Has your rotation "slowed", or become "distilled"?

NJBillK

NJBillK

Custom Leather and Fixed Blade modifications.
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Messages
9,594
I have noticed that my carry knives have really boiled down to a few knives.
Fixed rotation:
- CPK EDC in 4V
- Small Custom Oh Mai! by Nighthaxan

Folder rotation:
- CRK large 21
- Lion Steel Euro-Barlow
- ZT 770cfM4
- Camillus R-4
- GEC 14
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I have other knives, but they don't see pocket time and I have been contemplating letting some go or gifting them to family members.

I have an old saber ground Endura, a Winchester Sowbelly, some older traditionals, and some others that I can't even think of...

What about you folks?
Has your Daily Carry rotation settled into a comfortable few? If so, what are they?

Pics:
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2017-06-25 14.06.16.jpg
 
Yes, I have recently whittled my collection to four knives total. Personally I feel awesome only having a few, and not cluttered with a bunch of knives I don't use often. These two are my carry rotation as I EDC the Bugout off work and EDC the Griptilian at work.

IMG_3542.JPG

The Pacific Salt I carry for beach and kayaking. The Esee is for truck emergency use and sometimes hiking.

IMG_3547.JPG IMG_3553.JPG
 
Yes. I've bought and sold dozens and dozens of knives over the years. At the moment it's down to:

Contego
Adamas
Military
Launch 5
Launch 6
GEC 85 ebony
2009 Bladeforums Barlow with the phattest stag I've ever seen (gorgeous!)

And other various slipjoints and traditionals. The only knives that ever see my pocket are the first three. But I've got an 801 coming tomorrow, had one before and liked it so that should see a lot of pocket time too. I'm pretty careful about buying knives these days, because I've bought so many that just sat around and ended up leaving. The knives I listed that don't get carried are still here because they're either really cool and fun to play with but are illegal (Launches) or are just really pretty (2009/85)
 
What has happened to me recently was that my rotation has bloated. I used to pick 4-5 knives and rotate through them for a couple of months, then dip into the collection for another 4-5 and EDC those for a while. My current rotation consists of 8 knives because there are 4-5 knives that I just can't bear to put away.
 
Up until about three years ago, I owned one EDC knife (Spyderco Delica 4) and a couple miscellaneous knives stashed in specific places (toolbox, etc.). It had never occurred to me to rotate my EDC; I just had my knife, and that was that. I came across folks talking about rotation -- here, I think -- and had a lightbulb moment. I could enjoy lots of different knives, while still carrying all of them!

So I gave rotation a try for about a year and a half, but I found that while I would open my knife chest and happily ponder what to carry on a given day, it was always the same knife for weeks or months in a row. I wasn't actually rotating anything, even though I had 20 or so knives I liked to choose from. :D

That made me realize that I'm really a one-knife guy when it comes to EDC. The more I carry and use a knife, the more it becomes mine. The more places I use it, and memories I associate with it, the more I like it. Wear adds character, and spurs memories. The longer I carry the same knife, the happier I am about it.

The knife changes from time to time, usually as I figure out a new preference or test out something different, but my "rotation" is just the one knife, the current one, and me wondering why I have all the others. ;)

Right now it's a ZT0350TS:

jIvtoQq.jpg
 
I'd say the opposite. Every new knife goes into the rotation and affects the orbit of the others.

The Lionsteel round head is a great example. I like to have a traditional non locking knife in my pocket. The low threat level combined with attractive natural covers makes it a conversation starter. And since i have that I can also carry one of my more aggressive modern folder like a Yojimbo that I might not want to use to open a box up with. Then I can also pair it with my PPT or my Szabo and get those some pocket time.

So it's interesting to me finding what pairs well together
 
I know I am starting to get a handle on it, since I am now only purchasing targeted knives.

I have a JK Knives Improved Friction Folder on order, and a Busse Mystery Bag.

Even though I often lose, I still like to gamble every now and then, and the Busse Mystery Bag seemed like it would be a fun one to take part in.

