My Everyday Carry

• Leuchtturm 1917 Gridded Notebook
• Lamy 2000 Fine Nib Fountain Pen (black ink)
• OBSTRUCTURES// Plate Wallet prototype
• IPhone with Magpul Case
• Fenix E15 with sandblasted clip
• Swedish Military Cigarette Case for odds and ends
• Laco WUS-LE Handwind watch
• Military earplugs
• Scho-Ka-Kola energy chocolate
• OBSTRUCTURES// Pry-Open Tool & Stainless cable ring
• Titanium toothpick case
• Emerson A100 Knife

submitted by matt h

Great site you have here. I can’t tell you how much interesting kit I have discovered browsing through the photos. Thought I would finally post my own. There are many things a person owns, but the most valuable and useful is what we carry daily. The design of these items is important. They must not only perform, but in my opinion be unified in form and aesthetic.

These are the items I depend on, be them in my pocket or the glove box (other than maybe the German Chocolate.) I don’t go anywhere without it this stuff:

A good watch is critical; especially one I can find joy in winding even in a dull meeting or boring moment. Toothpicks are a vice of mine, and on Ebay there are many compact toothpick containers that were most likely designed for pills or matches. This one was flat bead-blasted titanium and just the right size.

A knife is always useful and the Emerson A100 is a simply designed indestructible piece, but I ended up making my own pry-open tool to save it from the torture I usually attempt to put it through. The wallet is also a design I am working on in response to some of the other plate wallets out there that are either way too expensive or do not have flexibility in terms of the amount one would like to carry, or user serviceable bands- nothing like a black rubber o-ring that you can order for a buck. As an architect, I have to wait a long time to build a building. It is inherently a slow process. Critically considering the problems of design concerning the everyday tools of life fills the time and always gives me an excuse to constantly refine them and experiment with design and fabrication.

Since I do so much designing, the right notebook and pen is imperative. The Leuchiturm’s kill the Moleskines. They are thinner, cheaper and have a subtle grid of dots instead of course lines. For extra ink, sd-cards and other bits live in the Swedish Military Cigarette case: it’s aluminum and incredibly thin. I wish I could find more of these.

Editor’s Note: Hi Matt, thanks for the thorough, detailed explanation of your EDC and what you use it for! The context lets us appreciate your carry that much more. I agree with much of your thoughts on EDC gear and design. I personally try to choose gear with a good balance of design and performance, and form that improves function is often the case. I can see your love of design reflects in your carry — from the notebook and pen to your custom made tools, well done! I like how your carry has some less common gear choices but together, they’re cohesive and make sense for your job (earplugs for construction sites, and so on). I haven’t used one myself but Emerson has a reputation of making some well-built knives, and it’s nice to see that ruggedness translate to a more minimalist design in the A100. Good job on adding that clip to the light and bead/lanyard to your knife for better retrieval and some spare cordage, too. Thanks for sharing!