Distraction from buying new old knives?

[Lemmy Caution]

I keep gathering old knives. It seems no matter what there's another one from the past that raises its head on an auction site or knife shop and I can't help myself. The notion that they're just 10, 20, 25 bucks makes it all the more easy to grab one every few days. But I want to put a hold on new purchases for a while. You guys have any good ideas to help with this? My thought is i should just play with the knives I have, appreciate them more and stop looking for more.

 

[Ryan Sumner]

How much do you spend a week on knives? Maybe you could save it, bank half, and with the other half buy a knife from the exchange. GEC's usually cost $80-$140 for basic models, you could buy a few and keep them new in tube. (or just tell yourself you won't use them, but end up doing so anyway)

 

[Gevonovich]

Neural Associative Conditioning

1. You must get "Leverage"
You must decide that you are going to change. Change comes about through pain and pleasure. We want pleasure and want to avoid pain. The pleasure comes in the form of a reward we give ourselves when we acquire a new old knife. Many other things but you get the picture. The pain ...well that is just as varied as we are individuals, as well. Our wives get mad, we are spending too much money, not enough room, etc...
I must change because ....pick 5 reasons in each category....pain and pleasure. A strong emotional component coupled with your answers magnifies the probability of lasting change occurring. ie We usually don't change until the pain or pleasure becomes so great we "Decide" to change. Use your own reasons and Decide. This is the empowering aspect of NAC...you make the change ...the change does not happen to you.
2. "SCRATCH THE RECORD" Every time the urge to buy a new knife comes up (ie the neural association) we must "scratch the record" so it won't play any more. Make a strange sound out loud, or some other behavior that "scratches" the thought pattern. so that it won't play. This is where the "conditioning part" comes in. We must do this over and over again until the pattern will not play in out minds.
3.REPLACE THE OLD PATTERN Replace the old pattern with something that we want ( not something that just happens to us). Sell a knife, so that you can fund the next one. Purposely enjoy the one you have. Use it and research it. Post it here and talk about it. You come up with your own ways that work!

And remember the "Conditioning" part.

Simplified as best I can at this time of the morning..before my coffee

 

[meako]

Hmmm.... yaairss ..mmmmm (uses stem of pipe to prod thoughtfully at wound).
You have an acute case of Blademia.Its perfectly normal so Don't Worry.
There are several recommended remedies.
You can cut up the credit card and never go on line again-usually only for the most severe cases.
Go into the knife shop and abuse the owner so that he will ban you from entering ever again.This is the tough love method and not highly recommended due to accompanying injuries.
My preferred cure is to adopt the motto "less is more" ie spend more on less knives.
This means you will simultaneously get better knives and become more discerning about what you purchase. At The Same Time!
The quickest way to achieve this is to use only your spare change for knives. This way you may use your card for online puchasement but only if you have put the coin into the account first.
I know-Simple but brilliant.
Beware the pitfall of using all other purchases that you make in life in order to generate coins for the knife fund jar.
I have overcome this demon by placing only my gold coins in the jar. All other silver coins are placed in the kids piggybank.(memo to self -check the contents of kids piggybank tomorrow).
Remember -sometimes less is more.

 

[BJE]

Simply stop looking, you can't buy what you don't know about.
Use the time you usually spend online looking at knives for other things, clean out the garage or basement, to bowling, change the oil in the car, ect.
Stay busy and don't just sit around bored thinking about knives.
If you truly want to avoid new purchases for a while then commit and just do it.
Take it day by day, everyday you don't look at knives to buy, give yourself a little pat on the back and be proud of your accomplishment.
Make it a personal challenge or a game, see how long you can go without a new purchase.

Pick just one or two knives from your collection and out the rest up for a while, I find it's easier to resist temptation if you aren't think about different knives all the time and are committed to carrying just one everyday.

And probably the biggest pit fall of a recovering knife addict, being active on bladeforums, at least for a while, this community breads knife temptation. I am sure there are many active members who don't buy new knives very often, but for every one who doesn't, three more do buy.
I know I buy a lot more often when I am active on bladeforums, when I turn off the computer for a while and enjoy life then I rarely even think about what knife I am carrying.

