Obviously everyone is different, but I'm curious. I'm about 4 years into this hobby. I did an inventory tonight and I'm at 42 knives. I probably added 15 to my collection in the last 2 months or so and want to start getting into the western maker knives. Wife started to express her displeasure...What's the size of your collection and how many do you put out in one rotation (i.e., visible in the kitchen)?
What's the Size of Your Collection?
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Probably between 25-30. I need to downsize as I go through knives and think “oh yeah! Forgot I had this!”
I'm at 22, I have plans for 4 more knives and that will be my ideal. I've been looking long and hard at my collection to thin things out lately and really wrap my head around what exactly I want. A lot for me has just been getting rid of knives that are all basically the same. Like 240/55 KU by Yanick, The Nine, Raquin, Milan, etc... Yes there are subtle differences, but lets be serious, it's all the same knife. Pick your favourite, sell the rest. After trying LOTS of knives I feel like I finally have a really good idea of what I like, what I don't, what is good, and what is not. I expect to see my collection settle around 24 in the coming years. My #1 goal though is not to have knives on rotation. If I have so many knives that some need to sit in boxes, that is (for me) too many. I'm not a collector, I'm a user. And I can fit about 24 on my kitchen wall so that's what I'll stick to.
You may not be a collector but what a collection!
Uncle Danny
Its $4/month for these sticky feet
I’m a one magnet guy with no knives in the drawer. So between 8-9, mostly 240 gyutos.
M1k3
Senior Member
I believe I'm at 19 in total. With only 3 Gyuto's 
Low 30s, counting kitchen knives only. It takes a lot of restraint to keep it that low, but budget constraints help!
Currently - 2 gyuto, 2 nakiri, 1 petty, 1 suji. Am expecting to add another 2 gyuto this year.
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What height?
ZeeVee
Senior Member
Currently at 50... Current goal is to get to 40. I've got a couple of candidates for releases, but I feel like getting from 45 to 40 is going to be painful.
5 core + Beater, paring boning
One more in transit and on the lists for 4 more.
1 of those is up for sale, and one more will be up for sale when the custom comes in.
One more in transit and on the lists for 4 more.
1 of those is up for sale, and one more will be up for sale when the custom comes in.
Been working pretty hard to trim things down as my tastes have dialed in. Ballooned to like 28 at one point but counting the custom that comes Friday I'm sitting at 18 right now. I have 2 more customs in the works but will be selling 1 or 2 more knives to help fund those.
I detest keeping knives in boxes, so I like my entire collection to fit on mags. If something is in a box it isn't going to get used and I want to use everything I own.
I detest keeping knives in boxes, so I like my entire collection to fit on mags. If something is in a box it isn't going to get used and I want to use everything I own.
I'm around 18 or thereabouts. Only bought 6 in 2023 after buying 13 in 2022 so definitely slowing down and will probably (hopefully) buy even fewer this year. My racks are all full now which definitely put the brakes on things.
Counting every kitchen knife I’m at 57. Of which 16 are Japanese, 8 western makers, 17 vintage, and 16 cheap stainless. Three Kiridashi can bring it to an even 60.
Pretty much everything but a handful of the vintage are easily accessible in my kitchen. Japanese, western, and a few vintage on mag racks, the rest in drawer slots.
Plan to add a couple more western makers this year, but otherwise I’m pretty content with how things stand.
Pretty much everything but a handful of the vintage are easily accessible in my kitchen. Japanese, western, and a few vintage on mag racks, the rest in drawer slots.
Plan to add a couple more western makers this year, but otherwise I’m pretty content with how things stand.
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I have this "weird" perspective on knives.
But 20 knives is usually where I'm at. That's also considering simple knife block knives and work knives which accounts for about half (like dexters, mercers, victorinox). 25-30 was the most I think I've gotten up to.
I rarely keep knives for very long and I'm not sure how most people do it. I buy knives and end up selling/trading within a month or so. It allows me to take them to work and use them at home enough to understand the qualities and nuances of that particular knife. And once I find a similar knife that can be deemed as a replacement, I let the other one go. People tend to think "why is he selling that knife", it's mainly just to try something else. There's nothing wrong with it but if I get to use a Yanick for a month and don't like how the edge feels on the board for that particular knife (not all knives by the same maker are the same) why not trade/sell it to get something like a Heldqvist. Some of the fella's I've chatted with on here and super into a certain maker or want a specific knife. Why not send it their way if they are passionate about it? I don't hold strong feeling to any particular knife so around the hamster wheel I go.
