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The past few revolutions ’round the sun I’ve endeavored to keep track of what knives I carry each day for the whole year. This last year, 2019, I dutifully tallied consistently enough that I feel the outcome paints a relatively representative picture of my carry across the last 12 months. So, since I took the time to do this without too much of a sensible reason, I’ve decided to provide myself with such by sharing the results with you!

2019 was not the first year I’ve tried to keep track of my carry, but it is the first wherein I haven’t missed large swaths of time. A couple years ago I did well enough that I decided to share it on BladeForums, but ended up taking the thread down. This past year I used Google Keep on my phone to write down my carry, even keeping it handy with the widget version of the app. By only changing the date in the title once I’d updated the tally for that day, and seeing it when I swiped across my home screen, I was able to keep up with the process without getting more than a day or two behind.

Of course, this isn’t a statistical survey from which an in depth and accurate view of my EDC habits can be mined. I didn’t note when I first started carrying each knife. This would affect the average of how often each knife was carried, being that I had some at the beginning of the year, and even those I got during the year I didn’t immediately start carrying upon acquirement. It also doesn’t take into account whether I simply carried the knife but didn’t use it or carried the knife and used it. There are also times when I use a knife heavily without actually carrying that knife that day, instances of which were not included in the tally. So this is more of a general look at what I carry, than it is an attempt to garner real insight.

But it’s still a fun exercise that I don’t think many people have done! So please peruse the data below at your leisure:

Fixed Blades

DCL Kwaiken: 2
Blind Horse Woodsman Pro: 3
Logan 1: 1
Reverse: 21
Culberson: 1
RR pen knife: 2
Mora Companion: 1
TOPS ALRT: 4
Spartan Harsey 2: 5
Buck 119: 10
Buck 475: 1
Relentless: 57
Canadian belt knife: 1
Shaner GEC: 2

In Bag / On Keychain

Stainless Ladybug wedding date: 102

SwissCard Lite in wallet: 245

Leatherman Squirt in bag: 340

Traditional Folders

GEC 98 Texas Camp Knife: 11
GEC Kifer 97: 23
GEC 93 Waynorth White Lambfoot: 33
GEC 86 white: 2
GEC 82 Dixie Stag: 5
GEC 82 possum Skinner: 47
GEC 78 Glitter Gold: 31
GEC 77 single spear AF: 21
GEC sfa 2019 74 white stainless: 3
GEC 73 casein: 2
GEC 71 orange: 43
GEC 71 tortoise: 1
GEC 65 Black Gold: 11
GEC 56 Glitter Gold: 10
GEC 56 clip pen weave Jigged: 10
GEC 53 Cuban stainless Stag: 15
GEC 45 Pioneer Muscle: 15
GEC 44 Cocobolo: 15
GEC 35 Banana: 14
GEC 29 acrylic: 14
GEC Schrade (loaned from Clay R): 3
GEC 22 Magnum sea: 20
GEC 18 Beagle: 15
GEC 15 TC Black Bone: 41
GEC 15 TC Rendezvous 2014: 1
GEC 13 Office Knife: 7
GEC 06 Pemberton: 27

Jeffery Mitchell: 20

Remington guide lockback: 7
Remington master guide: 3
Remington Apprentice?: 2

Sanrenmu from Paddy aka Steve: 2

Opinel #5: 2
Opinel #9: 1

Rough Rider Sowbelly 5 blade: 5
Rough Rider white mini Barlow: 7
Rough Rider ceramic trapper: 3
Rough Rider moose: 1
RR 818 work yellow liner: 1
Rough Ryder Congress: 1
Rough Rider gold mini toothpick: 9
Rough Ryder RR2038: 2
Rough Ryder easy money canoe: 3

Ozark pen: 2

Queen Birdvis Hunter: 10
Queen Utility Trapper: 9
Queen abalone copperhead: 2

Buck Deuce: 2

Case Trapper Yellow: 7
Case Sodbuster Jr orange: 14
Case Tribal Lock: 9

Ag Russell Rancher Yellow: 7

Spyderco Roadie: 13

Victorinox Farmer: 5
Victorinox Huntsman: 8
Victorinox Picnicker: 15
Victorinox Classic: 8

