Everyday Carry, or EDC, generally refers to small items or gadgets worn, carried, or made available in pockets, holsters, or bags on a daily basis to manage common tasks or for use in unexpected situations or emergencies. In a broader sense, it is a lifestyle, discipline, or philosophy of preparedness.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Baltz Fine Writing Instruments: Exemplar “Holden”
I was recently contacted by Bart Creasman of Baltz Fine Writing Instruments about their line of hand-turned, luxury pens. He and his business partner, Cass Baltz, have been fans of the site here and even drew inspiration from the ‘pocket dump’ layout to style their product pages. Bart graciously offered to send me one of their pens to try out and review for you guys. I’ll be giving my thoughts and impressions on one of their base models, the Exemplar ‘Holden.’
I know a hand-turned, wooden luxury pen might be a bit of a departure from all the rugged aluminum or titanium pens you might expect to see on this site. However, representation in the community outside of tactical/survivalist circles, especially amongst urban EDCers and the style-conscious, continues to grow. I would imagine that regardless of what end of the EDC spectrum they identify with, an EDCer would appreciate a quality, hand-crafted, fundamentally practical piece of gear. I intend to review the pen not only in its design and performance in writing, but also on its ability to be carried.
Baltz’s vision when making these pens was to design something that stood apart from the homogenous offerings from his wooden pen competitors. This inspiration reflects in their slogan: “Make a statement without writing a word.” My initial impression of this pen is that it definitely succeeds in that regard. The ‘Holden’ model boasts an African Blackwood and Redheart body, with all stainless-steel hardware. The fit and finish is superb and the attention to detail is impressive. Both the inlay and the interface between each species of wood is flawless, and the barrel is uniformly shaped and comfortably smooth in finish. The tailcap has slight grooves to aid in grip when turning, all while preserving that sleek aesthetic. A distinct curve in its robust, casted clip and an engraved “B” at the pen’s tip finish off the pen without overdoing it.
The overall writing experience with the pen does feel luxurious and enjoyable, and I would attribute that largely to the feeling of heft and substance to the pen. A combination of the SCHMIDT EasyFlow 9000 rollerball insert and a weight of 1.48 oz (42 g) makes writing fairly effortless. It writes smoothly without the extra pressure sometimes needed with ballpoint pens, reducing the strain on the wrist and fingers. It doesn’t flow as freely as say, a fountain pen, but overall, writing is consistently smooth, easy and comfortable. I think the super smooth finish of the pen also adds to this comfort. While those accustomed to a grippier barrel might find something left to be desired with the Holden, I think the weight also comes in to help prevent slippage.
So far, I’ve been very impressed with the Holden’s aesthetic appeal and writing performance. However, I’ve noticed that some of these attractive design features ultimately hamper the pen’s usability, and the pen is less impressive when it’s not being used to write with. For example, the signature Baltz curved pocket clip is robust and clamps tightly — but so much so that I have trouble clipping it to my pants pocket or shirt lapel without using two hands. Similarly, I find retracting or advancing the tip using the twisty tailcap is much easier using both hands (although it is possible to invert the pen and activate it with one hand and more effort). While the amount of rotation needed to advance or retract the tip makes activation more difficult, it does dispel concerns of accidental pocket activation. This is because the tailcap has no true ‘lockout’ position, as the tip is retracted when the cap is twisted in between two ‘on’ positions. I am not sure if it’s because of the lack of a true lockout, but with the tip retracted, I can hear a minor rattle/shake in the pen as I walk, presumably caused by the spring. The tailcap also does protrude a bit when clipped, so the pen does not ride deep and concealed. However, this is an attractive luxury pen and not a potential self-defense item, so concealment isn’t too relevant. Lastly, the heft and weight makes the pen noticeable in the pocket, but its smooth finish lets it play nicely with whatever else might be sharing pocket space.
Despite these faults, I think the pen is still worth considering for the serious writer or pen enthusiast. The pen’s writing experience far outshines its use as a quick, easily retrievable EDC pen to sign or jot notes really quickly — so keep its purpose in mind. Overall, I still reach for this pen first when I’m at my desk, but as it grows on me it sneaks into the EDC rotation once in a while. The guys at Baltz have come a long way from their original Kickstarter campaign, and once said they needed to build their credibility first. After using their base model pen I’m convinced they’re the real deal.
