Every Day Carry Shop Apron Intermission

Triple digit temperatures make me lack motivation to work in the garage on the work bench, so I decided to solve one of my project working issues. I have a tendency to set tools down and have to spend time searching for them. I have decided a shop apron is the solution to this issue. Now my EDC items while I’m working on projects is ready and at hand.

The Internet is a buzz of EDC (Every Day Carry) list, so this is the list of things I built my shop apron to hold while I working.

Pencil I love the old Pentel click in 0.9 mm with soft HB lead.
Utility blade folding knife either the Gerber or the Workpro I switch.
BIC lighter
Sailrite vinyl measuring tape
12″ Steel ruler
A combination square or my scissor holster.
flush cutting side nippers
Sharpie

I forget how much I like my Sailrite Ultrafeed. It has handled everything my mind can come up with, and has only suffered minor setbacks due to my operator errors. However, their support team has always been able to get me sorted either by sending parts or having YouTube videos available to show me how to reverse the things, I have done to make it a mess. A lot can be said in this day in age as companies that truly stand behind what they sell are getting few and far between. It handles going from “cotton duck” fabric to leather and back again without issue. I use “cotton duck” fabric sourced from the big box store canvas paint drop cloths as it is the cheapest way to get the fabric short of bulk wholesale.

Sailrite also have other tools that can be super handy. I got the Vinyl measuring tape on a whim but it has become my go to measure. For the price( under $2 kongbucks), I have started to collect them, so one is always at the ready. It has Metric on one side and “Freedom Units” on the other. This allows me to move towards the future where the world will be all Metric, but with a safety net for “Freedom Units” I know they are “Imperial units” but since America is the last stubborn hold out. I have nick named them “Freedom Units” in jest as us Americans are a stubborn lot. It also self retracts so much handier that the old seamstress/tailor’s tape used in the past.

I know I have shown my scissor holster before, but it was a quick wet molded leather holster with a belt clip to hold my Gingher scissors that I have had since I was a teenager, and a sharpie. You can still buy them today, and they will last beyond your lifetime and my have been sharp for over 25 years. It is sometimes annoying to have a waist holster to hold things while sitting so I added the leather loop to the Apron front to hold it while sitting, or a combination square if I’m doing woodworking.

Stretchy

I also don’t like the apron to flop in the middle around my beer calorie storage unit, so I have added an elastic stretch gusset to the waist strap. It takes up the apron flap so I can switch between sitting or standing comfortably without need to adjust.