Rebuilding your collection from scratch

[JRinFL]

My simple answer is that I’d spend more per knife, but less overall. That assumes I’d try to rebuild. I think my answer on the other thread is the more likely outcome, one and done.

[vivi]

It would be nice to hear what the use cases for items in the collection are.

Pacific Salt - EDC

Aqua Salt - general purpose camping & hiking fixed blade

Manix XL S30V DLC - When I want a bigger, beefier folder, more secure grip or extra edge retention.

Chief S90V - When I want extreme edge retention or want to dress things up a bit.

Street Beat - When I want to carry a fixed blade in urban settings. Also works nicely as a camping & hiking knife if I don't need the extra length of the aqua salt.

[Naperville]

I always ask myself, if I was near an active shooter or 9/11 happened again and I was close to the epicenter of the activity would my Get Home Bag have everything required to get home alive/unscathed. If I am looking at something and it does not fit into an ideal use, I do not buy it anymore and I mean as it pertains to everything not just knives.

I know that this is a Spyderco thread in General and I do not want to be a kill-joy, but after having, holding and using close to 100 knives and looking at myself more as a PREPPER/SURVIVALIST than a collector I'd cut way back on knives with blades smaller than 3.75 inches from any brand.

I got ahead of myself and bought knives that are not Chicago legal and yet having under 4 inch blades. Big mistake because I do not carry those blades at all. They are nice knives, really nice, but I take a chance carrying them in Chicago, and everywhere else they feel too small.

I've never had a bad blade from anyone. They are all beautiful knives.

I'd definitely try to buy as many new or like new Spyderco Native Chiefs, and knives from other brands that have folders in the 4 to 5.5 inch blade region. I'd also have the very same fixed blades ranging from 4 in, all the way up to machetes and swords.

I buy for self defense and to safe my life, and would not change a thing.

[Dnwrghtsr]

Am kind of getting to do this. I had ten folders. Went to the seconds sales. Keeping three original knives para3 light weight Rex45, police3 g-10 serrated, p2 aluminum handle blade swap maxamet. New knives Rock Lobster m4, Native Chief m4, manix2 lightweight Rex45, military sv110, and two shamans m4 and s90v.

[SchoonerBum]

This and the "which would you replace first" are both interesting and thought provoking threads. Thanks y'all! :-)

My rebuild:

Aqua Salt PE x2
Pacific Salt TiCN H1 PE
Salt 2
Ladybug Salt PE
Subway Bowie

Aqua Salt - the best all-around knife for me that I've ever found - I used fixed blades for decades before I owned any folder other than an SAK and I still prefer them for almost everything
Pacific Salt TiCN H1 PE - outdoor EDC
LC Salt 2 - city/indoor EDC
Ladybug Salt PE - my emergency stash knife that lives in my EDC survival kit
Subway Bowie - lightweight backpacking knife

Honorable mentions to the LC Siren and Waterway - they would be the next two on this list as I don't NEED them but I really enjoy using them. If the Waterway could be had with DLC it could replace the Aqua Salt on my list, and likewise the Siren could replace the Pac Salt if it were ever offered as a lightweight FRN with DLC.

For Work:

I have to add three work knives to this list - PE LC Atlantic Salt, SE H1 Atlantic Salt, and Manbug Salt. Whenever I'm underway I have the LC AS for general use, the H1 AS for emergencies, and the Manbug lives in my ditch kit.

If in the future a backlock Caribbean or sheepsfoot Rockjumper Salt were to appear, I would pick those for work over the Atlantic Salt, but for now the Atlantic is my best sheepsfoot work option.

I would also pick up a Swick 5 for rigging work. I'm new to that one but it's brilliant.

[Tristan_david2001]

My collection would look like this
Calypso (larger pocketknife, very capable slicing beast)
Caly 3 (mid sized regular duty, utility edc)
Kopa (small, traditional, gents dress knife)
Manbug (tiny backup/coin pocket utility blade)
Currently those cover all my needs and wants

[spoonrobot]

I'd buy 2 Pacific Salts, a Dodo, and keep an eye out for the rarest Spyderco - the original Yojimbo.

