This is the sister thread to my "Users vs Collectors - what do you do?" topic found here...

http://forums.scrapyardknives.com/u...s_Collectors_what_do_yo.html#Post1004269

In this thread, I'd like to discuss how many knives you think are "enough". To determine how many are enough I think a person has to identify a use for them. Personally, I know I could get buy with a 4" folder, 5" fixed and 10" fixed. However, I (like most here) find it easy to justify a pile of knives for specialized tasks, etc.

Therefore, the questions are...

1) How many knives to you really think are enough? For example: five.

2) What "categories" do you use to justify your knives? For example: EDC, skinner, chopper, bushcraft, general purpose, collecting, etc.

I'm fairly organized, and try to assign a categorical purpose to everything in my collection. Here's a list of the categories I have:

EVERYDAY CARRY
Everyday knives that I have on me when I'm working, shopping, etc.

EDC Level 1 = Smallest everyday carry (basically the one you always have even if you carry a second knife)

EDC Level 2 = Typically a belt mounted 4" to 5" fixed blade (the one I want to carry all the time, but cannot always manage)

EDC Level 3 = Typically a belt mounted 5" to 6" fixed blade (this is for outdoor work EDC)

OUTDOOR FIELDCRAFT & SURVIVAL
These are those hiking, camping, etc knives.

Bushcraft = The smallest outdoor fieldcraft knife used for making feather sticks, skinning, etc. This is the "detail" knife with around a 4 inch fixed blade.

General Purpose = The belt mounted "if I only had to have one knife" 6 to 8 inch fixed blade.

Chopper = This usually sits in a backpack and has a 9 to 11 inch blade.

1) I think a sturdy folder with a 3.5" blade and a 4.5"-5.5" fixed blade would technically be enough for me in most realistic situations, but I think I would put myself in the 3 is enough group. Short answer is 3.

2) A sturdy folder with 3"-3.5" blade would be used for most things, mostly out of convenience. A fixed blade with 3.5"-4.5" blade (preferably 4") would be used for bushcraft, hunting, food prep, all things that I would deem a little too much for the folder to handle. Finally, a fixed blade with at least a 7" blade to handle the heavy stuff like processing firewood and dispatching zombies (hahahahahaha!).

I have several knives in each category, but only because I haven't found the perfect knife yet. I have the designs in my head, I just need Dan and/or Jerry to make them. I will say that the custom shop Vex I have is just about the perfect knife for the small fixed blade role. For me anyway.

Small Utility Folder=Swiss Army Farmer

Everyday Carry Option/Small Survival=Survive! GSO 3.5

Outdoor/Camp One Knife Solution=SYKCO 711

Outdoor/Camp Two knife setup=SYKCO 911/411 or GSO 3.5

Hunting/Fishing=Specialized skinner and filet or my personal preference, just rely on the above mentioned knives.

I could honestly get by with 2-3 knives, an ax and a folding saw.

I view knives as tools. Awesome tools but tools none the less. I don't feel the need to own 20 different hammers. I would rather fall in love with a couple blades and use them exclusively, than to play round robin and swamp out knives every time I need one, just because I have a bunch.

I do the round robin thing, mostly to try something out that I haven't had the chance to yet. I'm always looking for something that works better for me and when I find it I keep it.

Case in point. I recently sold 3 knives I don't use anymore so I could try out a Busse Ergo knife. May I'll like it, maybe I won't. We'll just have to see.

To go with your categories:

EVERYDAY CARRY

EDC Level 1 = Ontario RAT 1 folder

EDC Level 2 = ESEE Izula II

EDC Level 3 = ESEE 3

OUTDOOR FIELDCRAFT & SURVIVAL

Bushcraft = ESEE 3

General Purpose = Swamp Rat RMD

Chopper = Cold Steel Ghurka Kukri Plus / 911

EDC
1. If I have on long pants with a pocket I have my Emerson Combat Karambit or the Fixed blade K-bit. Only felt as if I MIGHT need it one time and had my finger "In the ring" but didn't have to draw it.
2. Right now I also carry a Kershaw (Small) JYD with Air Force motif.

Outdoorsie stuff
1. If I was REAL paranoid, a small necker, like the Scrapivore/Cupidvore.
2. A 4-5 inch fixed blade along the lines from the coveted SS4 or 411/Mudmutt to the S5 or Wardog. I'm actually starting to lean toward the wardog lately.
3. End of the world gotta make a house every night, 911 on up.

REALISTICALLY
1..Swamp Rat Skelly (for the life of me I can't remember it's name)!
2. 411,mud mutt,S5 or Wardog.
3. 711 or 911

IF there could be only TWO
1. Swamp Rat skelly
2. Tali-whacker. It's the right size and can fill so many Niches and other than a .331 or thicker Blade it's the only one I have in that size.

Oh and if you count a folder, either the GTI Gingrich folder or my Chris Reeve Umnumzaan. It's a TANK! (Actually they both are)

I don't want people to use my categories. I just wanted to show what my knife "needs" are. You may have some completely different need.

The real question is...how many do you need and why do you need them (the "use" or "category" thing).

ETA: I wasn't picking on you feederle. I wanted to make sure everyone understood I'm interested in knowing what THEY perceive a need for.

I could honestly get by with the following four knives:

Spyderco Endura4
Swamp Rat Vex
Busse ASH-1
Busse ASHBM

There isn't much I'd want or need to do with a knife that I couldn't do with those four.

This is the knife I'd choose if I could only have one $150 fixed blade.