have used most frequently.  I often carry a SAK Explorer, which is a great Urban EDC, the best I've found so far.  It even has a magnifying glass, which you often don't realize you need until you do.  A related knife, the Huntsman, which is often highly praised, was a a temptation for a while because of the addition of a saw.  But I already have one of those on my Swiss Champ and another multitool, and when will I use a saw in my usual daily routine?  Again, if you are in a job where you must do a lot of cutting, not just of wood, but of other things like plastic and such, then maybe. 
• As I may have mentioned in a previous post, EDC for me isn't just one tool, but a few.  And small, at that.  I carry a Gerber Dime, for example, not only for the pliers, but for the package cutting tool (boxes and clamshells).  I also carry a SAK Rambler, by far one of Victorinox's best small urban carries. And to round it off I carry a sightly larger knife, often either a SAK Bantam (which I'm in dress clothes because of its very slim profile), Pioneer, or Explorer, the last two in attractive Alox scales).  Those are my usual 'go to' knives.  
• Also, there is a lot of discussion in the knife/EDC world of slip joints verse flippers.  I understand if you are in a line of work that necessitates being able to open a knife with one hand, but most of do not have that need.  I like the slip joints for a number of reasons, but remain open to both.  And I carry both, usually a Civivi Mini Praxis, for example (slim and light), of the orange scaled Ozark Trail knife that resembles the Benchmade Bugout (which some have nicknamed the "Ozark Grail"), which a lot of folks love to hate.   

Those are just a few of my personal thoughts after a lot of scrolling, reading, contemplating and buying for the last year or so.  They will probably evolve further yet in the months to come.....