If you could only own 3 knives for the rest of your life...

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Thats a great subject, but really a hard question to answer. And I dont think my 3 choices will stay the same for a long time. But right now it's:
1. Chris Reeve Sebenza 31 plain insingo. As my EDC
2. Jens AnsĆø Aros As my gentlemansknife
3. Fallkniven Fx1 Just because i think i need some kind of fixblade and im not that into fixblades right now. So this choice will surely change.
 
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I was reading through this entire thread thinking about what the best combination would be, I think most have it right about needing a cooking knife for sure, then a smaller knife and a larger one, with the larger being either folding or fixed depending on your preference.
So my list would be the folowing:
First cooking, I would say a general use 8 inch chefs knife, probably one from Victorinox basic, decent quality with a good warranty.
Second I would do a Victorinox Farmer X , or possibly even a Leatherman Wave/Arc. These are incredible useful and both have extremely good warrrenties, if either break you could fix them yourself.
For my third choice, I would probably be a Buck 110 or 112. Another runner up for this one would be a Benchmade 940, another model that has been around for a good amount of time.

Now these aren't necessarily my favorite knives but they have are all solid quality from long standing companies with good warrenties. Both folding knives are long time models with almost zero chance of being discountinued, meaning long term part avalibility for repairs and warranty.
 
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Not being in any way a culinary master, there are no tasks in the kitchen I could not accomplish (for me) with my CPK Kephart, or Dozier Prof Guides Knife. My SDFK could manage it also, as could my PM2 or M2. Maybe not as efficiently or quickly as a dedicated kitchen knife, but they can serve other needs outside the kitchen well so would be my choices. Thank goodness it is only a thread and not actually happening! Full disclosure I generally carry 2 fixed and 2 foldersšŸ¤£
 
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when supose it were true,like government control or something,i will have to do some cross-over.
according to what i have had,a convex grinding fallkniven f1 can be the cooking knife and outdoor utility knife,a 2.4mm thick magnacut folder can do the peeling and edc job.(were i not hate the wood handle of opiniels)
actually,i would prefer a leatherman charge tti to do the edc job if it could be regarded as a "knife",since it can do much more job in energency or doomsday situations.(i have changed the blade into 2mm thick m390)
the 3rd knife?may be a machete for survival (from both nature and human) which i have never had or used.so l will leave it for now.
 
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Case full size trapper for EDC and skinning game large or small. Old Hickory butcher knife for kitchen and processing large game. Ontario Machete for everything else.
 
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Without too much thought, ML Hudson Bay, my smaller 5 inch verijero or gaucho knife, and a Buck 112. Not being practical at all, but would meet my needs in the kitchen, glamping and a stout EDC folder.
 
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Now if more practical for no other reason just to grab quickly, a Mora, a Bowie, and Swiss Army Alox Pioneer. Honorable mention Would be a Opinel, just because it is in the pack.
 
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I am just lucky that this only a fun question to ponder, as I have too many knives. To sum it up, when I describe some of my knives as my favorites, my daughter is quick to chime in and say I say that that about all of my knives. She says she will sell them off anyway, so now I want to list a bare minimum price for each one !!!
 
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hhmoore said:
Just to clarify, that's 3 knives to satisfy all of a poster"s knife needs? Food prep, dining, EDC, all hobbies, work, etc?
I'm not sure 3 is a reasonable number. I typically carry 3 knives (fixed, traditional, modern folder). But I use different knives for food prep, at the dinner table, while camping, while diving, etc. I don't use my dive knives for

I guess I could change my diet - eliminate meats and live on processed foods - so I wouldn't need a kitchen knife. Dive without a knife :oops:. Eliminate most knife related things from my world....
All I'd really need then is a suitable tanto with which to end my miserable life
Thanks - Who knew the end was this easy...
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I agree with hhmoore here; Iā€™m sitting here trying to think of which 3 knives I would pick and itā€™s REALLY hard! Itā€™s hard because (like you said) all the different needs, situations, and environments you can be in ā€œfor the rest of your lifeā€. Can I have at least 6?!?

1. BENCHMADE ADAMAS 275 (full-size) in CPM CruWear - This is my all-time favorite folder: excellent quality/fit/finish, tough, can handle anything.
2. SPYDERCO PARAMILITARY 2 CPM S110V - My 2nd favorite folder: great ergos, excellent edge retention and corrosion resistance, and a great slicer!
3. ESEE 5 - Tough, tougher, and toughest! At some point in ā€œthe rest of my lifeā€, the S will HTF, and I want this blade with me when it does!
4. TOPS BRAKIMO - Also tough, but, with its modified Scandi grind, I use it for more refined work than my ESEE 5. Just more nimble and easier to manipulate.
5. TOPS TANIMBOCA PUUKKO - I LOVE this knife for even smaller, more controlled bushcrafting tasks - also a modified Scandi & great companion to the Brakimo.
6. EMERSON SUPER KARAMBIT - The ultimate for self-defense (My Emerson I bought years ago, but itā€™s hard to get now. As an alternative, the Spyderco Karahawk Karambit is also excellent and easier to conceal/carry).

If I can ever get my dream knife: A HINDERER XM-24 with a Harpoon Spanto Stonewashed Magnacut blade and with full stonewashed titanium scales - then Iā€™ll definitely swap that out for #1!šŸ˜ŽšŸ‘

Note: I also need an axe and saw, but if I canā€™t have these then Iā€™m gonna need one more: 7. TOPS EL CHETE - this is one badass chopper and excellent for processing wood if you donā€™t have an axe with you!

