Showcase #224: Railroad Signal Electrician from New York City

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.

Rumbling in from New York City, Nick (@nicholas.melnyk) is a railroad signal electrician for the MTA. His carry relies heavily on things that simply work rather than anything frivolous. Purpose-driven with both his EDC and his attitude toward life, Nick is also an accomplished musician and photographer. Read on for the full rig rundown and find out what's next on Nick's discerning gear radar.  

What's in your carry?

• Folding Knife: Chris Reeve Knives Large Sebenza
  The reason why I carry a Sebenza is simple. That’s because the knife itself is simple. I’ve went back and forth between several different brands in the past and nothing has really compared to the Sebenza for me in terms of quality and convenience. To me, it’s just the perfect knife.
  
  
• Fixed Blade: Chris Reeve Knives Nyala
  Another example of a knife done simple but efficient. I was never big on “fixed blade” knives before but decided to try my hand at them with the Nyala. I haven’t looked back since. It hasn’t left my belt. From meal prep to work, I find myself using it very often. It fits great in the hand and the micarta texturing is gorgeous.
  
  
• Watch: Omega Speedmaster Professional “Moonwatch”
  There isn’t anything bad I can say about this watch. I got into the watch hobby a bit late but thanks to some great friends that I’ve made through the Instagram platform, I’ve been blessed enough to learn and absorb as much as I can. Jake (@jwit94) and Cameron (@camronlaz) walked me through everything for the most part. So I began buying watches.
  
  However, even though I wasn’t into watches exclusively in the past, the Speedmaster was always a dream watch for me ever since I laid eyes on it. That dream came true for me on my birthday last year.
  
  It has been an absolute blessing to be able to own it. I use it for almost anything and everything. The easy to read dial is perfect. I went with the Hesalite crystal to stay true to the original watch that went to the moon.
  
  I find myself staring at it at times and using the chronograph function a little more than I actually have to. But it’s just an amazing piece of history and it works for me. Sure there are better and higher-end options out there, but it’ll always be my dream watch because of the heritage and the functionality.
  
  
• SAK: Victorinox Cadet
  To put it simply, I carry my Swiss Army Knife as a back-up knife or for handling small things. The reason is because of the history of Victorinox. But it’s not just the history, it also reminds me of those “old-school” slip joint knives that our parents and grandparents used to carry and that’s something that is incredible. It’s a multi-tool also. I used to carry a Leatherman Wave but switched to the Swiss Army Knife because of the convenience.
  
  
• Fragrance: Musk and Hustle 
  I actually met the owner of Musk and Hustle through Instagram also. His name is Mark and he’s one of the most humble people I know. I saw someone carrying what looked like a little bottle of oil or something and reached out to him to see what it was all about. Upon learning it was an EDC cologne brand I was instantly hooked. His scents are spot on always and they last the whole entire day. It’s a perfect way to “freshen up” as the day goes on, considering I can get stuck at work for 12-16 hours at a time.

What's your story?

Well, my name is Nicholas. I’m currently 23 years old and I live in New York City. I work for the MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) on the railroad as an electrician in the Signal Department.

Before that, I was a Commercial/ Residential Electrician for several companies. My job requires me to work nights at times and other days to stay longer than usual. But I love it and I love this city. Maybe you’ll see me next time you ride the train!

I remember I got into EDC a while back. Maybe 4 or 5 years ago. But I always carried a multi-tool on me. My buddy would carry a Benchmade 940 and I always found it so cool.

One day I decided to order myself a knife. After reading several reviews and watching videos on the subject I got a Spyderco Delica as my first and that’s what started it all.

Then I got into the knife community and everyone welcomed me with open arms, even though I didn’t know much. A few names to throw out there were Frankie (@frankie_blades), Casey Lynch (@lynchnw), and Mr Jurassic himself (jurassic.blades).

I found myself ordering a new knife every few weeks or so. I went through Spyderco, Zero Tolerance, Benchmade, the whole nine. Until I ordered my first Sebenza. That really sealed the deal for me.

So, before I was into EDC I was heavily into music. I play the guitar and have been playing for the better part of 14 years or so. I got my first acoustic when I was about 7 years old and the last guitar I purchased was a Gibson Les Paul Traditional.

Music has always been something close to me, and it always will. However, after that I got into photography. Again I found help from a few really cool folks on Instagram and they got the ball rolling for me. I started researching and practising on an old Nikon I had.

Then I got my Sony a6000 and it’s been amazing. I almost consider it a part of my EDC because it’s a great pass-time to walk around and take a few pictures. Or even be at home and snap some shots of knives and other gear.

Favorite EDC Tool?

This is a difficult question because it’s not easy to pick a favorite, but I’d have to go with my Omega Speedmaster. I just can’t see myself without it.

As I mentioned before, it’s been a dream for years and now that I own it, I find it hard to separate myself from it. The rest of the gear is replaceable. The Omega, however, holds sentiment and that can’t be replaced.

What's On Your Gear Radar?

I haven’t really given this too much thought. I would like to eventually get another higher-end watch. I have a Rolex Explorer 214270 on my wishlist so to speak. But that’s long-term. Short-term I would really like to own either a Shirogorov F95 or an MSC Strider with a Nightmare Grind blade. Those two are incredibly gifted makers who really know what they are doing.