Higonokami small black: 2

Earl’s Imperial mini teardrop: 2

Modern Folders

Isham Blackstar: 1
MassDrop x WE x Laconico Keen: 53
Spyderco Native Ti: 29
Spyderco Ouroboros: 23
ZT 0561: 23
Benchmade 940: 11
Steel Will Gekko: 13
Geralt: 15
Kershaw Cathode: 4
Cold Steel micro recon: 3
Kershaw Bareknuckle: 7
Rough Rider Pastel: 4
Kershaw Cinder: 1
Kershaw Thistle: 11
Spyderco Endura grey: 48
Spyderco Chokwe: 5
Cold Steel Code 4: 7
Kershaw Decimus: 15
Chasm 2.5: 1
Kershaw Leek: 2
Cold Steel FGX Balisong: 4
Spyderco Domino: 19
Spyderco Pacific Salt: 2
CRKT Peck: 1
Spyderco Native Chief: 5
Victorinox Hunter Pro: 3
Ontario Rat 1: 26
CRKT Ruger Hollow Point: 11
Spyderco Shaman Sprint: 3
Benchmade Griptilian: 19

So, my top five most carried modern Folders were the MassDrop produced WE manufactured Laconico designed Keen, the Spyderco Endura 4, the Spyderco Native 5 Fluted Titanium, the Ontario RAT 1, and the Spyderco Ouroboros. My top five traditional pocket knives were the GEC Tidioute #82 Possum Skinner, the GEC Farm & Field #71 Bullnose, the GEC Tidioute #15 TC Barlow, the GEC Waynorth #93 Real Lambfoot, and the GEC Tidioute #78 American Jack 2018 SFA. My top three most carried fixed blades, all the rest being carried significantly less than these, were the Relentless Tactical, the Spyderco Reverse, and the Buck 119.

What do my top fives in each category show about my carry habits? For modern knives, I prefer Spyderco. However, I’m not surprised that I carried the Keen the most overall, because Ray Laconico is my favorite custom folding knife designer / maker. For fixed blades, the data mostly shows that I carry them far less frequently than folding knives. I ended up carrying the Relentless Tactical a lot because for some reason it was just very easy and comfortable to carry, unlike most fixed blades. I also carried the Spyderco Reverse a good bit because of the great sheath I have for it from Dark Star Gear (check them out!). So it would seem that the sheath and carry style is the most important factor in what fixed blades I carry. As for traditional pocket knives, I am clearly a fan of Great Eastern Cutlery (but you probably already knew that). More specifically, I like the practical workers and Charlie Campagna SFOs. Honestly, there’s no real surprises in what I carried knowing my history and taste in knives!

Another benefit of this little endeavor is a more general and broad view of what knives are worth buying and/or keeping for me. If I buy a knife, carry it a bunch at first, then don’t carry it much for the rest of the year, I can see that in these numbers and make a note that I might not have enjoyed that knife as much as I expected to. Also, I think these numbers have actually led me to be more comfortable with buying a knife as a collector piece. If I’m going to carry a select few knives most of the time, it seems less worth it to use a knife that could be kept in good condition. However, I always swing back toward the user side of things and every time I get a collectible or rare knife I have a great desire to put it to use, so we’ll see how long I can hold out on not using the rare ones.

Overall, I am glad I took the time and effort to do this little every day carry knife experiment. Will I keep up with it this year? I don’t know. I just know I enjoy carrying and using my knives, and this give you a glimpse into which I favor.

I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts

The holidays are rapidly approaching, and that means it’s time to get gifts. So before they sneak up on you unawares, here are 5 slipjoints worthy of being gifted to your friends, family, and loved ones. I have done my best to include options across a range of prices and styles, and ones that are available to purchase. Giving knives as gifts always brings me joy because it allows me to share my enthusiasm for these pieces of practical art with others, and I hope this article helps you do the same!

Slipjoints are non-locking folding pocket knives. They most often use a backspring to hold the blade closed within the handle and in the open position, but there are other mechanisms that can be used (all the examples on this list use a backspring). Slipjoints are most often associated with traditional knives, but more and more modern knife companies are introducing slipjoint models. With the rapid increase in their popularity, a slipjoint knife can make a great gift for anyone who appreciates a good pocket knife.

Rough Ryder Barlow

Rough Ryder is a brand owned by Smoky Mountain Knife Works. They’re made in China, but consistently provide quality well above their price point. They also come with a warranty backed by, and fulfilled through, Smoky Mountain Knife Works (from whom I have always had good service and positive warranty experiences). A Rough Ryder makes a great using slipjoint, being that they come at such an affordable price point, but they can sometimes be really aesthetically pleasing as well. Although there are A LOT of options when it comes to Rough Ryder knives (you can find the whole brand catalogue at this link), I would suggest a tried and true classic Barlow in smooth natural bone. You can get them from SMKW at this link for $10 plus shipping. I suggest this model in particular because it is a classic pattern that many recognize, because it is shieldless (Rough Ryder doesn’t pin their shields, and I try to avoid glued shields), and because I’ve been impressed with their quality. However, Rough Ryder offers a multitude of different series, handle materials, etc. so if the barlow doesn’t fit your taste I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that does!

