State of the Collection in February 2020
EDITOR’S NOTES: Review links are coming.
Well, here it is—every knife, flashlight, and multitool I own. I have a ton of other stuff in for review or review samples to be given away, but this stuff is stuff I own and plan on keeping. I thought it might be interesting to go through each item and talk about why I own it and how it has held up over the years. I am also going to make notes on how I would shrink my collection, which is something I am constantly trying (unsuccessfully) to do.
The Fixed Blades
There are four fixed blades in my collection and they are the four kydex sheathed items in the lower lefthand corner.
First there is the Busse Forsaken Steel Heart with Nano Fusion handle. This is one of the finest big choppers I have ever held and a knife I have quested after for more than a decade. It is never leaving, unless I get another Busse I like better. I hate to sound like a shill, but no one makes big choppers as good as Busse does.
To the right of the Busse is my beloved and well-used Bark River Bravo 1 LT in 3V. Of all the knives in this picture, either this knife or the Dragonfly have been used the most. I use this knife almost every weekend from about March until January. It is just a perfect all around knife and it can do a ton of stuff. The natural micarta’s slow migration from yellow to brown has been fun to watch. Of all my fixed blades this is the one I would get rid of last, at least one this size. I have been hankering for a Gough made Resolute Mk. III for years.
To the right of that is the Tom Krein TK-3 White Tail. This is a superb knife and great just about everywhere. It is especially fun to use in the kitchen where it works quite well as a main chef’s knife replacement. Unlike the other two fixies, which got sheathes (or in the case of the Bark River a sheath replacement) from Bayou Custom Sheathes, this knife came with a very good kydex sheath. Tom Krein and company make excellent stuff. I don’t have as much use for this as the other two because I am not a hunter, but it is still sublime to handle and use.
Finally, there is Ver Steeg Imp. As the best EDC fixed blade I have encountered this has come on many a hike and is one of my more unique pieces. After all these years, it still works and cuts as good as it did originally. When I know I am going to be doing something messy, this the knife I EDC.
Resting above my fixed blades is a Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet. It is an excellent tool and love using it. Over the years I have really worked on the edge and it is now significantly sharper than when I bought it, with very little compromise in terms of durability. I could shave my face with this thing pretty easily (well, not that part under my nose). Its not strictly necessary as the Buses fills the same role. I am more comfortable with the Busse and a big knife, so for me, this is a luxury, but one I really enjoy.
The Folders
The bulk of my collection of gear is folders and flashlights. Unlike with the fixed blades I feel like there is significant redundancy here.
The Spydiechef is one of the best knives to be released in the past ten years. The steel and the insanely awesome design make it the perfect “One Ring” folder. It is a bit big for me, but it is a unique piece in my collection. I don’t think I will have cause to get rid of it for the foreseeable future. Also, because it is a frame lock, it has held up quite well over time.
To the left of the Spydiechef there is the absolutely classic Emerson Mini A-100. I have been looking for one for a while and I found one at the end of 2019. The most recent generation of Emersons are actually pretty exceptional knives, especially compared to the traditional level of fit and finish Emersons displayed. A current gen Mini A-100 is a great knife and my “nightstand” folder. If I had to go quickly, I’d grab this baby and its flashlight buddy, the HDS Rotary. If you want a simple, no bullshit anti-Instagram folder, this is the one to buy.
Like with the Busse, I pined after a good Compact Dauntless for years. When this was introduced in 2019 I had just purchased a Tri-Way pivot XM-18 and as good as that knife is, this is just a better blade. In fact, this is probably one of my favorite knives on the market right now. I far prefer this knife than some of the bling-blade knives out there. The clean, timeless lights, and the impeccable finish make this a great purchase. I also really like the size. While it is still pocketable, it is big enough to do whatever you would need to do with a folder.
The TRM Neutron is a phenomenal knife. It is thin, slicey and opens with such ease that it is as fast and thoughtless as an automatic. At just over 2 ounces, it is also excellent in the pocket. One issue though is that a lot of the folders I have fall into this category—3 or so inches, thin, and slicey. On a strictly use-case scenario this hard to justify with the Spyderco Chaparral and the Massdrop Gent. I love it, but I am not sure I need it.
