Running Lean: An Experiment

[Aloha]

It is a great discussion.  Those little scissors are wonderful.  I've come to a point where I don't want my SAK that I use on darn near everything to also be my food blade as well.  Having a traditional is a way to carry something neat and have a task.  I know I wont have a one tool that does everything so a couple tools satisfies my tool love and needs. 

[AimlessWanderer]

Thanks Aloha.

I'll occasionally use a traditional folder for eating an apple, but try to avoid using folders for food wherever possible, for no other reason that they're harder to be kept clean. That's both in terms of collecting grime prior to use on food, and in getting residue and stickiness from the food/juices out of the tang and backspring afterwards.

If I'm taking food that will need cutting up wherever I eat it, I'll be taking a stainless fixed blade too. I currently have four that I'll use for that purpose. The Boker+ TUF is the main food prep knife, especially when it will be used a lot, such as at the UK meet. Cold Steel Roach Belly takes it's place on a day hike, as it's lighter. That in turn will be swapped for a Hi-Vis Mora if I think there's a chance of a fixed blade being needed for anything other than food (it's not as good on food, but better for wood related tasks). Finally, there's the Cold Steel Finn Bear. If there's a chance others might use the knife, I'll take that. I'd rather that one get misused by the uninitiated than any of the other three. So I effectively choose between camp, hike, multipurpose or loan.

[Aloha]

Nice selections.  Its not terribly often that I'll need to cut something while out but it has happened.  I've got a D2 and high polished 1095 Trad.  I use my Dragonfly2 in ZDP189 quite a lot as well.  That maybe my only knife to cross over.  I'll open a package but no dirty work. 

I've gone away from using SAKs for the most part and like you its food that get trapped within.  Yes same goes for my Trads but there not also who knows what as well,  .  At home I've been enjoying using my S30V Contego but admittedly its not a great chefs knife tho fun as heck.  Yesterday I broke down a lot of chicken wings with my Esee Izula.  Part of the fun is using what I have on me.  I've got a great selection of chef knives but how much fun is that? 

Now for those that wonder, I will use my SAK if needs be but seeing how I am a tool carrier that may not happen as often to me as others.

No loaners here anymore.  I have been known to carry a gift SAK if I am going somewhere with others.  Last year we went to a few parties and I gave away a SAK to a gent as well as a Wave.  If I feel like someone will use the tool I am happy to give away tools. 

I gave a boycott leader a SAK and a few of my partners coworkers them as well.  I'm like here, keep it.      

[AimlessWanderer]

At home I've been enjoying using my S30V Contego but admittedly its not a great chefs knife tho fun as heck.  Yesterday I broke down a lot of chicken wings with my Esee Izula.  Part of the fun is using what I have on me.  I've got a great selection of chef knives but how much fun is that? 

 

My main two choices are indeed mini field chefs knives as far as I'm concerned. Great for working on a chopping board with.



Top row, third from the right, and eighth from the right. As you can see, a lot of my fixed blades have a similar profile, and I've used several of them for food prep over the years. I have used folders, and will continue to co so, I'm just not enthused by the additional faff and cleaning, and trying to work soap then oil into all the moving parts.

[Rapidray]

Very good choices! 

[AimlessWanderer]

Thanks Ray 

[AimlessWanderer]

Over the past few days, I've been finding items which somehow escaped confinement. A hobo knife, a DofE, Case Scout Jr, and Gerber Splice. I've been touching up the egdes on the blades, the Sheepsfoot modded DofE took the most work, but I think this might have been the first time I put "my" edge on it, rather than just touching up the factory edge (the sheepsfoot mod only tweaked the spine at the tip). I also touched up the blades on my Tourist, the first Swiss knife I ever bought, which lives permanently in the kitchen drawer.

I'm going to open the shoebox box of tools to stow all these in there (but try not to start playing with the others that are already imprisoned in there), with the exception of the Gerber Splice, and of course the Tourist, which will go back in the kitchen drawer. I did the first six months of this experiment with mainly the Deluxe Tinker, and I think I'm going to attempt the next six with mainly a traditional pocket knife and the Splice. If I do need small pliers, I'll fall back on the Gerber Dime on the house keys. I will however leave myself free to switch to any of the other tools that I've left out for the experiment, should the trad and Splice not be working out, or not suited to a particular day's activities.

[Aloha]

Great selection of fixed blades. 

