Different knife different day, or one knife for life?

[Flash]

Although I choose my knife purchases with significantly more diligence nowadays, having just one single knife to use all the time would not only be a step too minimalist for being “into” knives as a hobby, but would also be too restrictive for my other outdoor hobbies too.

My collection is always evolving - for example I soon will be downsizing my Spyderco collection - too many of them no longer meet my needs. My tastes have changed and I now much prefer using super low-geometry or full-height hollow grinds on my EDC folders. Spyderco doesn’t accommodate this enough to warrant keeping xx of their thicker edge knives in my collection. But I still need one or two high quality fixed blades with a more robust geometry when I’m out in the woods etc, likely supplied by LT Wright.

For me around 5 or 6 is the Goldilocks zone amount of knives to enjoy the hobby whilst keeping it as minimalist as possible.

[Roefisher]

I usually carry a knife for a week, and change every Sunday. But I also always carry either my Mora Eldris or Schrade USA Uncle Henry LB5 depending on sharpening times and changing them around afterwards.

If I fancy a new knife for a certain job, I'll reach for that one anytime.

While I appreciate and understand collection pieces, for me, the best thing I ever did was to stop collecting and not using knives. Every one I have is used now and I take so much more pleasure out of that than I ever did looking at them unused on a shelf - then usually sold on a massive loss while, worse again, never seeing what good they were.

Use 'em all, while you can.

Mark

[Coastal]

Often more than one knife per day. Seldom the same knife two days in a row.

[wrdwrght]

I’m not in either camp.

One knife for life, in view of the decades Spyderco has offered delicious varieties of models, is just cutting off my nose to spite my face.

And to soften any compulsion I might have to cycle my 100+ unique Spydie models one day to the next, I let my unbidden curiosity lead me to the particular Spydie model I want in my pocket. Some others that come to mind as candidates for my pocket I will put on my comfy chair’s side-table to fondle, to compare, and to renew my admiration.

Today, for instance, I’m pocketing a Military2, but have beside me my just-acquired OG Chinook grail (what an SD chunk it is compared to the Eric-improved feather-like Military2, and did it inspire Sal’s OG Lil’ Temperance, I wonder) and a Canis (how efficiently spare it is for SD compared to the Chinook, and arguably more useful it is for general use).

I love to muse about varying Spydies in hand, and more often about countless other things, such as this comment, with varying Spydies in hand.

Of course, such a frame of mind is contingent on a budget to sustain it, and so far I have been lucky to have this luxury.

[riclaw]

My "one knife for life" is always the next knife I buy.

[Fastidiotus]

I have a main edc that gets carried everyday. I keep a Leatherman Supertool 300 in my truck but my knife will inevitably end up as a screwdriver, wire stripper/cutter, or scraper before I get to it. My edc will get loaned out without asking what needs to be cut, it may not survive it may not comeback. Most of my coworkers only carry a folding utility blade but I've never much liked them.

The after work or the weekend is when I rotate for fun and try new steels. Ive bought a couple Spydercos with the intent to make them my new work edc. When I get them though they're deemed too nice or expensive to thrash and they get added to the weekend rotation.

[SchoonerBum]

In theory, one knife for life, but in practice I’m a huge gear nerd and that certainly extends to knives. I enjoy tinkering with my systems, whether tools, edc, backpacking, work, sailing, or paddling. Consequently I’m constantly playing with different knives and other tools and bits of gear and continuously evolving in my skills and preferences. I’m striving toward “one knife for life” while being fully aware that I will never get there.

In practice I have a set of work knives, either Atlantic Salts or a Myerchin rig knife, depending on where I’m working and what is standard practice there. My EDC around town tends toward the Delica/Salt 2 family but I’ll often carry other knives that I’m playing with. I just picked up my first Manix so that’s in my pocket at the moment. I also have a different mix of knives for outdoor land-based pursuits that tends toward fixed blades and the Endura/Pac Salt family, but with plenty of experimentation.

One thing I have done is when I find a knife that I really like, I’ll often buy two or three of them. It’s not as much to have backups but so I can stash them in appropriate bags for different activities so, for example, I don’t have to remember to grab my knife out of my town pants when I’m changing in the parking lot to go out for a ski. It’s not terribly cost effective but I feel like a lot of people here understand that level of gear nerdiness.

[Manixguy@1994]

I usually carry two to three knives and do rotate . Dragonfly Salt for the most part gets most time in weak side right pocket . Just about any large knife gets time in left pocket and in vest a just for fun carry . MG2

[krrtlr1]

I was rotating, but more and more, the Para 3 LW is ending up in the pocket, Beautiful knife. Fits the pocket. Opens and closes fast and is slicey sharp.

[JayHenMac]

I’m not in either camp.

One knife for life, in view of the decades Spyderco has offered delicious varieties of models, is just cutting off my nose to spite my face.

And to soften any compulsion I might have to cycle my 100+ unique Spydie models one day to the next, I let my unbidden curiosity lead me to the particular Spydie model I want in my pocket. Some others that come to mind as candidates for my pocket I will put on my comfy chair’s side-table to fondle, to compare, and to renew my admiration.

