Cutting Back

Shorttime

Shorttime

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2011
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I have a confession to make.

I haven't bought a knife in two months. There just hasn't been anything interesting.

It's worse than that, actually. For about that same amount of time, I've just been keeping my SAK Electrician in my pocket during weekends and off-time: it's there, anyway, why not?

Not that I'm bashing SAK's. It's just that, for the longest time, I've been such a fan of locking folders with chunky, ergonomic handles. But it has other tools on it, carries pretty easily, doesn't catch my shirt, etc.

I know some others here have cut way back, or even sold off their entire collection and started over. It's something I'm thinking about doing, and I wanted to have a re-telling of other people's experiences. Especially what made you decide "this is it. It all has to go!"
 
No interest in ceramic bearing flippers?
Seriously though, I have never come to this point. It will be interesting to hear from those who have. Right now, I couldn't see it happening to me.
 
Good for you. I have found that it is hard to enjoy what you have when your collection is too large and you can constantly chasing that new knife feeling. I keep telling myself that I am going to cut back, but then I go on a binge and buy 4 knives in a day like a dumbass. I pretty much know exactly what I like, but I still get on here and see a deal on the exchange that is too good to pass up. It only makes it worse that I'm super lazy about getting around to selling the ones I don't carry...

I have recently started carrying a SAK most of the time in addition to a modern folder. I really like how handy it is. The toothpick alone almost makes it worthwhile IMO...
 
I used to have almost 300 knives. Not all were high end stuff, but included customs and many historic/collectable knives. I sold the vast majority of them a few years ago and don't regret it. To me they were never going to be used, and I seriously doubt that anyone I would have given them to would appreciate them.

Now I have almost 30 knives, with a quarter of those being leathermans/Vics. I still don't use them all, and some are backups of knives I have that were discontinued. It's a more reasonable level for me now, and I get to actually use the ones I intended to. I know what I like in a knife now, and have them. The interest is still there and that's why I read the forums.
 
I enjoy them most through use and appreciation of capability. The more I have, the less I bond to any one knife. So, my best experience as an owner/collector/user involves avoiding spreading my time with each too thin.

Try this, maybe. It’s my current plan:

Limit yourself to one new buy per year.

It will make you more selective, and will keep you enjoying others that you have.
 
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My problem usually comes in that I like to use my knives so I devalue and then sell them, except for GEC's. I seem to collect some traditionals, realize I'm not going to use them, and then get rid of them. But, I don't think I've gotten too far over 30 knives, honestly.

I do more of a "get a bunch to see, handle, carry, try, sell a few, keep a few, repeat, then eventually sell a bunch as the above process accumulates but I usually end up with one or two more than before I bought a few." Usually, the custom fixed blades are what I've been really bad with because I like unique and there are a ton of cool things the forum makers are doing. I think 3-4" fixed are my favorite knife size but since I can't EDC fixed blades anymore and I don't hunt like I used to I don't have a ton of use for so many so I gifted most of those away recently, except for the handmades of course.
 
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I’ve done that a few times, but it has been some time - probably from experience and having a better understanding of what I really want in a knife.

My carry lineup is largely static these days, each knife filling a niche of some sort, and I have one spot that is in constant rotation (my ongoing search for a “fancy” knife that I feel comfortable carrying) while always looking for an upgrade for my standbys.
 
I usually check my favorite knife sites a couple of times a month, sometimes more often.
In the last month nothing has peaked my interest, and I don't... Want any more knives, other than the ones that are 300+ dollars, which I can't afford at the moment.

I get what you're saying, really. I'm at about 35 knives now, and its dawning on me that it may be 30 too many.

That is, until I can save up enough money to buy some of my grails.
 
I've come to the point where I'm basically done with fixed blades and am going to narrow them down to what I'm actually going to use or those that have sentimental value.

For folders I'm probably going to do the same thing but make one or two new purchases a year and then get rid of what I don't use every two years or so.

