Buying knives you don't intend to use?

hooked on SAKs eh? i think i could be going the same way
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I had a hard time justifying buying SAKs for Collecting or Accumulating, until...

...until I discovered that both SAW companies regularly change models, introduce new models, and discontinue old ones. Seeing discontinued Swiss Army Knives on sale for $1.99 completely ended my hesitance. Now I have a dozen or more, nearly all are discontinued models bought at incredible discounts.

If you have the money, more power to you.
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Collecting is the biggest waste of money ever...
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I sure love to look at and handle knives, but I can't put out the money anymore just because I like them.
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If you can afford it more power to you.
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I'm not trying to knock anyone's opinion, but I find these types of comments disheartening.

I hope that none of my fellow forum readers are under the impression that knife Collecting/Accumulating has to be expensive. It can be a very expensive hobby, but there's no reason why it has to be. Even a person who buys one $20 knife per month can have an impressive group of knives after several years. Average a knife per month for ten years and you've got 120 knives! Move up to one knife per week, or start when you're 8 years old, and the collection catalog numbers really climb!

I'm not suggesting that anyone should buy junk either; there are lots of interesting knives of decent quality at that price range. Move up to $40 and the opportunities are incredible!
 
I prefer to buy knives I will use.

Sometimes I buy a knife on-line and I find it is interesting but not one I feel good about using. That is, it's too nice to use. My Randall Made knives for example. But, that decision is easier to make bacause I have other knives I can use and feel good about using, like most of my Striders.

Rich
 
Bob W said:
I'm not trying to knock anyone's opinion, but I find these types of comments disheartening.
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Of course you do; that's why you're on bladeforums ;)

But really, I personally can't find reason to purchase something expensive and just look at it. That doesn't do it for me. If you can find a reason, then I envy you.
 
But really, I personally can't find reason to purchase something expensive and just look at it. That doesn't do it for me. If you can find a reason, then I envy you.
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Oh, my knives aren't just for lookin' at, they're for fondling too! :D
 
> I'm not flamin ya,but knives have proven to be a good investment to me.We had Uncle Sam come knockin' a few years ago for several K i didn't have.I quickly sold a lot of my collection and was able to pay up without going in debt.

A good investment? You mean you got at least the purchase price and interest rate as opposed putting the money on a bank account? I have the impression that there are very few knives that will be a good investment. You must have made some savvy purchase choices in the past.
 
As an aside, over here in Belgium there is a celebrated artist knife maker, most of his knives are indeed not even meant for usage, just to be looked at as an art object. Have a look:

mes7-Full.jpg

mes1-Full.jpg

mes6-Full.jpg

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So-Lo said:
Why does it matter what other people do with their money? :confused:
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Exactly. Take someone whose been using knives for 5+ years and try to get them to stop buying knives. After a while of EDC the same knife its human nature to get bored and want to try new things. Over time that begins to accumulate until you have more knives then you can use.

My father started me off when i was very young, I was also in boyscounts when I was younger and that encouraged us to have a pocket knife on us at all times (It was part of our uniform code). I've moved up from the $20-$40 to buying knives in the $100-$150 range now. Do I have a tendency to carry the same knife more often then another? Yes, however the way I see it is none of my knives are exactly the same as another, therefor they all have a specific intended use and will only be carried in that type of situation.
 
> like the others. Nothing wrong with collecting.

on the other hand, perhaps there is something to be said for simplifying your life. I just turned 41 and yet I have accumulated already too much "stuff" because of various interests. I do intend on buying a "knife bag" that can hold, say, 24 knives, and my collection (around 20 now) will have to fit. Meaning, if more are added, some must go. Similarly, as I am planning a house move I do think about the same approach for my many books, cds, paper wargames and dvds: they will all get a certain shelf space and I will not add cabinets when it's full.
 
I will buy or trade for a knife purely with the intention of selling it or trading it. That is the ONLY time I buy a knife that I do not intend to use.

There is nothing wrong with collecting them either.
 
I have bought knives before when they were discontinueing them. For example, when they were dc'ing the original Gerber Yari, I bought 2 of them. One i use and thge other plan on selling eventually.
 
You are using these knives. Just not in the traditional sense of the word. You are appreciating the design, the engineering, and the art of the knife. Some one who carries it everyday may completely miss these attributes, that you, and many of us here find fascinating, and worth the money to buy , enjoy, and marvel at. What is the problem? The person who misses these items has the real problem. :)
Dave.
 
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I decided a long time ago that I wouldn't have a knife that I wouldn't carry, except for my heirlooms. Then I recently bought a Buck 119 100th Anniv. knife, more for sentimental reasons than anything else. I'll probably never carry it, but having it brings back a lot of memories. It got me to rethink my whole philosophy on knives.

I agree with DavidZ - no matter the reason for buying/owning a knife, we are "using" it, though what we have it for may not be how someone else defines "usage".

thx - cpr
 
Yeah, I got a problem with it. Its just despicable...they're tools! If you're not going to use them don't buy it. That's like caging a dog for its life. Don't even bother buying it. Instead, leave it for someone else to buy.




















Oh, and you can give the ones you don't use to me :D
Just kidding!
I think its fine. Many people have cars they never drive, guns they never shoot, gals have shoes they never wear. No big deal:thumbup:....but the offer to send them to me still stands:D
 
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