Back in a similar thread, in 2017, I said,
I found that grail within the next couple years, and it's still one of
Top 5 favorites today. It's not brand new with blade etch, but I'm cool with that. I have a perfectly functional example of the RS3333, with gorgeous bone covers, that I don't feel bad about throwing in my pocket and actually using.
But here's the deal now. My current grail is a
2015 GEC 2-blade barlow in sambar stag. That would normally be a tall order, but I actually own one. When the 2015 #77 run was done, I ordered the 2-blade in canvas micarta for myself, and a 2-blade in stag for my father-in-law. That stag was the crown jewel of his knife collection for his last years before he passed, and I not-so-secretly coveted that knife as well. It was glorious in the extreme. Easily the nicest GEC that I've ever held in my hands. Then I inherited his knife collection. My problem now is that I haven't allowed myself to carry it yet. I've made a bunch of excuses over the last 7 years, and it still sits in it's tube. Sooner or later, the time will be right, and I'll use it.
The honest truth is that I have an extensive knife collection, and own a ton of absolutely amazing knives. More than I'll ever actually use, and I don't really feel good about that. Nobody else in my family even carries a pocketknife, so there's no plan to hand my collection down to someone when I die. So what's the sense in adding more? It doesn't feel right to me to buy more knives right now, and hasn't for several years. Upon reflection, I think my father-in-law's passing has affected me greatly. I lost my best friend, and the one physical person that I included in this hobby. And it hasn't been the same without him.
So this photo is not mine, I borrowed it off the internet to give you an idea of what I'm talking about. What's there not to love?
