What's You (CRK) Knife Strategy?

Vaporstang

Vaporstang

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I am wanting to know what people's different knife strategies are. I know some people are happy with only one user CRK. On the other hand it seems like some people are "uber" collectors.

I currently have:
A plain Jane small Sebenza (my first CRK bought new and in hindsight wish I had bought used)
A Damascus Snakewood Mnandi (a safe queen)
A Macassar Ebony wood Inlay large Sebenza 21 (a safe queen)

My next purchases (as soon as my knife budget recovers):
An used plain Jane or Micarta Inlay small Insingo Sebenza
An used plain Jane or Micarta Inlay large Sebenza 21
A basic used Mnandi

I want my next knives to be used (not just previously owned), so I will actually use them instead of treating them like safe queens....

So what is your next CRK(s) going to be?
 
I am trying (sometimes it feels like in vain) to complete a collection of small annuals. My next purchase will be a 2003 that someone is holding for me, to get me one step closer!
 
I'm a fan of the micarta inlays, just picked up a micarta 25, so now I have nine different CRK' s with micarta inlays. My current strategy is to evaluate the collection I currently have and see if I need to keep em or down size to justify yet another CRK
 
Ernie1980 said:
I am trying (sometimes it feels like in vain) to complete a collection of small annuals. My next purchase will be a 2003 that someone is holding for me, to get me one step closer!
Click to expand...

Nice! - I just did an internet search a found some images.
 
Not a collector, more of a pick and chooser. I have a few that appeal to me, but no theme.
At present: Small Stars and Stripes
Small Regular
Small mammoth bark 21
Large regular UG
I am planning to add a Large 21 S30V
and maybe a small and large Classic MM with micarta inlay
after that maybe a wood inlay
 
Well I'm trying to be a user and not a collector. My favorite knife overall is the large 21 which I only have one and it's a plain jane. I don't know why it's so smooth (washers are not polished) but it's the smoothest CRK I've ever handled. There's just nothing else like it. It was perfect when I got it, and it's developing a nice pocket patina...getting a little shiny in just the right places.

Anywho, anytime I see a large 21 at a great price, it's hard for me to not jump on it, but fortunately I can resist. I had a chance to buy a lightly carried large 21 from the original owner for $300 not long ago, and it was all I could do to not buy it, but I knew if I bought it then I'd become a collector since I'd have more than one of the same knife laying around not getting used. I bought mine to carry daily and use, not to sit packed away looking pretty while its twin got all the pocket time. Not to say I don't have safe queens, that's just currently my CRK philosophy. I recently was given a WH E6 as a very special gift, and it will only come out for the most special of occasions and the occasional fondle.
 
My collection now is -
Small Regular
Small 21 will Damascus Blade (pre made in Idaho Stamp)
Small 21 w/ Micarta Inlay
Umnumzaan
Sebenza 25
African Blackwood Mnandi

At one point I have several more (see list below) but did not see the necessity to keep them as I never did use any of them.
Mammoth Ivory Small
Mammoth Ivory Large
Mammoth Ivory Mnandi
Ivory Mnandi w/ Damascus Blade
Small Classic
Small Regular (my second one at the time)
Small Insigno
Small Wilson Combat Sebenza
Small Classic w/ Micarta Inlay
First Generation Umnumzaan
Small African Blackwood Sebenza
Small Bloodwood Sebenza
Bloodwood Mnandi
Plain Jane 21
Professional Soldier
Shadow III
Nyala

I don't know what is next on the horizon.......

Suffice to say I like CRK!
 
Small bocote is daily in pocket.
Large gabon for my backpack.
Blood wood mnandi for dressed occasions.
No safe queens.

Next is a small insingo, torn between the micarta and plain (I like the wear look).
 
I have:
Small bocote 21 - I thought I'd go with something a bit more "fancy" than the plain for my first knife this expensive)
Large micarta 21 - I wanted to try a large sebenza and it was a toss up between the plain and micarta one. I wanted the plain because it's the classic look and the micarta because it seemed more comfortable and I was hesitant about the blue thumb lug, since it wears off unattractively. Many seemed to like the micarta too and it popped up in stock, so I bought it. Thought it looked a bit "blah" when I first got it.