You wouldn't hang out in a bar if you were trying to cut back on the booze, nor would you want to be in casino if you had a gambling problem. There have been many times I have had to put my knife buying in check, or else it controls my life and I spend most of my time and spare money on knives I don't need. Once you break that cycle of buying for a little while, it feels very good, a sense of freedom and you stop worrying about the post delivery.

Sorry for the long reply, but this topic hits home for me since I have struggled with buying and obsessing over knives, probably missed out on a some good times with family and friends that are longer around because I was glued to the computer screen. Wish I would have taken control sooner.

 

[jc57]

My "cure" was a whim decision to carry the same two knives every day, for a long period of time. Knowing that I'd be carrying the same two, and only those two, for months, just caused the urge to add any more to slowly go away. Of those two, I'm now down to just one that I carry every day and other than reading and posting here occasionally I don't really much think about knives much any more.

 

[KYenglish]

I have been known to switch out my EDC, (feels like I have a new knife already!...kinda) and try to remember that no knife has yet been good enough to stop me wanting others yet, so neither will this one I want right now.

 

[davek14]

Neural Associative Conditioning

1. You must get "Leverage"
You must decide that you are going to change. Change comes about through pain and pleasure. We want pleasure and want to avoid pain. The pleasure comes in the form of a reward we give ourselves when we acquire a new old knife. Many other things but you get the picture. The pain ...well that is just as varied as we are individuals, as well. Our wives get mad, we are spending too much money, not enough room, etc...
I must change because ....pick 5 reasons in each category....pain and pleasure. A strong emotional component coupled with your answers magnifies the probability of lasting change occurring. ie We usually don't change until the pain or pleasure becomes so great we "Decide" to change. Use your own reasons and Decide. This is the empowering aspect of NAC...you make the change ...the change does not happen to you.
2. "SCRATCH THE RECORD" Every time the urge to buy a new knife comes up (ie the neural association) we must "scratch the record" so it won't play any more. Make a strange sound out loud, or some other behavior that "scratches" the thought pattern. so that it won't play. This is where the "conditioning part" comes in. We must do this over and over again until the pattern will not play in out minds.
3.REPLACE THE OLD PATTERN Replace the old pattern with something that we want ( not something that just happens to us). Sell a knife, so that you can fund the next one. Purposely enjoy the one you have. Use it and research it. Post it here and talk about it. You come up with your own ways that work!

And remember the "Conditioning" part.

Simplified as best I can at this time of the morning..before my coffee

Good stuff there.

Also, you could tighten your requirements. Only buy if you can find a good knife for a few bucks for instance, or only your grail brand, etc. Make the search the pastime.

 

[555]

It is one thing to be thinking about knives when shopping/looking at other knives, tempting you to buy more and it is other thing to be thinking about knives when working with them, thinking about, if they need oiled, cleaned or sharpened.

I visited a factory site and a dealers site last night and the force is strong there, to tempt one to buy. There is always new and interesting knives to be found on the internets.
The problem with knives is, it's an affordable hobby/luxury for most. The trick is not to get carried away with the temptations that confront you out there.

 

[adnj]

Flip them. Sell off the knives that you haven't touched in say, one year. You still have the thrill of the bargain hunt but then you get the cash from the knives that you sold. You will most likely never recoup your investment but that is why it's called a hobby.

 

[arizonaranchman]

For me I limit myself to a set number of knives, say 10 or 12. Want a new knife? You'll have to sell or gift one of the ones you have to get it.

This limits how many you accumulate and it funds (or almost funds) the next one. It also makes you choose to give up something before you can acquire the next. If this next knife is really that important, is it worth giving up one of the ones you have (and I assume you once found to be desireable)? If so then sell the one and buy the other.

In my case I'm not a collector and don't want to be. I do very much appreciate these classic old fashioned knives, for their quality, beauty and nostalgia (in addition to being a great pocket knife!). But I don't want dozens or hundreds of them. To me these knives deserve to be carried and used often, to the point they become a part of me and a part of my life's experience to where when I'm gone my kids or grandkids will say "that was my Dad's/Grandpa's knife and I remember that thing was never out of his reach".

