A knife you don't use, but just can't bring yourself to sell?

Noshtero

Noshtero

Joined
Oct 10, 2002
Messages
1,551
I have the most beautiful matched set of swamprat knives. I'm sure most here have seen it. It's a Chopweiler/Swamp Warden set in a custom JRE sheath. It's the most wonderful set of knives.... and I don't use them. They sit in a drawer and collect dust.

I've never been a rotational type person. I don't have a stable of knives that all get rotated in and out. That goes for everything, woods, edc, kitchen, everything. I'm more of a "king of the hill" knife guy. My knives all vie for that coveted top spot. I only tend to use the top spot knife, and tend to get rid of the losers.

I've tried to be a rotational guy. You know, the guy that looks at his pile of bushcraft knives and says "I wonder which of you I'll take out today". Just can't do it. Every time I take one that isn't my top guy, I feel like I would be better off with that top one.

I don't have nearly enough knives to consider myself a collector. I've been a knife guy for years, and even still here's my COMPLETE list of fixed blades:
Ranger RD9
Ranger Shiv
Koster Nessmuk
Chopweiler/Swamp Warden combo
HI Khuk
Buck 119
Mora 2000
Tram machete
That's it.

Does anyone else have a knife like that? One they don't use, but just can't bare to sell. Or are most of you guys collectors and have a pile of knives you don't really use? Do ya'll rotate your knives for any reason other than fun/bordom?

I can't be the only "king of the hill" knife guy, can I? My current knife always feels really bad when I find a better one. He knows he'll never see the light of day ever again :(

Just curious.
 
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I would consider myself a small time collector (around 30 folders and 15 or so fixed blades). There is one knife that I rarely use, but probably will never be able to part with. It's a Spyderco/Kershaw collaboration called The SpyKer. I believe they only made 3000 of them, and to date I've not seen another one at any shows. I managed to find one on Ebay, and another member here posted a picture of one. I really like the blade style, but can't bring myself to EDC it. I also have a Buck bowie knife (don't know the model) that I haven't used in probably 3 years. It's way too big to carry in public, and I find myself reaching for other large fixed blades on the weekends. But I doubt very seriously that I'll ever sell it. I don't really have any sentimental attachment to it, but I can't bring myself to even think about selling it for some reason. Weird huh?

I try to rotate EDC knives, but I'll get in a rut most of the time and grab the same set (I usually carry two) every morning. When I do manage to switch I'm always wondering if the other one(s) would have been a better choice. I don't swap every day though, usually it's a weekly thing.
 
I lean more towards 'king of the hill' usage than rotational, too. Nothing to feel bad about. But one thing that never changes, is my ever-changing tastes. :D My mood may sway one week to the next, and I'll prefer a beefier blade versus a thinner one, or a big 'ole chopper versus a compact blade. I'm moody that way.

I have a couple of blades with sentimental value that I won't sell, but the rest can be put on the chopping block. I actually am in the middle of a sell-off for things that I loved but just didn't use enough. An F1, barkie kephart, RAT7, etc. All good knives, they just didn't see enough love.

Half the fun in this hobby is hunting for 'the one'. :thumbup:
 
I assume your talkin' 'bout a Buck 119 (Special).

Anyway, I wouldn't consider myself a collector either, but I'm definitely a knifenut.

I use every single one of my knives, some of 'em I use lightly, 'cause I'm quite attached to them, but I use 'em all.

I can understand you point though - you finally find that knife (or set) and think: this is it, the perfect blade, and then you think: heck if I use it, my quest for the perfect knife is over, I think I'll take the Mora and the Buck today...;) I guess I'll keep it in case hell breaks loose:p

Peter
 
stockman242 said:
I assume your talkin' 'bout a Buck 119 (Special).
Click to expand...

Thanks. Fixed it.

I suppose I can force myself to take it out next time I go. I tell you this though, my Koster Nessmuk is going to get MIGHTY worried.