Getting (tomorrow):
Ti-lock - I'm into funky lock designs and the size seems good. I was looking at a strider sng and thought "I could get a ti-lock for that price" and when it popped up in stock, I pounced.

I was eying the mnandi for a while, but I have no plans on getting one.
 
I can't really say I have any sort of plan to my buying and infact I haven't bought anything new for quite a long time. I started a collection by accident through buying what I wanted to use then what I liked and then one more second user just incase, then....:eek:

I was big on the one piece knives but have lost near all interest in adding any more to those I do have as the prices are now just insane. On top of those I have a few Regular Sebenzas, a few Umnumzaans, a few Mnandis a couple of S30V fixed blades and a Nyala in S35Vn. That keeps me covered for users for a while and I just don't have a hankering for any of the newer knives.
 
Two large regular BG-42
Large numbered regular in ATS-34
Small P
Two large originals (P style) in ATS-34
Small regular plain
Small regular cgg echo
Large and small classic micarta
Large classic curly maple
Large classic snakewood
Large 21 carbon fiber
Large regular Night Sky
Two nyalas
Ubejane
Numbered mnandi with zirocote and bg-42
Three other Mnandi in snakewood, English walnut, and box elder (all old style)
Old style umnumzaan

I like the old ones I guess......
 
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My strategy is simple: I cleverly convince myself that I actually need another CRK in addition to the many others. I tell myself it fills a need the others somehow don't fill and I always manage to believe my BS story. So, I buy the new one, realize it really isn't all that different but simultaneously refuse to admit that to myself so I can keep it. Rinse, repeat. The perfect strategy.
 
Sebenza's decorated by Chris; other limited, early styles, or otherwise short-run models.
 
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It went something like this.....
I started with a small 21. Then I wanted a large 21...Then a 25...Then a Unum...Then I wanted large and small CF 21s...Then I got large and small inlayed 21s....
Now that I've got the inlays I'm selling everything but them and the Unum. Might pick up a Mnandi...
 
Just two,small insingo and '08 Zaan.It is all I need.Have other knives but those two are special.
 
91a2jettavr6 said:
My strategy is simple: I cleverly convince myself that I actually need another CRK in addition to the many others. I tell myself it fills a need the others somehow don't fill and I always manage to believe my BS story. So, I buy the new one, realize it really isn't all that different but simultaneously refuse to admit that to myself so I can keep it. Rinse, repeat. The perfect strategy.
Click to expand...

LOL! - I think that's where I am at too.
 
These are the ones I remember owning, 13 of them still reside in my safe or pocket( depends on my mood ).

4 Umnumzaan - 2 StarTac/tanto/plain
4 regular - Large Ol Glory/ Large UG Damascus/2003 Large BG-42/Small Crosshairs
4 mnandi - 2 mammoth with Damascus/ 2 Ebony ( one is Damascus )
2 25 - first 30/first batch of non pressed stop pin
2 Insingo - large/small both plain
2 large 21 - one born on my Dad 's birthday/Ol Glory Damascus UG
1 small 21 High Carbon Damascus
2 OPK - Aviator/Shadow III
3 Nyala - first batch/plain/Insingo
1 small 21 - Tanto

I have no plans to buy any more, but, I'll be checking the for sale threads in a moment.
There's no strategy to what I buy, no plan, no special collection that somebody else may understand, just what I like and what speaks to me. If at some point I lose interest in something I sell it to free up funds for the next big thing. Some things will never be sold, like my tanto Zaan, it and others will be handed down to the kids. Most users stay, it's the "collection pieces" that move on.

Wow, after typing all of this the first thing I thought of was that I've never owned an Umfaan, might have to fix that ;)
 
Not sure I have a strategy but if I did it would be something like……. First, buy a couple I will use/carry. These would be the Large Insingo and 25 I own. Second, log onto BF frequently to admire (drool) over the great (unique) CRK people post in the CRK forum. Third stop the urge to purchase another CRK by convincing myself that someday soon there will be a small Stars and Strips 25 which will be the ideal first non-plain Jane Sebenza. Four go to bed realizing it is a disease which cannot be controlled so as to not get mad at myself when the new CRK urge wins out long before the aforementioned small 25 hits the market.
 
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