5 Knives Everyone Should Own

You need five knives.

We see a lot of knife lovers around here (obviously) and more than a few knife fanatics. Among our regular customers, we've noticed that those having the most fun tend to explore more than one corner of The Great Big World of Fine Knives.

From their experience (and ours), we've put together a list of five knives that everyone should own.

You need a great kitchen knife.

Many of us grew up watching our elders use dime-store kitchen knives. At best, the family knife drawer was full of worn-out, hand-me-down blades. Unfortunately, a lot of people -- even those who are picky about their pocketknives or hunting knives -- still carry on the tradition of using cheap knives for food prep.

If you've never used a great kitchen knife, you don't know what you're missing.

A pro-quality knife can make even the most mundane kitchen tasks a true pleasure. Believe it or not, the right blade can transform a person who never graduated from Hamburger Helper into someone who actually enjoys preparing real meals -- seriously, having a great kitchen knife can make all the difference.

Yes, real-deal culinary steel may be more expensive than what you're used to. If you like, start with a small blade like a parer, a petty or a utility knife. Then move up to a carver, a chef's knife or a Santoku.

The payoff will be worth it -- we promise.

You need a knife to carry every day.

Back in the day, no self-respecting American would be caught without a knife on them -- men, sure, but even city women would carry small penknives and such.

At some point, maybe in the wake of 9-11, fewer and fewer people carried a knife every day. It's rebounded a bit, but even now we still see blue-collar workers opening boxes with house keys and tradesmen stripping wire with their teeth.

That's ridiculous. Carry a knife already.

One of the best EDC (everyday carry) knives, in our opinion, is a sturdy folder with a locking blade. This type of knife is available in a range of sizes and a variety of styles, but large or small, plain or fancy, a locking folder wins the prize for versatility, making the transition from workday to weekend without batting an eye.

You need a "desert island" knife.

The way we see it, everyone needs a "go-to" blade.

This is your "desert island" knife -- an outdoors knife, probably a fixed-blade, a knife that won't complain no matter how hard you push it. It isn't a "beater," necessarily, but you don't mind knocking the pretty off and putting it to work.

If you think we're steering you toward some monstrous Rambo-esque blade, complete with a saw, a gut-hook and a built-in compass, we're not. We're talking about the one knife you'd have if you could have only one knife.

For some that might, in fact, be a big Bowie or survival knife. A hunter, on the other hand, might choose a skinner or a bird-and-trout knife. A woodsman likely will favor a do-it-all bushcraft blade.

It's up to you, of course, but give it some thought -- what's your "go-to" knife?

You need a knife to make your life easier.

The two most important words in that statement are, " your life."

Maybe you're a passionate gardener, so having the right pruning knife would make your backyard tasks more enjoyable. Perhaps you've taken up leathercraft as a hobby, and a high-quality utility blade would give you more precise cuts.

If your job description includes processing freight and shipments, your work would go faster with the right knife for the job. If you're a law-enforcement officer, you do a different sort of processing, and you might be looking for a serrated blade that makes short work of flex-cuffs.

Whatever your life looks like, there's probably a part of it that'd be better if you had the right knife -- a specialty blade, if you will, a knife dedicated to what you do day-to-day, on weekends, or in your pastime.

You need a knife to love.

As much as we like to talk about steels and grinds, balance and ergonomics -- all that practical stuff -- we can't deny that there's an emotional component to choosing a knife. Sometimes, we're attracted to a knife just because.

It's not a wholly rational decision, really, and that's fine. It could be that we're smitten by the shape of a blade, or we might be infatuated with the handle material. Fixed-blade or slipjoint, it doesn't matter -- we simply fall in love.

Most often, truth be told, knife people fall head-over-heels for custom knives -- one-of-a-kind blades, handcrafted by true artists. There's nothing quite as beautiful -- or as tough -- as a handmade knife.

So, then, we believe that everyone should have one special knife -- just because.

At the top of this post, we promised to name five knives that everyone should own. If you'll permit us, please, we'd like to make it six.

You need one knife that you'll never, ever part with.

For the record, we don't sell these knives.

We don't sell the knife that your granddad gave to you when you were six years old. We can't offer you the Boy Scout knife that once belonged to your uncle, or the first knife you ever owned, or the knife your mom used to peel potatoes on the back porch.

Everyone should have a knife like that. We're willing to bet you already have one.

The way we look at it, maybe someday a knife we sell will become one of those treasured knives -- a knife that someone will never, ever part with.

That'd be pretty cool.