Pick 2 Challenge - I've lost my marbles.

Should I use my carry knife for ALL cutting tasks during the challenge?

  • Yes

    Votes: 44 43.1%
  • No

    Votes: 20 19.6%
  • Yes, but not at restaurants.

    Votes: 38 37.3%

  • Total voters
    102

Petunia D. Feeble

I once waved at Stevie Wonder…
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jun 30, 2016
Messages
4,671
A conversation got away from me and now I have no more knives...

Earlier today I was talking to my wife about knives. We met a guy who had an old Cold Steel. A serrated voyager XL I believe. Not the cool old Japanese ones with the molded clip, just a standard Taiwanese variant that you can still buy, but with TONS of mileage.

It was his knife. His only knife. Sure, maybe there's one in the tackle box or glove compartment that never gets used. Maybe one from Grampy in the attic somewhere. For all practical considerations though the dude just had one knife.

For giggles I made him an offer on it. $100. Told him I liked the beat-up look and feel. He could easily go buy a new one and have enough cash left for dinner. "Not a chance" he said. He liked the beat-up look and feel too apparently.

So, back to the conversation with my wife. I don't have a knife like that. A knife that's just mine. I have an heirloom piece and some knives that I inherited that aren't for sale, but I don't have one that's just mine. An extension on my arm that just wouldn't feel right to be without.

She speculated that because I have so damned many, a tiny number compared to some of you lunatics, I never feel a bond with any of them. Some I may like more than others. Some I prefer for certain tasks, but nothing that's just always there.

So she lays forth the challenge. Carry only two knives for the rest of the year. One for work and one for leisure time. After those many months of use we'll see if there's a bond there that wouldn't have been otherwise.

I'll post here along the way to show how the knives have worn in, if at all, and to check up on anyone that may want to join in.
 
Oh, how silly of me. I didn't even bother to mention what I'd be carrying.

For the "Work" category:

IMG_20180317_152709_713.jpg


Spyderco Endura ZDP-189 with some custom scales from @BOOMER52.

For the "Leisure" category:

No pic yet.

Spyderco Delica ZDP-189 with yet another set of Boomer's scales.

The Endura scales have my Son's birth date and our clan motto engraved in the shield. If any knife should become "mine" that seems like the logical choice. I think the ZDP-189 will wear the miles quite well too.
 
I had a similar epiphany the other day and I contemplated selling the majority of my knives and keeping a select few (5 or so). I also don't have too many like some here, but I have enough to forget I have some until I take them out of the safe.

Once I had them all out I just couldn't pick 5 out of the lot. I must have them all. My precious!

For the most part I do carry one knife all work week, and it's one of three users. Then for the weekend I'll carry something 'cool' to play with while still having my weekday knife at the ready.

Good luck on your quest.
 
I carried one primary folder for 2 years straight and while I only carry it once in a while now , This would still be my only primary folder today if joining this forum made me want to carry other knives.
I'll never get rid of it, but It's not worth selling and I put my initials on the handle anyways.

I think you'll be able to stick to the same 2 and will definitely appreciate them, but if you check in here too often you'll see a knife picture that gives you the urge to carry another.
It's doable as long as you limit your time here.
 
Good combo! Here are my part-time carries for the same chores, both also in ZDP-189 and sporting Boomer scales! I do have to admit that I mostly carry the Urban and a PM3 (usually the Maxamed) due to blade length restrictions at work.

N7FOCSC.jpg
 
Five years ago I couldn't have done it. But, I've lately stopped buying knives and I actually do only carry two on a regular basis: an Emerson CQC-8 most of the time and a Spyderco Yojimbo 2 if the Emerson is too big. I still have over 100 knives in the closet but I no longer feel the need to buy and carry anything new or different. Maybe I've just been here too long...
 
I think I could do with 5 no problem. That way if I choose to, I could carry a different one each work day (I generally just carry at work anyway, and around the house). Does that challenge in turn mean you can't buy any new releases as well? I think that might be hard for me to be forced to be unable to change the collection, rather than just limiting the number of pieces in it.
 
I think I could do with 5 no problem. That way if I choose to, I could carry a different one each work day (I generally just carry at work anyway, and around the house). Does that challenge in turn mean you can't buy any new releases as well? I think that might be hard for me to be forced to be unable to change the collection, rather than just limiting the number of pieces in it.
It does indeed. No new purchases at all. I do get a couple caveats though. I have a fixed blade on order with Darrin Sanders and am in the process of having my dream Buck 110 built. I get to move ahead with those projects, but wont be able to carry them until Jan 1st of 2019.
 
