The Journey Down to 3 - 2 - 1

I really like the idea of this thread. I have gotten down to "the one" for several objects in my life - wallet, watch, electric guitar, etc. I haven't quite gotten there with my pocket knife, but I know that this is possible. I've owned a lot of knives over the course of my life, but I'm not a collector - I was happy to let them go as I figured out that they didn't fit me.

However, I must confess that I don't think I'll ever get down to just one knife - one EDC, yes, but I have other use cases than just EDC. In addition to the EDC pocketknife grail, I keep one folder in my car and one in my wife's car for emergency use. I will always keep the first knife I was given at age six (a Craftsman Peanut), even though I almost never carry it. I have the first fixed blade I ever bought for myself (a Buck 102), and think of it as a bugout bag knife. I'm currently making my first knife, and intend to keep that (although I'm trying to make it a practical user for myself).

So, while I generally try to favor use-based ownership (as opposed to a collecting approach), I do have uses (including sentimental connection) for more than one knife. I could probably get down to about six, and that would pretty nicely cover everything for me. Of course, if we start counting kitchen knives, that's gonna add a few more, but that seems outside of the focus of this thread.

For those of you struggling with the idea of owning "just one", instead try to think about owning the best fit for you, for the different use cases in your life. (And no, "EDC knife for Wednesdays" is probably not a different use case than "EDC knife on Thursdays". :))

Regarding the EDC grail - I think I'm close. My last few knives helped me figure out a lot about what I value and what I don't, and I think I know what my next (and possibly final) pocket knife will be. We'll see.
 
2021 Update:

I’m back down to only one knife—my blue Benchmade Bugout. I’ve had the green Bugout for a year, but it’s time it moved on to someone else that will use it well.

I went through a short period where I would choose one or the other based on my color preference for the day, but as you can see in a prior post in this thread, for the past several months it’s been relegated to sitting in my safe. No point in continuing to hold onto something I don’t use so I listed it for sale. Happy to be back to just one knife :)
 
Tyson A Wright said:
I really like the idea of this thread. I have gotten down to "the one" for several objects in my life - wallet, watch, electric guitar, etc. I haven't quite gotten there with my pocket knife, but I know that this is possible. I've owned a lot of knives over the course of my life, but I'm not a collector - I was happy to let them go as I figured out that they didn't fit me.

However, I must confess that I don't think I'll ever get down to just one knife - one EDC, yes, but I have other use cases than just EDC. In addition to the EDC pocketknife grail, I keep one folder in my car and one in my wife's car for emergency use. I will always keep the first knife I was given at age six (a Craftsman Peanut), even though I almost never carry it. I have the first fixed blade I ever bought for myself (a Buck 102), and think of it as a bugout bag knife. I'm currently making my first knife, and intend to keep that (although I'm trying to make it a practical user for myself).

So, while I generally try to favor use-based ownership (as opposed to a collecting approach), I do have uses (including sentimental connection) for more than one knife. I could probably get down to about six, and that would pretty nicely cover everything for me. Of course, if we start counting kitchen knives, that's gonna add a few more, but that seems outside of the focus of this thread.

For those of you struggling with the idea of owning "just one", instead try to think about owning the best fit for you, for the different use cases in your life. (And no, "EDC knife for Wednesdays" is probably not a different use case than "EDC knife on Thursdays". :))

Regarding the EDC grail - I think I'm close. My last few knives helped me figure out a lot about what I value and what I don't, and I think I know what my next (and possibly final) pocket knife will be. We'll see.
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You get it, and I agree with everything you wrote. For the record, there are things/categories that I'm not down to "the one" in either. There are a few things that I choose to own two of like one small and one large water bottle, one small and one large hiking pack, one small and one large travel bag, etc. My only "collection" I have is hats, of which I own 20 currently. They're all different colors or logos of my favorite teams--Florida Gators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rays, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers--and then three non-sports hats. I can honestly say I've worn every single one of them in the last 2-3 months, so they all get used. If people have 20 knives they love and use frequently, then that's perfectly fine as well.

