Categorizing Your Knife Collection

Guess I've never really thought about it, I don't think I will ever sell any of my knives . I have to say your collection sounds pretty damn nice !
 
I have my traditional users, my modern users, my fixed blades, my cheapo assisted openers ( novelties ), non assisted cheapos ( also novelties to me ) then the stuff that's actually meant to be a novelty such as bullet knives ...ect.
 
Small, medium and large is how I categorize my blades. If need be, what goes first is dependant upon what I use the least. Customs and limited pieces included.
 
The EDC ones
the Too pretty to use seriously ones
The Badass ones
The Serious craftsmanship ones
The What I was thinking when I bought it lol knives
 
My categories are simple:

1. The ones I like to look at
2. The ones I like to use

Unfortunately, for me these categories are exclusive justifiably so or not.
 
My categories are pretty broad. Modern folders(sub-divided into regular, ie Manix 2 and Endura, and "defensive" styles ie Matriarch and Ti-Lite), traditional and "classic" folders(Rough Riders, Buck 110, Opinel), large outdoor/camp knives(lotta Condor stuff), small fixed blades(Moras and such), neck knives, fighting/combat/defensive knives(daggers, karambits, Ka-Bar USMC), machetes, swords.

The only ones I'm likely to carry/use are the regular modern folders or an SAK from the traditional/classic list.
 
I classify my knives by use not by type
I use my knives, actually collecting to look at things is no-sense for me and if I don't use a knife I end selling or trading it

I have
urban/at work low profile EDC
Delica 4, small inkosi, small insingo, small Griptilian, 940-1...

Casual EDC
Southern grind SM, paramilitary 2, large inkosi, large sebenza, ZT0801...

Outdoor or hicking
ZT0350, ZT0630...
 
With the exception of sentimental knives, all of my knives are users and I categorize by purpose:

EDC - CRK Small Plain Sebenza
Dress- CRK Mnandi
Hike/Backpack - Esse 4
Sentimental - USMC Kbar and SAK.

I doubt I'd ever sell any of them. I might "upgrade" the Esse, but would keep it as a lender and for yard work.
 
I bought every one of my knives to use, so my catagories are simple:

Modern folders.
Traditional folders.
Fixed blades.
 
I categorize them by use and purpose categories, mainly:

- EDCers: Can be replaced, current production or not long discontinued, could sell or gift and sometimes have doubles of, they are usually under $120

Broken Skull, Pacific Salt, Talwar, Rajah III, Hold Out, Recon 1, SAKs, Utilitac II, Cara Cara 2

-Limited runs/Discontinued: Non easily replaceable, very valuous and normally not used to EDC, or if so they do limitedly rough and dirty work, usually over $120 but below $200

Lil' Matriarch, Rajah I, Spyderhawk Salt, CS Desperado

-Slipjoints and traditionals: Many have a history or sentimental value, but are cheap in $ value and see limited use, mostly light cutting and urban/around people use

- EDC Fixed Blades, person on carry: Small or medium sized blades for carry on person and use for EDC chores and normal cutting tasks, or hiking

CRKT Minimalists, Spyderco ARK, Aqua Salt, Jumpmaster, Roach Belly, Mora, Hissatsu

- Big blades: Machetes, swords, axes, choppers, cleavers, etc. that mainly see garden use, camping or outdoors use or just sit around (in case of weapons and ethnic blades). These can be easily replaced or re-bought (tools) or have historical value and are unique (weapons)

KaBar Parangatang, KaBar Potbelly, Ontario SPAX, Cold Steel Machetes, Marbles Machetes, cavalry sabers and military swords, filipino swords and daggers, bayonets...
 
I have never really been happy with the way I have been grouping my knives.
At this point, I guess I would have to go with something simple.

1. Dress/Semi-Dress
2. EDC/EDC +
3. Fixed Blade Knives
4. Keepers

My normal EDC is something small & light with about a 3 inch blade. My Benchmade 531 is a good example. It also works well in a semi-dress role. EDC+ is just a knife I would carry as an every day knife except for it's larger size. My Gerber MP600 and Leatherman Wave multi-tools also fit into this group.
 
I made a list in alphabetical order according to manufacturer/maker , followed by description , price paid , and any notes.
How I use or "feel" about a knife hasn't any bearing. It's easy to add a knife to a manufacturers' section as well as the other details.

At the very least , I have a list of 95% of the most important knives I own.
One day I'll add up the cost , but I'm almost afraid to and it'll take a while.
 
I can see the logic behind your sales priority but even so I would certainly first try to sell the knives I like the least, whatever category they fit into. I realize that "like the least" is a vague category from an intellectual perspective but in my experience quite useful in actual practice.
 
Velitrius said:
A. Sharp ones

B. Not sharp ones

Pile "B" goes over to the bench, where they will be sharpened and returned to Pile "A".

Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
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LOL. I just had to smile when I saw this.
It is almost two in the morning and I feel like crud. It is not easy to get me to smile right now. Well done.
 
sabre cat said:
LOL. I just had to smile when I saw this.
It is almost two in the morning and I feel like crud. It is not easy to get me to smile right now. Well done.
Click to expand...

I hope you get to feeling better soon, Sabre. Summer is not the season to be afflicted with crud.

Happy to help though.;)
 
I categorize and expand my collection based on opening mechanism. For me, this includes flippers, manual openers (modern), automatics, and traditionals. There is some crossover between categories, due to double-action autos, but I try to maintain a relatively equal number of knives in each group.
 
Velitrius said:
I hope you get to feeling better soon, Sabre. Summer is not the season to be afflicted with crud.

Happy to help though.;)
Click to expand...

Thank you. I have been feeling like garbage off and on for about six months now. Maybe it's because I am getting old. Not super old but, I'm not 20 any longer.

I sure do look at knives differently than I did in my twenties and I am starting to consider downsizing my collection. I never would have done that 40 years ago.
 
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