Gear colors, and other adiophora

[Perd Hapley]

This thread is about the non-essential qualities that you prefer, or don't prefer, in your chattels (or for that matter, your stationary stuff). As an example, I've started buying pocket knives with dark green or olive drab handles, and I'll even pay a little extra for my IWB kydex holster to be some flavor of brown, tan, coyote, FDE, or similar.

I'd guess most of you will say you don't care. As long as it works, you don't much care what it looks like, and why do you care about the color of your concealed, IWB holster, fistful? Point taken, but some of us care, for whatever reason.

If you're of the "do care" tribe, what's your vice? Care to explain why?

Did you care (or not care) once, but switched sides?  

[RoadKingLarry]

I tend to prefer subdued earth tones for most things as well.

[Fly320s]

The only time color matters to me is on my rifles.  Generally, the pistol is hidden, so color doesn't matter, but the rifle is visible.  Not that I am concerned with being seen, since I'm just a regular Joe, but I don't like having black guns in the sunshine.  That is just added heat that I don't need or want.

Important/emergency/don't want to lose it gear is usually a bright color, such as orange or red.

All of that aside, I do like the look of a painted rifle or pistol.  I have two ARs that I've painted.  One is a rattle-can job and the other is a semi-pro job.

[MillCreek]

I prefer my folding knives to have orange scales.

[lee n. field]

Have bought a couple kydex holsters, made to order.  Picked "blood red" as color, and thought it looked nice.  Despite the fact that I'm the only one that should ever see it in use.

I've toyed with the idea of getting a "blue with sparkles" EAA Pavona, just for kicks.

[charby]

I don't like black, but sometimes that is the only option. Black makes me think I'm trying to be an operator or wanna be cop.

I tend to lean towards browns, like leather and wood.

[Hawkmoon]

I prefer basic black. I'm quite the opposite of Charby -- to me, colors like OD green, camo, or "coyote" tan are the realm of the poseur operators. Normal people wear black or brown. Because I'm partially color blind, my wardrobe choices tend to not include colors, because my eyes can't be trusted to pair them in ways that other people don't find odd, so even brown often doesn't go with clothing that I usually wear. Black goes with everything.

[Ben]

When I was in high school, camo was what all of us that were into hunting would wear. Wearing the same camo in my 30's made me a poser. Depending on time and what's popular, tacticool, etc., any of the colors mentioned in posts above could be considered poser colors. Or you can just wear what you like. :)

I suppose that by the current standards, I'm a poser because I like the earth tones - khaki, coyote, etc. My favorite and most comfortable everyday boots are Blackhawk tactical boots in coyote. I really don't care what anyone thinks of my choice. Though most of my holsters are black or brown mostly because for the kydex ones at least, I didn't feel like paying the color upcharge for something that's mostly hidden.

[dogmush]

I prefer leather holsters, Black or Dark Brown with Sharkskin trim.  Knives I like black, or Coyote.  Everything I hang on my plate carrier is Coyote because I'm tired of buying new mag pouches every time the Army changes a uniform.

Watches should be black or stainless steel.

[Ben]

I prefer leather holsters, Black or Dark Brown with Sharkskin trim. 

I've been wearing my leather holsters more than the kydex ones of late. They are all some shade from tan-dark brown.  I don't know why, but I have never liked black leather holsters. I won't even wear black leather belts or shoes unless the outfit (generally a suit) leaves me no choice. Most of my Kydex is hybrid, and even there if the Kydex is black, the leather backing is brown.

[Doggy Daddy]

I prefer my folding knives to have orange scales.

Me too.

Boss: "You can't have a weapon here!"

Me:  "It's not a weapon. Look, it's orange!"

[Perd Hapley]

I prefer basic black. I'm quite the opposite of Charby -- to me, colors like OD green, camo, or "coyote" tan are the realm of the poseur operators. Normal people wear black or brown. Because I'm partially color blind, my wardrobe choices tend to not include colors, because my eyes can't be trusted to pair them in ways that other people don't find odd, so even brown often doesn't go with clothing that I usually wear. Black goes with everything.

One of the reasons why I like brown (including coyote brown) and dark or drab greens is because I associate them with vintage military stuff. If I remember right, camo uniforms became standard-issue in the 1980s. David Hackworth's memoirs has a chapter called "Black Shoes," about the 1950s Army changing from brown to black footwear.

When I was a teenager, my poser friends and my poser self were crazy for ninja-black tactical whatever. We all had Spyderco or Cold Steel pocket knives, with black, plastic handles, and black blades, if available. I think that's why I try to avoid black handle scales. That, and it's the trademark color of the gas station rambo knife. That, or woodland camo, which I also try to avoid. I've become a real fan of dark green, OD, or brown G10, for knife scales.

[zxcvbob]

For knives, I like orange, yellow, or chartreuse.  (I've never seen a chartreuse knife, but I would buy one)  Something easy to find when I drop it.  I bought my dad a yellow Case sodbuster a few years ago so he could find it when he dropped it

Long guns should have walnut or birch stocks, preferably walnut.  Pistols don't matter much, but I'd like to get some holly grips for my BHP 'cuz it looks like ivory.

[griz]

If a long gun doesn't have a wood stock I have a slight preference for gray.  Partly an aversion to black as a tactical color, but it's not a strong preference anyway.

Knives, I like some color on them.  Mostly so they don't look like every other knife, but for some reason I seem increasingly drawn to colors I would have thought of as gaudy 20 years ago.  No idea why, I'm subdued on almost everything else.  Not really color, but one thing that I really dislike are knives that have only one scale with the other side being a frame lock.  Even the quality ones look half assembled to me.


And the one thing I can't understand is why black ever became the default color for flashlights.  The one thing that you are most likely to need to find in the dark and it's black? 

