Knife Collection Update 2019!

I haven't done any updates on my EDC gear collection in a while, so what better time to do them than this summer. In the coming weeks, I'm also going to have updates on my flashlight, multitool, and pen collection. Stay tuned for those! Without further ado, here's my current knife collection.

Starting with an overall shot of my collection, it's a little bit bigger than I'd like. A lot of these knives don't get carried that frequently and may be sold at some point. It's currently sitting at 18 knives which isn't as big as it once was. I'm thinking I'm going to try to get it down to 10 to 15 knives. After trying a ton of knives over the years, I've finally found the ones I like and don't need to have a ton of extras collecting dust.

Looking at just the fixed blades, I've got a Mora Companion, Mora Eldris, and Esee Izula. The Companion normally stays in my car bag, though I might start using it for outdoors stuff since it's the largest knife I've got now. The Eldris is one I still haven't used it that much, despite how much I like the size and ergos. The Izula is my all-time favorite fixed blade and is the knife I always bring when I go hiking. It's a perfect knife in my eyes and is a great value at only $50.

Folders obviously make up the bulk of my collection. They're the easiest for me to carry every day, with most of them having blades less than 2.5" inches. I've found that's all the blade I ever need in my EDC these days. The oddball on the far left is the Boker Subcom which is a great small option. I didn't think I'd like the boxier ergos at first, but it's grown on me a lot over the years. Starting on the top row from left to right, I have the CRKT Eros, Kershaw Launch 4, Spyderco Cat, Benchmade Proper, CRKT Drifter, CRKT Ripple, and Ontario Rat 2. Of those knives, the standouts are definitely the Eros, Launch 4, Proper, and Rat 2. Finishing off with the bottom row, I've got the Spyderco Cricket, Spyderco Ladybug, Kershaw Cinder, Blade-Tech Ratel, CRKT Jettison, Sanrenmu 681, and Cold Steel Mini Tuff Lite. The Ladybug, Cricket, and Mini Tuff Lite are the ones I've carried the most out of that bunch. 

If I had to rank my top five favorite knives, it'd go the Ladybug, Rat 2, Launch 4, Eros, and Mini Tuff Lite. The Ladybug was one of my first real knives and is a perfect, people-friendly knife. The Rat 2 is easily the best mid-sized knife I own. I've tried so many other mid-sized knives, yet always come back to the Rat 2. Nothing beats it in terms of the price, compact size, and smooth action. The Launch 4 is the best auto I've tried. The color options and small size make it another perfect knife for me. The Eros is the one I've had for the shortest amount of time compared to the others, but it managed to quickly impress me. It's one of the best flippers, and again, the smaller size is what draws me in. Lastly, the Mini Tuff Lite has perfect ergos and is another lightweight smaller option. That's the general theme of my collection. Small knives with FRN/plastic handles are my go-tos. I love the neon green scales too! I know I didn't go into much depth about every knife here, so if you'd like to hear more of my thoughts on each one, check out my Gear Thoughts tab. I've reviewed the majority of these but haven't gotten around to some of them yet. Thanks for looking!