Just to throw another kink in the mix. I have a Lee Reeves nessmuk hatchet soon to be on it's way to me. I don't know what I'm going to do with that guy! My S&N hatchet may be on the chopping block, so to speak.
 
I have maybe 4 fixed blades that I carry. I wouldn't consider them so much rotational as purposeful. One is my shop knife, first forged blade I did. It's my beater and looks it. Sceond is one of the modern seax models- I carry that as my "dress" knife. I have a breeden that goes with me on farm trips and a bushcrafter I use for hiking/camping.

I've got more knives, probably 2 dozen all told that are keepers.
 
BRKT Canadian Special.
Boringly capable. I won't let it go because I know it's always there if any of my "experiments" go awry - I always have that one that I know will do what I need to do, even though I have many other extremely capable andmore interesting blades - way too many in fact.
 
I have about 35 FB's, I try to rotate all of them. I don't consider myself a collector because none of them are pristine. They all show some wear. The ones I never use get sold.

That said, I do have 1 blade that was gifted to me that has never been used. It won't get sold for sentimental value.

It is a Westen Cutlery Bowie.
 
I have alot of SAK farmers still in boxes that wont get sold. They dont get used, but im greedy.:D
 
one knife that I would never sale is my BRK&T NS w/Yellow G10 scales w/ matching firesteel... kinda a special gift of sorts from my son.
 
CRK single guard Shadow IV.

It deployed with me on two seperate occasions and never let me down. It's pretty much a safe queen lately but I won't be selling it. :D
 
I know I am going to get flack for this but the knife I would never sell but don't ever use is my Tracker. It is the first real knife I bought and sort of a doorway into a life of loving primitive arts.
 
Jeff H said:
BRKT Canadian Special.
Boringly capable. I won't let it go because I know it's always there if any of my "experiments" go awry - I always have that one that I know will do what I need to do, even though I have many other extremely capable andmore interesting blades - way too many in fact.
Click to expand...

That was mine until a couple of days ago, traded it for a Muskrat Man bushcraft, I have traded a lot of knives in the last while, and sold off some others. If the MM becomes my fave, I will always hold on to my fox river.
I have a couple of grohmans I rarely use but would probably never trade, one because it was a kit blade and it's pretty rough.
 
Have a Spyderco Moran fixed blade that I never use but it's still around, for some reason. Also have a Ka-Bar USMC short that takes up drawer space. Have a few others that get used very rarely, but can't think of all of them right now. My folders are the knives that are recently getting more box time. Will probably start selling or giving away those that I really don't want any longer.
 
Al Mar Pathfinder. Had it from new, for 20-odd years. It's not been used for a long time.

pathfinder.jpg
 
i have several, i have been slowly trading off and giving away the ones i haven't thought about in a while...some of them have been my favorite knives, and some of them are really great knives, but they don't do me any good sitting around in a box.

i have a tough time selling blades that were gifted to me, so if i don't use those i typically regift them.

i'm trying to whittle down my collection, but there are a couple that are rarely used that will always stay with me. even if i never use them, i can loan them to a buddy on a camping trip, and they are always there in case my go-to knife fails.
 
I've gotten into this trip of acquiring representative "samples" (to my taste) of each company or maker. It might be just the beginning phase of my recently maturing knife interest, a chance to explore and discover what I really like in a knife; I don't know. So far i've started off with the major production companies, but I'll make my way to custom makers soon.

Anyway, I must say, I really don't need more than a few knives, but I do enjoy having a taste of everything out there. So, I probably wouldn't sell a knife if it was the only one or two of it's line, even if it was the mole of the hill (I'm a king of the hill type guy too I think) or doesn't get rotated in very often. At least until I can get a "better" model or sample of that company/maker :D For me, maintaining the breadth of my growing collection limits my selling off knives to improve the depth of the collection.

Unless I found a knife I really had to have but lacked funds for it...then some poor knife must be sacrificed, even if it's the last of its line :D
 
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