Showcase #313: Business Coach from the United Kingdom

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 Somerset in the UK, we talk to Alain (@als_edc_uk) who is a life and business coach. When Alain is not coaching his clients, he enjoys the serenity and simplicity of being in the woods and the freedom that his motorcycle and the wide-open road affords. Read on to learn all about Alain’s stylish carry and what's next on his gear radar.

Featured Tools:

• Knife: Liong Mah Traveller
  This is my Liong Mah Traveller with a spearpoint M390 blade and micarta scales. I live in the UK and this slip joint knife is UK legal so I can carry it anywhere I go even when I travel.
  
  I love the spearpoint blade and M390 holds a great edge without being too much of a hassle to get sharp. The knife is elegant and I love micarta. The pattern on this micarta is one of the nicest I have seen yet, I love the texture, it is very important to me and it is grippy as well.
  
  The blade can be opened one-handed, and that is a very important feature for me. I often need to cut something when the other hand is busy… Another amazing feature is the forward finger choil, which makes it comfortable to hold but most importantly when using the choil the blade cannot close accidentally on my fingers. It makes it very safe to use.
  
  The action is pleasant and the fidget factor is not amazing but present, that is rare for a slip joint. Lastly, the pocket clip is deep-carry, pretty-looking and practical. Many other modern slip joints don’t have a pocket clip, but it’s critical for me.
  
  I use a knife mainly to open packages, letters, boxes, and cut fruits. I also use them to make feather sticks when lighting up a fire outside or at home. I like to do it the bush-crafting way. Last point is that a knife is for me like a watch, I wear it like one wears jewelry yet at the same time it is a useful tool.
  
  
• SAK: Custom Victorinox
  The SAK is a Tinker. It has black scales from Remadeknives, a lanyard with a beautiful rose gold colored bead that I bought from another enthusiast on Instagram.
  
  I always carry a multitool, most often a Victorinox. The Tinker is one of my favorite because it is pretty slim and has the tools I need most. I put some special scales from Remadeknives. They bring texture and grip and a style which is a little more neutral and works better when combining it with the rest of my EDC.
  
  The rose gold bead gives it a touch of elegance and its texture is lovely to feel. The screwdrivers and scissors are probably the things I use the most but I also use the flathead screwdriver to pry… so far I never broke any of my SAK doing that.
  
  
• Flashlight: Olight I3T EOS
  This is one of my favorite flashlights because it has a good pocket clip, a very good size and two modes. Low and high. I mainly use it to walk back home in the dark after parking my car but also when I am looking for something that fell off or when I repair something.
  
  This desert color is amazing and it fits easily with the rest of my gear and makes it look nicer. I like the fact that it is an AAA powered light because I don’t have to worry about charging it and I always keep one AAA battery in my car just in case. The button in the back to turn it on and change the modes is very practical and useable easily even with gloves on.
  
  
• Pen: Mr Hank Custom
  I don’t always carry a pen with me. When closed, this pen looks like a brass slim cylinder and that is what I like about it. It is hefty and very pleasant to use as it is very comfortable and balanced in my hand.
  
  
• Hank: Mr Hank
  The hank is also made by Mr Hank and has a nice microfiber side, very practical to keep my blades clean and dry. That is mainly why I sometimes carry a hank. I will not always have one in my pocket but always have one when I carry a bag. The pattern is a steampunk one, I really like it.
  
  
• Watch: Spinnaker
  The watch is a Spinnaker Spence model. It came with this amazing black NATO strap as well as a gorgeous vintage brown leather strap.
  
  I love wearing a watch. I feel like it tells you a lot about the person who carries it. I used to only look at and buy much more expensive watches but in the last few years, some very good timepieces with nice designs and good quality are available on the market.
  
  Spinnaker makes great quality and funky designs. I like this black-themed one and it is very easy to read and comfy to wear. A lot of black watch designs make it hard to read the time… that obviously defeats the main purpose but this one has got it all correct. The watch is often the first thing I will pick to design my daily carry.
  
  
• Hank: Young Hanks
  This hank was made by my partner and is probably my favorite to use in photos, plus the added benefit of being able to wipe down my EDC gear.
  
  

• Stones: Custom
  The stones are green Tiger Eye and Obsidian. I am a fan of crystals and each come with their own unique beauty and set of powers.

What's your story:

I live in Somerset in the UK and I am a life and business coach. After successfully selling my business in 2006, I found the path of coaching to be the most fulfilling one for me. I love the impact it has on my clients as well as the people around them. I don’t feel like I am working anymore, I am being paid for what I enjoy doing the most.

Since I was a kid I was always playing around with SAK and Opinels out in the woods building houses in trees and bows and arrows. The one event that seriously got me into EDC was my first move many years ago.

A blade to open boxes and tools to dismantle certain things was mandatory. A flashlight also came in handy. Since then I added these elements to the watches I was used to wearing and I found it very practical to carry these items. I don’t know how I did without them before.

My hobbies are simple, I like motorcycling and bush-crafting. Being in the woods is one of the greatest feelings. Sleeping with the sounds of the fire and the forest has some magic to it.

Building shelter and being self-sufficient in a peaceful environment with only the basic necessary things reminds me that we don’t need much and that happiness doesn’t depend on anything that we want to own. Motorcycling also gives me a great sense of freedom. It is my favorite way to discover unknown lands. I usually meet amazing people doing that.

Favorite EDC Tool:

Out of this list, my favorite EDC item is the Liong Mah Traveler knife. If I had to go with only one of all these items, the Traveler would be the one because I can find alternatives to the other items like reading the time on my phone, get some light from my phone or take notes on my phone. But my phone will not be able to cut.

What's On Your Gear Radar:

Next on my gear radar would be a custom fixed blade, maybe from one of the UK-based blacksmith that I have been following on Instagram. I am also looking for some brass and copper flashlights. I am thinking about the ones from Prometheus. Lastly, I will be hunting for some custom made beads soon.