It's not as much about the number as it is about the intentionality behind it. I would advocate for people to be intentional about the things they own. In this moment in my life, owning one knife is the best fit for me. Other seasons of my life might dictate something different and that is perfectly fine, too. The only constant in this world is change itself.
 
I guess I’ve got a broader horizon than some folks.

I have a need for several different types of knives and for different types of materials and conditions. I don’t have a collection of knives but more of an accumulation over the years. I’ve got small, medium, large and extra large knives, folding, fixed blade, slip joints, flippers , automatic, and assisted. Some I got to try out and some worked out and some didn’t.

A stockman pattern is what I’ve used most over the years but as my work and usage changed so did my acquisitions for the tasks. I got what I needed. Just as simple as that. I don’t want to skin and dress out a deer or large animal with a peanut or a sak nor would I want to peel a tater or pick a splinter with a Bowie knife. My stockman knives work for a lot of smaller tasks but I would prefer a large fixed blade for camping and hunting.
 
I'm at 25 I think. Realistically, I could probably live with 24.
 
The three you started with are a good choice. I use my own Benchmade Bugout all the time. Years ago I was a two knife guy (Buck 119 and Spyderco Walker) who was giving away anything else that I wasn't using.

The Benchmade Crooked River was a real gateway knife to going off the deep end for me, after keeping to a modest collection.
 
Dean51 said:
Black doesn't have to be tacticool. :D
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But it is Manly ^^^ 😁
 
2023 Update: I'm now down to ZERO knives. Just temporarily though :)

Coming up on six years of continuous carry and use of my original blue Benchmade Bugout purchased new when they were released in August 2017. I just mailed it off to Benchmade to get it back to factory sharp. While I do a serviceable job on the Sharpmaker, I'm definitely not a sharpening pro, so figured after six years it could use a professional sharpening.

If any of you have recently sent off a Benchmade for their Lifesharp service, please let me know how long it ultimately took to get your knife back. Hoping it won't take more than a few weeks.
 
GatorMedic said:
2023 Update: I'm now down to ZERO knives. Just temporarily though :)
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😧
GatorMedic said:
Hoping it won't take more than a few weeks.
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🤯

I haven’t gone a full day without a knife for probably 30 years and can’t really imagine how weird it would feel sending off my ONLY knife to get sharpened.

I carry all these every day at work just so I’ll have some options… 😁

35A45CE6-C6F2-4035-A699-C24D672D6C7D.jpeg
 
I own over 380 knives &, if I ever got down to just 3 folders, which is never going to happen, they probably would be all black handled.

The most likely cadidates would be the:

Spyderco Military
Hinderer X-18 3.5 Recurve
Microtech Halo V

but I have many other black handled knives to choose from. ;)
 
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Been walking around with a Case medium stockman in my pocket for a few weeks now, even on the few occasion where I decided to carry another knife, it was on top of and not instead of.

What I'm realizing is that for everything I need a pocket knife for, I can do with that little knife. Not a single time did I get that little folder out and thought "wish I had my 940(or any other folder I own) with me", and it's legal just about everywhere on earth.

Maybe grandpa was on to something after all.
 
scdub said:
🤯

I haven’t gone a full day without a knife for probably 30 years and can’t really imagine how weird it would feel sending off my ONLY knife to get sharpened.
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I'm treating it like I'm on a trip. When I fly, I only carry my Leatherman Style PS since it's what airlines allow. I do have a Leatherman Wave in my Jeep if I need something more substantial. But yeah, I'm eager to get it back soon :)
 
Floatingby said:
Been walking around with a Case medium stockman in my pocket for a few weeks now, even on the few occasion where I decided to carry another knife, it was on top of and not instead of.

What I'm realizing is that for everything I need a pocket knife for, I can do with that little knife. Not a single time did I get that little folder out and thought "wish I had my 940(or any other folder I own) with me", and it's legal just about everywhere on earth.

Maybe grandpa was on to something after all.
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There's something to be said for simplicity and having the same good knife you can always rely on being in your pocket. :)
 
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