Today, for instance, I’m pocketing a Military2, but have beside me my just-acquired OG Chinook grail (what an SD chunk it is compared to the Eric-improved feather-like Military2, and did it inspire Sal’s OG Lil’ Temperance, I wonder) and a Canis (how efficiently spare it is for SD compared to the Chinook, and arguably more useful it is for general use).

I love to muse about varying Spydies in hand, and more often about countless other things, such as this comment, with varying Spydies in hand.

Of course, such a frame of mind is contingent on a budget to sustain it, and so far I have been lucky to have this luxury.

I can't relate to the volume of your collection, but I definitely relate to the idea of having 3-4 candidates out at a time while I work, watch tv, or read a book. My current pile is an Endela (currently seeing the most pocket time), Para 3, Sage 5, and Native 5.

Maybe the original though process between knife for life vs different day different knife was wrong. Maybe I am on a never ending search for my knife for life, but in the process I am stuck in a loop of different day different knife.

[wrdwrght]

I’m not in either camp.

One knife for life, in view of the decades Spyderco has offered delicious varieties of models, is just cutting off my nose to spite my face.

And to soften any compulsion I might have to cycle my 100+ unique Spydie models one day to the next, I let my unbidden curiosity lead me to the particular Spydie model I want in my pocket. Some others that come to mind as candidates for my pocket I will put on my comfy chair’s side-table to fondle, to compare, and to renew my admiration.

Today, for instance, I’m pocketing a Military2, but have beside me my just-acquired OG Chinook grail (what an SD chunk it is compared to the Eric-improved feather-like Military2, and did it inspire Sal’s OG Lil’ Temperance, I wonder) and a Canis (how efficiently spare it is for SD compared to the Chinook, and arguably more useful it is for general use).

I love to muse about varying Spydies in hand, and more often about countless other things, such as this comment, with varying Spydies in hand.

Of course, such a frame of mind is contingent on a budget to sustain it, and so far I have been lucky to have this luxury.

I can't relate to the volume of your collection, but I definitely relate to the idea of having 3-4 candidates out at a time while I work, watch tv, or read a book. My current pile is an Endela (currently seeing the most pocket time), Para 3, Sage 5, and Native 5.

Maybe the original though process between knife for life vs different day different knife was wrong. Maybe I am on a never ending search for my knife for life, but in the process I am stuck in a loop of different day different knife.

Yes, that volume is an embarrassment (of what I deem riches), but it is no accomplishment on which I hang any kind of pride.

What you do and what I do does seem to reflect the same joy.

[Pokey]

Ok, all you guys with Significant Others, have you had, “the talk” yet?

[TimButterfield]

My talk was slightly different. A week long trip to the Maldives costs many thousands of dollars. Afterwards, there are some digital photos and (fading) memories. For a fraction of the cost, I have a bunch of Spyderco that will be used for years and, if desired, can be sold later to recoup some of the costs. Try that with an expensive trip. Besides, the one made me feel better about the other. Don't tell her I said that.

[zuludelta]

Every day I throw a multitool in my bag, a traditional slip joint in a little sheath in my pocket, and I grab a modern folder. You'd think, grab and go! But NOOOOO. I grab one, then I put it back and grab another with better action, then I swap that out with one that carries better in the pocket, then I think "What am I doing today? I'll grab something that matches the task." And so on. There are a couple combos that have seen more pocket time than others, but it's still a struggle.

[... ]

I know that there are tens of us out there who are paralyzed by the crippling indecision of the daily carry choice. How do you choose? How do you manage?

I used to be "paralyzed by the crippling indecision of the daily carry choice" (a First World Problem to be sure, but one exacerbated by my obsessive-compulsive tendencies) when I first really got into folders (and Spydercos specifically) but it eventually went away after years of using them at work and putting serious thought into what my primary work cutting and "convenience cutting" tasks are and how much things like discretion and overall "carryability" matter to me relative to functional ergonomics, as well as what steel properties are most relevant to my use case.

These days, I stick to 3 models in 2 different steels for my work knives. These are models that are a fit for me ergonomically & functionally, and steels that (a) Spyderco has absolutely nailed in terms of heat treat, (b) have qualities that support the type of cutting I do at work, and (c) that I know I can maintain & re-sharpen with minimum fuss.

The models & steels have changed over the years as my work situation has changed but the principles behind my model & steel choices have stayed the same. When I used to work in a frozen environment that saw me cutting a lot of wet/frozen abrasive materials, for instance, I prioritized qualities like stainlessness, wear resistance & the ability to draw, deploy, and use the knife while wearing thick, cold-weather work gloves.

I haven't stopped exploring different designs & trying new steels (though I've significantly ramped down now that I know what I like & what I need in a work knife), but like someone else who posted in this thread, I try out new models & steels primarily outside of work, and they eventually find a place in my work knife rotation if I find that they are better suited for it than one of the current models.

[Spyderbot_matrix]

You’re not alone OP- My knives fall under the category “Pocket Jewelry” but do more than that. I can’t choose a knife cause once I’ve sharpened one, its in my rotation. That’s 5 knives. I always carry a resilience in my bag and something else in my back pocket. My manix 2 lightweight does it’s job, but I like my para3 then the pm2 had a nice action… then 10 minutes wasted deciding lmao