See for yourself:
REFRACTORY carbon fiber rings
A few years ago, when this blog barely had a registered domain name, I experimented with expanding the site’s content and changing its direction in an attempt to be more helpful to my readers, straying away from a sort of personal mood board of EDC items I liked by commenting on submitted EDCs. One of the first contributors I had to the site, Kent Willert, aka wiseform, helped me get started by submitting a few pocket dumps of his own for me to publish. Recently, Kent has been putting out some fantastic, hand-crafted carbon fiber rings from his Arizona-based company, refractory. He graciously sent me one of his products asking for an honest review, so I’ll run you guys through my thoughts on the ring in hopes to help Kent out like he helped me when I started.
The inspiration for the refractory carbon fiber rings came out of necessity — Kent, like many EDCers, works with his hands and often found that traditional rings and wedding bands couldn’t withstand the abuse. After months of research, development, testing and refinement, his efforts culminated in a durable, lightweight, and exotic alternative.
The rings come in different widths and finishes, offering a variety of options to get a ring that works for you and your style. I opted for the thinner 6mm band (I have small hands) in the “wood-like” grain, shown above. It’s a beautifully organic-looking intermediate between Kent’s other offerings, linear (similar to brushed metal) and damascus (sporting wispy, wavy patterns). The carbon fiber material gives an overall matte black appearance, with the slightest sheen in the right lighting. It’s reminiscent of PVD coating or black titanium, making the ring assimilate easily into carries opting for that subdued, understated, all-black-everything aesthetic.
The ring uses a “comfort fit” design, allowing the wearer to slide it on effortlessly and wear it hard with confidence that it’ll stay on. Despite weighing in at only 2.05g for my particular unit, it hasn’t come loose, nor has it become uncomfortable during everyday activity. While Kent stands by his carbon fiber rings to withstand abuse from impact, heat, and even chemical sources, he included with the ring some maintenance tips and Scotchbrite pads to clean up the ring (of course, though, he can repair or replace rings per “reasonable request”). I have been wearing the ring for a week and have no doubt that this ring is as tough as advertised.
Depending on the style you get and which finger you wear the ring on, it doesn’t seem to hinder my grip or use of any EDC gear. This can probably be attributed to a combination of comfort, light weight, a slim profile and simple design. I appreciate how I don’t have to baby the ring as much as I would say, my watch bracelet or something, to maintain a pristine finish.
To be honest, though, I was skeptical at first — I had never worn a ring before, and while I thought these rings looked pretty tight, I figured I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. After only a few days of wear, though, I feel a ring like this could be easily incorporated into my EDC for a long time. It feels as natural and effortless to wear as my watch, and I feel “naked” without it now.
I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by this ring, and I would recommend it to anyone from married EDCers looking for a more durable, lightweight and lower profile wedding band to the more sartorially inclined (I didn’t forget about you guys either) looking to add some sophisticated accessories to their carry (be sure to check out my buddy NiCo’s review for his thoughts). With pre-fabbed hand-crafted configurations starting at $165 to fully customized rings at $345, these rings are also a fairly affordable option compared to other precious metals. If that seems a bit steep, be sure to Like them on Facebook for additional savings, and remember that the quality is there and worth every penny.
Buy Online: REFRACTORY carbon fiber rings
Valentine Goods iPhone 4 Leather Backs
Editor’s Note: About a year ago, I was in the market for a minimal leather iPhone case. At the time, I had a 3GS so I decided to go with one of Corter’s slim cases. Around that time, Jamie at Valentine Goods shot me an email and introduced me to his products. Now that I’ve picked up an iPhone 4S, I jumped at his offer. Many thanks to Jamie for sending me some units to review — a gloss black leather back, a limited stingray leather back, and one of their new iPad 2 leather backs.
