Collectors “vs” Users - Which are you?

User. I used to accumulate knives like crazy. I wouldn't call it collecting because none of my knives have ever been worth much. I've heavily down-scaled my knives lately. Makes me appreciate more of less. All of my knives get used now, even my sentimental ones, which will get (lightly) carried around the house, but never leave the door because honestly I'd be devastated if I lost one of the sentimental ones.

If I ever bought an expensive, premium knife, I'd for sure carry it. How else am I supposed to experience an amazing premium steel if I don't actually cut things with it? If I'm spending that much money on an object, I HAVE to use it to get my money's worth.
 
DavidABQ said:
I have been on a search to find "the one" so I guess I have been ab accumulator more than a collector. Since getting my current EDC my knife buying has dropped off significantly. I have been very happy with it this past year and it doesn't seem like I will be replacing it with something else any time soon.
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Find, "the one"? I'll help you: The Carothers DEK1, DEK2, or DEK3. The pre-order for them is still open in their subforum.
 
Quiet said:
I’m both. I’ve got more knives in my collection than I’ll ever need to use for the rest of my lifetime. I love knives, so I have zero shame in keeping most of my collection as “safe queens”. Many of them, the most use they’ll see is some fondle time while I’m watching something on TV at home. Suits me just fine.

Folks that might disagree with that, well they’re free to do with their property what they like, and I’ll do the same. 😉
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Exactly this, though I call it a knife "accumulation" rather than a "collection." I have 1200+ knives (and counting) and I've only ever used or carried 20 or 30 of them over my 45 years of knife enthusiasm. I probably have a few hundred I could part with and not regret, but I don't need the money and they aren't causing a clutter problem in my house, so I haven't bothered to sell them.
 
Owen K. said:
I think we need to work as a community to not turn our noses up at the guys who choose to collect over using knives. There seems to be a bit of underlying distane for collectors by straight "user" types because they don't do things the same way. It's similar to the; "You spent HOW much on that?" outrage. People have different priorities and we should work to support not criticise. Let's try to not push away the collector guys as they are a valuable part of the community and the driving force that keeps the knife market and design evolving. Maybe I'm totally off track but this has just been my observation.

As far as investments go, knives are not it, I'm not saying you can't make money but that is with a minority of blades.
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Well, said. I'm a strictly a collector and am unapologetic about it because there are many other knives outside of my collection that I actually use.

Knives are not the only things I collect. Among other things, I also collect LPs, guns, cars and artwork. I do not collect things as an "investment" or w/the idea that I'll make any $ on them. I buy them purely for my personal "enjoyment."

However, most of the things I buy, including the cars, generally hold their value. The only exception is the artwork (limited edition prints and originals) which has always gone UP in value, based upon appraisals which I do periodically for insurance purposes.

So, spending $ on knives and other things is not a waste of $, as long as the purchases are well considered.

For example, I collected baseball cards (graded and ungraded) and sports memorabilia for many years. I never added up how much I spent on the cards & other stuff but I'm pretty sure it was far less than the $25k that I received for all of it from a dealer, knowing full well that the breakup cost of the collection probably exceeded $50k. I just didn't have the time/desire to sell off the collection piecemeal.

The same thing applies to my LP, gun, car and art collections with are each worth a lot of $, which my executor should be easily able to sell in order to additionally fund the trust that I've set up for my grandchildren.
 
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Yes. I have knives i use and knives I have stored away. If i like a knife enough, i generally try to buy two, one mint and one in user shape.
 
I’m not sure that “vs” is an accurate way to categorize many BF members. It’d take several more choices, and “check all that apply”, including a big fat “other”, to describe what I do with (or think about) knives.

Here are some to consider:
Purchaser
Gift recipient
Maker
Modifier
Abuser
Repairer
Ruin-er
Inheritor
Giver
Accept-er
Loser
Finder

Those are just the tip of the iceberg, I suspect.

Parker
 
As I’m thinking about the question a spectrum comes to mind for me.

