Garage/shop & office EDC knives

[rick carpenter]

What do y’all use for garage/shop knives that also do well in office-type situations? I work in a public high school library and in the school district textbook warehouse, located at the high school. I use my Olfa 9mm SVR-2 every day in both locations and carry it discreetly in my shirt pocket all day. In the office, no one notices it because with it’s size and innocuous appearance it looks so much like a pen. In the warehouse the Olfa is very useful opening boxes and taking off shrink wrap and shrink wrapping pallets for delivery etc. I love being able to extend and retract the blade with one hand by feel without stopping whatever else I have going to do so. But I worry about snapping one or more blade sections off and having them fly off never to be found between paletted boxes that then get sent out for deliveries to elementary schools. If a broken-off blade section made it to an elementary it could likely end my employment.



Many times I have to break down cardboard boxes for recycle. My little folding pocket knife would only be graded C- with that. I just got the Canary cardboard cutter today. A few test cuts on some boxes in the garage shows it will work well. I believe it will be OK up at work (school) since it looks so much like a letter opener. As you can see, it’s already in the truck so I don’t forget it Monday.

 

[Straightgrain]

I used a Stanley 10-049, it's compact and sturdy.

 

[JerseyBoatBuilder]

Kershaw leak, slice through boxes and straps like butter. same with shrink wrap

 

[AEAdam]

Kershaw shuffle 2 is what I carry everywhere. It looks kinda agro but I like the 2 flat sections of blade and the little tanto corner is really nice for opening boxes since there so little blade thickness there. The tip is also very strong. I really like and recommend this little knife. Blade is very short, 2-1/2”.



Also super easy to sharpen. It’s like sharpening 2 chisels. No comment on the steel quality. I use it a lot and sharpen pretty much every week. I’m sure there are knives with better steel. I think I paid around $20 for this on eBay.

 

[Zeus36]

Modified Sypderco Manix 2 XL. Built my own version of a Wise Men Signet ring.
Reground the blade spine, installed a Silicone Nitride ball to replace the stainless one in the lock, tapered and polished the tip of the spring perch on the polymer cage, and used three lighter compression springs wound together as one, to replace the heavy stock spring. Mods after these pictures include addition of a Wise Men Fang and a deep carry pocket clip. The Fang allows the blade to be opened when the knife is drawn from a pocket. Blade edge has been re-profiled to a narrower angle. The Axis-style lock can be actuated with just the thumb to drop the blade closed with one hand. Blade length is under the 5" limit for where I work.

 

[NoahG]

For “non scary” use around non tool people, ya can’t go wrong with the classic red handled Swiss Army knife. Basically, anything you can flick open one handed gets read as “weapon”. Two handed folders don’t. Bright colors are also better than black for friendliness.

My shop edc is a Milwaukee folding utility knife, but even might seem to aggressive for a school setting.

 

[rick carpenter]

For “non scary” use around non tool people, ya can’t go wrong with the classic red handled Swiss Army knife. Basically, anything you can flick open one handed gets read as “weapon”. Two handed folders don’t. Bright colors are also better than black for friendliness.

My shop edc is a Milwaukee folding utility knife, but even might seem to aggressive for a school setting.

Our IT techs and maintenance dept workers carry pocket knives as accepted tools of the trade without concern. My EDC work knife needs to remain discreet.

 

[CS454]

Slipjoint.

 

[Adk Mike]

3 blade stockman , Old Timer 34OT.

 

[sparky 1971]

A Buck 303 stockman is pretty discrete. It's what I carry when I wear the khaki pants on the rare occasion I have to go to a wedding or funeral.

https://www.buckknives.com/product/303-cadet-knife/?sku=0303BKS-B

The 301 is what I carry to work but it's probably too big and eventually will get found out.

https://www.buckknives.com/product/301-stockman-knife/?sku=0301BKS-B

 

[Kpaige]

Not so discreet but I carry and use my CK Bladeworks for everything. Full titanium handle, stainless razor sharp blade, all ceramic bearings.
My co worker is CK and makes these.