I was interested in the Valentine Goods line because they’re simple, minimalistic and add very little weight and bulk to the phone. However, coming from a 3GS, I still wanted to add a little thickness to the phone to fit better in my hand. I opted for the gloss black and stingray because they add about 2.0mm thickness to the case, offering adequate scratch protection for the iPhone’s glass back. You can see here everything fits flushly and applies easily via a 3M adhesive back (it can be applied and reapplied). One disadvantage of having an interchangeable back is the possibility of accidentally peeling the back off if it catches the lip of your pocket or something.
The stingray back has this interesting ‘bubble’ type texture to it. It gives a unique tactile feel to it when holding the phone, potentially offering better grip than a bare backed phone. I personally prefer the smooth gloss black because that’s the type of leather grain feel I’m familiar with, but for people looking for something eye-catching and unique, it could work for you.
Overall, the Valentine Goods backs are a stylish way to customize your iPhone while adding some protection. Due to the limitations of being an adhesive backing, this product doesn’t offer ultimate protection for your phone. It can protect from scratches but look elsewhere for complete shock/impact resistance and waterproofing. Still, it works as a great middle ground between style and utility, and allows for further customization with the addition of a ‘bumper’ style case. I have found a winning combination by pairing the gloss black backing with an aluminum bumper-style case. This helps protect the edges of the case and because the bumper and backing sit flushly together, it mitigates the chance of accidental peeling.
Check out these pictures and some shots of the iPad 2 case here: flickr.
Supplemental video review: please excuse my voice/lack of video skills! Please subscribe to everydaycarryTV for further video updates.
If you’ve been following the blog, you probably know by now that I’m still a college student. Over the past few years I’ve collected different pens to fulfill my needs for different classes and different EDC situations. I’ve found that there is no better place to find all sorts of unique, high quality pens than JetPens.com. As a loyal customer to the site, I was thrilled to hear that the folks over at JetPens are fans of my site as well! JetPens marketing associate, Brad Dowdy, more commonly known as the man behind the The Pen Addict (an excellent resource for pen reviews, I might add) reached out to me and we came up with a few products to review for you. I specifically asked for items that I felt would work well as EDC items, and Brad included a few of his own picks as well. The following reviews will focus more towards the pen in the context of everyday carry, with less emphasis on writing performance, technical specifications and other pen nerdery. I would like to take this time to kindly thank Brad and JetPens for supplying these units for review. I do not work for JetPens, nor do I have any other affiliation with them.
I’ve mentioned this particular pen in previous posts about keychain pens. As you can tell by the picture, it’s definitely small enough for keychain carry. I threw it on my keyring and carried it for a few weeks, and it held up fine. The included hardware is sturdy enough for ring retention. In fact, I’d worry more about the anchor point breaking off, not the ring. This is because the pen housing is made entirely of plastic. As a result, the pen is inherently less durable but it cuts down on weight, which seems to help reduce noise and clacking while it rides on your keychain. The pen writes like a standard Zebra ballpoint pen, making its average performance adequate as a backup pen or for jotting quick notes. My biggest disappointment about this pen, however, is opening, using, and closing this pen.
A notched, plastic shaft resting in the cap secures the pen closed by locking two nubs on the barrel of the pen (also made of plastic) into the notches with a simple push, then twist. I have some reservations about this locking mechanism just because the small, plastic locking nubs appear fragile. The lock should be sufficient for general EDC but for those who need a backup pen they can rely on, it might be best to look elsewhere. To disengage the lock, you need to push the pen inwards, twist to unlock, and a spring inside the pen itself will push the pen out of its cap. This sounds convenient but in practice I found it to be problematic. I have small hands and I wouldn’t consider them clumsy by any means, but on several instances, if I was not using two hands or not paying too much attention to retrieving the pen, the spring would basically launch the pen out of the cap and onto the pavement. The spring in the barrel also means if you don’t choke up on the pen when writing (there barrel becomes thinner, and it lacks a grip there), the spring compresses and messes up your strokes. Trying to put the pen back into the cap single handedly and not looking while it’s attached to your belt loop is even more of a hassle, as you’re working against the spring and gravity. I might be exaggerating how complicated the process is, but it’s just not for me and not what I look for in an EDC pen.
