EDC Reguired Maintenance Poll

[Dr. Snubnose]

Well, it seems like most of us EDC (for at least some better part of the day) a variety of knives, tools, gadgets, keys, phones firearms, flashlights etc. I was wondering what kind if any maintenance program you might have set up for yourself and your EDC gear and time frames involved in your programing......Some of us (like me carry a lot of stuff) and we have have more to take care of, others carry less, still others are constantly rotating their EDC but basically carrying the same amount of items. Regardless: When do you say hey I need to clean the lint out of these knives, or lube them, or check the clips. Check my firearm, ammo and holster and attend to their needs. Check the battery strength in your flashlight? Clean the face of your cell phone? This is the poll to find out when, how much time, and your collective thoughts about your "Required Maintenance Program"
I'll go first..... I go through a daily maintenance procedure that includes checking all equipment that I EDC. All folders checked and blown out for lint, checked for lube (added when needed) but checked daily. Blade edge checked for sharpness, Firearms wiped down and checked for function, dirt and debris dust and lint cleaned from surfaces, Holsters checked for wear, ammo for any possible damage that might occurred banging against other things in pockets. Flashlight check.....etc etc etc......Daily time spent on maintaining my EDC (ED) is about 40 minutes. But I can sometimes go overboard...On a side note someone recently asked me how long it takes me to change my gear from one pair of pants to another so I have been timing it lately for fun. And to do that with a quick check of items take me about 16 minutes on the average...So what says you....Doc

[razorsharp]

make sure my knives are sharp, make sure my phone is full....bout it. Stuff is cleaned when necessary

[The Deacon]

Check the knives I plan carry for sharpness before I put them in my pocket. If I think one needs sharpening or cleaning I'll generally just put it on my computer desk to remind me it needs attention, carry something else, and sharpen or clean it when I get back home. Do wash them if I use them to cut food, clean the blade with alcohol if they get tree sap or tape residue on the blade. But, more often than not, knives get "touched up" before they really need it and cleaned right after they get dirty. Can't say pocket lint has ever been a problem for my knives, perhaps because I don't lubricate them.

Flashlight gets used every evening and every morning for a few minutes at a time while walking Bear. It uses a BRC 18650 rechargeable Li-Ion battery and I have two of them, so they gets swapped out and recharged every two weeks. As for my cell phone, I'm terrible. Probably because I hardly ever use it. Forget to carry it more often than not, sometimes forget to charge it as well. Unless I'm expecting a call, which is rare, it's lucky if I bother to check it for missed calls and/or text messages and for battery condition once a week.

Bears harness and leash do get checked daily.

[xceptnl]

I check all my items as I use them. If I don't pull my flashlight on any given day (rarely does this happen) then I don't need to worry about the batteries. I do breakdown my pistol once a week for a light cleaning of lint, etc. because I don't rotate it in my EDC it's always there. My blades normally have a fair amount of rotation and typically a dedicated night during the week is set aside for catching up on racing while toughing up my edges. Great poll Dr.

[jackknifeh]

The only things I EDC that need any maintenance is a Fenix LD-01 flashlight and 2 or 3 knives. The flashlight I wipe the threads with a Tuf-Cloth when I replace the battery and then the oustide of it also. That's all. Knives are something I seldom took time to maintain when I was working. At best I'd spend an hour or two sharpening one because I only had one knife and sharpening was such a chore I seldom did touch ups. I'd wait until it was almost useless then I'd sharpen it. Now, I check the knives that I EDC every day for smoothness of pivot, cleanliness and of course sharpness. I will put a tiny drop of Quick Release oil on the pivot once a week or so. I'll wipe the knife off daily or more often. Not really a scheduled thing, the wiping. Sharpening is the only thing that now I don't get behind in. I check the edge daily and seldom does it get dull enough that a strop won't get it back to shaving sharp. I generally do this in the evening instead of when I'm putting one in my pocket, finding it not perfect and picking something else like Deacon mentioned. BTW Deacon, you say you never get calls? Put your phone # on this forum. I bet you get a call or two.

The only thing that I've decided to do that would be called scheduled is take apart my Manix2 and GB because they have M4 blades. I will do this about every 2 - 4 months so I can wipe the blade tang with Tuf-Glide. Since I can't see the Tuf-Glide on the tang I am not positive it gets there. I believe it gets there but disassembling the knife means I KNOW it gets there. I believe so so many things but I only KNOW a few things. Tuf-Glide on my M4 tangs is one of them. Knives I don't EDC I check every week or two for lubrication.

Jack

[Evil D]

Everyday for me. I either strop or sharpen or I'm at least inspecting it for the need to. Honestly I wish I was less OCD about it but you'll never catch me with a dull blade.

[Echo63]

My knives get touched up when they need it, and cleaned when they are dirty.
edc flashlight battery's get charged weekly, or after they have been used heavily.
My phone is charged every day, and all my gear is regularly checked for damage, wiped off when it needs it.