Thatā€™s my list.
 
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Dav1 said:
I could just get by with just one the My parang Duku chandong heavy. Many people do in the far East and John "Lofty" Wisman says so so who am I to disagree.

I've just finished handling a Brisa Bigmuk blank (American cherry) and that or a Skrama would be a fine choice too although neither chop as well as the Parang.

I prefer larger knives but perhaps a SAK or Leatherman to compliment the above.
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Yes, I love the whole MY Parang lineup from Malaysia, and if I could only pick 1, it would also be the Duku Chandong Heavy (or maybe the Golok!). The next time I go, I also want to pick-up an 8ā€ Duku Chandong for some lighter chopping. You really can do everything with a good quality parang!
 
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Wasty said:
I have many such three knife combos that work well together, but deciding to only use one of them goes against the grain

Here are some combos:

#1 (I mostly carry this as EDC - Farmer and BK14 in the pocket - BK17 in my backpack)
Alox Farmer
BK14
BK17

#2
Victorinox Rucksack (with slide lock)
BK17
Skrama 200

#3
Victorinox Huntsman
BK16
BK9

#4
Swisstool
TerƤvƤ JƤƤkƤripuukko 140
Kailash Blades Plain Jane

However, a Becker combined with a SAK is always a great combo:

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Hey Wasty,
I like your choices of knives from the BK line - I agree those are really great blades. Please donā€™t feel offended, but I picked your post out of several to comment on this issue: I was kind of SHOCKED to see so many people are selecting a Swiss Army Knife as one of their 3 lifetime knives instead of a Leatherman. When I was a teenager in scouts, I did use a SAK with many tools for several years as my primary knife, but ever since I got a Leatherman, I feel like the SAK is obsolete other than for nostalgiaā€™s sake. IMO, a good Leatherman (e.g. Charge, Wave, Free P4, or ARC) is superior to ANY Victorinox (especially those in the traditional folder format with the red handle scales) in almost every way - durability, ease of use, locking tools, robust set of pliers, the primary bladeā€™s modern steel, bit drivers with interchangeable bits, etc.). I still have my old SAK somewhere out in a toolbox, but I donā€™t think Iā€™ve used it once in about 35+ years. Iā€™ll never throw it away because of the fond memories I have of it, but that is the only reason I keep it. I know some Leathermans can be a bit pricey, but they have more affordable options, and the value of a Leatherman is excellent considering how much it can do for so many years. Not trying to criticise you personally Wasty, Iā€™m just commenting on my surprise and confusion as to why so many people in this thread would choose a SAK over a Leatherman. šŸ¤·šŸ»ā€ā™‚ļø
 
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GatorMedic said:
I've been rocking the Benchmade Bugout for a few years now as my only pocket knife. So naturally that is my answer. It's a fantastic knife. Lightweight, great slicer, perfect low profile pocket clip, smooth Axis action, cool color, etc.

But I've come to the point that my lack of sharpening skills (I have the Spyderco Sharpmaker but I think it needs a more thorough tuneup than I am able to do) means it really needs to be sent off to Benchmade to get actually sharpened well. I keep putting it off though because I don't want to have to be without a knife for probably two months between shipping and waiting to receive it back. So a second Bugout might be needed. I just can't make myself spend money on that since it's not a long-term need.
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Hi GatorMedic,
I know this is an older post, so you probably already sharpened you Bugout, but I suggest you get another blade that can also serve a different role later when youā€™re done sending your Bugout off for sharpening. For example, since the Bugout is such a lightweight knife, you could get a more heavy duty or hard-use folder (like I recommended above - The Benchmade Adamas folder is SO awesome, and you can get the Mini-Adamas version if you want something closer to the Bugout size). As I said above, you canā€™t go wrong with any version of a Spyderco Paramilitary 2 - there are several reasons why this knife is so popular. Another option could be to get a fancier ā€œgentlemanā€™s folderā€ you could use for more formal occasions. Some people even carry a small fixed blade in a sheath inside their pocket - one I have my eye on is the Lionsteel Willy with a Santos wood handle - very unique. Maybe a traditional slip joint? A small Wharncliff or Sheepsfoot for whittling? I donā€™t know if youā€™re actually a medic or not, but Benchmade has some excellent options for first responders in rescue situations so they can ā€˜extricateā€™ people without accidentally cutting them. There are so many options! My point is that it would NOT be a waste of money if the 2nd knife also serves another purpose. Just be careful you donā€™t become like me and keep going with the 3rd, 4th, 5th, . . . 40th, etc.!šŸ˜… Then it does start to feel that youā€™re blowing through a lot of money, BUT, that brings up another aspect- itā€™s FUN and very satisfying to have a variety of knives to rotate as your EDC! Enjoy your life a bit bro! You are worth it to spend something on yourself!
 
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One of (any one of) Bill Moran's body of work. . . .or one (any one) from Bob Loveless. This would be on display in my den or kept in a Safety Deposit box.

The other two would probably be a CRK Sebenza (21 or 31) and a Leatherman multi-tool. I currently have a Wave, but there are other models I might choose instead. As long s this ian "I-wish-I-Had. . ." thread, both of these would have blades from whatever is the latest Magic-Miricle steel and/or Damascus,.
 
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Off the top of my head I'll go Sebenza, a custom fixed blade (likely from a maker here), and a custom kitchen knife sourced from Japan. Then I'd remove the blades from some SA(not)K's to carry for the tools.
 
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