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

Yes. I used to carry something different every day for a while, several years ago. Now, I may carry the same knife for weeks or months at a time. In general, I have a group of about 5 or 6 go-to knives that are rather similar in size and function that I choose from rather haphazardly. Every once in a while, one from my extended collection will move into that small carry pool, and one of the others will go on standby.
 
I think I've settled into four in an EDC role, plus a couple of hiking/backing only.

1. Fiddleback Forge Sneaky Pete. Just love the handle on this one. This is currently my primary EDC when at home, which is almost all of the time (I work from home).
2. Leatherman PS4 - Multi-tool for impromptu jobs and the blade I hand to others when asked. I almost always carry this one.
3. CRK Small Sebenza - This one is my primary blade when not at home, hiking, or walking.
4. Bark River Mini Aurora - This is my primary knife for daily walks. Small enough to easily conceal, large enough to do anything I'm likely to need and doesn't bounce around in the pocket.

My others are:

Hiking - Fiddleback Forge Bushfinger

Backpacking - Bradford Guardian 4 in M390 (because it always rains when I backpack).
 
I've stopped my rotation, I EDC my Bradford guardian 3 and have my gollik custom in my day pack. Once I get to work (construction and a farmer) I think about my day and what tasks I have coming up and if I feel I need it I swap to the 5" gollik custom at that time, after works over the G3 goes back on my belt and the gollik back in my bag.

I do have another custom en route now that I think, atleast for a while will probably replace the G3.
 
Hi! I have a weekly rotation for my folders :). Currently I own a dozen or so, excluding those "around-the-house-knives" and a few in the tool boxes. The few fixed blades I own see little use nowadays and only when hiking/camping. I normally carry the same folder for the whole week, week-ends included :).

On Sundays afternoons, usually, I do the maintenance they may need, depending on use (e.g. minor/major cleaning, sharpening, lubrication, partial/complete disassembly, etc.). Once this is done, I store it away in the “gear box” and get out the next one, ready for Monday mornings. Normally I try to “walk” regularly all of them with no discriminations :) but, sometimes, if e.g. I know I have to travel abroad, have some specific work tasks, have a new acquisition to “test”, etc., I might opt to carry a specific one instead the one in turn, according to rotation schedule. For example, my go-to knife when traveling abroad for meetings/office works, etc. (taking flights, rental cars, trains, etc.) is a SAK rather than the ZT 0909; just the opposite if I know I have to spend one day opening pallets, tons of cardboard boxes, sampling goods on trucks, etc. :)

Pic of my “gear box”:

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jc57 said:
Yes. I used to carry something different every day for a while, several years ago. Now, I may carry the same knife for weeks or months at a time. In general, I have a group of about 5 or 6 go-to knives that are rather similar in size and function that I choose from rather haphazardly. Every once in a while, one from my extended collection will move into that small carry pool, and one of the others will go on standby.
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Me too. It was too much of a hassle to always be switching. Mind you.... the switching was with the second knife, not the primary SAK. Then the second knife became a hassle (added pocket weight) when the need was really not there. It was purely because I like knives. And yes, I have a pile of knives, most brand new, sitting in the background for the time I might feel like grabbing one. But honestly, it seldom happens and I have begun asking myself why I even look at new stuff any more?

I do like traditional slip joints a lot. I bought two GEC #48 Improved Trappers. I love this knife, but I have yet to use it for anything. Not even opening envelopes at my desk as I have a SOG Access Card 2.0 that mostly has that task or I just reach in my pocket and grab the SAK.
 
I am starting to understand more of what I like and don't. Will be purchasing a few more knives that fit my taste. Will be getting rid of a few that don't.

Really don't want more than 10 knives.
 
I didn't get into knives to have a rotation to be honest. I wanted a single EDC that I could carry daily for a decade or more. Unfortunately finding that knife has involved quite a lot of trial and error :D. Even so most of my carries along that journey have had 6+ months of EDC at a time. The Lionsteel Barlow has just entered the pouch and I assume it will be there for a good long time. Or at least till Lionsteel makes a version with a small pen on the other end of a single spring, like a Northwoods Presidential with M390/Ti hardware (drool). However nice the EuroBarlow is, a dual blade version would be even better. So I'm not quite there yet, my grail hasn't been invented yet. :)

One other thing I've learnt is the concept of horses for courses. I don't need a full size knife for suit wear and have a little GEC #18 for such occasions. When heading outdoors I put a LM Charge on my belt and leave the slipjoint at home. I always have a little SAK Rambler on my keychain. There is an Opinel on my desk for apple slicing. So not quite a 'one knife man' but still aspiring to the general idea. Somewhat. Ish. :D
 
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This is my current rotation from oldest to newest acquisitions. Probably 10x as many have come and gone before the Lg Seb on the left through the time of my little Spyderco Roadie on the right. My knife buying has all but halted. These folders serve every purpose from something I would not lose any sleep over losing/damaging all the way to what I personally see as the finest folding knives within reason.
I really try to be reasonable with a knife purchase. (For a knife nut!) Each of the knives pictured fills a long winded niche. For me to buy something else it would have to have something different about it... even if it is a small detail. One day I will likely pick up a Sm. Inkosi because it is my opinion that CRK remains untouchable in the mid-high end market, and it is different enough from what I have. I will also likely buy the Fluted CF/S90V Spyderco Native 5 because it is a Linerless, sexy AF, fill any role, kinda knife... and I think the N5 is one of the best designed knives ever.