Victorinox Alox Cadet

The Victorinox Alox Cadet is a knife that packs a lot of utility into a small (and slim!) package. It features a full sized blade, nail file, bottle opener, can opener, wire stripper, large screwdriver, and small screwdriver all in just two layers. With only two backsprings and the thin yet tough Alox (aluminum) handles, the Cadet is slim enough to slip into a watch/coin pocket or purse and can even be carried on a keychain with the included splitring. Aside from all the utility provided by the tools, it’s just plain well made. Victorinox has an incredible level of consistency and quality control, so that you know when you buy one of their knives you’ll be getting a highly functional and well made knife. You can get Victorinox knives from lots of dealers, but GPKnives has the red version at this link and the silver version at this link both for about $35.

Case Trapper

The Case Trapper is a classic. It’s a knife that has been carried and used by countless people, from ranchers to wall street brokers. The Trapper pattern is a quintessentially American knife, and Case’s version is as well known and recognizable as a Trapper gets. The full sized version is big enough, especially with the two full sized blades, to be able to tackle all your every day cutting needs but still easy enough to carry on a daily basis. Like most Case knives, it is made in the USA. It comes in a staggering variety of handle materials, colors, and finishes. However, the most widespread and (usually) cheapest version is the yellow synthetic, and the one I’d recommend in general as a gift because it has character in simplicity. You can buy the Case Trapper at a lot of knife dealers, but you can find lots of different version at KnifeWorks at this link. You can find the stainless steel yellow synthetic version at this link, and the carbon steel yellow synthetic version at this link both for about $45.

GEC Farm & Field Bullnose

Great Eastern Cutlery is making the best factory produced slipjoints on the market right now and because of that they can be expensive and difficult to get. Sometimes GEC knives stay on dealers’ sites/shelves for a while, but many of them are bought up quickly upon release. However, GEC has an in house brand called Farm & Field under which they manufacture working knives. These knives have less exotic materials and slightly less refined finishing than GEC’s other in house brands. Still, they are made by hand at a quality level mostly unmatched in the slipjoint market. The flagship of the Farm & Field brand is the #71 Bullnose. It is GEC’s take on the classic sodbuster pattern; one of the most well known working knives. It might not be the slimmest or sleekest knife, but it is rock solid with great action and timeless styling. Like all GEC knives, the Bullnose is made in the USA. It has a handmade feel that’s difficult to describe, but a joy to behold. GEC makes these often, but hasn’t in about a year so get yours before they run out. They can still be found at a few dealers, but I recommend getting yours at Blue Creek Cutlery. They have both the #71 Bullnose, at this link, and its larger brother the #21 Bullbuster, at this link, in stock now for $55 and $65 respectively.

CollectorKnives LionSteel Dom / Roundhead / Shuffler

If the receiver of your gifted slipjoint has more of a modern style, prefers high tech materials, or deserves a little pricier fare, the CollectorKnives LionSteel collaboration modern slipjoint barlows might be a great option. CollectorKnives is a longtime dealer of slipjoints from lots of brands, but recently they introduced their line of modern slipjoint barlows manufactured by LionSteel. These knives have an elongated bolster and the classic shape of a barlow, but they have screw together construction and modern materials. The blades are M390 super steel, the liners and bolsters are titanium, and some of the handle materials include carbon fiber. They are also offered in several more traditional handle materials like ram’s horn, ebony wood, olive wood, and micarta. Some even boast damascus (actually Damasteel, stainless damascus) bolsters and blades. They come in several different options: the Roundhead with a spearpoint blade, the Dom with a sheepfoot blade, the Shuffler with a clip point blade, and the WarHorse with both a clip point and wharncliffe blade. You can find all versions at this link for between $120 and $335.

Knives can make an extremely thoughtful, as well as useful, gift. I know that anytime I give or receive a knife as a gift it feels meaningful. No matter which of these you choose, I think the receiver will be thrilled when they open their gift! Don’t forget to check out my other articles, enter your email to get updates when I post new articles, and follow me on Instagram and YouTube.