That's the plan anyway. I probably won't stick to it.
 
I’ve sold and traded many knives over the past few years for various reasons. I either needed the money, lost interest in a certain design, buyers remorse, or I simply wanted to upgrade by selling or trading off budget knives to fund the purchase of a more premium model.
I really don’t want a huge knife collection, instead I would like a few high quality fixed blades, and folders.
 
Well I used to collect cheapo flea market knives because of the variety, and low cost to have fun finding something new.
This was fine as I had one real user I carried for years, but once I started to want a bit of variety in my pocket I sold all the cheapos in a yardsale to make room for some additional usable knives

I'm definitely with you on the Vic, At one point a modern one handed folder is all I would really carry.
Then I discovered the porch and how freeing it can be to carry a comparatively small slipjoint knowing it's all I
really needed.
My love of knives has me owning / carrying larger blades that are truthfully overkill for my needs and that'll never stop , but it's nice to know I have discovered how much knife I really need.
 
Shorttime said:
I have a confession to make.

I haven't bought a knife in two months. There just hasn't been anything interesting.

It's worse than that, actually. For about that same amount of time, I've just been keeping my SAK Electrician in my pocket during weekends and off-time: it's there, anyway, why not?

Not that I'm bashing SAK's. It's just that, for the longest time, I've been such a fan of locking folders with chunky, ergonomic handles. But it has other tools on it, carries pretty easily, doesn't catch my shirt, etc.

I know some others here have cut way back, or even sold off their entire collection and started over. It's something I'm thinking about doing, and I wanted to have a re-telling of other people's experiences. Especially what made you decide "this is it. It all has to go!"
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I did that..the it all has to go multiple times. I ended up rebuyikg a bunch of stuff and selling multiple times like different mini grips

Turns out I really like frn lw spydercos and Saks.
Some knives are bonuses but give me a native, or an endura lw and an alox sak and I'm a happy camper. The endura or milli for that matter is a do all knife and the sak is a carry anywhere knife. Same goes for little tiny slipjoints too.
 
[QUOTE="Shorttime, post: 18291217, member: 305450"

I know some others here have cut way back, or even sold off their entire collection and started over. It's something I'm thinking about doing, and I wanted to have a re-telling of other people's experiences. Especially what made you decide "this is it. It all has to go!"[/QUOTE]

I've been exactly where you are. Used to collect customs and Randall's and high end production. My gun collection was also up there. Then a funny thing happened as I went through my 40's. Maybe I got burned out on it or something, but one day I just kind of looked at all that stuff and said "What the hell am I doing with all this 'stuff?"

I sold off the Randall's and the high end productions, and did a lot of giveaways right here on blade forums. Sold off most my guns as well, and as an aside I found out that the less I came on these forums, the less I wanted more knives. I'm not sure just what psychological factors are involved, but if I keep my forum viewing to a minimum, or not at all some days, I go for days with just a SAK in my pocket and it does very well. As soon as you find the difference between the perceived needs and fantasies and real world it gets way easier. Right now my whole knife collection can fit in one hand. A couple SAK's and a Buck stockman and a Boker 240 pen knife are about it. As a retired gentleman of leisure I find any decent two layer SAK enough for modern life in American suburbia. I don't have any fantasies about knife fighting or taking out Chinese paratroopers, and all I need is some cutting tool to open mail and packages. Maybe slice a snack off something in the fridge.

About 90% of the time now Just carry a SAK and I'm good to go. I like having a few basic tools on hand as I go through the day. Heck, most the populace doesn't even carry a knife these days.

Try dropping that SAK in a pocket and not go on any forums for 5 days. You'll be surprised.

Edit to add; When I look back on all my knife obsession and buying, it was like I was in the grip of some kind of temporary insanity that only time and age cured. After I got into my 40's I felt the need to get rid of that stuff. It was like a feeling of "this is nuts."
 