[rodloos]

You mean there is something to do to take care of my EDC stuff besides just put it in my pocket?

Actually I do tend to clean my blades off right away after I use them if I cut food or something gooey. I keep a small 307F fine stone in my truck for touching up if I discover a knife I'm carrying needs it, besides touching up after an evening of carving/whittling etc. Flashlights only get periodic use, but I'll put new batteries in before going on a camping trip or other expected extended-use. I don't have a CCL, and work doesn't allow dangerous weapons anyways (my knives are TOOLS not weapons ) so my gun has stayed locked in the safe for way too long.

I do have a self-pat-down procedure I go through when I undress to make sure I have all knives back in their drawer, but it doesn't take me 16 minutes I usually only have 5-6 knives actually on my person at a time. At least so far I haven't sent any knives through the laundry with my pants.

[JAfromMN]

I go trough my gear a couple times a week I just try and keep it clean.

I take care of my tool's and put them away oiled if used. I also remove the batteries from my flashlights if I'm not carrying them.

I don't check every knife and tool I own everyday but they all get looked at a little bit

[4 s ter]

At the end of the day my EDCs get a few swipes on a wooden backed leather strop charged with Veritas chromium oxide honing compound followed by a wipedown with a Tuff Cloth.

[Zenith]

If I use my knives a few times in a day then I check it, clean it, sharpen it. Take care of your knife and it will take car of you - Chris Reeve

[enduraguy]

I carry and use my "EDC". I keep an eye on the edge, make a mental note of the smoothness of opening/closing. Otherwise, that's about it. I touch up the edge when needed. I'm not one of "those guys" who feels the need to take his knife apart regardless of whether it's needed several times per year. In fact, I rarely, if ever disassemble any of my knives. I've yet to find a folder that could not be cleaned thoroughly enough with readily available tools, solvents and oil.

[C.L.L 97]

The only thing I do is wipe the blade off with a microfiber cloth before I go to bed... I would strop my pm2 a few times a week, but I'm seeing how long the edge is going to last.

[Tdog]

I take good care of all my Spydies. Maybe not every day, but very regularly. If used for food, always an immediate wet wipedown/wash and dry. Even my users look pretty darn good. I don't use a tool for something it's not designed for.

[Evil D]

The only thing I do is wipe the blade off with a microfiber cloth before I go to bed... I would strop my pm2 a few times a week, but I'm seeing how long the edge is going to last.

I've tried this so many times. My problem is that "last" is really subjective. I catch myself torn between wanting to start each day with a fresh perfect edge, and then the need for a long lasting working edge. I've come to the realization that most steels above S30V are wasted on someone (like myself) who doesn't mind touching up their edge at the end of each day. I also find that if the grind of a blade is thin enough you can cut a lot of things with a relatively dull knife, so where do you draw the line? For me if it won't slice paper anymore, that's dull and definitely needs sharpened. I can live with an edge that won't pluck hair off my arm, but paper slicing sharp is my minimum comfortable sharpness level.

[C.L.L 97]

I've tried this so many times. My problem is that "last" is really subjective. I catch myself torn between wanting to start each day with a fresh perfect edge, and then the need for a long lasting working edge. I've come to the realization that most steels above S30V are wasted on someone (like myself) who doesn't mind touching up their edge at the end of each day. I also find that if the grind of a blade is thin enough you can cut a lot of things with a relatively dull knife, so where do you draw the line? For me if it won't slice paper anymore, that's dull and definitely needs sharpened. I can live with an edge that won't pluck hair off my arm, but paper slicing sharp is my minimum comfortable sharpness level.

Well before I got my first spydie(dragonfly) I didn't even know what sharp was... But since I started sharpening with the sharpmaker I've gotten close to hair whittling sharp, so the dullest I will let my spydies get is not cleanly slicing old magazine paper or regular notebook paper and then I'll sharpen it... But I'm just testing the para2 out to see how long s30v is going to keep an edge

[JD Spydo]

Personally being the "GOD fearing" man that I am I think my EDCs are sacred to me>> first of all I think it's a SIN to even try to use a dull knife. Other than my safe queen super-collector pieces I usually hit all my blades with the 204 Sharpmaker almost daily to keep the edges tuned up.

To me a dull knife is about as useless as a dead horse. Or you could say it another way>> a dull knife really isn't a knife at all; it's more or less just an inanimate object that has no viable uses at all.

I learned from the get go that even the best knife made is only as good as it is sharp.

All tools require some type of maintenance but the knife is a tool that you really have to keep maintained constantly.

Because on these survival forums I constantly tell people that a sharpening kit of some sort is just as necessary as the knife itself>> Survival sharpening is a very vital part of the prepper/survival skills. Without that skill you are really behind the 8 ball big time.

[KBR]

Personally being the "GOD fearing" man that I am I think my EDCs are sacred to me>> first of all I think it's a SIN to even try to use a dull knife. Other than my safe queen super-collector pieces I usually hit all my blades with the 204 Sharpmaker almost daily to keep the edges tuned up.