Breakdown in order above:
-EDC+Backup - can't beat the Pacific.
-Exceptional design to show off on the mantle - Dodo just has a design language that speaks to me.
-For nostalgia purposes - The original Yojimbo is such a good knife that fit my hand perfectly. Only seen a small handful for sale in the past decade and never had an opportunity to buy.

[SRT392HEMI]

The basics:
PM2
Para 3
Manix G10
Manix LW
Sage 5 LW
Delica wharncliffe
Chaparral
Native 5
Dragonfly

[ChrisinHove]

I would start with replacing these…

Manbug Wharnie SE
Dragonfly hap40
Squeak
UKPK Salt SE
Native 5 g10 M4
Endura Wharnie SE
Kapara

[Evil D]

Autonomy 1 and 2 SE
Caribbean sheepsfoot SE
ARK SE
Ladybug Salt SE
MagnaCut Mule

That would definitely be my first group. Those cover pretty much everything I use knives for, I could maybe do with a larger fixed blade but I really don't have much use for a chopper so the Mule does everything I really need from a fixed blade. The Autonomy duo have basically displaced everything else I used to carry, the Caribbean for the off chance I'm somewhere that automatics are illegal, and the ARK is for around the house utility when I may not want a knife clipped in a pocket, and the Ladybug is for my keys and discreet use around non knife people.

There is a far more depressing counterpart to this list which are all the knives I wouldn't buy a second time and wouldn't replace if they were lost. Some because I just fell out of love with them and others because they just don't compete with the ones on this list.

[Brock O Lee]

I really like all the knives i have and would certainly miss them, but i don't necessarily feel the need to buy them all again. i wouldn't get rid of any of them on purpose either though.

Same here...

[Brock O Lee]

My simple answer is that I’d spend more per knife, but less overall. That assumes I’d try to rebuild. I think my answer on the other thread is the more likely outcome, one and done.

This makes a lot of sense, especially after your tastes have matured and you know what you like and what works for you.

I guess many of us end up with large and varied collections on the journey to figuring out what we actually like.

[Unbrokenchain33]

Easy for me:

Ladybug
G10 Dragonfly
Techno v1
Sage 5 LW
Spydiechef
Kapara
Subvert

[DutchBlades]

Man... That's a difficult question.
I'd say 80% of my collection is discontinued...

[elena86]

Old school SS SE Police
SE Wharnie Delica
SE Pac Salt in H1
PM2 in S45VN
Military1
K390 Delica
ZDP189 Dfly2

[Soulrack]

If I lost my collection I'd probably throw in the towel. I'd want a Gayle Bradley in M4 and PM2s in Cruwear and S90V for 3 users in my favorite steels.

[standy99]

First up I would buy a GB2 to replace my cherished GB1

In todays age I would just collect Native 5s in all steels that you see readily available and maybe a sprint or two.

Like seeing the one variety collections and more a EDC fixed blade path the older I get…

[vivi]

.

There is a far more depressing counterpart to this list which are all the knives I wouldn't buy a second time and wouldn't replace if they were lost. Some because I just fell out of love with them and others because they just don't compete with the ones on this list.

I can relate. There were times when the Military or the Police were the knife for me. Both are highly nostalgic for me. These days I'm so much more inclined to reach for a Pacific Salt over either.

[Doc Dan]

Manix 2 LW
Manix 2 Back Lock
Straight Spine Stretch K390
Endura
Delica
Dragonfly
Ladybug
UKPK

I don't think I would replace the others, but I might. These get the most carry and use.

[JD Spydo]

First off I would buy as many of the Sprint Run C-60 Cruwear Ayoob models as I could get my hands on. And equal amounts of the PE & SE selections. Yes I like the new Cruwear Ayoob that well. It was truly a "Dream Come True" blade for me.

Also I would get as many Dodo models as I could get my hands on as well. I just can't believe how handy that little gem is.

And last but most certainly not least I would get every C-36 Military model I could snag but only with supersteel blades.

But again the Cruwear Ayoob could do about 80% to 85% of all my cutting needs. Yep!! that blade was that well designed. I bet I'm not the only one who liked that one.