I’m Going to Carry One Knife for a Year

I have this crazy plan, but I’m super excited for it. On January 1, 2026, I’m going to put all but one of my knives in a box and tape it shut. That one knife, along with one pen, one flashlight, and one multitool, is all I will carry for the whole year. 

When I told my coworker Cam about this plan, he shouted "WHY?" as if I had told him my plan to eat one of my own kidneys. So in this article, I’m going to tell you why. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a rebuttal article from Cam later. 

Why I’m Doing This 

I love a challenge. 

I think there’s a bit of thrill in doing something hard/inconvenient/uncomfortable for no other reason than the experience. Last week, I tried "The Last Dab" on a Cheesy Gordita Crunch. I will tell you, it wasn’t fun in the moment, but watching the video of it made me smile, and it’s probably the most memorable Cheesy Gordita Crunch I’ve ever eaten. Carrying the same knife every day for a year would deprive me of my giant box of joy, but by the end of the year, I’d have done something hard (at least for me). I’ll be able to look back on the year and remember squeezing my knife into roles it has no business doing, drooling while scrolling on Blade HQ, and more.  

I’m on a quest for truth. 

I’ve done a TON of homework about knives in my day. I’ve read Larrin’s book, scoured databases for scholarly articles on tool steels, grilled factory managers for nuanced information on manufacturing techniques, and so much more. I’m a nerd, through and through. When people ask me what knife would be best for X, I can present a good answer. 

But as you’d expect of a nerd who’s read tons of nerdy knife literature, I work at a desk. My job isn’t as hands-on with knives as many others are, yet my biggest job to do is help people find the best knife for them. Most of the knives in my collection have been used for two or three cutting jobs, and then had their spot taken by another knife. 

I want to know if the advice I give is actually good. Am I providing people with good information that will lead them to an actually useful tool, or am I just full of hot air? To find out, I’m going to "sell" myself a knife I believe to be great. I will then use it for every cutting job I encounter in 2026. If it turns out that I can’t stand a knife I’ve hyped up, that’s telling. 

Scars are cool. 

Recently, I’ve really enjoyed the concept of patina, wear and tear, and the aging process. Maybe it’s because I’m losing my hair, but I’ve found great joy in watching things get old. I like the look of someone’s well-loved pair of boots, the curvature of someone’s daily driver belt, and the dings and scratches that accompany the contents of someone’s pockets. Every scar tells a story, and to me, that’s beautiful. 

Having as many knives as I do, I sometimes feel jealous of the beat-to-heck gear in other people’s pockets. Their knives have so many stories to tell, and I want a knife that can tell a few of its own, and I just don’t carry any one knife enough to make those stories. I think carrying one for an entire year sounds like a fun way to make a few knife stories of my own. 

The Only Question Left 

Now I just have to figure out which knife to carry! Here are my criteria: 

1. It must be a knife I have sold the features of. Remember, I’m trying to prove that I can identify a good knife, for real. 
2. It must be able to age. That could be a coating that can scratch, a material that can oxidize, etc. 
3. It must be outdoor-worthy. I’m not going to switch it out on campouts or weekend honey-dos, so it needs to take a beating. 
4. It must match the rest of my loadout. I plan to also carry a pen, flashlight, and multitool, and I’m mulling over adding a watch to the party too. 

I’ve decided on a brown-black-od-green color scheme. It’s timeless, rugged, and has a vintage military vibe. Below are the knives that have made the shortlist.

• Benchmade Bailout 

• Buck Range Elite 

• Kershaw Bel-Air 

• Pro-Tech TR-3 Integrity 

• Spyderco Manix 2 

Once I’ve decided on the final knife, as well as the rest of my loadout, I’ll let you know what all I’m going to carry. And at the end of next year, I’ll show you the before-and-after pictures, tell you all how it went, and celebrate re-opening my box of knives all over again! 

Let’s GO! 

At this point, I’m willing to bet that Cam is kind of, maybe, just a little bit on board with this. Or, he might still think this is a bad idea. If that be the case, I look forward to hearing why, and then ignoring his sage wisdom and doing it anyway! This is going to be so much fun!