I think the only potential foolproof way to keep to one knife is HAVE one knife  .  When I got out of the commercial kitchens I amassed a lot of knives.  I also had a lot of peripheral stuff.  People always bought me gadgets and gear as they thought thats what I wanted. 

When I sold my home several years ago I gifted some really knife cutlery to friends.  I also did the same with a lot of the peripheral kitchen stuff.  When I moved into this current home I again got rid of cutlery.  Last year however I picked up a couple new pairing knives  and 2 chefs knives  .  What I can say about me is, I enjoy tryin new things.  Its probably that simple  .  The reason I say this is because I really only use 1 chefs knife, 1 paring knife, and a cleaver.  I literally could do without the other items.  I never use them.  Why I keep them?


 

[AimlessWanderer]

Great selection of fixed blades. 

I think the only potential foolproof way to keep to one knife is HAVE one knife  .  When I got out of the commercial kitchens I amassed a lot of knives.  I also had a lot of peripheral stuff.  People always bought me gadgets and gear as they thought thats what I wanted. 

When I sold my home several years ago I gifted some really knife cutlery to friends.  I also did the same with a lot of the peripheral kitchen stuff.  When I moved into this current home I again got rid of cutlery.  Last year however I picked up a couple new pairing knives  and 2 chefs knives  .  What I can say about me is, I enjoy tryin new things.  Its probably that simple  .  The reason I say this is because I really only use 1 chefs knife, 1 paring knife, and a cleaver.  I literally could do without the other items.  I never use them.  Why I keep them?

Yup. I have an abundance of kitchen knives, but typically use the same few for most of the work. Typically a chefs knife, smaller utility knife, and a bread knife. I don't need the cleaver often.

[AimlessWanderer]

I'm going to open the shoebox box of tools to stow all these in there (but try not to start playing with the others that are already imprisoned in there), with the exception of the Gerber Splice

Holy crap, I forgot how heavy that box is! It also took me a few minutes to remember where I'd put it...

I behaved though, and didn't start rummaging through the other stuff. Hopefully that'll be the last time it gets opened till this is over. I do however need to find a little sheath for the teeny traditional, so the Splice doesn't scratch it up. I have some somewhere... 

[Aloha]

Every time I go thru tools I have not seen or played with in a while I am  all over again. 

[AimlessWanderer]

 I know that feeling well 

It was tempting to have a rummage, but I behaved myself. It'll certainly be interesting to revisit them all in August/September, and see how many are "Meh! Didn't miss that" and how many are 

[AimlessWanderer]

I did the first six months of this experiment with mainly the Deluxe Tinker, and I think I'm going to attempt the next six with mainly a traditional pocket knife and the Splice.

Correction: Some days it will be a clipped non-locking folder, as some trouser pockets seem to like vomiting traditional folders out  when sat down Thankfully I left two such options in play, Byrd Tern and Wings Slipit, so I don't have to break into the stash.

The Splice and Fenix are on a long lanyard hitched to a belt loop, so if they fall out, I'll not lose them.

[AimlessWanderer]

This experiment is now over!

I know there should be another 6 months to go, but I had a revelation last night. I was thinking how much happier I've been during the course of this experiment, and realised that it isn't just going to lead to a solution to my frustrations, it IS the solution. I wasn't getting annoyed with owning stuff that wasn't getting used, but with SEEING it all every time I wanted to change something. Stuffing the rest of the stuff out of sight, and just keeping regular carry in a drawer, gives the scale of array I want, without having to sell off tools I'd really rather not part with.

The thing that had been holding me back from selling stuff, is knowing it will likely be at a loss, and knowing it would be both pricey and difficult to source them again, should I need to replace any of the items I leave out. Each of the items that I was undecided about, have proven themselves to be great in use, and well suited to me. I just had too many items available in each role. I'll be opening the box again today, sorting through everything, and refining what stays confined to the box out of sight, and what remains in the open for use. The rest will be shut away in the box until I break or lose something, and need to fish out a replacement.

The first thing I'm going to change, is all carbon steel stays out. That way I can keep them maintained. Shutting stainless "spares" away for 5-10 years or whatever, should be far less risky. The second thing that stays out, is anything that's already been used heavily, or items that had 6 months or more of near exclusive carry. That includes a few slippies from the early days. On top of this, I'll leave out a few options so that whatever crops up in life, I have a suitable option in the drawer, and spares in the box.

