Collection of Thoughts on Collections

[22-rimfire]

I'm a hobbyist. I have no particular interest in collecting knives or using the word "hoarder" which I find a little offensive being a hobbyist. I simply don't understand the term hoarder and when it applies, the person is usually saving EVERYTHING (even newspapers), not just knives.

Keep them sharp!

 

[Xero Xero]

When I was a kid (8 yrs old) I wanted a quality knife "a real knife" and couldn't afford one.

I can afford them now, and know what I'm looking at. I don't use them. I have a Kershaw SpeedSafe 1650 for EDC. The rest of the "collection" are in original boxes, un-used and un-sharpened.

I have some items that are "collectable" for one reason or another, but mostly I own them because I couldn't afford them as a kid, and now I can. No, as a matter of fact I'm not married! LMAO

 

[Joshua25]

So far, keeping my budget down has kept me from too many safe queens, though I have a collection of knives that are either too cheap or just sentimental for me to use and abuse. These are my "collection" knives and include a wooden bladed knife from Cuba, an illegal OTF cheap chinese knife I smuggled into Canada, my SAK and first knife and my Opinel that I found in a fountain in Iceland and restored it.

Asides from those, I have a bunch of user knives to switch between, knives that are easy enough to replace, yet good enough to use guilt free and make new memories and stories with.
So my collection is two part. One part memory knives, that are very much collected like cheap mementos. The other part is working knives with an interesting design and a good story or cool feature.

And yes, I've had knives that either get a bit damaged and become collectibles or thrown out, depending on whether they have a sentiment developed for them or a good story in their lifetime.

 

[marchone]

To each his own. I'm not a poor man but I have few possessions by choice. The things I have tend to be of good quality because I take pleasure in using my tools. Still, no one needs bespoke shotguns or custom knives when good quality low cost machine-made products exist. That's just a conceit of the hobby. And the person in it.

 

[not2sharp]

How many knives would you consider the point where it's gone from collecting to hoarding?
My other hobby/profession is watchmaking. If you have more then 7 watches (Different watch for everyday) you are a hoarder. Now I have literally buckets full of watches so I'm a hoarder.

Every collection is always part someone's hoard, and the hoard may provide for many such collections. What distinguishes a collection is that it is a subset of the whole which you have selected to tell a story. That story can be just about anything, but the context is usually clear and focused, such as a display of Grampa's knives, or a Randall made knives, or US knives of WWII.

I enjoy collections and collectors, they tend to be interesting people of drive and passion. I frequent a lot of garage sales and most of the time you run into tables covered by tableau of random stuff sold by the big box stores over the last 5 years. You get use to looking at it and it is all the same meaningless junk bought for some inane purpose and just as quickly discarded, just a soulless accumulation of everyday items. The collectors are different. Even if you have no interest in the actual items, there is always a story there and that story provides someone's perspective on our world. As such the collections always complement each other, they are each small windows on our own history and culture, and they should be appreciated as such.

n2s

 

[SpySmasher]

Every collection is always part someone's hoard, and the hoard may provide for many such collections. What distinguishes a collection is that it is a subset of the whole which you have selected to tell a story. That story can be just about anything, but the context is usually clear and focused, such as a display of Grampa's knives, or a Randall made knives, or US knives of WWII.

I enjoy collections and collectors, they tend to be interesting people of drive and passion. I frequent a lot of garage sales and most of the time you run into tables covered by tableau of random stuff sold by the big box stores over the last 5 years. You get use to looking at it and it is all the same meaningless junk bought for some inane purpose and just as quickly discarded, just a soulless accumulation of everyday items. The collectors are different. Even if you have no interest in the actual items, there is always a story there and that story provides someone's perspective on our world. As such the collections always complement each other, they are each small windows on our own history and culture, and they should be appreciated as such.

n2s

Without thinking about it too hard, that seems about right.

 

[Xero Xero]

"I frequent a lot of garage sales and most of the time you run into tables covered by tableau of random stuff sold by the big box stores over the last 5 years. You get use to looking at it and it is all the same meaningless junk bought for some inane purpose and just as quickly discarded, just a soulless accumulation of everyday items."

I found a Benchmade Bali-Song, early production and now discontinued, at a gun show in a box of "junk" and priced at $25. Benchmade in Oregon City confirmed it's not a knock-off. While at the Benchmade plant I purchased two discontinued Harley Davidson neck knives, one black, one stainless.

Buck has a model 119 that is a "transitional" from their 75th Anniversary production. The transitional has the 75 Anniversary tang stamp, but no medallion on the grip. I have several Buck knives, to include a 119, but not a 119 75th Anniversary transitional.

I've been looking at Dozier, but don't see anything that "snaps my sox." Spyderco is a quality knife I suppose, but I just plain don't care for the blade shape.