One Month, One Knife Challenge

[robot37]

I can probably count on one hand the number of days I have gone without a knife in my pocket. I feel completely naked and bereft without one. But the folder I pack with me varies greatly from one day to the next. Consequently the knife I have with me on a given day might be more or less capable of what I need it to do than the knife I had yesterday, or the knife I will have tomorrow.

So right around the beginning of June I set out on a challenge that was motivated in large part by my growing (and some would say fickle) folder collection. I had been living away from home on temporary assignment, and to fill the void left by being alone and far from home I accumulated over a dozen new folders. Combined with those I brought with me, I had 17 folders on hand at the time.

As luck would have it, a number of coincidental circumstances got me thinking about minimizing the amount of unnecessary stuff I own, and I wondered, “what would I do if my means were limited such that I could only afford ONE knife? Or, what would I do if I had to give away all but ONE knife?”

I laid out my collection set up some sports playoffs brackets on the dining room table, and did this one vs. that one until I got down to a winner. Elimination/selection criteria were as follows:
1. Would this one likely “get me in trouble”?
2. Is this one designed for too specific of a purpose?
3. Is this one so heavy that I would get annoyed by carrying it 24/7?
4. Is this one so bulky or oddly shaped that I would get annoyed by carrying it 24/7?
5. Do I instinctively like this one more than the other one?

And the winner: Spyderco Paramilitary

I boxed everything else up and promised that I would visit on occasion, but for the time being it was just me and the Spydie.

So, how’d it go? Surprisingly well, actually!! Not once did I cry out for a bigger blade. Not once did I regret my choice, or think about swapping out for something else. It couldn’t have been a better match for my current lifestyle. Up until recently I had scoffed at anything with a < 4” blade. But for one reason or another I got onto a less-is-more kick, and I really started warming up to the idea of packing a 3” blade around as my only means of resolving knots, or opening boxes, packages, food, and the like. So the Paramilitary was a somewhat surprising choice for me, given my former proclivities, but I was committed to the cause, and I gave the challenge a real honest try.

The month went by surprisingly fast, and it didn’t dawn on me until today (4 days into my new month) that I need to update my One Month One Knife Challenge choice. Either stick with the Paramilitary, or pick something new to use for a month. As luck would have it, a new Benchmade Mini Bone Collector folder arrived in the mail today.

I was drawn to the aesthetics of the Bone Collector series, and used to own a full size Bone Collector folder. I found it to be just a tad bit bulky for my tastes, and sold it off to fund other purchases (namely the Spyderco Paramilitary). A few weeks into the One Month challenge I started opening my mind more to the “mini” versions of several knives, and the mini Bone Collector was a natural fit.

So, I’m going 30 days with the Bone Collector mini. Based on how that goes, and the eventual arrival of some custom scales, next month I will probably give the 550HG Griptilian the honor, unless of course I really start to miss the Paramilitary.

-nate

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

I think you'll like the grippy as much as you like the para. I've been wanting to get a para myself, but my caly 3 zdp does me just fine for right now. That bone collector looks pretty sick. I don't think i could use one knife for one month now a days. I had carried a few knives back when i was younger & wasn't on this forum for months or even years at a time, but once i got onto this forum that all went out the window and my mind expanded a lot. Give periodic updates on that bone collector and let us know what it didn't or did do for you that day.

 

[Apebrains]

I applaud your minimalism. I am as much a knife fan as many, if not most, of the others who dwell within the confines of this forum, day in and day out. Though I'm not sure of the circumstances by which you came upon this personal paradigm shift, I can't help but extol said virtues as I've found them myself. I love knives, and I'm constantly tempted to purchase a new one, but I am not a fan of waste, and even less a fan of consumerism, and I find that in some regards, this hobby of mine, of ours, encourages both.

I fell in love with the knife as it was man's first fine tool. Sure, before it came the rocks with which we'd bludgeon to death our prey, or the sticks with which we'd manipulate our environment, but the knife was different. It require adjustment, adaptation, and careful manipulation of the raw material to create something finer. And from that dawn, that first production of man, the knife endured. Today, it remains one of the most useful and popular tools in our culture, with one, of whatever description, finding it's way into the hands of nearly every extant human being.