Tools that neither get chosen to be left out, nor are direct spares for that role, probably need ditching (selling, giving away, or breaking for spares). Exemptions are thing I might need on very rare occasions, such as the marlinspike on a British Army Knife. Stuff like that will go in the toolbag with hammers and screwdrivers and stuff - away from the regular carry drawer, but still available if needed. All that leaves then, is mod fodder. These can be put in yet another box for tinkering with at my leisure.

I'll update with the new line up once it's sorted 

[SirVicaLot]

Sounds like a plan! Let us know, and see, what you come up with 

[AimlessWanderer]

Done! It's so much easier once you've figured out what you're actually trying to achieve  Probably a conclusion I should have reached a long time ago to be honest, but I didn't think keeping stuff out of sight was a real solution. I was wrong.

Modern folders were easy!

Once I'd added the carbon steel (well, D2 to be precise) Zipslip to the Byrd Tern and Wings that I'd left out last time, that was the Users sorted. The Losers are two liner lockers that never get carried, and the far too mall ninja like Boker XS. The XS will go with the mod fodder for converting to something less "tacticool wannabe", and the two liner lockers can be given away. All the others are great knives, but Snoozers, and will be confined to the spares box.

[Aloha]

Interesting outcome.  You've now been able to further reduce items to the most used and have some nice ones awaiting the call to action. 

[AimlessWanderer]

Traditional slippies got split into two size categories. Full size pocket knives, and smaller penknife sized items.

As planned the two Sheffield made carbon steel knives went in the Users box, as did a horn scaled IXL single blade barlow, and Case twin bladed barlow. Both of those are knives which I have spent extended periods of time with, and each has a replacement with different scales in the Snoozers. The final User in this group was the Boker+ Tech Tool 1, which is effectively a Sodbuster Jr with a clip - great for when wearing shorts or trousers with pockets that stuff tends to fall out of.

Other Snoozers are a Case Soddie Jr, which I could fasten a clip to if I needed to replace the Tech Tool, a Nieto Manolina (superb lightweight knife), and a Rough rider canoe. All three of these are great pocket knives, and I may well miss them.

The losers are a Richards knife, one of the companies that went a long way to souring the reputation of stuff made in Sheffield  That one will go in the mod fodder, and maybe one day I'll turn it into something worth owning and carrying. The other is a Marbles Sunfish. Good knife, but I don't need it, and it's a little too big for regular carry. It was a great knife to have for rope work at the boat (the original purpose of those knives), but don't have call for that anymore.

Absent:
The idiot photographer forgot to include a Camillus TL-29, as that resides permanently with my tobacco stuff. The driver is great for breaking open vac tins of pipe tobacco and nasal snuff, and the blade is used for cutting plug and flake, or dispensing snuff into daily snuffboxes.

[AimlessWanderer]

Sounds like a plan! Let us know, and see, what you come up with 

 

Pics are all taken, so I'll continue to upload them 

Interesting outcome.  You've now been able to further reduce items to the most used and have some nice ones awaiting the call to action. 

Exactly! 

Favourites, plus spares, plus... "nah, not fussed about them" 

[AimlessWanderer]

The smaller slippies were quite easy too. The Boker Carver Congress is carbon steel, so that was automatic. The Case Scout Jr is a very useful knife in a small package, and the bail is useful if I'm using a lanyard attached to my belt/belt loop. The Rodgers penknife was also left out over the other penknives due to the bail. The Rough Rider Baby Copperhead offers a little more blade size than regular penknives, but is still small enough for a waistcoat pocket.

The Snoozers are all back up penknives, or little stuff which is all just a bit too small to carry on their own, but are fine as back ups on keyrings. All the knives straddling the Loser line are sacrificial knives. These are knives that I'd carry if there was a risk it might not make it home with me again, either due to venue security, or pockets that might not retain tools that great. The Cheeta barlow will take the role, and be replaced by one of the others should we be parted company. To be honest, they're all worth carrying in their own right, I'd just miss them far less than anything else I own.

[Aloha]

I find tools that I like to carry aren't necessarily tools I use the most.  HUH?  I have tools that get worked hard and often so those stay where they are needed which makes carrying them a no brainer.  There are the outliers which can complicate matters if I let them.  Then for my situation there are tools that I like but have no intention on carrying but enjoy owning.  There a some grey areas within all this so I keep my choices limited so I am not just carrying a lot of stuff because I can or want to. 

