A collection that covers everything

[Brutus013]

I'm wondering what you think the minimum number of knives a collection needs if you want it to encompass most of the different styles and materials in the knife world. In my opinion, I think these are the requirements for such a collection:

Handle materials must include bone/horn, FRN or similar plastic, micarta, metal (preferably titanium), G10, and wood.

Locks must include a liner lock, a frame lock, a back lock, an axis lock, a slipjoint, and a fixed blade.

Lengths need to range from 2" to 4"

Opening mechanisms would have to have a nail nick, thumb studs, opening holes, and a flipper.

At least one knife with a clip, and at least one with no clip.

What else do you think is necessary?

Also, just to make it a challenge, keep the budget at $350 for all of the knives. Here's what I came up with:

Case Sodbuster (FRN/plastic, nailnick, slipjoint, no pocket clip)
Spyderco G10 Dragonfly (G10, opening hole, backlock, 2" blade, pocket clip)
EKA Swede 88 (wood handle)
Any puukko with reindeer handle and a 4" blade (fixed blade, bone handle, 4" blade)
Benchmade Monochrome (metal handles, frame lock, thumbstuds)
Benchmade Mini-Griptilian 555HG (axis lock)
CRKT Tuition (liner lock, flipper, micarta)

The total for these would be just under $350. What knives would you choose?

 

[RxEnergy]

Change Monochrome to Kershaw Leek and you'll have all same features and AO on top of that. That is if you want to cover more ground.

 

[YayILikePie]

I think you might need another slip joint to cover the multi-bladed folder category.

 

[C.S. Graves]

Geez, to encompass most styles in the knife world... you'd have to buy dozens if not hundreds just to cover the styles of Southeast Asia alone!

 

[_habit_]

Interesting idea to try and have a collection that contains everything major. Personally I wouldn't worry about having some of those in my collection; bone, horn, FRN are all meh to me. And I would probably spend $350 on just 2 or 3 knives personally. For me though, I would try and include the compression lock, a bali-song, and possibly the Nak-Lok (I have a BM 480). Also you left out aluminum (several Benchmades, Spyderco Chinese), and carbon fiber.