Showcase #86: Writer from Singapore

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.

This week, we have Grace (@pelicularities) from Singapore who, in her own words, “reads, writes and makes videos about linguistics.” Grace was introduced to the world of EDC by way of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. That pivotal experience taught her the importance of being prepared and having the proper equipment. Read on for the full story and the insightfully detailed rig rundown of Grace’s enviable everyday carry.

Featured Tools:

• Knife: Kizer Feist
  This is a new addition, but it’s already a personal favorite. Sub 3” blade, front flipper frame lock, good steel, superbly clean silhouette both closed and open, lightweight, great slicer. This combination of traits is surprisingly hard to find in a single knife.
  
  This is my first Kizer, and I can see why the company has won so many plaudits: the grind and the fit and finish on this knife are excellent. After just a few days, I’ve gotten used to the front flipper and can flick the knife open without using my wrist. I suspect the Feist is going to have its place in my pocket for a long time to come.
  
  Before the Feist, this spot was occupied by my Ferrum Forge NTAC. I still love that knife, and if you put a gun to my head, I would easily choose the NTAC over the Feist — but the Feist is frankly a better knife for my everyday needs.

• Flashlight: Muyshondt Flieger Mk I
  I’ve wanted a Muyshondt for a long time, but the combination of price and battery format kept me away from the Aeon Mk III and the Maus. I am invested in 18650 batteries, so when Muyshondt released the Flieger Mk I I finally bit the bullet and haven’t regretted it in the slightest. The warm tint and beam pattern of the Flieger is beautiful, the monocoque body makes the flashlight feel extremely solid in the hand, and the titanium tail switch is a classy touch.
  
  
• Swiss Army Knife: SAKmodder Cadet X (a name I just coined on the spot)
  In early 2014, I got in touch with Robert Lessard, also known as SAKmodder or Syph007 on EDCForums, to have a custom Alox Swiss Army Knife made. I wanted what was effectively a blue Alox Cadet with scissors and a pocket clip, so Robert built me one in the 93mm size. It has not left my pocket since. I prefer the Cadet’s nail file over the Pioneer’s awl, because I often use the nail file as a flat Philips driver, and I rarely have a use for an awl. If I had to get rid of all my EDC items and keep just one, I would keep this one and wouldn’t even have to think twice.
  
  
• Keychain Multitool: Leatherman Squirt PS4
  The one thing that the Cadet X does not have, and that Victorinox generally does not do well at smaller sizes, is pliers. That’s the only reason I have the Squirt PS4 on my keychain. I used to carry a Style PS, which served the same function for less weight, but that got confiscated at airport security, so I replaced it with this old PS4 I had lying around. I still miss my old Style PS.
  
  
• Keychain Flashlight: Veleno Designs Quantum D2
  The Quantum D2 is small and unobtrusive and makes for a great backup light. I don’t notice it’s there until I need it. It uses a QTC pill to control brightness, so it can produce some really low lows and can last forever on a single charge of its 10180 battery. I have a pair of blue tritium vials installed in it, too, so it pulls double duty as a way for me to quickly find my keys in the dark.
  
  
• Watch: Seiko SRP581 “Sea Monster”
  I hated the Seiko Monster the first time I saw it, but it slowly grew on me. When I found out that there was a version with a black case and dark blue bezel, I knew it was only a matter of time before I bought it. Everything about this watch screams quality. The 4R36 movement allows for hacking and hand winding, and keeps time significantly better than the more basic 7S26 movement I have in my Seiko SNK809. The dial has great legibility, the lume is crazy bright, and the bezel holds its place very well.
  
  
• Wallet: Gnome and Bow Linden Coin Billfold in Oxblood
  As much as I like the idea of a minimalist wallet, I’ve come to the conclusion that the best type of wallet for me is a coin billfold. The convenience of being able to organize my cash easily and efficiently outweighs the benefits of a tiny wallet. Gnome and Bow is local to me, and they sell some absolutely stunning leather wallets.
  
  
• Fountain Pen: Pilot Vanishing Point in Matte Blue
  The Pilot Vanishing Point is an obligatory pit stop for anyone who loves fountain pens and/or EDC: you either have it, have had it, or want it. It’s a fantastic writer and incorporates some really innovative engineering. The design of the pen can be polarizing, but the size of the barrel and position of the clip happen to be perfect for my hand. I have this pen inked up with Montblanc Lavender Purple, which matches the pen barrel really well.
  
  
• Rollerball: Lamy Swift
  The moment I picked this pen up and wrote with it, I had to have it. The Lamy M66 cartridge glides on paper and leaves a beautifully dark line. When the pen tip is extended, the clip retracts into the pen body, so it’s impossible to clip the pen with the rollerball still exposed. It’s a lovely piece of German design.
  
  
• Notebook: Field Notes Utility Edition (Engineer Graph)
  I still run my life on paper, and Field Notes is the perfect form factor for me. The Utility Edition uses 80# paper that takes fountain pen ink very well, which makes writing in it a pleasure, and the fold-out ruler on the back of the Utility Edition notebooks is a nice bonus. I use a very straightforward Bullet Journal system in my Field Notes that helps me keep track of my errands and appointments.
  
  
• Pocket Sleeve: Rickshaw Bags Pocket Journal Sleeve
  The Pocket Journal Sleeve allows me to keep my Field Notes, two pens, my flashlight and my Swiss Army Knife in one package. This way, when I head out the door, I don’t have to worry about making sure I have everything on me: I just think “wallet, pocket sleeve, keys”, and that covers everything. The Pocket Journal Sleeve has a back pocket as well, and I keep some notecards and Band-Aids there — just in case.

Background:

I’ve always been that person who carries a box cutter, a multitool or a flashlight around, but I can pin down my interest in the EDC community to one event: I was living in New York City in the fall of 2012 when Hurricane Sandy swept through the Northeastern USA. I had stocked up on food and water and was ready to hunker down with my trusty Maglite AA.

Well, my Maglite AA had an incandescent bulb and started burning through batteries. I’d get 20 minutes out of two AAs. Meanwhile, the LED light I used to read in bed happily powered through the storm. After power was restored to my apartment, I started doing research into LED flashlights and discovered the EDC community. I fell down the EDC rabbit hole and have been stuck there since.

Favorite EDC Tool:

That’s easy: the SAKmodder Cadet X. That’s not surprising since it’s an item that was custom-made for me. It has a 2.5” blade that is easy to sharpen, the best multi tool scissors in the business, a can opener, a bottle opener, two sizes of flat screwdrivers, a nail file that can double as a flat Philips driver, and a pocket clip. On top of that, everyone knows what a Swiss Army Knife is, so if anyone asks for scissors or a bottle opener I can simply pull this out of my pocket and they know what to do with it.

Next On Your Gear Radar:

I’ve experimented a lot with my EDC and it’s taken a long time for it to arrive at this relatively stable point. I’m genuinely happy with my setup right now, so any future purchases will only be incremental improvements. I’ll eventually get another Style PS to replace the one I lost to airport security. I know this is a boring answer, but it’s true.