Am I having a mid knife crisis?

[Yo Mama]

I think if that is what you are wanting to do, there is nothing wrong with just having one real knife that you use for everything. But, a good knife is a good knife, and practically, I would keep a few around to have. Even if I sold all my knives today and just kept, say, a Paramilitary 2, I would still want to keep my Opinels and RATs around just for utility. It's a little unnecessary to have three PM2s.

What did you just say!....

 

[mauser9]

Great thread and posts. Glad I have Blade Forums to come to for honest opinions and advice on buying. Myself would rather have more quality than quantity. Gettin there slowly but surely. Guess I am middle of the road price wise with $100-150 spent recently. Understand the OPs concerns as applies to me too. Sure gets easy to buy with all the different makes and models, steels, and blade shapes.

 

[Hashishiin]

What did you just say!....

I was talking about myself, but you're in the club, too!

https://imgur.com/a/aOqxV5N

 

[VorpelSword]

Is there a twelve-step program or rehab center for knife collectors? Maybe t6here should be a sticky thread with intervention resources for spouses and family of knife collectors (and hoarders).

At least most "collections" will fit into a closet. Think of the truly rich (Jay Lenno) who collect super or hyper sports cars.

My cameras can be consolidated into a couple of carry-on suitcases (I think).

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

Is there a twelve-step program or rehab center for knife collectors? Maybe t6here should be a sticky thread with intervention resources for spouses and family of knife collectors (and hoarders).

At least most "collections" will fit into a closet. Think of the truly rich (Jay Lenno) who collect super or hyper sports cars.

My cameras can be consolidated into a couple of carry-on suitcases (I think).

Yes.

Step one: buy a folder
Step two: buy a fixed blade
Step three: buy a slipjoint
Step four….

 

[K.O.D.]

I volunteer to be the lead enabler mediator at the meetings.

 

[pvicenzi]

I’ve used knives my whole life. Up until about two or three years ago it was mostly the cheaper variety of SOG, Buck, Gerber, Big 5 specials, etc. but in the past few years I’ve been collecting heavily, and have bought, sold, traded 100+ knives. I loved scrolling through the exchange and various dealers to find what was gonna be the next purchase.

In that time I have refined my tastes quite a bit and now have a cycle of about 10-15 knives that are keepers or soon to be sold or traded for the next knife. But now I find myself at another cross roads where a lot of my keepers no longer interest me either and I’m strongly considering selling half of what I have to get one “luxury” knife that I’ve had my eye on and possibly stop collecting new ones altogether after that.

My question is, have some of you had a similar experience, or gone through phases, or something different entirely?

You have a fatal condition. The only cure is to give all of your knives to me ASAP. LOL... Welcome to the club.

 

[TrainedBullets]

Tastes change as we age. It’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Personally, I’d rather have one very high quality knife that I truly enjoy using and carrying than 100 mid to lower quality ones.

When I got into knives in 2004, I bought a small Sebenza and carried it as my edc for eight years. I abused it really, still have it, and it’s still going strong. One of the best purchases I’ve ever made.

 

[Billy The Blade]

What did you just say!....

Where's the guy with a 'wagon wheel' full
of like every PM2s there are ?

Yes.

Step one: buy a folder
Step two: buy a fixed blade
Step three: buy a slipjoint
Step four….

Step four: buy an auto,
or was that a different step...They tend to blend,
Lol
BTB

 

[K.O.D.]

I think this is the next logical step:

William Henry B12 African Journey





Yours for just $37,500.

 

[sgt1372]

My question is, have some of you had a similar experience, or gone through phases, or something different entirely?

I came to knife collecting late in life, as an alternative to gun collecting which has just become a PITA. Besides, I didn't have much room left in my 7ft tall gun safe for any more guns and the knives have now taken up all that space as well.

In the short time that I've been collecting knives, I've amassed what I consider a decent collection of what once were mostly mid-priced production knives but, since the pandemic have become even more valuable.

I could buy a brand new car or truck if I liquidated my collection but I have no intention of doing that.

I've read comments peridocially made by "older" collectors that they plan to sell off their collections because it will relieve the executor and/or their heirs of the burden of doing do because they could care less about the lovingly curated collection that they put together -- sometimes over decades.

