An experiment, can I limit myself two modern folders?

M

MRaymond

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Jan 27, 2012
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Like many around these parts, I have and had multiple knives that I use in my "rotation". I have had many of the recommended production knives from spyderco, ZT, etc. As a matter of fact, there are some that I have traded away only to replace later. I started to think, why? Why do I get rid of a knife only to replace it later? I think the reason is because I like to keep myself on somewhat of a budget. Over the past couple of years, I have gotten by with trying a lot of good knives by trading.

I have a rule, if I don't want to carry it, I won't keep it. My only mainstay knife over the last seven or so months has been my sebenza 25. I have also had a military, para2, some fixed blades, a zt0550 and zt0561 and a couple others. They have all come and gone. I suppose that I hold on to the sebenza because it is everything I want/need in a knife. I think the main thing that sets the sebenza apart from the other production knives is the tolerances but mainly, the hardware. In trying figuring out what makes me want to carry a certain knife, I realized that those tolerances and high quality hardware is what keeps me interested. Example, The sebenza doesn't cut any better than say.. a para 2, but the other attributes keep me admiring and wanting to use and carry the sebenza. To test this, I decided to do a little experiment. I have pared down my rotation to two knives.

1. CRK Sebenza 25.

2. Hinderer XM18 3.5 inch slicer flipper.

I had a hinderer in the past and loved it. I ended up trading it away to get the sebenza 25 (and a healthy wad of cash. I recently got a ZT0561 and instead of satisfying my need for a hinderer, it made me want one again even more. Now, these are the only two that I own and I want to see if they will keep me from accumulating any more.

Has anyone else pared down their collection to a few that you keep and carry? How did you decide which knives you were going to keep? How long did it last?

Here are a couple pics of the two that I am going to try this experiment with. Wish me luck;)
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Two? Pfft. I limit myself to one. :cool:


Find your grail and you need no other.

You can certainly want another, but that's another story :D


I've got a full sized Griptilian with polished black linen micarta scales. It is perfection. I've tried carrying other stuff, but none of the ZTs, Benchmades or Spydies I've owned have been able to kick it out of my pocket.
 
Why limit myself to one or two when I do not have to. I could if I had to, but since I do not I will not as I like to switch it up and look at and use all my different knives. If I did limit myself to two then they would be customs. Most likely a Bodega (I know it is technically a mid tech) and a Will Moon Mk6 or Mk7.
 
life wouldn't come to a screeching hault for most of us if we weren't able to carry any knives, but we do because it makes us feel good.:p
 
I have recently been thinking about doing this myself. Selling off and buying grails and only keeping sentimental knives plus 2 folders and 2 fixed blades as users, but I just don't know if i could let go of my collection yet. I'm on the fence still though. Ill be following your progress to see how you like it. :thumbup:
 
I think around June I stopped buying up knives and tried to thin down the collection. So far I have stuck to a rule of "One for each purpose" With the exception of a small traditional (Northfield Conductor in Ebony w/ bail vs. CV Case Swayback Jack vs. BFC Congress Jack) and a small modern (Delica 4 ZDP-189 reground by Tom Krein vs. BFC Skyline).

God knows what's gunna happen when I get some real income.
 
Yeah I keep a few only, other serve as backup too.

I cannot keep 100 knives for some reason, hate clutter.

besides, after buying large and small sebenza and mnandi, I have no urge to buy anymore knives. Except kitchen/work knives.
 
I'm travelling for work, I'll be away from home a day and a night, I kept my pack as small as possible and brought only the bare essentials. I have 6 knives...

Last month I stayed at my grandma's while my house was remodeled, I brought a box of knives and multitools (as well as a few nice wheelguns).

I guess I could get by with one or two knives, but wouldn't enjoy the experience very much. I'm a bit of a knife slut.
 
If/when I get my hands on a q36 from rj, I think my collection is going to get a bit smaller.
 
I have a modest collection of 20 folding knives. There is only one knife that I do not carry regularly, but I will hold on to for a long time. That is the 3300 Infidel. Just because it is so much fun to play with :D I am sure that there are many with more knives and some with less knives, but I am happy with what I have now. Good luck with your experiment! Could I whittle my knife collection down too a few knives? Yes. But why? :)
 
Great choice, OP, great choice :D



The urge to buy another folder diminished after I bought these two, but then I might consider a Lochsa..... if I can find one.
 
I try to limit myself on what I use as my EDC's. I usually carry any combination of my Benchmade Torrent 890, Benchmade Griptilian sand, Buck Vantage Force Pro, Kershaw Chive. But as of late, I've been outside and in the woods a lot, so I've been carrying a couple fixed blades I made about 3 years ago when I was 16. So I'm usually carrying between 2 and 4 knives at any one time :D If I get a XM that is what I will carry for the rest of my days.
 
Both of those are excellent knives..you should be fine doing just about everything. Sebenza for light to medium use / slicing. Hinderer for everything heavy duty. Not sure why you would need more than those two. I actually try to have a more beefy knife to compliment my sebenza, right now I have a full ti Spyderco southard, but I have had an xm18/ sebenza combo in the past (would pick one or the other to EDC) and that worked quite well for me.
 
That is a nice slicer grind in the XM-18...I had that in a 3" and the Spanto in the 3.5". The Spanto is much too heavy-duty for my use. I sold both as my carry needs are quite (very) casual.
I agree on the Sebbie. I carry a large, or the Zaan. Recently, the Zaan.
I really only carry one knife. Anything else sits in the safe. I may get tired of the Zaan. If so, I can carry the large Seb for a bit.
I have yet to find anything to replace them. Of course, everyone has a favorite. I really only need one knife, although that would limit my fun. It's nice to have others to look at and fondle. I hear that mere possession is 90% of the flaw.
 
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