But in the spirit of those who first created this source of our now fanatic love, I appreciate the need that this tool fills. It is simply a gap made less wide by the addition of this material thing into our posession. Consumerism, as it began to emerge dramatically in the twentieth century, primarily as a product of industry, taught us that we need more of these things. No longer is this merely a tool created to fill a gap to make our lives easier and more efficient. NOW, it has become a thing we must have many of! And woe is to he who cannot afford said things! He must work harder to have more money to have more of these things!

The purpose of this tirade is simply to say that I think you've stumbled on something profound. Something we can each take and apply to so many parts of our lives. Bigger is not always better, and more is not always merrier. For this I remove my hat before you and say thank you, for helping me remember these points, as I, like so many others, struggle with this each day. Moreover, I wish you luck in finding that perfect knife.

"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone."
-Henry David Thoreau

 

[robot37]

My latest one-month challenge has gotten a bit thrown off with the arrival of a new knife. I had carried the mini Bone Collector around for about two days or so when my brand new Fox Havoc arrived.

I had been waiting for the Havoc for months, and with the fine folks over at Fox Knives finally getting stuff straightened out I got my grubby paws on a badass folder that I've been incessantly drooling over. So of course, it displaced the mini Bone Collector for a few days, and threw me off the wagon.

I love the Havoc, but I realize that I need to stick with one knife or the other. So the Havoc is going into the drawer with all the other folders, and the Bone Collector is back in the pocket.

Overall I'm really starting to embrace the ~3" blades, and it's opening up a whole new phase in my knife ownership. The plan right now is to give the Bone Collector a full month, or until I can save up for a Spyderco PPT, whichever comes last.

 

[VictGerbSogCamill]

Very nice thread ! :thumbup: Makes you think ! I love your bracketology, But I guess I'm in denial because I can't have just one. (like lays potato chips)

 

[mk.ultra]

I applaud your minimalism. I am as much a knife fan as many, if not most, of the others who dwell within the confines of this forum, day in and day out. Though I'm not sure of the circumstances by which you came upon this personal paradigm shift, I can't help but extol said virtues as I've found them myself. I love knives, and I'm constantly tempted to purchase a new one, but I am not a fan of waste, and even less a fan of consumerism, and I find that in some regards, this hobby of mine, of ours, encourages both.

I fell in love with the knife as it was man's first fine tool. Sure, before it came the rocks with which we'd bludgeon to death our prey, or the sticks with which we'd manipulate our environment, but the knife was different. It require adjustment, adaptation, and careful manipulation of the raw material to create something finer. And from that dawn, that first production of man, the knife endured. Today, it remains one of the most useful and popular tools in our culture, with one, of whatever description, finding it's way into the hands of nearly every extant human being.

But in the spirit of those who first created this source of our now fanatic love, I appreciate the need that this tool fills. It is simply a gap made less wide by the addition of this material thing into our posession. Consumerism, as it began to emerge dramatically in the twentieth century, primarily as a product of industry, taught us that we need more of these things. No longer is this merely a tool created to fill a gap to make our lives easier and more efficient. NOW, it has become a thing we must have many of! And woe is to he who cannot afford said things! He must work harder to have more money to have more of these things!

The purpose of this tirade is simply to say that I think you've stumbled on something profound. Something we can each take and apply to so many parts of our lives. Bigger is not always better, and more is not always merrier. For this I remove my hat before you and say thank you, for helping me remember these points, as I, like so many others, struggle with this each day. Moreover, I wish you luck in finding that perfect knife.

"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone."
-Henry David Thoreau

I concur. I couldn't agree more, sir.

 

[robot37]

This guy is gonna ride shotgun for the next month.

The new scales for the Griptilian arrived today!

Luke from cuscadi.de did a fantastic job turning them out for me. Black carbon micarta, grooved texture with a smooth backspacer. Threaded brass inserts for the clip and screws holding the scales onto the backspacer. Luke is a standout guy, and can pretty much make anything you want.

At any rate, I couldn't be happier with how they turned out.

Yeah, yeah. . . Pics or it didn't happen: