WGOM Advice

“What has it gots in its pocketses?” Pocket Knives & Multi-Tools Discussion

66 Comments

We had an informative discussion about pocket knives that developed into a conversation about what people carry in their pockets (and where). You can find it here, complete with links to some of our recommendations.

I should also add that it's hard for me to judge if gentlefolks carry knives in their pockets anymore. Having lived in Texas, and now Louisiana, people carry big honking knives as a don't eff with me statement.

-meat

66 thoughts on ““What has it gots in its pocketses?” Pocket Knives & Multi-Tools Discussion”

  1. I missed out on much of that conversation, so I'll chime in here.

    I have my phone in my left pocket, my keys in my right, and my wallet in my back pocket. I keep two key rings - one with my car key, house key and other useful things, and on for our van and my parents house key. I made myself a wallet I figure should be pretty much RFID blocking using metal foil tape, which also has the benefit of being really small and holding everything I need (license, a few credit cards, and cash). I also have a CItizen EcoDrive watch that I wear everyday. I've worn it consistently for six and a half years and it hasn't needed a battery replacement yet.

    1. I see you have two S-Biners. I just got the smallest, size #0, for my keychain. No more do the keys have to follow the Leatherman when I need to use it.

      1. I love those things. I first saw the S-Biner KeyRack at REI when I was looking for a new keychain. Then, I found the same thing except coated with colored plastic at target on clearance for $2, so I picked that up, too. I actually prefer the colored ones because the bare stainless occasionally would let keys off the ring.

        1. I need to get me an S-Biner. I have waay too many keys on my keyring (keys for three vehicles, house keys, office keys, bottle opener) and it is heavy. Happily, I don't have a GM deathtrap recall machine.

        2. I first picked up a carabiner from a tent kit while on a camping exercise in the Navy. It was pretty cheap but keys from the belt loops of the ripstop fatigues was a revelation so I looked to upgrade. I picked up an S-Biner Ahhh from REI to replace the pull-apart key ring/carabiner/bottle opener combination I'd been using. My only complaint is that the springs occasionally get depressed and a key will fall off. I now have my house keys on a small carabiner and car keys on the other end of the S-biner.

      2. Thank you for exposing me to s-biners! I hate the size of my keychain. I've went to the car fob being separate and the van + house + misc keys being on a chain. S-biners might do it all for me!

    2. Get that wallet out of your back pocket, for your back's sake!

      Slightly related -- I'm probably stepping up to a smartphone (no, NOT an iPhone, thank you very much), and while tooling around the local AT&T I a worker there use a small suction cup is used to position a screen protector without getting fingerprints on the film. Nice.

      btw, looking at an HTE One (M8)

      1. One of the great things about my wallet is that it's really thin (less than a half inch), and the footprint is not much larger than a credit card. As a result, it almost always slides up to the side so I'm not sitting on it, so I'm not too concerned.

        I've heard a lot of good things about the M8, with the only major issue being inconsistent camera performance. I have a Moto X now after having a Samsung Galaxy S3, and I've been pretty happy with both. It seems like by and large you can't go too far wrong with any of the modern smartphones (the last year or two).

        1. I've been pretty happy with my Galaxy S3. Fits in shirt breast pocket. Charge gets me through the day unless I'm taking video.

          1. I'm still using the iPhone 4 that I got two and a half years ago, but I did finally upgrade to iOS 7 recently. I feared it would run the battery down a lot faster, but that hasn't been the case. Without a compelling new feature or functionality I don't see any reason to upgrade since the 4 does everything I want it to do and it's already paid for. I have a charger at home and one for the car/work, so I'm backed up pretty well. I do have to keep it plugged in when I'm using Google Maps in the car to navigate since the constant polling of the satellites really drains power, but otherwise no worries.

            1. I do have to keep it plugged in when I'm using Google Maps in the car to navigate since the constant polling of the satellites really drains power, but otherwise no worries.

              This for my Droid, but it also seems to suck battery all the time, so I'm not sure. I generally can't leave it unplugged for a full day anymore.

      2. All the back problems I had went away once I shifted to my front pocket.

        Also, I need to condense what's in my wallet.

        Also, I often end up with one my daughter's barrettes or hair binders in my pocket. I kind of love it. Something about the tactile sensation that makes it a more meaningful reminder of her throughout the day.