 

[AEAdam]

Really cool knives. I really like the utility of the super short, thin folders with a pocket clip. I’m attracted to the Bucks above, but find them old fashioned. That cheap Kershaw I carry has an effective beer bottle opener, which can be handy. I really like the 45deg angle on the tip- I don’t need pointy, I’m not stabbing anything but myself accidentally. Also, the orientation of that tip blade relative to the handle, kinda gives a chisel like feel. You can get behind that edge, and drive it effectively.

I also like the idea of the folding utility knives like the Milwaukee. I keep my pocket knife pretty much scalpel sharp. I’ve taken to sharpening double ended utility blades for my Stanley utility knife as well. New from the packaging, utility blades just aren’t that sharp. I use a paint scraper handle to hold the blade during sharpening. In my opinion, a well sharpened blade transforms the tool.

 

[Shiftless]

I used to teach at a public high school and this was my EDC. I used the blade to open cardboard boxes and cut shrink wrap and other tasks. The scissors came in handy once in a while. The file was useful for cleaning up broken fingernails. Screwdrivers weren’t very good at all but better than nothing.
The bottle opener got used a few times as well.

 

[F-22]

I carry a Skeletool almost everywhere. It's not the largest blade, but it is easy to open. A swiss army knife is nice in a pinch and made to a very high quality standard, and really packed with tools and still lightweight - but since you need to fiddle with opening it I just don't use them much.

The Skeletool is quite nifty overall, just wish it had a 1/4" bit driver instead of the proprietary one - that would make it perfect for me. I doubt Leatherman will ever make it, but maybe the Chinese will copy it in that way. Seems they figured it out with the Wave+ and Surge clones.

 

[lardy1]

Since I retired I don't EDC much of anything. I have knives scattered all over my shop and home. I got tired of wearing out the pockets on my jeans carrying something I no longer need to carry. When I need a knife there is always one nearby.

The last several years of my working career was spent as an Able Seaman. A Merchant Marine without a knife is about useless so I had a knife in my pocket at all times.

 

[JradM]

I'm a pocket knife fan and also work in an office where that's not really accepted. Like you OP, I also resort to a disposable-blade knife when that's the only acceptable choice. In my case, it's a Screwpop "Ron's utility knife" on my keychain. It's one of the smallest utility-blade knives you can get, so ultra-low profile and not immediately recognizable as a blade when not deployed.



In a similar vein, I sometimes carry a Boker Ovalmoon Swivel. It's just a fun little utility blade. Small enough that I can put it in my pocket and its lack of pocket clip doesn't bother me.



In terms of actual knives, the ones people find the least scary remain Victorinox Swiss Arm Knives. I sometimes sport a Bantam with a suspension clip attached to the keyring (I don't like when it falls horizontal along the bottom of my pocket).



If even that will raise eyebrows, I may resort to my Classic SD with Alox scales. Not really enough knife for cardboard boxes though.



I recently bought an MKM Malga, because Victorinox blades are hardened a bit soft for my taste and require sharpening frequently. The advantage is that it's super easy to do and will take a hair-splitting edge. However, the MKM Malga has a powder-metallurgy steel M390 main blade and is practically identical to a Swiss Army Knife.



If you attempt to carry a knife with a pocket clip, I suggest one that is small, skinny, black and preferably matte. It's just less noticeable.

 

[JradM]

My other thought, just generally, is to stick with "traditional" and "executive" knives.

I would already own the Boker Barlow Flipper if it were available in Canada - but it's a Knife Center "exclusive" model. That might be something to consider. It's a non-locking double-detent knife though, so that may not appeal to everyone.

Executive knives like the Boker Air Kwaken or the CKRT CEO series are also very skinny and aren't as as obviously "knives" when in a pocket.

Unrelated to the style decision, usually its easiest to cut carboard with knives with thin geometry and abrasion-resistant blades. The Spyderco Delica in K390 for example (wharncliff model especially). That's not really an "office" friendly knife though.

 

[Jeff]

I'm a ER/Trauma nurse. In the hospital, knives, or any weapon are strictly forbidden. That said, I've always carried a multitool, light, forceps, and trauma shears in a belt holster. Multitools are considered okay.

