Buy expensive knives, carry cheap ones. My dilemma.

[Cutlover]

Use your d*mn knives

I have a relatively expensive knife and I use it with no (maybe slight) regrets. It is gorgeous, but it is an awesome tool after all. I would recommend getting a knife and putting a nice 800-1000 satin finish on it. Looks beautiful, is high enough grit to minimize potential moisture damage, and hides small scratches. Satin is easy to maintain as well. Just maintain it well and it will keep on being excellent.

Though I gotta say, that picture of the Rockstead knife with the scratches is painful. Satin finish all the way

 

[The Aflac Duck]

I have a relatively expensive knife and I use it with no (maybe slight) regrets. It is gorgeous, but it is an awesome tool after all. I would recommend getting a knife and putting a nice 800-1000 satin finish on it. Looks beautiful, is high enough grit to minimize potential moisture damage, and hides small scratches. Satin is easy to maintain as well. Just maintain it well and it will keep on being excellent.

Though I gotta say, that picture of the Rockstead knife with the scratches is painful. Satin finish all the way

I have many knives with a hand-rubbed satin finish. I prefer Rocksteads for their cutting geometry, fit & finish, and steel.

 

[KrisNZ]

I have been collecting knives for a while and lately I really enjoy production folders and mid techs in the $300-$600 range it seems. My preference also seems to be towards beefier blades with "hard use" reputations. The irony in that is I cant seem to bring myself to use these knives the way they are intended. I really have to fight my ocd to pay $500 for a knife and then stick it in my pocket. In my defense my job and daily activities ruin knives, at least cosmetically. It is impossible for me to carry a knife for even a few days and have it stay like new. I am also not a guy who can afford to keep everything I buy, so I usually have to sell a couple to fund my next purchase. I also like variety and to try new models, making it even harder to beat on a $400 blade when I know it wont be carried for years and most likely will be sold down the road. I may stick a expensive purchase in my pocket on a Sunday or pair it with a cheaper knife at work but what I usually end up doing is carrying my $30 Rat 1 all day then coming home and admiring my $500 hard use tool... which leads me to believe im crazy. I know im not alone here because when I look through the For Sale threads very seldom do I see any knives with more then light, if any, signs of use. So how many of you share my condition and how many just roll your eyes at my craziness? ?

Can't relate to that mate.

Have knife,..... Use knife

 

[KrisNZ]

Use your d*mn knives

Ahem to that brother! :thumbup:

 

[full flat grind]

Have knife,..... Use knife

Arghh ... I can't quite understand that. Can you put it in simpler terms?

I use all my knives, but that's just me. All mine are <$200, though.

Not sure I could get a Rockstead and scratch it all to hell, but more power to you if you can. :thumbup:

 

[GlockandBalls]

I think it's close-minded for someone to just say "use your knives". If they were to obtain a one-of-a-kind, collectors item, $30,000 grail knife, I doubt they would go thrash on it. The point is, some are for use and some are for display/to admire. I have autographed baseballs and I'm not going to take them off the shelf and go hit grounders to the kids with them. You have to decide what you're buying that knife for. It's ok to have a portion of your collection devoted to display pieces that you occasionally pick up and admire but dont use. I'll venture to say that most collectors of items dont actually use what they collect, but rather display them. All said, there is no right answer, do what you want with your knives.

 

[KrisNZ]

Arghh ... I can't quite understand that. Can you put it in simpler terms?

I use all my knives, but that's just me. All mine are <$200, though.

Not sure I could get a Rockstead and scratch it all to hell, but more power to you if you can. :thumbup:

What's the point of having a knife and not using said knife, they're made to cut stuff.

 

[The Aflac Duck]

I think it's close-minded for someone to just say "use your knives". If they were to obtain a one-of-a-kind, collectors item, $30,000 grail knife, I doubt they would go thrash on it. The point is, some are for use and some are for display/to admire. I have autographed baseballs and I'm not going to take them off the shelf and go hit grounders to the kids with them. You have to decide what you're buying that knife for. It's ok to have a portion of your collection devoted to display pieces that you occasionally pick up and admire but dont use. I'll venture to say that most collectors of items dont actually use what they collect, but rather display them. All said, there is no right answer, do what you want with your knives.

You see, the problem is that we're not talking about a $30,000 Ron Lake knife. We're talking about knives in the $300-600 range, which is quite on the low-end when you consider that many people are shelling out $800-1500 quite often these days.

I don't think it's close-minded at all. OP asked a question, and he got answers.

Personally, if I shelled out $30,000 for a knife, I'd still carry it and use it like any other knife I have. However, I do agree that some pieces weren't made to be used that way and are more for artistic appreciation.

 

[full flat grind]

What's the point of having a knife and not using said knife, they're made to cut stuff.

I know, I was kidding, hence the "".

I loled because I thought "Have knife,..... Use knife" was about as concise a statement on the subject as I could imagine, especially after trying to read the verbose post to which you were replying (TLDR).

I could imagine a caveman holding a sharp piece of flint and grunting the same thing.

 

[rje58]

I think what is closed-minded is to act like we assume that most people have "more or less" the same resources, and "more or less" the same range of disposable income. I say "act like" we assume that, because I know we are smarter than that.

