Collector focus: reputation or quantity?

Joss

Joss

Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
7,353
Taking for granted that everyone goes for quality, what kind of a collector are you:

1) You've set a precise limit to the number of blades in your collection. Each time you buy a new one, you sell one from your existing collection. You tend to buy fancier and fancier pieces, although you are not against "perfect" simple knives. Most of your knives are above $500.

2) You buy anything you can afford to given your budget. You often buy many reasonably priced knives, although you do fall for fancy pieces from time to time. You only sell knives when you grow tired of them. Most of your knives are below $500.

Thanks,

JD
 
There are probably more categories than these, but #1 sums me up pretty well.

Roger
 
Neither :D.
I have collected for a while (20+ years) and have only sold two custom knives out of my collection. (make that three I sold one this week to a knife list buddy.) ;).

My taste now leans towards fancier stuff, but that is only because I have more "users" than a sane person should have. One of the great things about knife collecting as well as making is that there are so many niches for anyone with an interest to enjoy. Just like makers there are collectors that specialize in a signature style as well as folks from both groups who really enjoy collecting/making knives that run the gammut of various styles. Over the years my "serious" collecting goes on in bowies, daggers and multiblades, but that still does not keep me from picking up a knife from a new maker or an old friend a few times a year in a different style (and yup every once in a while I still pick up a new user.)

It is a sick diease, I'll tell ya, but I love every minute of it :D.
 
I would say closer to # 2 for me though I have a number of knives over $500.00.I have only collected for close to 5 yrs. but have amassed a large collection in that time.But like Gus I have not yet sold one knife and I'm not sure if or when I will. :confused: I'm very interested to see where other collectors see themselves fit in,good thread Joss. :)
 
Most of my custom knives are above the $500 and I haven't sold one yet.

At this time, the prices of the knives I like seem so prohibitively expensive, combined with little hope of a return, that I have currently stopped buying any more customs to add to my relatively small collection.
 
I have not set any limit to the number of knives that I will have in my collection. Knives that I am no longer interested in I will sell to get money for something new. Most of my custom knives are over $500.00. Fancier is not what I am after, I look for something different than what I already have.
 
Joss,

There are other types of collectors. I buy what I like. Period. No trading or selling. Some knives were donated to good causes or given as gifts.

The only custom knives I sold were 2 knives I was not happy with when they were delivered. I have one other knife in this category now. I'll sell it in the next few years. ;)
 
I agree with Chuck,, I buy what I like,, no matter how much, or how little it cost,, ( well maybe there's a limit on how much!)
The difference is , if I get them and don't care for them,, I trade them for something I do..


B.G.
 
I've never sold any of my customs, most of mine are under 500 but that is slowly changing. I rarely buy a knife that I wouldn't use.
 
I buy what I like and I also buy knives from makers I like. A knife has to appeal to me and if it's made by a friend, so much the better. I will not buy a knife from someone I dont respect or is nasty or just ignores me at a show.
 
lifter4Him said:
I buy what I like and I also buy knives from makers I like. A knife has to appeal to me and if it's made by a friend, so much the better. I will not buy a knife from someone I dont respect or is nasty or just ignores me at a show.
Click to expand...


Definitely!!,, On both points,, I have a couple of knives made by freinds,I will never sell,,
And there is one prolific maker who has a custom ,as well as production line,,everyone seems to worship him,,, but I've lost respect due to his attitude and reactions to several situations(online),, I wouldn't own one of his knives,, no matter how nice the knife!

B.G.
 
I'm more of a number 2. But I do set limits on how many knives I own. It's not a clear cut limit so much as a feeling that I've become gluttonous in my buying. I often tire of ones in my collection quicker when I feel that way, or end up just regretting the ones recently bought.
 
#1 rule, buy what I like. This puts about half of my knives over $500, the rest under. For some reason I always seem to have 30-40 knives around consisting of a majority of users, some impulse buys and those knives I have had custom made. I have my keepers, but quite often sell the "impulse buys" later on. I find as time goes on, the "keepers" continue to go upward in price as my taste evolve. Definitely more into quality now than I was even a year ago.
 
I guess I should answer my own question: I'm a #1 myself. I do have impulse buys, but I tend to turn them around pretty quickly. Many times, I sell a knife I like quite a bit just to make room for something even better.

I have some names I always go back to, and my goal is to end up with a collection of 15 - 20 knives of outstanding quality. The value of my collection has been going up consistently over time, both in total and on an average $ per knife basis.

As I get to handle better and better pieces, I become less and less accomodating regarding even small (or perceived) faults in knives.
 
I'm usually not this wishy-washy but I'm a solid combination of #1 and #2!

I've never sold a custom (never say "never") but I am planning to sell off some of my never used high-end production knives since I no longer have any real interest in them. They have served their purpose. :cool:
 
I guess I would fall in the second catagory. Most of my knives are users and only one is worth more than $500.
 
A definite combination of 1 & 2. Most of my knives are custom (although I just picked up a waterbuffalo handled Buck 110 that I'm really impressed with) and average between $400 and $800, with several over $1500. But where I differ from #1 is that I don't automatically sell one to make room for another (unless I need the cash and its a definite up-grade). And when I buy something its because its something that I really like, although maker personalities have a big impact if I'm going to own more than one by any maker.
 
2.

I'm kind of an impulse buyer. I buy things depending on my mood and sell them for other things when I get tired of them.

It's probably not a very fiscally sound practise, but it keeps me happy. :)
 
Neither one.

I will purchase any knife that has 'appeal'. Appeal for me is measured by any of these:

Quality of workmanship
Uniqueness of design
Friendship with the maker

Any knife that can be purchased at an especially good deal ALWAYS adds appeal! ;)

I have over 100 knives and about 70 of them are customs. Ranging from a $50 John Greco fixed blade to a $2000+ Hill Pearce Khyber, a POS 'Franklin Mint' Wyatt Earp folder (A good reminder of what CRAP is!), to a Jack Levin ornate engraved semi-auto. Rounding out with fruit knives, my own kits, AG Russell users, lots of QUALITY tacticals, Med bowies of all sorts, Paul Chen 'hanwei' clever folders, an engraved 'box cutter', elegant Laguiole slipjoints, and Chinese crap autos.

OK, so I have stopped purchasing the Chinese crap autos... :D :p :D

Knives for me in general, have an appeal that is too broad to limit myself to one style. I go with the flow.

Having the chances that I do to handle most of the very best knives in the world has allowed me to explore other areas less expensively or more diverse. So I do.

I wish others the same variety. But mostly I miss that all my favorite knife buddies are so far away, and my collection is handled only by me. C'mon over!!!! :)

Coop
 
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