Collecting: What’s your plan/goal?

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sharkattacksw

Joined
Aug 4, 2008
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626
Hi guys,
When you’re collecting, what’s your plan/goal? Do you only focus on 1 or 2 models, do you go for variety, or do you focus on a particular manufacturer?

I have a few PM2’s, some Bucks, and some Benchmades. I generally prefer smaller knives since I can carry them more places easily. I can carry a Buck 503 in the office and not raise an eyebrow. Carry my PM2 and it’ll get some looks. As such, I tend to collect knives that I know I’ll carry more often other than once in a while.

While I’m not only focused on the makes I mentioned, I just haven’t seen many other makes that seem to attract me as much as Buck, Spyderco, and Benchmade.

So what are your thoughts or philosophies on collecting? What do you focus on collecting, and why?

Thx!
 
My snap reaction is that I don't have one. :D

But that's not entirely true. My baseline is always what I like, what speaks to me -- whether or not it fits my tastes, past or present (surprises are fun). But I do take into account whether a knife fills an unfilled niche, directly steps on the specs of another knife, or otherwise overlaps too much with my collection.

Because if two knives are too similar (by whatever nebulous definition I'm using at the time), one of them probably won't get carried. (This tends to keep me from buying doubles of knives I like, too.) I carry and use all of my knives, so that's kind of my soft "cap" on just indefinitely expanding my collection.

Or at least that's the theory. ;)
 
Pretty much what Dadpool Dadpool said, I don't have a set manufacturer I go after or style for that matter, it's just whatever catches my eye and I revisit the knife or seek a review of it.

I've never had that "one" knife to rule them all so I guess I'm chasing perfection and that will probably never happen so it's great just trying new stuff and having the tried and true stuff like the PM2 you mentioned around when I do need a knife.
 
Users. For enjoyment. Buy and sell to buy more.

Customs, production like Busse, Himalayan Imports, and make my own.

All good.
 
I collect users. If I can't carry it (rh only/no pocket clip, weird locks) or sharpen it effectively on a stone (some recurves, some compound grinds) I won't buy and if I end up with a knife that doesn't work for me I sell it pretty quick. Over the years I've gotten pretty good at discerning what I like and want to have around in my collection - so I guess I also like collecting experience :)
 
I only collect users too. I have a couple fixed blade customs in the works but I have enough nice folders for the rest of my life.
 
:) As a hobby , the plan is pleasure .

Entertainment , interest , engagement . ;)

Most here are far beyond just bare function / utility . :rolleyes:

Now it's all about fun ! :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:

:eek: Collecting as an investment , for monetary gain, is a whole other thing and good luck with that ! :(
 
my idea is always collect users, but then i get an itch and now magically i have almost all the microtech models ‍♂️. i don’t believe in buying doubles of knives. i just find it weird when i see someone post a picture of 37 flavors of the PM2.. like why??
 
Uniqueness, ergonomics. I don't buy multiples of one knife, I like colors. I have blues, greens, red, purple, many carbon fiber including a blue black two tone. I have burlap micarta, brown canvas micarta, ironwood, titanium.

Variety.

My goal? To bankrupt myself.
 
My "collecting" goals morphed over time until now where I'm pretty much "done" w/the accumulation phase.

Started w/cheap Kershaws and CRKTs, moved into ZTs and Spydercos and diversified into other brands as I "discovered" them. Done w/the accumulation phase and need to clear out a lot of the early purchases and refine what left.

The "collection" stands at 330+ knives but can easily be reduced to a more meaningful 200 or so. Just need some time to clear out the detris.
 
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I like variety. I like the IDEA of only having users, but once a fellow gets more than a few, they naturally get a lot less use.

Also, some just accidentally end up as collector's pieces. (Spyderco Small Fly, NIB Wengers)

If they're not getting any use, it means either they have sentimental value, some perceived collectors value or they're going on the block
 
I like just about anything good that comes along.
I try to keep the spending from getting crazy so I take a decent amount of time to just plain ole look at knives
before I get real serious about buying anything.
My only real collecting goal is finding knives that make the work day easier and
mundane tasks you come across in HVAC more fun.
Well made knives from my favorite manufacturers like Spyderco, CRK, etc. (or most of the brands you'd see on the EDC thread)
don't chip out like cheap utility razors and I hate changing those things out of a poorly-fit, rattly handle.
 
I didn't start truly collecting until I joined here seven years ago.

Sure, I had SOG's, Kershaw, CRKT and other stuff like that. My collection has grown and shrunk and grown again. It freaks me out how many some of y'all have.

Current collection:

17 folders
2 Fixed
2 Traditional
1 SAK.

At one point I had 35. At the moment, I'm content. There are two, maybe three I plan to sell when I get around to it. I'm currently spending money on gun stuff, but when I've recuperated and have sold some my list is a Pro-Tech Malibu and maybe a Spyderco Kapara.

I go through cycles of favorites. For about four months I cycled through my three OTF's. Then manual, now a mix.

After much buying and selling/trading I found the specifics of what I like. I've come to prefer a straight (ish) edge like the Yojimbo 2 and Apurvis Progeny.

My true goal is a folding lightsaber. Someday.
 
The knives I buy as users are picked at random with no goals in mind. But sometimes there is a pattern , so it must be subconscious.

Knives I collect are not bought as users and are picked based on different variations of the same knife or a regional style.
I have a collection of regional Italian and French knives , but also have a collection of Buck 110's / 112's and various swing guards with different scales.

Long tern goal is to sell off the knives I bought as users and never got a chance to carry.
 
After 30 years of doing this, I can honestly say I don't have a strategy. No plan or focus.

I buy what I like and sell what I don't.

If I can offer any words of wisdom, I would recommend you go to as many knife shows as possible...this way you get to handle knives that interest you at no cost....instead of buying and selling online...which always leads to less money in your pocket and more in the post office's cash register.
 
I fall squarely in the "knives are practical pocket jewlery" type of collector. My rules are pretty simple

1) Try to get one= I find it aesthetically pleasing (Design, Materials, Maker, Prestige, all factor here) AND am willing and able to carry and use it.

2) Don't sweat, fret or tantrum over whatever is currently hot, there a feeding frenzy to get one piece.

3) Don't fall prey to "the Chase". ie. Don't pay unreasonable markups or over extend my finances

4) No "back ups" or EXACT duplicates allowed.
 
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My ideal collecting goal is to get things of which I like the idea, whether that be custom or production. (My wish list at this point is several hundred knives long)

In reality though, my priority is filling a niche with whatever my next purchase is. I've got several edc knives, I've got a few that I'll take hunting, I have some for yardwork and farmwork, and my next step is to get some that better comply with Canada's BS knife laws so that if they get any stricter I'm still covered. Sadly, those will probably have to be slipjoints just to be safe.
 
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