I do. Ever since I got on this preparedness kick, my knife love has blossomed like, uh, a, uh, blossom.

I think I've said this before.

The catch is that all my knives will do actual knife work. I will have no shelf queens.

It started with a Spyderco Dragonfly. I wanted something small and very sharp to pocket carry while at work. Gosh, that's a nice little knife.

Then I wanted something bigger for my Every Day Carry bag that I could deploy with one hand (a self-defense weapon, if need be, because I have to walk between properties while at work). So I bought a Benchmade Mini Ambush which is an "assisted opening" model. Essentially, by virtue of the tang design, the knife opens very quickly on its own after you apply pressure enough to open it part way.

Then, for the Bug Out Bag, I got an Ontario TAK-1 which is a heavy, black-oxide coated fixed blade and is known to be able to do all of those survival things like order pizza and procure beer.

Then I bought a small Swiss Army Knife for Miss Significantly Other to carry about her person (and it only took two months for her to put it in her purse).

Then I bought a Kershaw Blur which is assisted-opening. The thing is almost illegal in how quickly it deploys one-handed.

Then I got two more SAKs - one a general purpose Climber and one for the pick-a-nick basket, a Waiter (just a blade, a corkscrew and a cap-lifter).

Then I gota Ka-Bar Dozier-designed knife for my friend and cow-orker Shawn. I was able to give him a flashlight earlier and now I feel better that he has both a blade and a light.

Then I got a Spyderco Native. I love this knife and I alternate carrying it with the Blur.

My latest acquisition is a French knife made by Opinel. It's actually branded "Coghlan's made in France by Opinel" (Coghlan's being the camping supply giant) and the handle design differs from the "real" Opinel but It has a light wooden handle and a rotating collar that locks the blade both open and closed so its an Opinel all right. It's also the perfect apple-cutter/small chore knife.

I have at least one more Ontario fixed blade that I really want to get but for now, I think that's it for knives (unless something cool pops up on my radar).

What's really neat for me is that, with the exception of the Dragonfly, the Mini Ambush and the TAK-1, all the rest have been purchased used. Not only were they much less expensive than new but I won't cry too hard if I hurt one or if one gets lost.