First, you could be a pure user. Knives are just tools, nothing more. You buy knives for specific purposes and use them as such. You may enjoy them as tools, but they aren’t a collectors item in any real sense.

Second, the opposite extreme, a pure collector. Maybe you carry and use a knife, but for you knives are fundamentally items that you enjoy acquiring, appreciating, and displaying.

Then I see two positions in between. First of those would be a user-collector. Knives are tools first and foremost, but they are also enjoyable on a level that goes beyond utility. You buy al your knives to carry and use, but you also collect more than you “need.” A user-collector may often get multiple versions of knives they particularly enjoy using, in my experience.

The other middle position would be a collector-user. Here what really comes first is the enjoyment of knives, their design, innovation, craftsmanship, and so forth. Knives are acquired based on criteria that goes beyond utility, but using knives is also part of their enjoyment and experience. I tend to see collector-users as liking to explore wide ranges of designs, styles, steels, materials, etc, rather than seeking to acquire multiples of the same models. Knives are enjoyed for more than utility, but utility is part of the enjoyment. I’d probably put myself in this category.

Just some random thoughts.
 
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halden.doerge said:
Then I see two positions in between. First of those would be a user-collector. Knives are tools first and foremost, but they are also enjoyable on a level that goes beyond utility. You buy all your knives to carry and use, but you also collect more than you “need.” A user-collector may often get multiple versions of knives they particularly enjoy using, in my experience.
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Nailed it. That's me to a T. Except I'm unlikely to buy multiple versions of the same knife, because there are so many knives I'd like to own before doubling or tripling up on one model. I'm also a bit of a steel collector, in the sense that I enjoy collecting knives with exotic blades, even though I probably don't need to cut 1,000' of cardboard before touching up.
 
Owen K. said:
I think we need to work as a community to not turn our noses up at the guys who choose to collect over using knives. There seems to be a bit of underlying distane for collectors by straight "user" types because they don't do things the same way. It's similar to the; "You spent HOW much on that?" outrage. People have different priorities and we should work to support not criticise. Let's try to not push away the collector guys as they are a valuable part of the community and the driving force that keeps the knife market and design evolving. Maybe I'm totally off track but this has just been my observation.

As far as investments go, knives are not it, I'm not saying you can't make money but that is with a minority of blades.
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I would never turn my nose up at a collector... Hopefully I'm not the only one, but I enjoy looking at the collections of others and living vicariously through them. There's lots-o-knifes out there that I enjoy looking at but would never buy. HOWEVER: Every now and then I see one that I feel might tickle my fancy, and am this motivated and inspired to seek out more information on said edged tool. Hence my accumulation problem.

Right now my biggest fear is sending something down the road that my 8 and 3 year old children might someday be interested in.
 
I have some to admire and carry occasionally and some to use. Sometimes one of former crosses the line. I've beat up a few collectors over the years.
 
sharkattacksw said:
Collectors: Do you collect as an “investment”, collect “just to have knives”, or collect knives to actually use?
I carry and use all the knives in my collection. I don’t have any “investment knives/safe queens”, to me it’s no fun buying a knife just to look at.
My collection goal is to collect knives I can actually carry and use & enjoy.
How about you?
One of my favorites is the Spyderco Chaparral & Buck 112 line.
Have a great day everyone.
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I used to collect knives as part of my SHTF barter goods strategy, but my life took some odd turns and I lost almost everything except for the material goods I'd acquired, so over the past decade or so, I was forced to sell off almost all of my collection, and I've only kept the users, more or less.
 
fuyume said:
I used to collect knives as part of my SHTF barter goods strategy....
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That's where I accumulated a ton of Moras and Buck Bantams, thrown into cars along with other higher end carts... "I'm already spending $1 - 2 - 300+, what's another $20 w/ free shipping."
Or the old, Free Shipping on orders >$xxx, and I'm like $5-10 short... pay the shipping, or add a cheap knife to get free shipping... I get the extra knife every time 😅
 
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