Welcome to the Urban EDC Showcase! Each week, we feature one member from the EDC community and the gear they rely on every day. Want to be featured? Submit your gear photo.
For this week’s showcase, we have Matt (@notetakerstools) from Toronto, Canada. Matt is a student, a research assistant and a passionate advocate for environmental stewardship and sustainable conservation. Read on to find out all about Matt’s scholarly everyday carry!
Featured Tools:
- Knife: Spyderco Techno
This is an anniversary gift from my wife. It is ideal for daily carry, as its small size makes it unobtrusive in a scholastic setting. I once had a beautiful Spyderco Leafstorm, which I used for all the same reasons, but lost it two years ago. My wife gifted me with this one, and I now like it even more.
- Light: Foursevens
This is a titanium Quark Mini123 by FourSevens, and it’s the item I have had for the longest. I’ve had it for at least 7 years. I remember buying it on a whim, with a lust for titanium EDC being my primary motivation. It has traveled with me to countless beautiful and remote places, and the utility of a light at the right moment cannot be overstated. This is another item I will likely pass down to my son.
- Watch: St-Morits Momentum M30 Automatic
This is also an anniversary gift from my wife, two years ago. It was my first (and still only) automatic watch, and the first steel watch I had worn in a while (I usually prefer titanium). It was instantly comfortable, despite its weight, and the sapphire crystal back window remains a constant source of distraction. It is one of my favourites now, and easily the most durable timepiece I own.
- Pen: CW&T Type B
The CW&T Type B Pen is a keystone of my EDC. Like a few of the writing instruments I enjoy using, this was a Kickstarter project that I backed. CW&T is a bold and talented design team, whose work I had admired from afar for years before I finally got this pen. It’s easily the most solid and tactile pen I use, with a heft that lends weight to the words it conjures forth. It was built to be multi-generational, and I have no doubt that I will one day gift it to my son.
- Pen Case: Ystudio
The pen case from Ystudio is made of walnut and brass, is one of my favorite artifacts from Ystudio. I have had it for a couple of years, and it has held my essential tools for every major exam I have written during that time. It safely holds a few writing tools, a small ruler, or could contain a scrolled paper. As it’s made of brass, the more I use it, the more it develops a beautiful patina.
- Notebook: Hardgraft
My Hardgraft notebook is another item that’s never missing from any of my carries. It’s a wool and leather masterwork by the clever folks at Hardgraft. I bought it last year at the end of the fall to celebrate winning an academic award. The pocket is ideal for holding a few choice writing instruments, or for keeping accumulated ephemera in one place. It has a perfect paper vault for all observations.
- Pocket Square: Civic Trust
This is one of my favorites. I bought it from Civic Trust during the years they were at the Hillside Festival. It’s at least 4 years old, and has been useful in myriad ways. From providing a clean surface to set tools on while working in the field to cleaning various food from the face of my voracious toddler.
Background:
My name is Matt Ronan. I am a student and a research assistant living in Toronto. I can't really remember when I first got into EDC. It wasn't really a thing when I started paying attention to the light, knife, pen and notebook I was carrying on a daily basis. It has become much more prolific since.
Today, my studies and the tools I use in their employ are the primary inspiration for my fascination with EDC. I maintain an Instagram account where I chronicle my ongoing stationery and EDC ideas.
I enjoy traveling and photography, backcountry camping and playing trains with my son. I'm also very passionate about environmental stewardship and sustainable conservation.
Favorite EDC Tool:
My favorite item in this photo is the light - Foursevens Quark Mini 123 Titanium. It has been with me the longest out of any of these items, and accompanied me on countless adventures, both victorious and disastrous. It was once a state-of-the-art little light, but is now outshone by many if not all the lights available. For me though, nothing has changed, it's still more than bright enough to light a field work site, or illuminate a dark path.