My current EDC is a Leatherman 300 and Leatherman Raptor.

 

[Houdini5150]

Work in IT, carry a pocket knife here and use a box cutter accordingly. Previous office I worked at, used a box cutter. Discreet, I would go with Gerber Prybid or perhaps a TPT slide but maybe that not so discreet?

 

[Zeus36]

I have one of these in black if I need to wear a suit and tie:

SOG Slim Jim XL

Around 3/16" thick. One of the slimmest assisted-opening knives made. The blade is 0.078" thick. Fold a pocket square or over it and it disappears in your breast pocket.

Black version:

 

[WWheeler]

My EDC is a Gerber EAB Lite. I'm never without one of these unless I'm at work.

My at-work EDC is an Equinox Huntsman Swiss Army Knife combined with a few extras, a Gerber Shard, Uncle Bill's Silver Gripper tweezers, a jeweler's loupe, and a forklift key. I use that little Gerber Shard multiple times every day, mostly as a pry bar for those plastic pull tabs on 55 gal drums, 1 gal cans of denatured alcohol & acetone, etc, and sometimes the philips/flat screwdrivers on it which work rather well and are quicker/easier for me to get to than out of the Huntsman. Heck, most of the time I use the Gerber's pry bar just to open up one of the blades or the scissors or whatever in the Huntsman as they are so packed in together I can't easily open up the knife without it.

 

[CS454]

Rob Calton Scagel pattern in 1095. 0.9oz, 3" closed. Vic Deluxe tinker for reference. Disappears in my front pocket and does everything my 3-4" folders do...

 

[F-22]

I have a fake Aliexpress "Leatherman" Raptor trauma shears in my car. The original ones are ~100€ here. Hopefully I'll never need them, but if I do - the knock offs will have to suffice. They seem pretty good, and much better than the flimsy sheet metal shears you get in a generic car first aid kit.

 

[sparky 1971]

There is also the Buck 375. I have one and while it's definitely discrete, I find it almost too small to do much of anything other than opening envelopes or cutting tape on boxes. It's even hard to find in a pocket containing other stuff. Outside of a metal detector or someone actually seeing it being used, there isn't much chance of getting caught with it.

https://www.buckknives.com/product/375-deuce-knife/?sku=0375BWS-B

According to the specs, the 379 is a tiny bit larger but I don't have one for comparison. It looks to me like a single blade version of a 375.

https://www.buckknives.com/product/379-solo-knife/?sku=0379BWS-B

 

[Robinson1]

How about a 3 blade stockman pattern from Case or Boker?

 

[kbeefy]

I also carry a skeletool, it's perfect for me. One handed opening blade, pocket clip, pliers and their funny bits for a screwdriver.

 

[JradM]

I love the Skeletool, but you're going to get some looks carrying that around the office.

A knife with a signet ring so you can hold it like a karambit? How is that not going to get this fellow fired?

 

[motorcitykid]

Leatherman PST or Swiss army knife. Due to your situation I'd prefer to have a multitool, any dedicated knife will be perceived as an issue I'd think. A pruning knife would seem innocent, scissors more so.

 

[milkovich]

"If I'm wearing pants, I have knife." Sadly, the Leatherman Crunch is discontinued again, but it's a gem. I'll probably carry it till it ends up on the bottom of the great lakes, then I'll switch to a Leatherman Surge.

 

[Zeus36]

Took a few pictures of the current configuration of my Manix XL with mods: (Fang and Deep Carry Clip)

 

[motorcitykid]

Took a few pictures of the current configuration of my Manix XL with mods: (Fang and Deep Carry Clip)

I love the wave feature

 

[whateg01]

What is EDC?

 

[Houdini5150]

The monthly just Sell it swap meet in the North lot at Glendale Community College isn't too bad. First Sunday of the month rain or shine. At $50 a space, it keeps some of the junk away but, I feel people tend to ask more for their stuff trying to get that $50 back. Free admission for buyers.

What is EDC?

Every Day Carry