Welcome to the Urban EDC Showcase! Each week, we feature one member of the EDC community and the gear they rely on every day. Want to be featured? Submit your gear photo.
From Orange County, Brian (@brancron) is proud father of two young kids, and a lawyer by trade. His love affair for knives started with his dad's drawerful of blades. And since getting his first knife as a Cub Scout – he has never looked back. Read on for the full rig rundown of Brian's impeccable carry, and find out what's next on his gear radar!
Featured tools:
- Knife 01: Chuck Gedraitis
Chuck Gedraitis is one of my favorite custom makers. His attention to detail, clean lines, aesthetic eye, and focus on the usability of his knives are some of things I love most about his work. This particular knife sports a CPM-154 blade, sculpted carbon fiber scales, and anodized titanium liners, with a lightning-strike carbon fiber inlay in the thumb stud for a little flair.
- Knife 02: Mel Pardue
Mel Pardue needs no introduction. He has been making knives since the 1950s, and is a Blade Magazine hall-of-famer. While many people probably know him best through his collaborations with Benchmade, his custom knives are what intrigue me most. This one has an ATS-34 blade with a titanium and brown micarta handle. At work I'm always in slacks or suit pants, so I need a knife that's small, light, unobtrusive, elegant and sharp. This one fits the bill perfectly.
- Watch: Seiko
I am not a huge watch person (and my wallet thanks me for that), but this is what I'd consider a non-watch person's ideal watch. It's simple, classy, affordable, and reliable.
- Pry: Titanium pry
This titanium pry-bar is perfect for everything you shouldn't be using a knife for: prying open paint cans, scraping gum off the sidewalk, etc. I also love that it has a clip.
- Flashlight: Fenix
This is my most used flashlight, a AAA clicky light by Fenix. It is inexpensive, small, and surprisingly bright. I also love that it has an ultraviolet setting. For several years now I've been secretly replacing friends' and family members' low quality, oversized flashlights with the LD02.
- Wallet: Custom
This wallet is one of the first gifts my wife got me while we were still dating, so it has a lot of sentimental value. Simple, small, and does what it needs to do!
My story:
I am currently based in Orange County, California, where I grew up. I went to college in New Mexico and law school in New York City, but had a feeling all along that I'd be drawn back to Orange County. I am a lawyer by trade.
My wife and I have a two-year old daughter and a six-month-old son, who are the joy of our lives. While occasionally we joke about packing up and moving out to rural Wyoming to become ranchers or what have you, we're very happy here, and it's a great place to raise our kids.
My dad had a sock drawer crammed full of knives when I was growing up, and I played with them from an early age. Lots of classic stuff: a Buck 110, a Leatherman PST, various Victorinox SAKs and Gerber multi-tools. I got my first knife (a Victorinox Spartan) when I became a Cub Scout, and have loved knives ever since.
My main hobby right now is playing with my two kids! But beyond that, I'd say my hobbies are hiking, lounging at the beach, barbecuing, classical music, and literature.
Favorite EDC tool:
The Chuck Gedraitis custom is probably my favorite. The first ever custom knife I purchased was a Gedraitis model at the California Custom Knife Show several years back. So I have him to thank for getting into the world of custom knives.
What's on my gear radar:
I have been on a search for a custom Lucas Burnley Squid for many years now. It is an elusive knife! In fact, I became so obsessed with the Squid that at one point I owned roughly 25 CRKT Squids (the production version), all with various after-market scales in micarta, carbon fiber, copper, and other materials. I still keep an eye on the forums in the hopes of one day snatching up a Squid.