Between our natural proclivity to routine and the frugality of trying to make it as a person who sells bear jokes for a living, I’ve fallen into some pretty stale habits and routines over the last ten years. True, much of it may be a matter of “if it ain’t broke” but I think a fair amount of things in my day to day could use a change or an upgrade. I’m not talking about anything big. The demand for post-apocalyptic humor certainly isn’t to red Corvette levels…yet.
But I got a French press for Christmas. I’ve been a drip man my entire life and just wanted a gallon of black on standby for when I found myself or my muse getting sleepy.
Little did I know that the hotter the water, the better the coffee. Mr. Coffee wouldn’t make water hot enough to release the oils in the beans. So now I’m grinding beans and boiling my own water each morning like some kind of alchemist trying to turn lead into gold. But I’m enjoying it.
I’m talking about small things like that. Nothing dramatic. Nothing that a large gamble. Maybe a new bag of coffee from a cool roaster somewhere. Small changes. Some small enough to fit in your pocket.
I’ve always liked the Everyday Carry sites where different folks from different occupations share what they carry in their pockets on a daily basis. It usually breaks down into just a few things: wallet, watch, pen, notebook, knife, multi-tool, phone, and a flashlight. But the variety is astounding. Mix this with the nostalgia of the small chest of treasures every grandpa kept, and it feels like a collection worth expanding, exploring, and eventually handing down. And—as far as hobbies go—relatively cheap.
So, we’re starting today. And we’ll start with a pocket knife.
Sorry, UK. I know Cookie Monster won’t let you have any.
I’ve always been a firm believer in carrying a pocket knife. It’s simply a great tool to have on hand if you need to open a box, strip a wire, or fight a bear. Hypothetically speaking.
This is the Kershaw Leek.
I’ve carried this knife for so long that I’ve lost two of them. It’s got an assisted opening, a modified drop point blade (Some say Wharncliffe—I don’t know for sure.) and the serration makes quick work of rope, zip ties, and aggressive squirrels, probably. The steel keeps a fine edge and I’ve used this thing a million times. There’s nothing wrong with it. In fact, it’s the best knife I’ve ever had.
This is the CRKT PIET
When I started looking at new things a couple of weeks back, I found the CRKT brand. Columbia River Knife & Tool. They’ve got some great-looking pocket knives that I want to try. But I figured I’d dip my toe in the water first. I found their PIET on sale for $20 at a sporting goods store nearby. I’ve been carrying it for a week and I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would. I miss the assisted opening, but not as much as I thought. The steel is great for the price and, overall, it’s a little lighter than the Leek. That’s also something I didn’t think I’d notice but have appreciated. My only real complaint so far is that, due to the shape of the pocket clip, it tends to hitchhike on the hem of my shirt sometimes and goes a clattering to the ground at best, and splashing into the toilet at worst.
But for $20 bucks, it hasn’t been a disappointment and I’ll keep carrying this until the next toy arrives. Both knives are roughly the same size—3.5 inches closed and 6.5 to 7 inches open—and both have proven capable of everything I’ve had to throw at them in the day-to-day. We don’t get a lot of bears around here.
I’m new to this so tell me what I should be looking at. What’s in your everyday carry?
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At a much younger age, my pockets were not paunchy, but always adequately filled with whatever I needed, from my Dad’s old hawk-billed pocketknife to paper and pen. Looking back to all of the weekends, outings, and socializing with my crew, they likely saw me as a quartermaster; they asked me first and 99% of the time, I had what they needed. I became for a while, the guy who had it if you needed it, or the guy who could get it if you wanted it. “Be prepared,” became the choice saturation for my brain after I made Eagle. Before 9/11, my wife’s face would mangle in angst and embarrassment as I emptied my pockets at the airport. Years later, I carry my smart phone, keys, knife, pen and not much else. I now try to travel light, but last week, after enjoying a well deserved bbq pork sandwich on garlic bread, I quietly pocketed the handy wet wipes that were provided on the table. Last night we went out and dined on seafood that was best eaten with hands. In these times of rigid health habits and consistently having to ask for items at your table, I saw my wife’s face change into a smile as her hero produced from his pocket a lemon scented wet one from Sonny’s BBQ.