Overall, this pen is decent for the price and would make for a decent backup pen. It’s not my favorite of the keychain pen offerings out there, but it is also perhaps the most affordable of them all.
Pilot Birdy Stainless Steel Mini Ballpoint [$6.75]:
The Birdy Mini, while not a keychain pen, remains an excellent option for minimalist carry. It boasts many features that I feel make it a strong candidate for everyday carry use. Firstly, its size is nearly perfect: it’s small enough to carry slimly in your pocket, discreetly in your bag, or in some wallets, even, without being so small that it becomes awkward to handle. The entire pen appears to be stainless steel, which provides some confidence in its durability while giving it a sleek aesthetic that could look great in any carry. Because of the overall size, despite being made of stainless steel, the pen is lightweight but not cheap feeling.
Two of the more impressive features are that it somehow manages to fit on a pocket clip (!) and a clicky top (!!!). These two features combined make for such an easily accessible and convenient user experience. I can reach for it at the top of my pocket, unclip it, click the top and I’m ready to write. No fumbling with pop or screw off caps require both hands to remove, and even then, are at risk of dropping or misplacing… no magnets, no twisting at the tip, no pushing and turning — just a quick and convincing click! and you’re in business. I would say the pen is slightly more comfortable to write with than most keychain pens, but its small barrel still leaves something to be desired. It writes decently, which should be sufficient for jotting something down or signing something, but it isn’t as smooth and as satisfying to use for longer sessions compared to say, my Sharbo X or something. The pen refill appears to be standard sized to me, which is impressive considering how the pen’s barrel is mid-size at the largest. I was very impressed with this pen and at around seven dollars I think it’s a worthwhile investment.
Uni-ball Power Tank Smart Series High Grade [$16.50]:
This pen was one of Brad’s picks, and with good reason. I hadn’t heard about this pen before, especially within EDC circles, but I’m glad that Brad included one for me to try. The Power Tank can most appropriately be compared to your favorite “space pen,” as it features a pressurized ink cartridge. Not all of us are interested in writing in extreme conditions (zero grav, subzero temps, raining, upside down, etc) but it does inspire some confidence about the pen working when you want it to without surprises. I think this is pretty valuable for EDC and your overall writing experience. After EDCing it for a bit, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed having it in my pocket. My initial impression was that it would just be like any other pen (some of you may still think this) but it carries slimly for being a full-sized pen, and it isn’t encumbering or straining in any way.
The pocket clip isn’t spectacular but it feels very solid and it’s shaped with a gentle curve so as to not rip your pocket up. The clicky feels nice to activate, and its relatively long button seems to prevent accidental activation in pocket. The only problem I’ve had with it being in my pocket is that somehow the tip unscrewed from the barrel just a bit, but it was nothing to worry about. The barrel has very fine ribbing, giving it a good grip throughout. There’s no dedicated cushion or grip but it’s sufficiently comfortable to hold. If I’m not mistaken, the barrel is made of some kind of metal. You can see some wear on the finish from when I fell up a flight of stairs (don’t even ask) with it next to my knife in pocket, but it did not dent or break anywhere on the pen. The pen writes surprisingly smooth for a ballpoint (this is most likely due to the pressurized cartridge) and I enjoy using it for long sessions. Strangely enough, even though it isn’t particularly small or fancy, I like to carry it and often reach for it over my other pens if I’m going out. It’s just extremely convenient, simple, and reliable for quick notes or signatures, as opposed to say, one of my fountain pens or something. At about sixteen dollars I’m not sure how it compares to other similarly priced offerings from Fisher or Zebra, but I’m satisfied with the Power Tank’s performance.
Rotring 600 Mechanical Drafting Pencil [$33.00]:
Finally, we’ll take a look at not a pen, but a mechanical pencil by Rotring. If you’re familiar at all with Rotring you’d know that they put out some high quality products, and that quality is reflected in the price. Some people dismiss the mere notion of a pencil with a $30 price tag, but the Rotring 600 feels like it could be worth even more than that. When I handled the 600 I couldn’t help but admire the beauty of its design and the flawlessness of its construction. It appeals to me in the way that it feels like a product of good engineering and design to produce more good engineering and design, if that makes any sense.