Now am I still weak and do I "fall in love" and order a knife on a whim? Oh yes! I've been known to do that for sure. What I do is STAY AWAY FROM THE EXCHANGE! I don't even LOOK in the exchange because I know when I see something I'll "just have to have it! Just this one, this LAST one! This is surely THE ONE!!!". Nope, I just stay out of there and don't let myself succumb to the temptation that will follow.

To me also I feel a sense of "commitment" to the knives I choose. I pick them with the intention of carrying and using them extensively, of that knife becoming sort of a part of me. If, when it gets to me we don't somehow "click", then I usually don't keep it for long. It might be a perfectly fine or incredibly nice knife, but if I just don't for whatever click with the knife, then it eventually is passed on for someone else to hopefully enjoy and carry/use.

This sort of helps me stay within the realm of reasonableness when it comes to these wonderful knives It forces me to make choices when adding one (gotta give one up usually unless it's something very low priced like a $20 sodbuster for example) and it causes me to stop and enjoy the beautiful ones that I have. For me too many of anything is not good.

Practice minimalism! This is a concept I find myself increasingly fascinated with and trending towards. These old 80-100 yr old knives we see here are so fascinating to me. They SHOW their use and they SHOW that they were used often and for many, many years or even decades. They come from a time when minimalism was the norm for the vast majority of folks. I know I'll never truly be a "one knife" guy, I do want to eventually whittle it down (terrible pun I know!) to about 3 or 4 pocket knives TOTAL. A little rotation like that I could enjoy a little changing up and yet get plenty of service from them and give them the "attention" they deserve.

 

[DrPenguin]

Good points by Gevonovich and arizonaranchman. I especially agree with breaking into a new pattern of action, ie trrying to sell one to finance a new purchase. And minimalism is a great way to get a handle on not only knives but also a range of personal finance issues.

But I'll tell you a new one that I haven't seen here: The work involved with making a new knife, gun, whatever your own.

I won't carry a knife that I don't personally put the edge on. I just won't. No more than I would walk into the woods on opening day carrying a rifle that I hadn't personally set up and sighted in. There's a certain amount of work that this entails. The last rifle I bought put me through all kinds of trouble trying to get it right. Everything from the scope to the primers to the bullet and powder selection seemed screwed up and fought me all the way. And after you have put a new shoulder/bevel on a couple dozen knives? Well the thought of it kind of makes me tired.

It's a deterrent.

I will admit that I have been tempted lately. The new GEC esquire is just so nice of a package. But toss aside my owl and my gunstock jack? Can't see that happening. I may buy one but it will be collection fodder. I get attached to them and can't bear to see them go away.

I suppose we all have to fight this battle. And the occasional loss is fun too.

Will

 

[silenthunterstudios]

It is tough, if you find out, let me know. I am going to be picking up a custom puukko design that Scott Gossman just made, I put my name in the hat for one. I'm also picking up three sheaths from him, and want to drop off a fourth knife with him for a sheath. These are all small fixed blades, similar to the SBT neck sheath method. I am in the process of acquiring a Sardinian blade from "our friend". I have been looking at the #47 Viper model, AND another swayback jack. I have been talking with some custom makers on Slipjoint Addict about orders.

And to top it all off, I am going to a small knife show the end of the month, with a knife shop down the road, and a couple of antique shops that are prime hunting grounds for old slipjoints, on the way home.

I thought I was actually doing good, I've only gotten a few knives so far this year.

I'm an addict and I'm loving it.

 

[Primble]

I keep gathering old knives. It seems no matter what there's another one from the past that raises its head on an auction site or knife shop and I can't help myself. The notion that they're just 10, 20, 25 bucks makes it all the more easy to grab one every few days. But I want to put a hold on new purchases for a while. You guys have any good ideas to help with this? My thought is i should just play with the knives I have, appreciate them more and stop looking for more.

I have quite a few knives and as long as I can afford them (never on credit cards), I don't worry about it. There are people who collect expensive watches, old cars, etc., to each their own.

I don't own a knife that I would not carry, however, I only use them for cutting. If it is a rough job then I would use a rough knife or utility knife. Most people who post on this site have a fondness for knives and will probably buy more knives.

Sometimes I might buy quite a few knives in a short period of time and then might go months or years before buying more. The ones I have were accumulated over a lot of years.

When I reach the conclusion that I am spending too much, the way I always stop buying is to quit looking and find something else to interest myself, such as fishing, etc.