Explorer.  Near perfect but just saying that keeps me longing for perfection, if that even exists.
 
Squirt.  Its a great tool but IMO must be combined with another tool.
 
58mm or similar.  My go to is my Manager.  It ticks so many boxes that I'd say its perfect BUT......  I got a Wenger Pocket Tool Chest and made me rethink my Manager.
 
Food knife or clean blade.  I don't use my SAKs for foods.  When out I use my SAKs for whatever I need them for so the thought of then using it on consumables  , nope.  This task is why I wanted to carry a Trad.  I also have a Dragonfly that serves this purpose well. 

While its several items if carried all the time its no bother nor am I feeling overloaded. 

The exception to SAKs and food is the can opener.     

[AimlessWanderer]

Full sized pliers tools took more thought!

Spirit X as a user, with the Spirit RT in reserve, was an easy choice. Sideclip was an easy choice too. Note only one is shown here, but there's another in bits that's being polished up. That will either switch places with this user, or move straight to the spares box once it's polished up. I decided to leave the Balance out as auser, as it's had a heck of a lot of carry time, and works well as a one tool urban carry, or as companion to a traditional folder.

The final choice was much tougher.

Last time I left out the modded MP400, but decided to let that be a back up for the Balance, as traditional knife companion. The toughest choice was between the other four knifeless mods - Wave, Fuse, Diesel and MP600. All four are "fully loaded" knifeless mods, with file, scissors, saw, awl, and assorted drivers. I eventually went for the Fuse, as it's orange companion tools, the Vagnino Zipslip and Case Scout Jr had already been selected as users. I have no doubt I'll miss the others at some point, but I don't expect to need to swap them. I think the selected Users can cover all anticipated scenarios.

I won't miss the Switchplier. We don't get along, sadly. That can go. As for the knifeless Octane mod. That could easily serve as another Sideclip backup, but will be left to reside in the bathroom for fishing clumps of hair out of plugholes, nipping up lav seat hinges, and the onboard package opener will deal with opening packets of bog roll and other toiletries.

[magentus]

Oh my that Case Scout Jr is lush!

[magentus]

Both fascinating and rigorous Al 

[AimlessWanderer]

I find tools that I like to carry aren't necessarily tools I use the most.  HUH?  I have tools that get worked hard and often so those stay where they are needed which makes carrying them a no brainer.  There are the outliers which can complicate matters if I let them.  Then for my situation there are tools that I like but have no intention on carrying but enjoy owning.  There a some grey areas within all this so I keep my choices limited so I am not just carrying a lot of stuff because I can or want to. 

Explorer.  Near perfect but just saying that keeps me longing for perfection, if that even exists.
 
Squirt.  Its a great tool but IMO must be combined with another tool.
 
58mm or similar.  My go to is my Manager.  It ticks so many boxes that I'd say its perfect BUT......  I got a Wenger Pocket Tool Chest and made me rethink my Manager.
 
Food knife or clean blade.  I don't use my SAKs for foods.  When out I use my SAKs for whatever I need them for so the thought of then using it on consumables  , nope.  This task is why I wanted to carry a Trad.  I also have a Dragonfly that serves this purpose well. 

While its several items if carried all the time its no bother nor am I feeling overloaded. 

The exception to SAKs and food is the can opener.     

Great post! I feel similar in many ways.

As already mentioned above, a TL-29 electrician's knife lives with my tobacco stuff, and the modded Octane will live in the bathroom. I also have a Tourist which lives in the Kitchen drawer, and a Compact which lives in a first aid kit. They are working tools which play a part in my life, but don't "carry" them away from where they are most useful to me.

As to your point on food, I actually don't like using any folder for food, and much prefer a fixed knife. I will sometimes make an exception and eat an apple with a traditional folder, but find having to wash it out, flush the juice out of the backspring area, and re-oil it all, to be too much of a chore to do this with any regularity.

"Then for my situation there are tools that I like but have no intention on carrying but enjoy owning."

I have very few things that fall in this category. My enjoyment tends to come from owning stuff, and the placement of tools which don't suit carry to specific tasks, is one way I get round this. For example, the Tourist in the kitchen drawer, is the first Swiss knife I ever got. However, it wouldn't be carried as it's a Swiss knife without scissors. Leaving it in the kitchen means I get use and enjoyment out of it, without the annoyance of having a Swiss knife in my pocket, but having to use the (often inferior) scissors on something else.

