The task: name the two blades you would want to carry next year if you could only have two ... without knowing what next year will bring. Keyword: blades. They don't necessarily have to be knives. I've got mine picked out, and will name them downstream. You? ___ Added by edit: I encourage you to address the "why" part: why those choices?
#1 Spyderco Shaman. I must have a folder because the folks at work would crap their pants if I carried a fixed blade. I have a lot of folders. Big, small, different steels, locks and handles. This knife is the amalgation of blade shape, size, good steel, my favorite lock, and handle design that works the best for me. It’s a super sized Native with a stronger frame, better lock and nicers scales/handle. Perfection in a folder for me. #2 is tough. Needs to be a fixed blade for sure. Last year I spent a lot of time fishing. Not much time hiking or camping. Only built a handful of fires. This year was a small knife year. Used a lot of small blades in the mud and in boats. Esee 6 is my choice. When I really need a fixed blade, I often need a big fixed blade. My Esee 6 only slightly beat out my Junglas-2. More camping/fires/hiking would sway me to the bigger of the two. I have more carry options for the 6 that increases its usability. EDIT. Limiting myself to only 2 blades would make me grossly unhappy. Would be a tough year.
I am going to carry the same ones from last year. #1 TRC XS Splinter #2 Victorinox Spirit #3 Benchmade Dejavoo (#1  are obligatory #3 is more of a stand alone alternate around the house.)
I miss readI though it was the top 2 to buy Esee CR2.5 Spyderco native 5 w/ compression lock Top 3 to carry are PR 4 - took the place of my 3 for my go to knife at Bushcraft, good all around, not to big or to thick to do most any thing. Spyderco Native 5 - been my daily carry since I got it, robust enough to handle what ever I throw at it. SAK Farmer - more public friendly than the Native, when you pull out a knife and people see the cross on the side they are less likely to think of it as a weapon. Plus it has the awl, I use it about 20 times a day for all kinds of things.
Folder: CRK Small Inkosi Edited to add: why: Rule #9, basically. Always carrying a knife and the Inkosi is small, but large enough for practical EDC tasks, and has the characteristics I look for in a practical knife: not a coated blade (not sticky when cutting), shallow hollow grind (good cutter), fine tip (splinters etc). It has clean lines, and I really like the sandwich design without backspacer, which makes the knife really easy to clean and dry. High quality steel with good edge retention. Oh, and it's a lefty Nuff said. CRK Small Inkosi by vikingr posted Dec 15, 2017 at 1:41 PM Fixed: Adventure Sworn Classic Edited to add: I got this knife this year and haven't had the chance to use it much. It's the classic bushcraft knife design, scandi grind, O1... I have the plain desert ironwood version, will add pics later. This is the knife that is a real pleasure to use outside in the woods. Kind of a love affair. Adventure Sworn Classic by vikingr posted Dec 16, 2017 at 4:48 PM
If limiting to just two, I think I'd go with : 1) Izula 2) Victorinox Rambler Both are small enough to carry everyday, the Rambler packs a lot of versatility into a small package, and I'm sure the Izula needs no justification here.
I don't use knives, but if I had to limit it to two in 2018, it'd be my Carothers EDC and a Fiddleback 12" Machete.
Interesting read so far. I've read all posts to here, and searched the blades I didn't know (at least half). We seem a very practical bunch. Good mixes, many (most?) including both fixed and folder (as will I). No Rambo knives, just practical, and even a side of multi-tool. One thing I wish I'd done in my OP (fixed now; added by edit) is to encourage posters to address the "why" part: why those choices? @koolaidnd did a great job of that, as did a couple of others. I'll do it when I post ... tonight after work. If you've already posted, feel free to post again with some explanations if you didn't first time around. Speaking of work, back to it ...
1: CRK Sebenza 25 2: CRK Small Sebenza 21 No real reason "why" other than both hold sentimental value to me, and they're CRK, so they'll outlast me by a lifetime and will probably be the last folding knives I'll ever need.
Vic Farmer has been in my pocket for a while so that’ll stay put; loving this Spyderco Military I recently got, hoping to put some wear marks on it and become proficient in sharpening M4 while I’m at it. Definitely going to be a challenge, I only just got pretty good at VG-10.
Hahahaha ... oh, the last two posts got my best laugh of the day. Thanks! Great posts and updates. Just finishing up work for the day -- interesting project that involved hauling a 42", 50 lb birch log (6 - 8" diameter) coated with ice a few hundred m of woodland in a sled on hard snow and into my studio (pics to come; eventually, a video) -- and now it's time for aperitifs and din din. It's Friday evening. After dinner, I'm going to photo my choices for this thread. Still a bit torn on #2, and may not even settle on it for that post. May need a few more days (and comments) to decide.