After doing this method for over a year I've really honed in what I like in knife which has led me get some fabulous knives currently. I think Bidingers are absolutely at the top of the list and I really wouldn't have thought that a year ago. I may end up trading out this Kamon at some point because I just got a custom Bidinger. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just been replaced by a knife specifically made for me.
Rambling done.
But 20 knives is usually where I'm at. That's also considering simple knife block knives and work knives which accounts for about half (like dexters, mercers, victorinox). 25-30 was the most I think I've gotten up to.
I rarely keep knives for very long and I'm not sure how most people do it. I buy knives and end up selling/trading within a month or so. It allows me to take them to work and use them at home enough to understand the qualities and nuances of that particular knife. And once I find a similar knife that can be deemed as a replacement, I let the other one go. People tend to think "why is he selling that knife", it's mainly just to try something else. There's nothing wrong with it but if I get to use a Yanick for a month and don't like how the edge feels on the board for that particular knife (not all knives by the same maker are the same) why not trade/sell it to get something like a Heldqvist. Some of the fella's I've chatted with on here and super into a certain maker or want a specific knife. Why not send it their way if they are passionate about it? I don't hold strong feeling to any particular knife so around the hamster wheel I go.
After doing this method for over a year I've really honed in what I like in knife which has led me get some fabulous knives currently. I think Bidingers are absolutely at the top of the list and I really wouldn't have thought that a year ago. I may end up trading out this Kamon at some point because I just got a custom Bidinger. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just been replaced by a knife specifically made for me.
Rambling done.
I keep what I like the most and that’s it. If I don’t regularly grab it from the drawer or roll them off it goes even if I really like the knife. Unlike stones I’m pretty much an anti-hoarder for cutlery
But a pro-hoarder of stones!
Moderation is for cowards
I'm similar. I really like trying out different knives. I have 40 ish knives with 20 gyutos and there are only 8 ish that I wouldn't sell right now.
I'll never forget you selling some stones because you were getting out of the j-nat hole then all the sudden, just kidding, I'm opening a store!
If one basket is full, build another basketI'll never forget you selling some stones because you were getting out of the j-nat hole then all the sudden, just kidding, I'm opening a store!
At round 40-ish, storage and categorization has been a problem going forward. Thinking of selling most stainless(
) ones and balance the number between eastern and western makers. And most importantly, get pieces from makers that I've never got a chance/lucky to try.
) ones and balance the number between eastern and western makers. And most importantly, get pieces from makers that I've never got a chance/lucky to try.Easily over 100, and $100k+. I've been in this game for decades. Even have an original Kramer I ordered from him.
I was waiting for someone else with more knives than me before I replied, haha. Currently at about 70, but aiming to reduce to under 50, while still buying more knives... I am sure the math will work out somehow...
Also, here is a similar thread: How many kitchen knives do you own?
Nothing for two years is a fiasco for forum enablers, unless you were not looking at all!
40 or so knives. 100 or so stones. 300 plus straight razors. But I am addicted to buying old **** on ebay.
Jovidah
I'll make you a sponsor offer you can't refuse...
Excluding the <10 euro stuff like cheap Victorinox paring knives and steak knives I'm at about 30. I'm really not trying to be a collector though, and a good amount of this is still in the sub 100 euro category utilitarian stuff category. It's not like I need a fancy 200 euro Japanese filleting knife for doing fish like 4 times a year.
Probably going to sell off a handful in the near future - although it's likely they'd just get replaced by something else.
Stones... just 6 + a diamond flattening stone. With stones I'm especially utilitarian; if it works, it works, no need to spend more money on it. In general I'm probably the exception around here in that I don't particularly enjoy sharpening. It's in the 'necessary maintenance' category for me, like shaving and clipping my nails.
Probably going to sell off a handful in the near future - although it's likely they'd just get replaced by something else.
Stones... just 6 + a diamond flattening stone. With stones I'm especially utilitarian; if it works, it works, no need to spend more money on it. In general I'm probably the exception around here in that I don't particularly enjoy sharpening. It's in the 'necessary maintenance' category for me, like shaving and clipping my nails.
Haha, seriously. I wasn’t looking at first because I thought I had a full “set” of the “best “ knives. Then I gained great wisdom from KKF and other forums, where I learned that I don’t need money for anything other than knives.