The pencil boasts many features that I would look for in a good flashlight, actually: a tight, but not overly aggressive knurled grip, a hexagonal body for its anti-roll function and stable fit in hand, a strong removable clip, and a click top with convincing actuation. It writes perfectly fine and has plenty of technical and design features. I am not surprised that this pencil is so highly esteemed. However, despite all of these qualities, I cannot recommend this pencil for EDC, at least, in your pants pocket. The one glaring deficiency in this pencil is that the shaft is not retractable and thus could be prone to bending or breaking (which would render it essentially useless as a drafting pencil). With a $33 pricetag, you’d be safer keeping this pencil in your bag or at your desk. It’s a shame because it’s definitely durable enough to handle being carried everywhere but at the tip. If you think this pencil is for you but want to pocket EDC it, look into the Rotring 800, which actually features a retractable tip. The Rotring 800, however, comes at a much more premium price and has some gold accents that I would rather do without.
Closing Remarks:
I have had experience with plenty of pens, and more recently I’ve been EDCing fountain pens. Having this package sent to me really opened my eyes about the way we carry pens, and after thinking critically I finally recognize the value of pocket clips, clicky tops and pressurized cartridges. Out of all these pens, while I was impressed most with the Pilot Birdy and the Rotring 600, the most practical value for me has to go to the Uni-ball Power Tank. Hopefully the review has been helpful, especially with school just around the corner for some of us. Lastly I’d like to thank Brad and JetPens for making this review possible, Jonah for the T2i and to you, the reader, for motivating me to keep this blog going. Cheers and carry on!
Review: FHM Balicomb
For whatever reason, I ended up looking for some sort of folding comb a long time ago and stumbled across this Taiwanese one by VOODIST. Alas, a Taiwanese made (no shots) balisong with no other reviews on it wouldn’t justify the retail price plus proxy fees. With my hair getting longer and those autumn winds starting to pick up I found myself needing a comb too often. A stroke of luck on the bay led me to Jay’s shop, (now operating as Pinoy Steel here on tumblr, waddup Jay) where I found the last of two Filipino Hand Made (FHM) balicombs with these materials straight from Taal, Batangas. Because this particular model is relatively rare, I wanted to share it with my readers in a bit more depth than just pictures!
The fit and finish on this is excellent, a reflection of authentic Batanguenyo craftsmanship. Everything is solid and substantial. While this weight may be uncomfortable for pocket carry in something like slacks or chinos, at just over 4” it should be tolerable living your jeans’ coin pocket. The heft is welcome, though, as it gives a feeling of quality. The insides of the handles are a little dirty, and after some cotton swabs and isopropanol I couldn’t get the grime completely out. Luckily that doesn’t dirty the comb itself.
The materials on the balicomb are especially nice… Traditional brass bolsters (although I think I would have liked stainless bolsters a little better), pin construction and Kamagong wood inserts. This exceptionally strong wood appears almost black in the photos, but in reality it’s just a beautifully rich, dark shade of ebony… It’s hard to describe, but it looks very classy.
The comb itself is made of 303 stainless steel. Because it might need some washing, I wouldn’t say it’s ideal for initial styling (especially with product like pomade) but it is more than adequate for touching up on the go. The teeth are not super fine but they get the job done, and I’d rather have indestructible teeth than fine, flimsy ones. Upon arrival, there were some sort of carbon deposits (read: black stuff) between the teeth that I had to clean out with a toothpick. As this is a solid steel comb, exercise caution when running this across your scalp…!
The comb boasts an impressive 3/16” thickness. It’s so sturdy I’m sure that in the right hands this thing could do some damage. However, because it’s a comb, this bali is perfectly legal for EDC anywhere! Without a live blade, it should make for a decent trainer. The teeth still bite, so you do learn to be more cautious when manipulating the bite handle, but it’s not sharp enough to cut. Out of the box it doesn’t flip well. In fact, it’s quite stiff, but I suppose that’s how balisongs are made in the Philippines to ensure the product is new. IIRC, balis are commonly opened with both hands and not always flipped (#metaracistpun). With some manipulation and food grade mineral oil, the pivots are smoothening up nicely and it’s now capable of flipping open. The latch side is still stiff, so no videos of my lack of skills just yet!
