This is the "core" of my EDC. I've been carrying this knife for over 8 years (this pic is from 2006), not because it's the finest steel, or the prettiest knife, but because it works and is faster than any knife I've owned.
The little Jantz blade is of good quality. I buy blades from them, and from Texas Knifemaker Supply. The blade was double-edged, with a serrated back edge, when it arrived. I spent some time with a padded bench vise and a half-round file and sandpaper to change it to a "skinner" profile. Texas Knifemaker Supply has their
Black Hole Skinner, which is very similar to my blade from Jantz, for $15.
I "fold" the keys against the sheath for pocketing. I then cover them with a folded handkerchief. The flat side of the sheath is against my leg in the pocket. The keys are on the side away from me. The handkerchief is toward the outside.
I catch the corner of Kydex sheath on my pocket on the draw. The weight of the keys helps the sheath stay in the pocket. In "shady" areas, I walk around with my right forefinger hooked in the hole of the knife in my pocket. I can tighten my hand and pull it out, dragging the spine of the knife against the pocket. The sheath drops away. It's a clean draw in well under a second.
I can't get to a concealed pistol anywhere near as fast. The hands in pockets shouldn't look aggressive or weird. I know it's a small knife, but I'd rather have a small knife than empty hands.
For utility use, I use the CRKT Ringer 3 (neck chain) or the SAK Classic (on my keys). The quick-connect that joins the knife and keys can be popped open easily, so I just draw the keys from my pocket and avoid spooking the people around me.
It works for me!
BTW...
...if this sounds paranoid, it's based on experience. In 2001, in the touristy downtown of one of the largest cities in the US (a city we were in the process of moving to), in a crowded area in broad daylight, my wife and I were targeted by a mugging team. It took place in an outdoor stairwell, and when the blocker moved into our path, I looked behind us to see another person -- a tweaker-looking guy who'd been 100 yards away moments before -- cutting off escape. My right hand dived into my pants pocket and grabbed the sliding utility knife there. I gripped it so that I'd be able to open it the instant it came out of the pocket and chose where I was going to try to use it on the very large, young, muscular man in front of me. He saw my intent -- although the knife stayed in the pocket -- and stepped aside. An EDC knife saved us from a robbery or from something much worse.
Regards,
Dirty Bob