Showcase #223: High School Student from Los Angeles, California

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.

From Los Angeles, Charlie (@edc.cw) is a die-hard Clippers fan of the greatest magnitude and has his sights firmly set on playing basketball at the collegiate level. When it comes to his gear, Charlie takes the same laser-focused approach in building out a curated rotation that enables him to blend into his environment while still being well-prepared for any situation. Read on to learn all about Charlie's carry and find out what he's aiming for next.

What's in your carry?

• Knife: Chris Reeve Small Sebenza 21 Tanto
  The knife that finds its way into my pocket often varies. To me, the special thing about the Chris Reeve Sebenza is that since the day I bought my first, it’s never failed to get back into my pocket.
  
  I mean, there’s a reason why it's well known that the Sebenza is the yardstick to which all pocket knives are measured. Knowing that alone was probably the biggest reason I bought one in the first place. Though the clean lines, famously high tolerances, and beautiful tanto blade weren’t very effective in holding me back either.
  
  Living in a very liberal area, it isn't the most common thing for people to carry pocket knives. Though, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t things to be cut. So although I use my knives just like anyone else would, it's also become a habit, lending a blade to someone else who isn’t familiar with the idea of carrying one.
  
  
• Pry bar: Lynch Northwest All Access Pass v1.5
  The fact that I’m a high school student in a very liberal area means that it’s not uncommon to find myself in a situation or setting that isn’t very pocket knife friendly.
  
  I guess it was good timing that the EDC community fell in love with pocket pry bars. I wanted to see what all the hype was about, and I also wanted to see if this could be a fix to my knife-less problem, substituting for a blade.
  
  I think I speak for quite a lot of people when I say that Casey Lynch’s work really caught my eye. It took quite a bit of time and multiple mailing lists, but since I finally got my hands on one of Casey’s pry bars, they haven’t left my pocket since.
  
  The stunning design, the deep (and I mean deep) carry clip, and just about the best customer service I’ve ever experienced are just some of the reasons that my everyday carry will always include a Lynch Northwest product.
  
  
• SAK: Victorinox Mini Champ Alox
  The Victorinox Mini Champ Alox might just be the most non-intimidating knife out there. This makes it such a valuable piece of gear because it means that you can use it just about anywhere and no one is going to bat an eye.
  
  And oh boy, is it useful. Being just over two inches in length, you wouldn’t guess that it has 15 individual functions, but I guess that’s what makes it a Swiss Army Knife.
  
  Much like the Lynch Northwest pry bar, I use the Mini Champ just about any time I don’t think it’ll be a good idea to pull out a pocket knife. Another plus is the look and texture of the Alox scales, making it very easy to grab out of the small fifth pocket.
  
  
• Wallet: Das Offene Meer Leather Co. Topsider
  Even before getting into EDC, I was always into wallets. I was constantly searching for a wallet that felt like it suited me. I tried just about every single minimalist wallet out there and my search finally came to an end when I discovered Das Offene Meer Leather Co.
  
  I first found their wallets through Instagram. As more and more pages began showcasing their wallets, I figured it was time to give them a try, and man am I happy that I did. Since I first started carrying their topsider wallet, I haven’t carried anything else. Having a quality leather wallet that isn’t thick but doesn’t sacrifice sturdiness is perfect. Plus, it looks damn good.

What's your story?

I live just outside Los Angeles, California where I am currently attending my local high school. Aside from EDC, I thoroughly enjoy watching and playing basketball. I’ve been just about the biggest Clippers fan I know for as long as I can remember. I currently have my sights set on playing at the collegiate level.

Aside from sports, music has alway been one of my biggest interests. I’ve played the electric guitar for about six years and a day doesn’t go by where you can’t find me without earbuds in listening to music, mainly hip-hop.

I guess my interest in EDC started when I first met my good friend Justin. Justin and I have been neighbors for the past five years, and being older and bigger than me, I definitely looked up to him when we first met.

Justin was one of the first people I ever met who carried a pocket knife. It doesn’t seem so bizarre now, but at the time this fascinated me. I needed to get myself a pocket knife, and fast. When I started to do a little research, I was blown away by the vast world of pocket knives and gear that was out there. I remember getting a Kershaw Shuffle as my first knife. I guess that was the start of my addiction.

Over the years, buying and selling, I’ve moved from price range to price range eventually finding myself with a small but fairly expensive collection of knives. Though, knives weren’t the only thing catching my interest.

Soon, all sorts of gear became fascinating to me. As I was following a good amount of EDC accounts on Instagram, I really started getting into it. Of course at the time I was using my personal Instagram, and I remember thinking “why can’t I do this?” I had the gear and I had the interest, so I eventually started my own Instagram account dedicated to everyday carry.

Through all my interactions in the EDC community, I’ve come to the conclusion that it might just be the nicest online community out there. It is kind of ironic to think though, considering knives aren’t generally associated with kindness, but it’s true either way.

Favorite EDC Tool?

Out of all of my gear, I’d have to say that my favorite is my Lynch Northwest Prybars. The fact that I can bring and use them anywhere is a treat. Not to mention, supporting a USA made product from a genuinely good dude always feels nice. I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again, Casey Lynch is the man.

What's On Your Gear Radar?

In the future, I see it unlikely that I’ll hold back on some new releases. I’ve had my eyes on the WE made production Shamwari, as well as the Protech Malibu.

If history repeats itself though, I’ll probably find myself with some even higher-end blades in the future. If that’s the case, I would love to get my hands on a Gavko Knives Nurse.

Aside from knives I want to start looking into other aspects of EDC I hadn’t previously considered, possibly pens or watches. Whatever I do end up getting though, you’ll be able to see it all on my Instagram.