The most expensive knife I own is worth around $200 or less. I could afford more expensive knives, but I have other priorities, limited resources, and none more expensive right now that are "calling my name". I've had more expensive knives in the past that I sold, simply because I wasn't using them. They were safe queens.

But I remember a time when the most expensive knife I owned was worth less than $75, and I was extremely happy with it, and hesitant to use it. Because at the time, I wasn't sure if I would EVER be able to reasonably afford anything more than that. I think it's pretty arrogant and borderline obnoxious to talk down to people who are concerned about their "inexpensive" knives that cost $300 or less.

Some of the worst excuses for human beings and biggest wastes of oxygen I have ever known had a ton of money. Some of the best people I've ever known were dirt poor. If you judge people mostly based on their socio-economic status, in my opinion, that means there's something wrong with your judgement, if not your character.

You see, the problem is that we're not talking about a $30,000 Ron Lake knife. We're talking about knives in the $300-600 range, which is quite on the low-end when you consider that many people are shelling out $800-1500 quite often these days.

I don't think it's close-minded at all. OP asked a question, and he got answers.

Personally, if I shelled out $30,000 for a knife, I'd still carry it and use it like any other knife I have. However, I do agree that some pieces weren't made to be used that way and are more for artistic appreciation.

 

[dkblade]

Use your d*mn knives

haha! Wowsers..I don't think I could bring myself to use that one...but I like to carry my sebenza for the very purpose of scuffing it up! One time I accidentally dropped it on concrete and thought 'ooo..that'll be a nice battle scar'...but when I picked it up there was literally no evidence of the drop. It's crazy how big drops and catastrophic events don't seem to hurt the sebenza, but the lightest stroke of your fingernail will leave a visible snail trail in the titanium! When I got my first snail trail I was really bummed out, but now the knife has personality and looks like it's been used...that's a huge part of the charm for most people I think, and on top of that the stone wash on the blade does an excellent job covering up scratches.

On the contrary I've been trying really hard not to ding up my Recon 1 for some reason...try explaining that logic?

edit: Hey Blues is your large insingo still your favorite knife?! Let's see how that things holding up!

 

[Dustinhxc]

I hear ya OP!! I collect expensive knives and carry the cheaper ones. But I don't buy any knives that are too cheap. My cheapest is probably a Spyderco. But I am thinking about starting to carry some expensive ones. It would probably feel good to get them dirty so I can finally use that froglube on them...

 

[uofaengr]

What's the point of having a knife and not using said knife, they're made to cut stuff.

What's the point of coin collections rather than spending them? Currency was made to spend.

 

[dkblade]

What's the point of coin collections rather than spending them? Currency was made to spend.

It's like having a currency collection you can spend without losing

 

[cchu518]

I have a couple of exceptions. If I ever pick up a Loveless in mint condition... I aint using it.... It's a finite thing representing the man himself.

 

[AusLoX]

I used to do that but not anymore. I sold off all the ones I wouldn't carry or got just to have. With the exception of one.

You know you've reached the "point of no return" when you have a knife for every holiday. That's legit!

 

[sutherland]

At the end of the day, do what makes you happy. If that means buying "nice" knives to admire and "cheap" knives to use, so be it.

 

[GlockandBalls]

I think what is closed-minded is to act like we assume that most people have "more or less" the same resources, and "more or less" the same range of disposable income. I say "act like" we assume that, because I know we are smarter than that.

The most expensive knife I own is worth around $200 or less. I could afford more expensive knives, but I have other priorities, limited resources, and none more expensive right now that are "calling my name". I've had more expensive knives in the past that I sold, simply because I wasn't using them. They were safe queens.

But I remember a time when the most expensive knife I owned was worth less than $75, and I was extremely happy with it, and hesitant to use it. Because at the time, I wasn't sure if I would EVER be able to reasonably afford anything more than that. I think it's pretty arrogant and borderline obnoxious to talk down to people who are concerned about their "inexpensive" knives that cost $300 or less.

Some of the worst excuses for human beings and biggest wastes of oxygen I have ever known had a ton of money. Some of the best people I've ever known were dirt poor. If you judge people mostly based on their socio-economic status, in my opinion, that means there's something wrong with your judgement, if not your character.

I hear ya man. We all value our dollars differently depending on how many of them we have. $600 to one may be $5000 to another. If someone poor found a rat 1 or buck 110 new in box, he may put it a drawer and never use it, whereas someone with more money may edc it and thrash it. It's all relative. Therefore to tell someone not to have a collection of unused knives of any price is to not have a grasp of reality. Some guys buy a corvette as their dream car and baby it. Other guys buy a Ferrari as their baby and thump on their vette. And some have a private jet and will burn out clutches on both and not care. Again, it's all relative. If some guy tells me that I'm inferior because I don't shred my vette, I'd say he's closed-minded to my personal situation.

 

[leathermon]

I in no way have expensive knives. It took almost a year to buy the spyderco paramilitary, by far the biggest purchase I made. But with that I feel the need to use it or it just a waste for me. However, ironically enough the first spyderco I received as a gift I was too scared to use it, I didn't want to dull it. After learning how to properly sharpen and the realization that is more fun to use and possibly abuse then having it stored away safely, I have put that fear to bed. In the end do what makes you happy and happy you will be.

 

[Bigbobg]

Carry both. The good one for yourself and an el cheapo to lend.