 

[arizonaranchman]

Will,

Great points. Personalizing something like a gun or knife, etc is part of the fun for sure. It adds much enjoyment to it. I'm very particular with my guns. I pared down the number of those greatly over the years also, sort of a minimalist concept there too for the same reasons. I have a few rifles. Each fulfills a certain category of use (small v larger game, etc). Sidearms I've cut way back on. I have a few and that's really all I need (I could only wish to just get it down to a .22 Woodsman Carl!).

Watches? I have ONE wrist watch - a Seiko diver's watch that I wanted for 20 years before I finally got one). I have ONE motorcyle (Road King) and ONE truck (a Tahoe). I have ONE TV, etc. I've been trying to simplify my life more and more in recent years. In my pocket knives I've kept it down to a small core group of favorites, primarily in the quest for finding "The One" - that Grail knife upon which a beam of light from the heavens shines down and harp music can be heard when you find it! I'm still looking, but I do feel I'm beginning to discover my needs and likes and am zeroing in on what that One will be. In reality that One will probably be a pair/duo that work to complement one another. I may have that pair already in fact (the Pemberton and Eureka Jack with perfectly matching Autumn Gold scales), but I am still methodically watching and experimenting for the time being because I can and the times currently allow it so it's fun. If tomorrow there was a world-wide depression/collapse that occurred and everything had to go, I would not in the least be upset to have the Eureka and Pemby here as the only pocket knives I own for the rest of my days. Any of the dozen pocket knives I have would be fine in reality as they were carefully chosen to begin with, but the 92 and 06 would leave me with a sense of confidence.

Wow that was some serious mental wandering and pontificating! I guess I'm in a minimalist mood this morning and am trying to convey the concept of enjoying a few choice favorites rather than accumulating dozens or hundreds. If you want to collect and build a collection by all means none of this applies, but I think many of us here have to keep a rein on the knife budget and are usually looking for The One (or "Two"! lol), so end up sort of accumulating an ever increasing number to the point of obsession in some cases.

 

[Codger_64]

He who dies with the most knives wins!

 

[waynorth]

Sorry, wrong thread!

 

[DrPenguin]

~snip~ In my pocket knives I've kept it down to a small core group of favorites, primarily in the quest for finding "The One" - that Grail knife upon which a beam of light from the heavens shines down and harp music can be heard when you find it! I'm still looking, but I do feel I'm beginning to discover my needs and likes and am zeroing in on what that One will be...

Lol, the infamous "grail knife". Probably been more time, effort, and expense spent trying to find this mythical creature than was spent trying to locate the cup of Christ itself.

Maybe I am a bit out of the ordinary but I am not sure a new knife could be my grail knife. For over two years my White Owl has been my EDC. With the new jack I carried in my wedding being the occasional pocket companion. Odd as it seems the owl was a pretty nice purchase that ~grew~ into what I would consider close to being my grail knife.

Sometimes you really can't tell what you like until you have went through some learning experiences. I learned to love single springs by way of a really nice antique green bone Queen City canoe. I learned to despise shallow nail nicks but love main clip blades by way of its replacement green bone Queen City mini trapper. And on and on. But once I knew what I wanted it all fell into place.

I think it is pretty hard to find the perfect knife when you are experimenting and finding out what you like. But since what we like sometimes changes, more often for some guys than others, it only makes sense that for some fellows the grail doesn't exist. And if it does it is only for a while.

Will

 

[davek14]

But I'll tell you a new one that I haven't seen here: The work involved with making a new knife, gun, whatever your own.

I won't carry a knife that I don't personally put the edge on. .... There's a certain amount of work that this entails. And after you have put a new shoulder/bevel on a couple dozen knives?

It's a deterrent.
Will

That's funny, I like that part.


It's one of the things I'll substitute for acquisition.

My problem is having a box of knives I've carried till I got them "just right". I'll need them someday you know.

 

[pertinux]

I keep gathering old knives. It seems no matter what there's another one from the past that raises its head on an auction site or knife shop and I can't help myself.

...You guys have any good ideas to help with this? My thought is i should just play with the knives I have, appreciate them more and stop looking for more.

1) Turn off your computer

2) Stay home

2a) Use your knives

72b) Good luck.



~ P.