The Spyderco Brouwer with its new clip is one of my all time favorite Spydercos but even more so than with the TRM Neutron, this knife doesn’t really do anything unique in my collection. Its just a “really good Spyderco” which is not a bad thing but not a necessary thing either. The only reason I haven’t gotten rid of it is because apparently no one values it as highly as I do.
The Gent IS a pretty important knife in my collection, serving as a good flipper and an excellent “suit carry” which I fully concede sounds completely ridiculous. As the reference flipper in my collection it still bests most other flippers, even those at three or four times the price. The Brian Nadeau flippers are clearly better, but other than that, nothing really runs away with the crown. At $100 the Gent is an extraordinary value. Having owned four different versions I can tell you that the Blue G10 version is the best, by far, mainly because I like blue.
Oh Strider PT CC, how I love thee. Its not great at any one thing, but it is a very good folder and even without a clip I carry it a lot. This particular PT CC is probably the best made Strider I have ever handled. All that said, this, like the TRM Neutron is not exactly a necessity. I could see my collection without it. But I did that before and then hunted for a PT CC for years. I won’t make that mistake again.
As a present on my first father’s day with both my boys, this Chaparral is never going anywhere. It is a very sentimental piece for me and the fact that it might be the PERFECT FOLDER make this a knife that will never ever leave me. Even now I still love the Raffir Noble material. It is really awesome in the sunlight.
I am not a huge traditional knife fan, but this one, the AG Russell Exclusive Canal Street Cutlery Boys Knife in Gold G10 is so incredible, both in its look and it is finish, that I am going to be hard pressed to ever find its equal in the production world. I think they made something like 100 or 200 and that’s it. Canal Street Cutlery is not really in business anymore and so this knife is going to be hard to find again. Plus I like having one traditional I can carry anywhere.
I like the Dragonfly. I am not sure you know that yet. Ten years on, it is still one of my very favorite knives. From a carry perspective, this is the knife I carry most. A lot of the time I am reviewing stuff and so this knife is not in my pocket all that often, but it does have a plurality of my carry time. And the reality is, I really don’t need more than this. Everything else, strictly speaking, is for fun.
Darriel Caston is one of the more original designers working today. His IG feed is an endless stream of creative, quirky ideas. This knife is the epitome of that unique style. It also happens to be the first Kickstarter knife. This knife is actually a damn fine office blade, dropping into a breast pocket and living there nicely. It also happens to be so stubby and weird. If any of my folders constitute performance art, this is it. Again, its probably not strictly necessary but I really, really like this knife a lot.
There are three knives that I separated from the others—the Small Shamwari, the old nail nick Chris Reeve Mnandi in Box Elder Burl, and the Scott Sawby Swift. These are knives that I think, for various reasons, represent the perfect of the folding knife form. I can’t imagine getting rid of any of these.
The Multitools
The Leatherman Charge TTi is the multitool that lives in my pack I use for hiking or when I am traveling (though not on a plane, more on that in a minute). Personally, I don’t get the love for the Wave. If you are going to carry that much weight, why not add another half an ounce and get a multitool that can do everything a multitool should do? I found a new old stock bit kit that is no longer sold and when combined with the TTi itself, it gives me a true toolbox replacement tool that I have done a lot of work with from fixing eyeglasses to replacing an outlet.
The Skeletool CX is definitely my number one most used tool. It is also the oldest item in this picture. It was the first thing I bought when I feel down the EDC rabbit hole (that was an expensive fall) and all these years later I still regularly carry it. If I am camping or working in the yard around the house, this is a fixture on my belt. I still like the design quite a bit and while I would prefer a straight blade, when the CX was initially released it was serrated only. The fact that this is only a 4.9 ounce tool is amazing. Most of Reate’s line weighs more than this and those tools are just knives.
The SAK Modder Victorinox Pioneer is one of my very favorite carry tools, something that is all but indispensable, and a great carry for when I am around non-knife folks. The royal blue ano and the aftermarket deep-carry clip are great, but it is the addition of scissors to the Pioneer’s tool complement that make this a core piece of my collection. Robert Lessard (on IG) does more complex stuff now, but this still a fantastic knife-based multitool.
If you travel at all you need one piece of gear that can go with you and thus far my favorite has been the Leatherman Style PS. It is a baby Skeletool with no blade. The only cutting edge is a pair of scissors and they are tiny. It is not often carried but when it is, its because nothing else is allowed.