      3. I've had the Droid 4 for about 2 years. For some reason, I still prefer the QWERTY keypad (slider) to touchscreen but I've never owned a touchscreen only or Apple product other than my iPods. Probably why I don't navigate my wife's iPhone & iPad as easily.
        Main complaint with the Droid is battery life. Otherwise, I really like it.
        I have friends who love their Moto X and Galaxy slabs and I'd agree with rpz, you probably can't go wrong with modern smartphones (except pricing - yikes!).

        1. (except pricing - yikes!)

          True that. That is also why I am a fan of the Nexus and the new Moto devices. Unlocked and cheap(er).

      4. Kudos for avoiding the iPhone. My wife has an iPhone 4 and it already seems to be turning itself into a puddle of molasses after about 6 months. It could be the large amount of storage she uses, though, which makes the lack of being able to add any extremely annoying. Also, for a company that tries to claim a user-focus (I think anyway), they sure do suck at usability.

        I've got a Virgin Supreme (same thing as the Spring Vital ZTE) and I really like it. Its huge, but its one of the reasons I like it.

        1. Its huge

          I think it counts as average now with its five-inch screen. Now eight inches is huge, for now.

          1. There's an eight inch phone?

            (also, I stay on the back end of technology because money, so I'm always a little behind on what has just come out.)

      5. Get that wallet out of your back pocket, for your back's sake!
        Or get a second wallet and distribute your stuff evenly.

      6. I wore a wallet for three-score+ years. Last year in Buenos Aires, I saw everyone carrying these leather iPhone wallets (iPhone in one side, credit cards+cash in the the other side.

        Found one on the Internets when we got back and ordered it.

        First couple weeks of carrying it were very strange (thought I had lost my wallet). Then it became normal.

        Nice not to have that awkward bulge working against my spinery.

    3. I used to have a carabiner for my key ring, but haven't used one for many years. I don't remember what happened to it or why I never replaced it because it was great and really convenient. At this point, though, I have my car key all by itself (doesn't even have a decorative keychain because the loop on the key broke.) in one pocket and my big keychain of useful stuff (fingernail clippers, bottle opener, various rewards program things. although I don't really need the bottle opener anymore since I recently learned how to do it with my wedding ring.) and other keys in the other. Its a system that works well enough.

      1. learned how to do it with my wedding ring
        Betcha the Mrs. loves that.

        I lost keys twice this spring. First one hurt a lot: my old 87WS key fob and 93.7 The Edge bottle/can opener. (Which I got at the Cities 97 Listener appreciation concert with Hootie & the Blowfish.)
        Then i switched to just the house key, but it was so hard fumbling for just a key in my pocket that I made a chain out of two 1/4" nuts and two small ballchains (because I discovered that one of the connectors failed too often).
        When that got lost, I discovered an old keychain I got as a gift, with just a date and my initials: "AMR 3-19-95" inscribed on a golden rectangle. Confirmation? Eagle Scout date? Both seem close but wrong.

        I keep my knife of my keys because I don't want my knife when I want my keys nor vice versa.

      2. ...recently learned how to do it with my wedding ring.

        What a party trick - got it on the first try tonight. That is slick! Slip and gash your finger or take a chunk outta your ring though...I'll stick with the tools at hand (unless there aren't any).

    4. Linds and I "bought" free Galaxy S4 phones through Amazon mobile. We thought about jumping to the S5, but didn't feel the need to spend an extra $200 when the S4s are solid, anyway.

      I absolutely love my S4.

      I wear loose fitting cargo pants, so my wallet is in my front right pocket, my phone in my front left.

  2. Not to hijack this discussion, but what cell phone carriers are y'all using? I'm with AT&T, and not happy with the cost on comparison to the competitors (t-mobile with the same amount of high speed data, unlimited after limit for 40$). If we pay the early termination fee at AT&T we'll come out 100 bucks ahead over the next 6 months. It's almost a no brainer, but then tmobile is getting sued...

    1. We're with Verizon - 700 minutes shared, 2GB data & unlimited text for like $150 per month. I have no idea how this stacks up against other carriers as my wife mostly handles the technology (phone, cable, internet, etc.) stuff.
      Their 4G LTE coverage area is huge and getting service has never been a problem (cross-country to CA on major highways & interstates without any interruptions). Customer service has been meh and when I upgraded my phone in 2012, they did away with the unlimited data plan we'd been on. Not a huge deal since we never hit 2GB's, but it felt shady.

      1. 4G LTE coverage area is huge

        I'm also on Verizon and this is the only reason why. Rural New Mexico not a well-covered area for anyone else.

        1. similarly, Verizon. 3 smart phones, shared data, yadda. Something like $180/mo.