The JK Knives IFF is going to be in natural micarta and flat ground 154cm. It will look similar to the one below, but has a cap lifter in the tang end, and flat not saber ground.broken rogue_zpsb67zcdom.jpg
 
It's actually the opposite for me.
I was edcing the same knife every single day for 3 years, and about 2 years with a different knife before that.
Then I joined here and started to change my EDC here and there maybe every month or two at first.
Now pick something to carry Mon - fri then something else on the weekends.
I have about 21 users in my rotation / arsenal right now, and I try to get to each of them but I can't really wait 5 weeks ( I normally pair 2 up ) to carry certain knives I love again so a few of them don't get carried as often.
Out of the 21 there are probably 10 that get carried the most, I could switch daily or every other day but 1-2 days of use at a time doesn't really feel like much to me so I stick to Mon - Fri.
 
My work knife is a CRKT M16-14SFG.
When I'm not working I'll carry a Spyderco K2 or Southard 90% of the time (the other 10% is whichever other Spyderco I grab out of my box). When I go to church I add one of my Case Tiny Toothpicks, just because I love them.
I plan to add a Spyderco Nirvana around the first of the year.
 
Yup.

2 complete (watch, light, fixed fighter, waved folder, slipjoint) rotations with a handful of ancillary knives around the house.
 
NJBillK, like your user folders or choice of users. I'm really lazy about this and quite comfortable carrying one knife pretty much always until it breaks. I may add a second knife for fun, the the SAK gets most of the use. My other knives that I would choose are the GEC #14 (two blade) Lick Creek Boys Knife, ZT 0770CF, Benchmade Mini Barrage, Spydie Native 5, Delica 4 or Kiwi 4. Might toss in another traditional from time to time. I tried carrying the GEC #71 Sodbuster and it just wasn't enough for me. It now resides in its tube with a stained blade. I honestly didn't like the blade shape for an edc.
 
I've noticed what happens with my rotation is I acquire several knives within a small time period, stop buying, then slowly purge down to my preferred few. Its so far boiled down to BM 940, 551 and a Spyderco Dragonfly2 Salt. Right now I feel like going on a Spyderco splurge.
 
Mmmm that ZT0770

I've been carrying a Kizer Feist, Delica 4, and Swick 3 fairly regularly, also my Manix 2 and PM2. Every now and then I throw the Native 5 G-10, Techno, and ZT0450 in the mix, and if I'm carrying one of the larger ones I'll add a Dragonfly 2 G-10.
 
My old horseman was such a good hard user that I've picked up a few more Emerson's. I EDC'd it for over 7 years. Still have it, but it's pretty beat up. I'm not a collector as in getting knives that Gold Brick in my safe or just sit pretty in my pocket, so whatever I get needs to be able to take a beating, and also not make me feel guilty for using something that is a 'work of art' or may have some collector value.

Trying to shore up a local deal on another two CQC-7's right now... it's hard to stop when you get on a roll.
 
Yup! It's slowly whittled down through the years. Mind you, I still have most of my knives, it's just that only a few actually get carried. I figure it's natural as I experience more and realize what I like/need.
 
dragonist2 said:
I figure it's natural as I experience more and realize what I like/need.
Click to expand...
I would agree with this assessment.

Though I do have to say that I like seeing what others have found to be ideal, and how that compares to my choices. I also like looking at others choices and figuring how well it would work if it were my particular carry.
 
Ha, ha, ha,
The last two months or so I have really been another person as far as my "rotation".
There was zero rotation . . . the some total was :
  • EDC when every where but on my bicycle = Spyderco Para 2 Blurple S110V (reprofiled shallow and polished edge).
  • When on the bike add to the Para a Cold Steel Super Edge neck knife (which never varies regardless of what is clipped in my pocket).

The last couple of days the Para went into the drawer pushed out of my pocket by my brandy new 940-1 Osborn Carbon Fiber & S90V.
and
I am looking forward to betting back to carrying many, many knives again. There are some I have been missing.
But yah . . . the Para 2 was killer great and sure as heck fills the bill for me.

Bottom line I been weird (knifemonogamous) but getting back to my old promiscuous (knifeharem) enjoying ways.
 
I used to rotate through my knives, so I do get it. But anymore I just grab whatever's in my way in the morning. It's been just a leatherman for a good couple of months. At this point I barely have the time and energy for instant coffee and a pee that early, what knife I'm carrying is not high on the priorities.
 
I usually carry a Victorinox Pioneer or a Case Swayback Jack at work. I used to carry Emersons at work but since I've moved to a front pocket wallet I've stopped carrying such large folders. Outside of work it's been the Lionsteel Roundhead. Absolutely love this thing, but I think the 2017 Bladeforums 15 might boot it out of rotation once things cool down.
 
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