Two other things I noticed when trying to flip is that the tang pin wiggles in and out a little bit, but I don’t think it’s a problem. Lastly, the latch can’t close and lock from a fully open configuration, as it makes insurmountable contact with the end of the comb. Other than that, everything is great.
I plan on EDCing this and learning to flip it a little bit, but I haven’t had to use it in public yet to actually comb my hair. We’ll see how comfortable I feel deploying what looks like a balisong in public…
Until then, thanks for reading and carry on.
Update: Superior Titanium Moneyclip
Superior Titanium Black Diamond Moneyclip
In an earlier post, I expressed my initial disappointment about the lack of scratch resistance on these titanium clips. Dan of Superior Titanium kindly sent me a replacement clip, claiming the initial one had a defective finish. I noticed the difference in the finishes immediately:
Editor’s Note: I made a video demonstrating the layout and some features of my new backpack, the Tactical Tailor Urban Operator Pack. I also show what I carry in my bag to school. I’ll share my thoughts on the bag in the rest of this post…
The Urban Operator Pack is an entry level “tactical” daypack that adds some tactical features and utility to an otherwise standard urban backpack. These include MOLLE attachment straps on the wearer’s right hand side, velcro patches for morale badges and nametags, military grade Cordura construction, high visibility orange lining, and different ways of doing standard backpack features.
Aside from its large capacity and generally minimal styling (for a tactical bag, that is), the main thing that sold me on this bag was better organization and accessibility than my old bag. Pictured above, I have right-hand side access to my camera, multitool, knife/glassbreaker and extra flashlight. One thing I would change, however, would be to add a standard pocket behind the attachment system. I was actually surprised to see a normal seam instead of some sort of slot or pocket there.
The main admin panel has three layers of organization, which is nice. I was actually able to fit everything I wanted inside it neatly and efficiently, except for a few pens/pencils that ended up in the zippered compartment. I don’t know if this is a weakness of the bag, or just a sign that I have too many pens. While I feel the external compartments could use more organization, I realize the bag wasn’t designed for predominantly students to use. I would have added elastic loops, similar to those in pocket organizers for more places to store pens/pencils/tools.
Regardless, the layout is pretty well thoughtout and allows for an almost gear-slinger type accessibility of the MOLLE attachments points and the laptop compartment as well. The laptop sleeve fits up to 17” (I’m using a 13” MacBook but I still need to insert horizontally into the sleeve before rotating once it’s inside).
While it is convenient to access, I feel the padding is inadequate, at least, once the laptop is inside — you can feel it press against your back, which could get uncomfortable, quickly. Another huge complaint about this bag is the straps. They’re thinly padded and for some reason do not start flush with the top of the bag, which makes them put an awkward pressure on my shoulders. This could be because I am not built like an off-duty LEO or someone in the military, and that the bag wasn’t designed for 5’7” asian nerds to lug ochem texts around.
In summary, the bag remedies a lot of problems that my old bag had — mainly organization and accessibility. However, it brought new problems that I wasn’t expecting after switching from my old bag. The fit and comfort are adequate, but do not compare to my DQM straps and back panel padding. The relative: military styling, velcro patches, etc. and size might not be for everyone.
I paid about $100 shipped for the bag from TacticalTailor.com
EDIT: After writing this review I am strongly considering returning the bag for something more comfortable and just getting over the whole minimalist aesthetic thing for my back/shoulder’s sake.
Editor’s Note: Here’s my painfully nerdy review of the 4sevens Quark MiNi 123 line. If you feel like you need one in your life, hit me up on twitter for a coupon code :]
My review of the 4sevens Quark Mini line, aluminum vs titanium and cool white vs neutral white offerings.
EDC = Every Day Carry, the rest is pretty self-explanitory. Really informative vid and everyone should always have a flashlight on them.