      2. AT&T here. I was going to switch, but I get a pretty good corporate discount with them so re-upped. We have their new family plan, 4 lines with 10 GB of shared data for $160.00/month. My youngest daughter's upgrade to the 5S bumps it up $25 a month, but that's pretty much a push with my discount.

    2. I've been with Virgin for the past year or so. I have 300 minutes+unlimited data+text for $35/month and my wife has the same but 1200 minutes which started at $45/month but has since been discounted to $40/month because she bought an iPhone. Phones aren't subsidized, so that is a bigger up front cost (and they come with a lot of bloatware), but overall I've been really happy and the coverage is good for wherever I go (they go through Sprint).

    3. We pay $60/mo for two plans. It's been mentioned here before, but we each get 5 GB high-speed data, unlimited text, and 100 minutes. The caveat is that it's prepaid. I looked into postpaid when she got a new phone but it didn't make sense at the time. The cheapest would be $80 and we would get a fifth the data allocation in exchange for minutes that we didn't need.

    4. We're on Sprint. The old Cell2000/Unicel ticked off the wife back when we were on it in '06 or so, so we moved. Signal's okay, still enjoying the unlimited data, and the contract is feasible enough (particularly after the discounts that we've gotten through work and various other ones that have been grandfathered in).

  3. I rediscovered watches recently. I had given them up because I'm always typing at a keyboard. Especially when on a laptop, they cause problems. But I'm a fan. I have a Timex Weekender, the cheapest Casio digital, and plan to get something along the lines of a Timex with a brown leather strap for more "formal" situations. I hope I can stop there because I have an influential friend who is a watch fiend (like he's spending thousands of dollars on watches).

    As noted above, I want to minimize my keys because they are bulky. S-biners to the rescue.

    I carry an iPhone and a front-pocket card wallet / money clip combo (like this) that I received as a wedding-participant gift.

    The pocket knife discussion has me interested as well. I wish I lived in a location that I mostly biked when I left the house. Then I'd probably go with a small pocket knife with my house key attached. But alas I'd probably need a loose pocket knife.

    1. I used to like wearing a watch and had a Fossil watch that I really liked. But eventually the wrist strap thing broke and I never got around to fixing it because I got used to checking my phone instead.

    2. I strongly dislike having a watch on my wrist. My wife got one for me about 8 or 9 years ago. I wore it for a few months, then put it in my nightstand drawer, where it's been ever since.

      1. I also don't like to wear watches, or bracelets or rings or any kind of jewelry on my hands or wrists. I didn't even like wearing sweatbands on my wrists in Little League, and they were all the rage in the early 70s.

    3. I have an Omega that was given to me as a graduation gift. I think I've needed to swap the battery once, but it's still ticking just fine. The only downside is that I don't bring it with me when I travel abroad, and I lost my backup watch awhile back. Oh well...

  4. OK, pockets- keys in left front, pocketknife in right front, cellphone ( iPhone 4, free one year ago when I re-upped with Verizon and working just fine) clipped to my belt and the wallet stays in the computer bag 90% of the time. I've had a lot fewer lower back pains since I stopped carrying that thing around in my back pocket.

    I wear my watch (cheap Timex Expedition) with the face on the inside of my wrist (so when I look at it, it's right under my palm). Originally I switched it that way because I was working in a factory making swingsets and the damn chains would flop around and smash the crystal, but I've stuck with it because it's a lot easier to roll your hand over to check the time than it is to pick up your elbow to get the angle right. Yup, I'm weird.

    I also replaced the leather band once it got really, really sweat-stained with a nylon universal band. Now if it gets stained or stinky, I just scrub the thing with soap and water and it's good. Only recommended if your watch is waterproof, btw. I bought a kit for making a paracord band, but that's as far as I've gotten with that project.

    1. I wear my watch (cheap Timex Expedition) with the face on the inside of my wrist...

      You're not weird - most of the guys I worked with on the ship wore their watch this way for the exact same reason. All of the equipment, bulkheads, doors, ladders* & ladder wells were metal. With the ship constantly moving, it was inevitable that your body (shoulder, elbow, wrist, hips, head) would strike something while transiting between the spaces. Lots of NUB's** went through a few watches before they figured it out.

      *stairwells between decks*** - more like a step ladder than an extension ladder.
      **Non Usable Body - new sailors are pretty much useless.
      ***floors or levels on a ship

      1. when I wore a watch, I did likewise, albeit on right wrist (I'm a lefty). But I always took it off when working at the computer. or when lecturing (put it on the lectern where I could see it easily).