To me a dull knife is about as useless as a dead horse. Or you could say it another way>> a dull knife really isn't a knife at all; it's more or less just an inanimate object that has no viable uses at all.

I learned from the get go that even the best knife made is only as good as it is sharp.

All tools require some type of maintenance but the knife is a tool that you really have to keep maintained constantly.

Because on these survival forums I constantly tell people that a sharpening kit of some sort is just as necessary as the knife itself>> Survival sharpening is a very vital part of the prepper/survival skills. Without that skill you are really behind the 8 ball big time.

Very well said, JD, and I highly agree.

I have the habit of touching up my EDC, whatever it may be for the day, if I've used it that day unless it was only for some light use. I carry a small diamond rod that fits in my Wave sheath that I can use on my blade if needed, besides the diamond file that is on the Wave itself. Lately, I haven't been out of the house too much since I got injured on the job a few months back, so my EDCs only take turns in food prep. Usually once a week or so, I will put some Flitz on whatever knives I have been using throughout the week followed by a light coat of Tuf-Glide via the Tuf-Cloth. In all my years of knife use/collecting, I've never had a problem with rust while using this combo.

[JD Spydo]

Very well said, JD, and I highly agree.

I have the habit of touching up my EDC, whatever it may be for the day, if I've used it that day unless it was only for some light use. I carry a small diamond rod that fits in my Wave sheath that I can use on my blade if needed, besides the diamond file that is on the Wave itself. Lately, I haven't been out of the house too much since I got injured on the job a few months back, so my EDCs only take turns in food prep. Usually once a week or so, I will put some Flitz on whatever knives I have been using throughout the week followed by a light coat of Tuf-Glide via the Tuf-Cloth. In all my years of knife use/collecting, I've never had a problem with rust while using this combo.

KBR I love your idea of carrying a diamond sharpening tool with you. Might I also suggest to the good folks here chiming in on this great Thread that the good Doctor Snubnose brings to our attention please do also consider that a sharpening device of some sort is just as essential as the knife itself. Because I also carry with me daily one of my Spyderco "Doublestuff" stones. I usually wear Carhartt jeans or Carhartt bib overalls both which have a small/narrow side pocket on the leg of the trousers for Carpenters and other skilled tradesmen to put tools in. That's where I keep my Doublestuff stone with the leather case on me all the time. It's not a bother or inconvenience at all and I now feel naked if I don't have my blade and Doublestuff with me constantly.

The leather case for the Doublestuff stone also makes a good portable strop and I use mine for that almost daily anymore. I use the side edges even though I've talked to brothers that use the smooth flat side for stropping. But again having some sort of sharpening device to me is as important as the knife itself.

Now I'm not just stuck on Spyderco alone because I've talked to a lot of good brothers who use other sharpening devices made by DMT, GATCO, Lansky/Crock and other fine sharpening products. Whichever works best for you and your cutlery is what you want. I think that diamond tools are great in a pinch and I wish that Spyderco would look into some type of small/portable diamond sharpener for survival/prepper purposes.

[jackknifeh]

KBR I love your idea of carrying a diamond sharpening tool with you. Might I also suggest to the good folks here chiming in on this great Thread that the good Doctor Snubnose brings to our attention please do also consider that a sharpening device of some sort is just as essential as the knife itself. Because I also carry with me daily one of my Spyderco "Doublestuff" stones. I usually wear Carhartt jeans or Carhartt bib overalls both which have a small/narrow side pocket on the leg of the trousers for Carpenters and other skilled tradesmen to put tools in. That's where I keep my Doublestuff stone with the leather case on me all the time. It's not a bother or inconvenience at all and I now feel naked if I don't have my blade and Doublestuff with me constantly.

The leather case for the Doublestuff stone also makes a good portable strop and I use mine for that almost daily anymore. I use the side edges even though I've talked to brothers that use the smooth flat side for stropping. But again having some sort of sharpening device to me is as important as the knife itself.

Now I'm not just stuck on Spyderco alone because I've talked to a lot of good brothers who use other sharpening devices made by DMT, GATCO, Lansky/Crock and other fine sharpening products. Whichever works best for you and your cutlery is what you want. I think that diamond tools are great in a pinch and I wish that Spyderco would look into some type of small/portable diamond sharpener for survival/prepper purposes.

I also like the idea of always having a sharpener with me. I have the DMT credit card sharpener in my wallet. I have only used it once and that was for someone else's knife but I was glad I had it. I bought the fine grit which worked good on that knife because it wasn't very sharp. But for my knives I'd rather have the extra-fine grit. I'd touch up my knife before it needed anything other than a very fine tool.

I'd like to see Spyderco come out with something like this but if they are running full bore making knives, another product may not be possible (easily). Also, the area of small sharpeners seems to be well covered. Coming up with something new might prove difficult.


Jack