Added a poll. Should I also be allowed to use kitchen cutlery, utility knives, etc.

I should also note that I always carry a SAK along with my primary knife. It rarely gets used to cut though. Its primarily a screw driver, pry bar, nail file, etc.
 
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So I was going to say, that you should just carry a SAK. ;)
Other knives come and go... my SAK stays.
But I have to admit, those are some damn sweet scales, and as for the challenge, I'd say go for it.
 
TLE, I want to read about your progress!

While I could (at least in theory) limit myself to only two, I really don’t want to! :)
I think your wife’s comment is spot on! I’ve bonded with one or two, but not stongly enough I guess. Every now and again I like mixing things up to keep it fresh.

Good luck with your challenge! Keep us informed.
 
A conversation got away from me and now I have no more knives...

Earlier today I was talking to my wife about knives. We met a guy who had an old Cold Steel. A serrated voyager XL I believe. Not the cool old Japanese ones with the molded clip, just a standard Taiwanese variant that you can still buy, but with TONS of mileage.

It was his knife. His only knife. Sure, maybe there's one in the tackle box or glove compartment that never gets used. Maybe one from Grampy in the attic somewhere. For all practical considerations though the dude just had one knife.

For giggles I made him an offer on it. $100. Told him I liked the beat-up look and feel. He could easily go buy a new one and have enough cash left for dinner. "Not a chance" he said. He liked the beat-up look and feel too apparently.

So, back to the conversation with my wife. I don't have a knife like that. A knife that's just mine. I have an heirloom piece and some knives that I inherited that aren't for sale, but I don't have one that's just mine. An extension on my arm that just wouldn't feel right to be without.

She speculated that because I have so damned many, a tiny number compared to some of you lunatics, I never feel a bond with any of them. Some I may like more than others. Some I prefer for certain tasks, but nothing that's just always there.

So she lays forth the challenge. Carry only two knives for the rest of the year. One for work and one for leisure time. After those many months of use we'll see if there's a bond there that wouldn't have been otherwise.

I'll post here along the way to show how the knives have worn in, if at all, and to check up on anyone that may want to join in.

If it could only be one knife for me it would be my Emerson HD7. Although I would want a version without a combo edge blade and that was in working order. (Mine needs to go in for repairs)

I have always thought the CQC7 is an ideal knife for almost anything you can throw at it. Maybe except certain precision cutting due to the chisel grind.
 
Added a poll. Should I also be allowed to use kitchen cutlery, utility knives, etc.

I should also note that I always carry a SAK along with my primary knife. It rarely gets used to cut though. Its primarily a screw driver, pry bar, nail file, etc.

Yes you should be able to use kitchen knives, utility knives etc because I guarentee your one knifed hero uses them. Just resist using them for tasks you don’t need them.

My advice is make sure you choose a knife you really love. Part of what makes me love my CQC7s so much is I can use the butt as a hammer (backspacer models) and pry the child saftey off Bic lighters with the wave. So make sure it is a knife good for tasks you do every day.
 
I normally carry 3 everyday.
Large Stockman
Buck 110
SAK Huntsman or 4 blade Scout Knife.
I suppose if I were limited to just 2 knives, I'd keep the Stockman and 110, and add the Huntsman or 4 blade Scout as a "multi-tool". :)

EDIT: I almost forgot. There is a SAK "Signature" on my keyring, too. That way I always have a pen on me. :)
 
Thanks for posting this. It will interesting to see what you think at the end. There is a lot of value to picking something you really like and sticking with it. Otherwise, you never have the "I've used this for 10 years and it's been great" stuff.

I've been thinking a lot about what I actually like to carry and use. For years, I only carried a SAK Manager with either a William Henry Lancet (the original CF & ATS-34 model) that I lost or a CRK Mnandi. Now I have a lot of knives and have spent time organizing them into Plano boxes and only keeping a few in a drawer for pocket duty. I don't mind having knives that I don't carry if it means enjoying other ones more.

I think your choice of the customized Endura & Delica are great. If I had to pick a couple of knives, a Dragonfly 2 in ZDP-189 would be one of them.

For all non-pocket knife tasks, I would use the appropriate tool whether a utility knife, kitchen knife, or dinner knife.
 
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