Other than that, I am fairly active here on the BF, I sub to all kinds of knife peeps on Instagram, watch a ton of YouTube videos and regularly check sales sights to see if anything new piques my interest. Very little does.
 
I carried the same Uncle Henry medium stockman every day for over 30 years & it did everything I ever asked it to do. I still have it & could probably get by with it, or something like it, as my only knife.

It's nice to have choices, though. I don't really have a rotation. I always carry a modern folder & a smaller traditional with me & I'll carry the same knives for weeks or months without switching to something else. The traditional "rotation" nowadays is almost always a SAK Alox Cadet, but on occasion, a Barlow, or a medium stockman might take it's place. The modern folder "rotation" is always a heavy Hinderer or a Sebenza.
 
I carried a Cold Steel Voyager for quite awhile when I first started EDC, then moved on to a Kershaw Splinter with Quince wood scales for awhile and then a BM Apparition until I lost it.:mad: After that I carried a Kershaw Shallot composite blade for two or three years and I just traded it out for a ZT 0220. I just bought a Spyderco PM2 and I am waiting for my dealer to get in the BM Bugout. When that comes in I'll start rotating between knives for awhile.
 
It seems so. For about six months I've been pretty much picking up one of these: ZT 095, Olamic Wayfarer 247, Steelcraft Mini Bodega, or one of three versions of the CKF Morrf. No plan involved, it just works out that way.
 
I didn't used to have a rotation - I carried the same knife for over two years (despite having, and acquiring, others)...until I forced it out of my pocket to try a few other knives. I could easily go back to carrying the same knife, day in and day out; but how would I justify having 30ish modern folders? (I've actually run a bit over that, so I'm trying to thin the herd... but the decision of which ones don't get to stay is getting harder every time.)
 
My rotation has slowed dramatically since I started getting into guns a little heavier. But it was already slowing long before that. Once I had a drawer of 20 knives and I did not want to part with any of them, I realized I had a good stable full. Now I try to let one go if I bring another in.

Currently trying to pare down slightly since after a year with the same 20 knives there are a few that have only seen the pocket occasionally in that time.

Snapshot of my rotation not counting the LG Snakewood Seb that was in my pocket at the time of the photo.
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I have put away all my GEC and Spyderco and Case knives in favor of a Lionsteel CF. Just ordered another with a beautiful clip blade in white/silver CF
 
HOMER GRIFIN said:
I have put away all my GEC and Spyderco and Case knives in favor of a Lionsteel CF. Just ordered another with a beautiful clip blade in white/silver CF
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Thank you for the heads up, I just placed a reservation for one too!
 
SpySmasher said:
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.
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I'm going to try this! My collection isn't huge, but this will keep it fresh. :thumbsup:
 
I usually carry a recon 1 at work and when I'm off I'll throw something else in my back pocket to supplement it. The CS just beg to be treated like whores.
 
My EDC is comprised of six knives. (What can I say? No one blade profile is ideal for every task. I like to have the right tool for the job. :) )
The five constants are a large Stockman, a Scout/Camp knife (on a 30 inch SAK chain lanyard, hooked to my key clip) Old Timer 7OT on the belt, a Rough Rider large Sunfish/Toenail in the watch pocket, and a SAK Signature on my keyring.
The variable is either a Barlow, Canoe, or Large Trapper.
On Days I know I'll need it, I'll put in a Pruning knife, or a Rough Rider "Half Hawk".
If I know I'll be splicing rope, then I'll replace the 7OT with a Rough Rider Marlin Spike.

While the Stockman and Scout/Camp knife are constant companions, I do change up which Stockman and Scout I carry ... maybe every quarter or two ... or three ... :)
 
My rotation has slowed to a standstill. I have no more rotation. My everyday carry is just a Buck 301 stockman and/or a Wenger SI. The Wenger has been with me so many years it outlasted all the 'other' knives. I had carried a Buck stockman for 25 years before becoming a knife nut, and it was wore out. After I have become burned out on the knife thing, I've went back to the 301 Buck via a generous forums member who gifted it to me.

The knife thing has faded a lot for me, but I will always have a good sharp knife on me. The Buck or the Wenger. Maybe both.
 
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