Showcase 194: Martial Artist and Forklift Operator from the Netherlands

Welcome to the Urban EDC Showcase! Each week, we feature a member of the EDC community and the gear they rely on every day. Want to be featured? Submit your gear photo.

A man of many skills, Buddy (@edc_buddy69) practised and taught the Indonesian martial arts of Pencak Silat for years. Now, he challenges himself daily as a forklift operator – responsible for the cold storage warehouse. Read on to learn about Buddy’s diverse interests and how he rekindled his love of knives and tools through the EDC community.

Featured Tools:

• Watch: Orient Ray 2
  Always loved and wanted diver watches. But with my skinny wrists, I kept searching for a watch that would serve and fit me like a glove. I was very excited when this one came out, and I knew that this watch would be perfect for me.
  
  

• SAK: Victorinox Pioneer X
  This awesome tool is something that never leaves my pocket. A true companion for daily task solving for sure. With this one I haven't found a challenge yet, that couldn't be solved. Love it!

• Knives: Ontario Rat 2 & Spyderco Para 3
  I never liked and never will like big knives. The Ontario Rat 2 is such a cool, small, and easy to carry folder. The Spyderco Para 3 is for me a folding knife that will never leave my collection. The shape is so different then other knives, it's just as easy to carry, sharp as a razor, but it's a knife that says "come on and use me, you won't be disappointed." And truly I must say, it hasn't yet.
  
  
• Flashlight: Lumintop Tool Ti
  A one triple AAA battery powered little flashlight. What can I say, absolutely love that one. For such a small light, it pops a bundle of bright light out of it that can be so convenient in so many ways. It works and looks awesome!
  
  
• Pry: Skull/Punisher Mini Pry
  So easy to use for many things. From opening a can of paint, to a beer bottle. It's a useful tool for so many things in between.

What's your story:

Born and raised in a small village in the south of the Netherlands. I Practiced and taught  Indonesian martial arts Pencak Silat for 13 years, which I had to quit because of a bad knee. Now I am working as a forklift driver and have been responsible for the storage of products in a cold store warehouse for about 13 years now. The work can be really challenging, but also fun to do. 

My first encounter with EDC, was when I was 8 or 10 years old. Somehow, I got my first Swiss Army Knife or SAK, and from that moment I was hooked. Over the years that followed, I had quite a collection of SAK's. But unfortunately, through movements, I lost almost my entire collection. I was devastated and didn't want anything to do with it anymore for years. 

Until a few years back, the itch returned. I Found the EDC community and started posting on Instagram. Love to interact with the people there, sharing, and talking about the same interests......and more hahaha

I also love to hike (with my dogs), play drums, can't stand a day without music, watching movies, and most of all...having fun!

Favorite EDC Tool:

I do not have a favorite tool, because of the fact that I only purchase tools that I love. So actually, all my tools are my favorites!

What's On Your Gear Radar:

Probably the next thing would be a traditional pocket knife from Great Eastern Cutlery. Have been eyeballing these for some time now. But the thing with EDC gear is, you never know what comes down on your path. We will see.