Showcase #226: Student and Entrepreneur from Minnesota, USA

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 Minnesota, Devin (@drifters_edc) is going to college for CNC-machining. His EDC journey started after watching YouTube videos and he's now trying his hand at making his own coins, all while working part-time at a gas station, geeking out over Mr Robot, and battling it out on COD and R6 Seige. Read on to learn all about Devin's carry and find out why he's obsessed with... sunglasses (bet you didn't see that coming). 

What's in your carry?

• Notebooks: Field Notes
  I love these little notebooks, its perfect for when I have a new design idea or photoshoot concept in mind. I often find myself having good ideas at the most random and inconvenient times so having this with me helps me quickly get it written down which is amazing.
  
  
• Wallet: Hitch and Timber Short Fold Wallet
  This wallet is perfect for me because it is slim and there is not a lot of room for extra cards and what not which used to be a problem for me. I would have tons of cards I don't need. I only fit the essential cards in this wallet, ID Debit card, and a Cold Stone gift card so I can get a mango smoothie whenever I want.
  
  
• Coin: Brass Drifters EDC Coin
  I carry this coin most of the time because it was the first coin I made. On one side it has my name and logo and then a shark pool on the other with the text "FEAR WHAT LIES BELOW" around the border.
  
  I have loved sharks for as long as I can remember that's why I put the sharks on the back of my coin. Also, sharks are one of the most badass creatures in the ocean so it only made sense to use it on the back. So I keep this little coin with me cause after I tried making this for the first time and it actually works that was an exciting moment so to keep this as a reminder is nice.
  
  
• Pen: Pirate Life X Big Idea Design
  Alright, so this little pen is amazing. So if you don't know Peter McKinnon you must be living under a rock or something I don't know, anyways I've been watching his videos for probably 2 years or so now and he's the reason I got into photography and is one of my biggest inspirations.
  
  When I found out about his EDC page and saw these pens I had to have one. Unless I somehow manage to absolutely destroy this pen I will probably carry this for a long long time.
  
  
• Knife: Benchmade Bugout with Brass Flytanium Scales
  This knife was a grail knife of mine for a while and I finally got it as a gift last Christmas and I couldn't be happier. This one, in particular, is S30V but I don't know much about blade steels.
  
  I look for 2 things in a knife really. Firstly, is it sharp and cut well and next, does it look good. And I love the look of this knife, especially with brass scales. Also, the axis lock is my favorite lock style so this knife is pretty much perfect for me.
  
  
• Watch: Huckberry X Timex Diver Watch
  I was looking for nice watches one day and I got a Spinnaker Wreck and don't get me wrong I love that watch but about a week later I discovered this watch and fell in love.
  
  It is rather small and light which I like a lot. Its design is also just great, its simple and clean, and the fact that it comes with a black and a brown leather strap was really nice. This watch really just fits great with the rest of my carry I feel like and is great for every occasion. It's not too rugged looking and not too classy looking to where it's perfect for either situation.
  
  
• Pendant: Clocks and Colours Silver North Star
  Out of the vast amount of necklaces I have this one is one of my favorites, it's not too flashy and it is 100% my style. Plus with that brass inlay, it makes the star stand out which I loved.
  
  I know most people don't consider their jewelry part of their EDC but I feel like EDC shouldn't just be knives, watches, pens etc. It's so much more than that. I decided to show off some of my jewelry in this pic and my other EDC pics because that jewelry is as much a part of my EDC as my knife is, it shows who I am, it has a story... just like my other gear.
  
  
• Sunglasses: Heat Wave Visual Quatro
  Alright, last but not least we have my sunglasses. Now I don't leave the house without at least 1 pair of sunglasses, I don't care if it's not even that sunny out I'm wearing them.
  
  My eyes are pretty sensitive to light so that's why, but also cause everyone that knows me knows I always have a pair close by and ready to go. That might be because I have about 50 different pairs... its not a problem I swear!
  
  Anyways got off track there, these are currently my favorite pair. They are made by Heat Wave Visual, these guys are my favorite sunglasses brand by far. I've been using their shades for 4 or 5 years now and have loved them ever since.
  
  These are a new style for me I usually wear aviators or something more classic looking but wanted to switch things up a bit and these were definitely a big switch up but I love them.

What's your story?

Hi, my name is Devin and I currently live in a small town in Minnesota. I am completely obsessed with sunglasses, Canada, anything mango-flavored really, the ocean, the mountains, and pirates! Kinda all over the board there but whatever, I like what I like alright.

I am currently going to college for CNC machining, working part-time at a gas station, and working on drops for my "business" Drifters EDC. So as you can imagine I have a very busy schedule, but hey that's alright it keeps me busy at least.

In what little free time I have you can find me playing video games or watching Netflix. If your interested my favorite games are COD Modern Warfare and R6 Seige right now, and my favorite series is Mr Robot I highly recommend it, it's great. It's on Amazon Prime Video right now if you wanna watch it.

Sorry got a little sidetracked there let's get back to the EDC stuff. I first realized I was a part of the EDC community kinda when I stumbled upon the Best Damn EDC channel on YouTube.

I love watching the EDC weekly and seeing what people carry and why and hearing some of the stories behind it all, it's awesome! That was not long before I graduated high school last year.

After graduating I was unemployed and wanted to start a business. I had purchased a small CNC machine that was similar to the one I used at school all the time. While in school my friends and teachers saw me using it all the time and by senior year I was quite familiar with it and I would say quite good at using it (I first started learning how to use it as a freshman.) So buying a similar machine only made sense if I wanted to start a business right away.

My first idea wasn't actually an EDC business, its wasn't actually even my idea really, it was my neighbors and my mom's mostly. I was going to sell custom wedding things like coasters and wood signs.

I worked on that stuff along with a couple of my own ideas for coasters and inlays for months and while I learned a lot from doing that, I didn't really enjoy it as much as I did in high school. So I ditched the whole idea and decided to try and come up with something on my own so that I would be doing something I wanted to do and making things that I thought would be cool.

After watching countless EDC videos on YouTube and scrolling through Peter McKinnon's pirate life page on Instagram and seeing the things he was making I knew I wanted to make EDC goods.

After doing a little research I found out my little CNC machine could cut soft metals with the right tools so I ordered everything I needed and came up with Drifters EDC! About 3 months after starting my Instagram I have drawn up tons of designs for coins and pry bars and other things that I'm keeping a secret for now, and I released my first drop of gear. The Wayfinder Coin and people seem to love them so that's good! Now I'm here!

Favorite EDC Tool?

My favorite piece of gear... that's real tough ya know? I'd probably have to go with my sunglasses. I've worn sunglasses my whole life, and I feel like they are just a part of me... is that weird? Oh well, I don't care that's just the facts.

Not sure if sunglasses count as a tool like you said in which case if they don't I'm going with my knife all the way. My Bugout and every other Bugout out there can take on the world. Need to chop down a small tree for who knows what? Bugout. Need to cut up some boxes at work? Bugout. Need to do some meal prep? Bugout. Now could you do that with other knives? Probably, but I carry a Bugout almost all the time so that's what we're going with.

What's On Your Gear Radar?

Some gear I'm looking forward to getting my hands on would be a James Brand Carter in Bone + Black or a Folsom in the same colorway. There's just something about their style that I love and would love to pick one of those knives up soon they just look so good!