So what?

I'm keeping all of my "stuff" -- guns, knives, art, jewelry, books, LPs/CDs, DVD./VHS tapes, high end audio gear, cars, etc -- until I die as long as they give me pleasure and enjoyment which they all still do at age 71.

The only "phase" that I've gone thru w/my knife collection, so far, is culling around 100 cheaper knives that I bought by the handful when I 1st started collecting. I'm ready for another phase of culling but there aren't many "cheap" knives left in my collection.

This go round will be focused more on just selling those knives that I no longer feel belong in my collection, which isa more difficult process because even the knives that I decide to cull would be "keepers" to others.

 

[killgar]

Knifeoholics Anonymous

"Grant me the serenity to accept that there are knives I can't afford, the courage to buy the knives I can afford, and the wisdom to not let the wife find out"

 

[NG VI]

Wait until you get to the point where you aren’t happy when you come home unless a knife is waiting for you in the mail. That’s peak level addiction.

why would you say something so reasonable, please call for help you're having a brain explosion

 

[scdub]

But now I find myself at another cross roads where a lot of my keepers no longer interest me either and I’m strongly considering selling half of what I have to get one “luxury” knife that I’ve had my eye on and possibly stop collecting new ones altogether after that.

I haven’t read this whole thread but I would suggest against doing that - at least not all at once. I’ve read so many times about people that regret selling the knives they thought they were tired of, only to regret that decision and miss their old knives…

 

[Yo Mama]

I haven’t read this whole thread but I would suggest against doing that - at least not all at once. I’ve read so many times about people that regret selling the knives they thought they were tired of, only to regret that decision and miss their old knives…

Especially if they get discontinued.

 

[Hashishiin]

Wait until you get to the point where you aren’t happy when you come home unless a knife is waiting for you in the mail. That’s peak level addiction.

I got a lot of good knives grief/addiction buying! Boy but that was bad, I cut myself off after a week of it, but I was going crazy buying... I went from one to nine Spydies in a month... Case, Cold Steel...

 

[sabre cat]

I’ve used knives my whole life. Up until about two or three years ago it was mostly the cheaper variety of SOG, Buck, Gerber, Big 5 specials, etc. but in the past few years I’ve been collecting heavily, and have bought, sold, traded 100+ knives. I loved scrolling through the exchange and various dealers to find what was gonna be the next purchase.

In that time I have refined my tastes quite a bit and now have a cycle of about 10-15 knives that are keepers or soon to be sold or traded for the next knife. But now I find myself at another cross roads where a lot of my keepers no longer interest me either and I’m strongly considering selling half of what I have to get one “luxury” knife that I’ve had my eye on and possibly stop collecting new ones altogether after that.

My question is, have some of you had a similar experience, or gone through phases, or something different entirely?

I am going through that sort of thing right now.

 

[sabre cat]

...Step one: buy a folder
Step two: buy a fixed blade
Step three: buy a slipjoint
Step four….

This actually makes sense.

But, I have to ask, what is step four?

It seems like I keep going back to the same few knives no matter what I have in my collection. A SAK, a full-size Griptilian, and a US-made Kershaw Zing.

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

This actually makes sense.

But, I have to ask, what is step four?

It seems like I keep going back to the same few knives no matter what I have in my collection. A SAK, a full-size Griptilian, and a US-made Kershaw Zing.

Step four: learn to disassemble and clean
Step five: buy a custom
Step six design a knife
Step seven learn to make a knife
Step eight…

 

[bucksway]

What might help is actually gathering ALL of your collection in one place for a inventory just to really see what you have. Open EVERY box..hold that knife in your hand and try to remember the details of the purchase especially the price. Ask yourself if you would buy it again if the opportunity came up. Rediscover old favorites you forget you had. Possibly sharpen ANY that need it. Cut stuff or just play with them..I have a few I have never opened laying around on my desk and dresser I bought for Custom work that I really need to look at.
What I'm getting at is be more involved with the ones you have already instead of the fleeting experience of the purchase. I've always said the thrill of the hunt is one of the best parts of collecting but recently I finally found and bought a BG42 112 from a 2002 reblade program I have looked for since 2007..Now that the hunt is over I feel just a little sad that Quest ended..But just a little.