The Leatherman PS4 seen here was a gift from my oldest son on my first Father’s Day. For a keychain-sized multitool, it is excellent with top shelf fit and finish, something my other favorite keychain MT, the Gerber Dime, lacks. As a tradeoff, you are missing the truly useful clamshell opener. Paired here with the RovyVon, the kit drops into a coin pocket and covers most of your bases. It a great party carry set up or a nice option for when you are in a restricted space.
There are a bazillion one piece tools on the market. Only the Shard is something I like. These tools come and go out of production all the time, so snag one when you can. They are like $8 and they are quite good.
The Flashlights
The 47s 16350 light is a great “kitchen drawer” torch, useful and easy to operate with a good size and a very bright high. The addition of the delrin tail stand ring makes it a versatile light. Generally it lives in my hiking bag along with the Leatherman Charge TTi.
The Eagletac TX25C is no longer the brightest light in its class, but it still is a good thrower. If had more use for lights this size I would certainly look to upgrade this torch, but as it is, I use it about once every two months, enough to justify keeping it, but not enough to really invest in something better. I still like the twist-click combination interface and I am as smitten when the clip as I was when the light was first released.
Streamlight gets a bad rep from enthusiasts as their lights tend to be about thirteen emitter generations behind the cutting edge, but this light, the Protac 1L-1AA is tremendously versatile thanks to its dual-fuel design. As a light that takes both 1xAA and 1xCR123a, this gives you light from the two best batteries available. In an emergency, this versatility is a big deal and could keep you out of the dark for a while. I’d love to see this light with a better clip and tail standing, but the dual-fuel trick is great. The only other light that offers this without switching body tubes is the Gerber Omnivore and it is a hunk of junk.
The Prometheus Delta is so friggin’ beautiful. I don’t need it, but if you are flashlight fan and haven’t tried some of Jason’s bespoke stuff, well you are missing out. It is a gleaming tube of photon throwing awesomeness.
The BOSS 35 is still the best light on the market 3 years on. Its small, its powerful, its well designed and expertly made. I love this light.
The modded Surefire Titan Plus is still an excellent, straightforward EDC. I had a machine shop grind off the stupid lanyard attachment point and I swapped out the original pokey clip for a glorious clip from Jason Hui. The light has weathered beautifully over time. My only issue is that the 300 lumen high and the WAY TOO BRIGHT low just feel a bit anachronistic nowadays.
The Muyshondt Aeon Mk. III is a truly spectacular light, a great piece of kit. Its size and hearty construction are nice, but its runtimes are just bonkers. I have gone through three batteries so far. I have owned this light for years and I carry it often.
The HDS Rotary is my nightstand light, my emergency light. Its simplicity in use and its durability mean that even as the high gets embarassingly bad (250 lumens), the light still serves a purpose.
I am not sure why I still have the Haiku other than its beauty and beam pattern. This is not a light that is competitive these days. Button cells are brighter. But the low is quite low and the throw and beam pattern are remarkable. Still, me having this is a pure sentimental thing. I might upgrade the output down the line.
The JetBeam RTT-01 v.2 is a great light and a production light I need to have around to do evaluations. It is clearly the best production EDC light on the market, giving you the great HDS Rotary UI with a modern emitter and a rechargeable battery. Its not as robust as the Rotary, but then again, neither is a tank.
The Syngery is another torch I probably don’t strictly need, but it is so weird, so good at running for a long time, and so nicely made that I just haven’t wanted to give it up.
The Veleno Designs 38DD is a super small light with a QTC interface (and yes the QTC still works). When it is hot out or a need a light so small I forget its there, I carry this light. Its great in that role and the output on mine is as warm as a roaring fire on a winter night.
Slimming Down
Being realistic, I’d probably keep the Busse, the Bravo 1, the Charge TTi, the Skeletool CX, the Style PS, the Dragonfly II, the Mnandi, the Spydiechef, the BOSS 35, the RRT-01 v.2. That would be a pretty robust set of things. The Chaparral, Swift, and PS4 would hang around for sentimental reasons.
One of Each
If I could only keep an exemplar from each category where is what I would keep:
Fixed Blade: Bravo 1
Folder: Dragonfly II
Multitool: Skeletool CX
Flashlight: BOSS 35
Amazon Purchase Link
If you want to support the blog and are interested in the gear mentioned here, follow the links below and purchase items—the proceeds help buy new review samples to keep the blog running and 100% independent:
Grans Fors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet