EDC Refresh: Fixed Blades, the Versa System, and an Ankle Carry Tool Kit Idea

Introduction

Most everyday carry updates tend to shuffle familiar pieces around. This one is different. The core change is a full commitment to fixed blade carry, a refined wallet and pen setup, new magnetic accessories for a modular flashlight system, and a genuinely unusual experiment: replacing ankle weights with a purpose-built ankle carry kit for tools and medical supplies.

Everything below has been carried and used over several days of testing, so the notes here are based on real pocket time rather than first impressions.

Switching to Fixed Blades

The biggest shift is a move away from folding knives entirely. The reason is simple: folding knives had turned into a fidget habit, constantly coming out of the pocket when there was nothing to cut. Once the switch happened, the knife only came out when it was actually needed. It became less of a distraction, and the fixed blade habit looks like it is here to stay.

MKM Pocket Tango

The current daily blade is the MKM Pocket Tango, designed by David C. Anderson. The sheath is genuinely comfortable and easy to reach into a pocket, and the whole package feels no less convenient than any folding knife tested, possibly more so. After extended carry, it is an easy recommendation.

TJ Schwarz Overland Sport

Alongside the Pocket Tango, the Overland Sport from TJ Schwarz has been in rotation. These are really nice fixed blades with the same core appeal: easy to use and genuinely enjoyable to carry. This one appears to be a limited release variation.

TJ Schwarz Overland X

The Overland X shares the same concept as the Sport and delivers the same easy, satisfying fixed blade experience. Both have made the fixed blade transition feel effortless rather than like a compromise.

Armager 4

The Armager 4 is a favorite fixed blade, currently carried in a tandem setup with a second blade using an in-pocket sheath with the Alt Clip arrangement. It has also been modified to work with the Versa magnetic system. As a proven daily fixed blade, it remains a top pick.

The Wallet, Pen, and Notebook Layer

Lockby Sidekick Wallet

The Sidekick is a collaboration wallet designed as a budget-friendly daily carrier. It holds writing utensils, a notebook, and slots for additional items, and the new version adds RFID blocking plus a tab for a lanyard or an elastic closure. Pricing runs between $30 and $35 depending on where you buy it: $35 on Amazon, around $30 on Lockby’s own site. The notebook rides tucked underneath rather than folded open, which keeps the wallet from getting bulky.

Pentel Vicuna Multi-Pen

The new favorite multi-pen is the Pentel Vicuna, offering red, black, and pencil with a standard eraser refill on the back. It costs only $10, and it uses standard D2 refills, which is the main reason it earned a slot. It is an inexpensive, dependable pen for someone who tends to lose pens.

Aviator B3

The Aviator B3 was the previous favorite pen, and it still earns recognition for its writing quality. Oddly, it does not accept standard D2 refills, which is exactly why the Vicuna took over as the daily multi-pen. For anyone who wants a low-cost pen that takes common refills, the Vicuna is the safer bet; the B3 remains a solid choice if refill standardization matters less to you.

Wazu Fire Card

The fire card from Wazu is a wallet-sized card that can be scraped, and the material takes a spark almost instantly. Even when wet, it acts like tinder and gets a fire started. A custom version with a personal emblem is currently in use, and packs of three are expected to become available in the future. It lives quietly in the wallet and doubles as a neat party trick.

Noble Notes Grid Notebook

A notebook is always in the carry, and Noble Notes is a favorite, specifically the grid version. The paper is excellent, and the slim notebook slips directly into the wallet setup. For anyone building a wallet-based carry system, this pairing works naturally.

Versa System Accessories: Mag Dock and VScale

The Versa system has been in use for months, with new accessories currently being tested as prototypes. Two additions stand out.

Versa System Mag Dock

The Mag Dock is a straightforward magnetic attachment point for the 58mm system, opening up new expansion options. The magnets are strong enough to attach the flashlight through fabric, meaning you can stick it to a hat brim and use it hands-free even without a pocket clip. One side will have a lanyard hole, and the A and B sides are identifiable from the side thanks to small ridge markings. The added thickness has turned out to be a non-issue in the pocket, and the ability to remove the flashlight, use its side lights, and stick it to things is the best part.

VScale

The VScale upgrades include a fully anodized black finish in the final version, a design that allows small glow fobs inside, and added texture to keep it from sliding around. A backer-suggested addition incorporates a Victorinox pin directly into the VScale, giving you a slot for tweezers or a toothpick plus a genuinely useful pokey bit for cleaning small spaces or even extracting a SIM card. It is a smart, low-impact addition.

The Ankle Carry Kit Concept

Here is the unusual part. Expensive ankle medical kits exist from many companies, but the ones tested were too wide unless fully loaded, and designed for larger ankles than the tester’s. The workaround: take an inexpensive pair of ankle weights, roughly $22, remove the one-pound weight inserts, and replace them with gear. The result is a fully loaded ankle carry kit at a fraction of the cost, far more comfortable, and completely invisible under long pants.

Weight matters here. Five pounds per leg was clearly noticeable during testing, and 2.5 pounds was noticeable but easy to forget. The finished kits come out to about one pound for the medical side and about 1.5 pounds for the tool side, which is close enough to feel balanced.

The Medical Kit Side

One side holds a compact medical kit, similar in concept to premium ankle medical kits but at a fraction of the cost, working out to about $12 versus the $70 to $80 of a comparable commercial option.

Leatherman Raptor Rescue

The Leatherman Raptor Rescue is the anchor tool, and it earns that spot for two reasons. It provides outstanding scissors, and critically, it provides the ability to cut wire, which the pliers in the tool kit do not offer in any form. If there were a single undisputed king of the Leatherman lineup, this would be it, right down to its excellent sheath. The kit also holds a soft tourniquet, packs of compression gauze, and a few mini repair kits, with plans to add items like safety pins and super glue over time.

The Tool Kit Side

The other ankle strap holds a tool kit covering a wide range of small tasks. It is not perfect, but as a proof of concept it works well, and the whole pouch weighs roughly 1.5 pounds including the holder. The advantage over pocket or belt carry is real: dedicated full tools without taking up pocket space.

Galvanox Screwdriver Bit Kit

For drivers, a flat kit with more than 40 different heads is surprisingly useful in this context. The Galvanox bits are preferred because they are better quality with higher hardness than alternative bits, and they come in a single piece of plastic, which trims down bulk.

Knipex Twin Grips 150mm

The 150mm version of the Knipex Twin Grips is a phenomenal tool. The important lesson learned: do not go for the 100mm, 4-inch versions of these pliers. You give up a lot of leverage and capability for no reason, since the 150mm carries exactly the same in this setup.

Knipex Pliers Wrench 125mm

The Pliers Wrench is the hardest tool in this kit to replace. It applies serious leverage and has a non-marring parallel jaw, so it compresses without crushing the edges of a nut. It can even flatten the end of something like a brass pipe cleanly, with no marring marks. Between this and a Cobra, the Pliers Wrench is the go-to.

Irwin Vise-Grip

The Irwin Vise-Grip is the one small 4-inch tool worth considering. It has been modified to work as a holder for saws, and it doubles as an inexpensive plier option with built-in cutters, which could let you skip the more expensive rescue tool if budgets are tight. Beyond that specific use, the smaller 4-inch pliers are worth skipping.

Rokar Mini Flex Companion

The Mini Flex Companion was chosen over larger options for weight. It is a lot lighter and has just enough layers, while a separate T-shank holder lets you pair it with longer saws from the hardware store if needed. It carries scissors, a diamond file, and prototype nail clippers, and it works really well. A built-in diamond file would be incredible if the geometry ever allows it.

Work Sharp Pocket Sharpener

The Work Sharp pocket sharpener is perfect for this kit: narrow, with a diamond plate, a ceramic hone, and angle guides. It functions as both a maintenance tool and a modification tool, useful even for grinding down small details like a clip.

Overall Buying Advice

If you take one idea from this update, make it the wallet-sized essentials: an inexpensive multi-pen that uses standard refills, a notebook you actually like, and a small fire-starting card. Those cost very little and get used constantly. On the tool side, prioritize leverage: the 150mm pliers over the 100mm versions, and the Pliers Wrench if you can only pick one. And if you have ever found commercial ankle kits uncomfortable, the ankle weight conversion is a cheap, comfortable experiment worth trying. The magnets in the Versa system accessories are strong enough to be genuinely useful, not just a gimmick, and the ability to detach and reattach the flashlight makes the added thickness easy to accept.

Conclusion

This everyday carry refresh covers a lot of ground, but the themes are consistent: fixed blades over folders for focus and convenience, budget-friendly pens and wallets that do not sacrifice function, magnetic modularity that earns its thickness, and a low-cost ankle carry concept that proves you do not need $80 kits to be prepared. Nearly every item here costs less than you might expect, and each one has earned its place through actual daily use.