Well said ^ I find a good old SS slippie is the way to go more often than not. The knife in my poclet reminds me that it's a tool - not a bauble or thing of status and nothing more!

Although I do still have my mnandi... Love that knife... Lol
 
To the OP: This sounds like some sort of disease has taken hold!!! :eek:
Check for odd insect or monkey bites...start a stringent course of antibiotics and anti-viral drugs...and then buy some more knives. ;)
 
Comeuppance said:
I’ve done that a few times, but it has been some time - probably from experience and having a better understanding of what I really want in a knife.

My carry lineup is largely static these days, each knife filling a niche of some sort, and I have one spot that is in constant rotation (my ongoing search for a “fancy” knife that I feel comfortable carrying) while always looking for an upgrade for my standbys.
Click to expand...

I am the same.

There was a point where I stopped dabbling in knives for about a year. During that year I kept all of my collection but only carried my Kwaiback. After a while, I dove back in and fell in love all over again. A few times actually. I have totally eliminated all of my "never going to carry and not my style" knives. A total purge. I still have around 20 blades with 5 in my rotation. I have my work knife, my SD knife, my I like to carry knife/General use knife, another one of those, and my dress/low-key knife. I ALWAYS carry a SAK. It used to be my long lost Super Tinkerer, now it's an Explorer.
 
stabman said:
To the OP: This sounds like some sort of disease has taken hold!!! :eek:
Check for odd insect or monkey bites...start a stringent course of antibiotics and anti-viral drugs...and then buy some more knives. ;)
Click to expand...

It's possible. I can't rule out the influence of the Google/NSA brain control laser satellite, either.

Now, to be fair, I'm not getting rid of all of them. The knife my son bought me stays, the Batum, and a few others. All in all, it's actually about twelve knives. But that's about half of what I have, less the usual sorts of gas station novelties that find their way to you through other people who hear you like knives.

I have no clue what the hell to do with those.

I think that the way forward is to go with the "less is more" philosophy of Wenger and Victorinox. I'm going to look at slipjoints and friction folders, and take a break from the modern locking knives with all the fancy science built into them.

But I would still like to hear from other people! Support the knife purge!

Somebody's gotta buy the new ones they're always making, after all.
 
I presently have no intention of selling anything. I own a lot of knives. I used to buy stuff just for the heck of it and they almost always never got used or even looked after perhaps a month of ownership. Now, I will only buy a knife that I intend to use or would use. I picked up a Boker Urban Trapper at a store yesterday on a whim. I like the knife obviously. It needed some edge attention, but other than that it is just fine.

So, I am just cutting back in volume mostly the last couple of years with knives. I still buy new knives, and sometimes I buy them just because they caught my eye (but I knew they were a pretty good knife). An example this spring was the Benchmade Mini Presidio II at a knife store. Just like it, but to this point I don't know if I have carried it yet.

Eventually I will most likely have a big knife dump at the exchange. Just not ready for that even though a lot of the stuff I own I haven't even looked at in more than a year. Same thing happened with firearms (collector stuff). The difference is that I hadn't really looked at them in 10 years except for the ones I shoot. I have a pretty fair chunk of change tied up in that collection and I am in fact selling any handgun I own that somebody wants to acquire at a fair market price (probably keep a couple). No give a ways.

I pretty much carry the same couple of knives all the time with little desire to dig something else out to use. I'm comfortable with my choices.
 
DrRollinstein said:
Check out the newest WE knife and tell me you dont want that sucker.
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The Double Helix?

Not for nearly 300, I don't! I like the way WE transposes lines and curves in their designs, I like a lot of the minimalism of their knives.

The most I paid for a knife was my Mini CQC-7, and that was only because I got to handle it first, and it told me take it home.

If it's never happened, I can't explain it.

WE is heading in a good direction, but they're not there, yet. I would get a Kizer/Vagnino Zipslip, before the Double Helix.
 
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