[French G.]

Mostly don't care. Unless...
 Don't like stainless guns at all.

Dropped a camoflage flashlight in the woods once, not a fan of that either.

[Perd Hapley]

I figured this thread would mostly consist of comments like, "style has nothing do with it. If you're paying attention to the color of your gun, you're gonna get killed." I'm a little surprised.

I've never thought much about the appearance of my flashlights, other than not wanting it to look too silly. I'm okay with black for flashlights. They're also a lot easier to wrap with cord or tape, if you want to change the aesthetics.

And now for something completely slightly different - I really dislike white for certain things. I mean, a white girl, wearing a white shirt, sipping milk - love it. A white car, though? I'd rather not. Worse, a white pick-up truck. White pants, belts, or shoes. I got a Samsung phone that came with a white charger cord, and white earbuds - what?! Do not like.

[lee n. field]

I figured this thread would mostly consist of comments like, "style has nothing do with it. If you're paying attention to the color of your gun, you're gonna get killed." I'm a little surprised.

"In de streetz!"

I think most of us are old enough to be past Internet tactical cliches.

[K Frame]

The only thing I REALLY care about in my gear is that my revolvers are blued.

I HATE the look of a stainless steel, chromed, or nickeled revolver. Shiny silver reminds me of a mirror, reflecting back but possessing no character or quality of their own. Blue, on the other hand, is resonant, rich, commanding, and formal. A blued revolver looks like it means business.

I'm not so opposed to stainless in semi-autos, and have an S&W 4506.

In holsters I generally prefer brown leather, but am not opposed to black, or even nylon.

But, if I do have a leather holster, I do NOT want patterns -- no basket weave, no floral patterns, no loops and whirls. Straight, plain leather. Again, a question of looking business like.

[K Frame]

When I was in high school, camo was what all of us that were into hunting would wear. Wearing the same camo in my 30's made me a poser. Depending on time and what's popular, tacticool, etc., any of the colors mentioned in posts above could be considered poser colors. Or you can just wear what you like. :)

I suppose that by the current standards, I'm a poser because I like the earth tones - khaki, coyote, etc. My favorite and most comfortable everyday boots are Blackhawk tactical boots in coyote. I really don't care what anyone thinks of my choice. Though most of my holsters are black or brown mostly because for the kydex ones at least, I didn't feel like paying the color upcharge for something that's mostly hidden.

I can't even remember the last time I wore camo. Probably a hat in high school.

[Ben]

Knives and flashlights are interesting. Most of us buy them as utilitarian devices. Sure, we may (I sure do) collect lots of them for fun, but on APS at least, I think we all have a knife or flashlight on or near us as a tool, and possibly an emergency tool.

Some bright color should be the default for such a tool, to, as griz mentioned, be able to find it quickly in the dark, or if you drop it in the dark, etc. I bet a majority of us have both our main knife and light in black or some dark "blend in" color. Both mine are black. My "dress" EDC knife has green scales. I think my only brightly colored light is my yellow-green flourescent dive light. And that's the big one I use for night dives. My smaller dive light for daylight diving is dark blue.

[Ben]

I can't even remember the last time I wore camo. Probably a hat in high school.

I think my 20's was the last time I would go out and about with camo BDUs or whatever. Of course it was kinda "in" at the time (T-shirt, camos and white high tops - redneck stylin'!   ). Through my 30's  I would wear them as around the house work pants because I got them cheap at the gun show and they were loose and comfortable. Plus hey, great for painting!  

I don't even wear camo for hunting anymore - just drab clothing. My around the house work pants now are all the pairs of khaki tactical pants I collected at work, mostly because of pockets and being kinda baggy, for comfort. When I was still working, I wore them as regular kick around pants too, but these days I feel like a poser if I do that, so just yard work and also hiking/fishing/hunting, etc.

[makattak]

If I have a choice in a knife, I will always pick a bright color.

If I'm going to have it in the field, or by the garden, or in the woods, I'm probably going to drop it at some point. I'd like to be able to find it easily.

For guns, I don't have a strong preference, but I like blued and wood. I'd be hard pressed to pick between my Garand and my lever guns as to which I think is the best looking.

As to black guns- I'm fine with them. It's the opposite of knives though. I'm not likely to be dropping them, so I'd prefer they not stand out wherever I have them. No bright colors.

My wardrobe is much the same. If I have a bright color, it was given to me. (My wife loves when I wear my yellow shirt, for example.) I prefer dark reds, blues, browns, grays, etc...

I, too, am colorblind, but I just tend to memorize which shirt and pant combinations work. (And, owing to color choices, most of them work together, anyway.)

[MechAg94]

I have come to appreciate brightness or colors in lights/knives for the reasons mentioned above.  For guns, I will generally go with colors if available without too much of a premium.

[brimic]

I carry an opinel. It does 90% of what  my spydercos did at 10% the cost. Losing one doesn't make me cry. For slightly heavier tasks around the house, I use a Becker BK-14, that I bought used from another board member.
For longuns, I prefer synthetic stocks that I can paint them any way I like with camoflage rattle can.
For awhile I was standardizing my clothing on Costco jeans/t-shirts/polo shirts/underwear/socks. It just made things easy.
Carry guns? mainly tupperware in kydex, or a J-frame or Sig P238 for summer carry.

[dogmush]

I've stopped carrying an "EDC knife" knife.  I always carry a multi-tool anyway, and it has a knife so I just use that.  I get ~18-24 months out of a leatherman/gerber and just consider them kinda disposable.  they are (obviously) silver or black.

I've also stopped carrying an "EDC" flashlight.  There's one in my desk, one in each of my cars, and 100 at home.  If I'm not near one of those, my phone's light is generally good enough.  Cut's down on the crap in my pockets or on my belt.