I agree on the Manager vs PTC dilemma. They are both great tools, but both lack something excellent on the other item.

[AimlessWanderer]

Oh my that Case Scout Jr is lush!

It certainly is 

(teaser pic attached) 

Both fascinating and rigorous Al 

Cheers Luke 

[AimlessWanderer]

Smaller multitools were quite easy to choose from.

Dime on the keys, with a couple of spares. Splice on a belt lanyard to accompany a traditional folder. This was chosen over a Leatherman Micra in a recent comparison thread, and the Micra will take the back up role (absent from the pic, as it was in another part of the house, and the idiot photographer couldn't be bothered to fetch it). A couple of mini pliers tools with full 3D Phillips drivers to accompany a slimmer Swiss knife, with another as spare.

The KF4 pairs with a specific Swiss knife, and is back up combo to the Orange Fuse with Case Scout Jr. The Style PS which would be a great little tool if the scissors didn't keep crapping out, will be dumped in the mod fodder, and I might be able to make something carryable with it one day, using bits from this spare Squirt P4.

[magentus]

It certainly is 
(teaser pic attached) 
Cheers Luke 

Sweet! It has the beautiful simplicity of the SI; One of the dwindling collection of knives I own but would never part with:
2 Farmers (one spare because I'd be heartbroken to not have one)
No.2 of the only 2 BuSchroders in existence  and my Greenwood mod.
Fixed blades are a Dozier Personal from Nix and my Izula II both of which I love.
Other folders are:
2x SanRenMu 7010's that I feel an odd affection for,
BM Minigrip from zoid and my Bund boat knife.

MTs- Spirit, Wave and 1 final bladeless MP400

[AimlessWanderer]

This all just left the Swiss knives.

The ones I left out for use, remain unchanged. Deluxe Tinker is capable of carry alone, with CT41 (the REAL Champ of the 91mm lineup) sat waiting for more challenging days or laptop repair. The Voyager Lite pairs fantastically with the Spirit X for travel and short stays, the Evowood 14 for when I don't mind, or will benefit from, an accompanying pliers tool. The brushed stainless Wenger PTC pairs fantastically with one of the little IDL pliers tools for waistcoat pocket carry should I have something formal to attend.

The GB Olympic Spartan serves as back up, should anything befall the Tourist in the kitchen drawer. The other three Wenger Travellers and horn scaled Huntsman play back up to the Evowood 14. The idiot photographer forgot to put the yellow scaled Climber Small, which pairs with the KF4, in with the Snoozers. ALL the other celidor scaled knives are considered mod fodder, and will eventually become a range of upgraded scaled mods.

There are also a few Classics kicking about, which tend to live in a separate drawer, either as giveaway items, sacrificial knives as described earlier, or sometimes just added as an additional companion to a lightweight combo.

[AimlessWanderer]

Sweet! It has the beautiful simplicity of the SI; One of the dwindling collection of knives I own but would never part with:
2 Farmers (one spare because I'd be heartbroken to not have one)
No.2 of the only 2 BuSchroders in existence  and my Greenwood mod.
Fixed blades are a Dozier Personal from Nix and my Izula II both of which I love.
Other folders are:
2x SanRenMu 7010's that I feel an odd affection for,
BM Minigrip from zoid and my Bund boat knife.

MTs- Spirit, Wave and 1 final bladeless MP400

It's great when you narrow things down to your favourites, isn't it?  That's kind of how I feel now, particularly after the last six month trial run.

All my available to use pocket carry tools, now fit comfortably in one drawer, along with a few matching accessories - the tool adaptor for the Switchplier, Victorinox L wrench, bit adaptor and bits for the Fuse, a clip lanyard, and a small pair of nail clippers. Lights are stored in a seperate drawer, but there's only three I use regularly. The only other regular carry tool array is the neck lanyard kit, which hangs on the back of the bedroom door when not in use. Fixed blades are also kept separately, but they don't tend to be "carry" items for me, unless i'm doing something specific, in which case I'll select the most appropriate for the job.

Some may still consider this drawer full excessive, but for me, this is a comfortable array of options. Not too many (hopefully) to feel overwhelmed, but enough to dissuade me from further shopping, and to keep boredom at bay