EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The traditional purpose of a handkerchief has always seemed a little off-putting and frankly disgusting.
So I never thought that carrying around a handkerchief or hank would be part of my EDC.
Some friends of mine, however, use hanks, as they are known in the everyday carry community, as a colorful backdrop to showing off their gear, especially on social media.
I also started to realize that they could come in handy for quickly cleaning your eyeglasses or computer screen or wiping fingerprints off a pocket knife blade.
So I started to explore and research this new rabbit hole to see if this could be fodder for my next EDC adventure.
The folks at Junkin Genius, which makes handmade hanks, recently reached out to see if I would like to try a couple of them and do a review.
Of course, I gave an enthusiastic “yes.”
I had gotten to know Tim or O Father EDC, as he is known online, through the online knife chat group that we are both active in.
He and his wife Julie asked me to pick out two designs to try out from their vast assortment of creations they offer up at Junkin Genius.
So, I went with a camping theme with a brushed flannel backing to it. The other one has a Southwestern theme that looks like a Navajo rug and has a micro suede backing. The latter is an older design from Junkin Genius and they no longer use the suede for their new hanks, but I wanted to give both a try.
I have been carrying them around for about a week now. I have them in the plastic pouches they came in so I can keep them clean. I don’t know if other people take their hanks out of the plastic or not, but this seems to work for me.
So far, I have made several social media posts using them and have used them as a quick way to wipe down a pocket knife, not anything grimy, just smudges and fingerprints.
They are also a great conversation starter, if you like that sort of thing.
Tim’s wife Julie is the creative force behind Junkin Genius. Tim tells me she has always been into crafting, painting and re-purposing older items and finding new uses for them.
She originally started making hanks at Tim’s request as a way to augment his EDC and it has grown into a side business for the couple that is attracting more and more buzz and positive attention in the EDC community.
They have a wide range of designs – abstract, sports, different themes like my camping one or grilling, patriotic, Christmas, “Star Wars,” you name it.
You can check them out on Instagram by clicking here.
They can be washed by hand in cold water. They recommend you lay them out on a towel to dry and you can iron them if you want to.
I know I am now hooked on another aspect of this crazy EDC hobby.
To me, hanks add up to a quick, lightweight and colorful way to add to your daily carry.
I imagine they can also make great gifts. They have so many different designs you can really find something to fit any personality.
Want to thank Tim and Julie for reaching out and sending their product my way to share with our KTSM audience.
Here is a list of helpful and entertaining YouTube channels that deal with EDC
NOTE: Dave Burge is a web producer and digital reporter for KTSM.com. All gear mentioned or reviewed is paid for out of his own pocket, unless noted otherwise.
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