        1. When I wear a watch, on the right wrist (I'm a righty ... go figure), but no longer with the face inside. Just got out of the habit.

          1. You aren't the only righty with it on the wrong wrist. I blame the parents for not instilling proper watch morals.

  5. Keys and change in right front pants pocket. iPhone in left front. Wallet in left rear. If I am wearing a jacket the phone will migrate to a left pocket on that garment.

    Haven't worn a watch since 7th grade. (The buckle has always caused a rash. I've got sensitive skin.) I have a mental clock that's usually accurate to within about 5-10 minutes.

      2. Man, I love me a nice old suit coat. For the longest time that was part of my standard wardrobe. Solid color dark wool thrift store numbers worn with a t-shirt, Levi's and boots. But it had to be 3 buttons.
        httpv://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WeZ4FMIVqto

        1. This is a good look and yes, 3-button is much better.
          I'm in a shirt and tie office but would much prefer a suit coat/sport coat no tie set-up.

          BTW - Hell of a Coaching tree/Six degrees of Kevin Bacon with this tune*:

          Jimmy Page:Yardbirds:Jeff Beck:Jeff Beck Group:Ronnie Wood/Rod Stewart:the Faces:Steve Marriott:Humble Pie:Jerry Shirley:John Entwistle:The Who ... the beat goes on

          *only some of which I knew before the rabbit hole
          httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zrn15bYcH4

          1. I'm in a shirt and tie office but would much prefer a suit coat/sport coat no tie set-up

            We are "business casual," so the tie isn't required, but if it were I'd be with you all the way. Also, apparently if you wear slacks with a ratty sweatshirt pulled over your collared shirt you're OK, but if you wear a nice pair of dark jeans matched with shirt/suit coat, you're not OK.

            We're all about the letter of "business casual" and not the spirit.

        2. That was also standard for me for a while. But I preferred 2-button when paired with jeans.

      3. it burns, it burns!
        Right. If our office had to wear coats, I'd be borrowing fans from the menopausal women every meeting.

    2. When I was a lawyer, I wore a suit every day. I loved having all those pockets. It's the only thing about being a lawyer that I miss.

      1. Just get yourself some pockety ministerial robes and you won't miss lawyerin' at all.
        Or, like a fishing/hunting vest.

        I see from facebook you wear suits for religious services, so you're already halfway there.

        1. I've got a ministerial robe, but I think I'd look a little silly walking around town wearing it.

          1. I look silly walking around town regardless, so I'd be willing to add a robe, if the job called for it.

  7. I found the black victorinox classic that I had just replaced during the last discussion. I have no idea where I found it, but I just saw that I had one knife in my pocket when there was another in the keybowl.

  8. Pocketses....
    Right front = Camry key on small ring, all other keys on slightly larger ring.
    Left front = Lip balm, GUM soft-picks, nitroglycerine, change.
    Right rear = Wallet & comb.
    Left rear = Handkerchief.

    I wear my cell phone in a fast-draw holster on the right side of my belt. If I'm wearing cargo shorts, I'll put it in the right leg pocket instead. If I'm fishing, I put it in a waterproof boat box (yeah, I dropped a flip-phone in the lake pulling into the dock a few years ago...dried it out in big jar of Minute Rice and after a week or so it worked mostly fine).

    I used to carry a pocketknife all the time, I had a really nice Schrade 3-blade Stockman that I'd had since high-school, but then 9/11 happened and I stopped carrying.

    1. My first pocket knife was a Schrade Old Timer 3-blade. You know how little boys, especially those in scouting, are always asking about getting their own knife? We were in Colorado for my uncle's funeral - 1988 or so - and while at a gun shop* somewhere outside of Colorado Springs, my dad actually said "Okay" for a change. He and my mother had some private words, a moment later and promise to remember all the pocket knife rules I'd been learning, and "BAM!" a pocket knife was in my hands. Not sure where that ended up, but it was a prized possession for about 5 or 6 years.

      *he was an outdoor enthusiast so they were doing a trap shoot in memoriam

  9. 2 years ago got the wife (and me) a special knife, and keep in the Subaru (designed by a NYC policeman):
    Tool has 4 main components:
    1) spring-plug to break a car window
    2) hook blade to cut a seatbelt
    3) ragged regular blade to cut whatever
    4) LED lite to check if pupils are dilated

    Haven't used it yet, but hey.

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