Do you ever buy a knife with the sole purpose of it being a safe queen?

BloodyDonnie

BloodyDonnie

Joined
Oct 14, 2017
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This seems to be a very controversial topic. I see people on knife forums all the time bashing on the practice of buying a knife and not using it. So are all 80 knives you have in your EDC rotation?

I want to understand what people perceive is wrong with buying a knife with the intent of keeping it as a safe queen and not using it? Who cares what other people spend their money on?

And what does their definition of the term "use" extend to? Cause even the knives I buy that I intend to be safe queens are still used to open envelopes here and there, but I dont think that constitutes in their definition as "use".

I admittedly have bought many knives I never intended to use.
 
All the time.

Also, a pro-tip on being happy in life: understand that what other people perceive as "wrong" in whatever you choose to do with personal property you purchased with money you earned is entirely and completely irrelevant. It doesn't matter.
 
"Did (I) ever buy a knife with the sole purpose of it being a "safe queen"?

Nope. I've never owned a safe.

If I buy a knife it is to use .... though admittedly there are a few in my accumulation that for some reason(s) or another spend considerably more time in a drawer or cigar box, than in my pocket or on my belt after the first few days or a week ... maybe a few months ... after I bought it.
 
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I don't buy safe queens per se. I have a couple of pretty knives that I baby and don't carry all that often but I'm more in the user camp. But that also means I don't buy too many knives that are nice enough to qualify for safe queen status.

And I can absolutely appreciate why folks do. As said, your money, go be happy. :)
 
I now try to only buy knives I might use. I only have one true safe queen and it was not really purchased to be a safe queen, but I suspected it would be even before I got it. I don't care what other people think about using or not using the knives they purchased for whatever reason with their own money. But I certainly have an opinion on the subject.

It's a hobby. Hobbies cost money. It is all about what you enjoy and use makes no difference at all.

The same sort of discussion happens with knife sharpening. If it doesn't cut hair on your arm, it's not sharp. ;) Like I care. :D
 
The safe queens I have are all for sentimental reasons, so no, I haven't ever purchased one intending it to be a safe queen. That said, I think doing so is completely acceptable and I encourage it if it's what you want to do.
 
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I'm sure I have unused tools in my garage that I may have purchased because they were on sale and I thought might need them some day. What do I care if someone uses a knife or not?

I buy a lot of knives, all with the intent to use and enjoy them. Does that mean that they all end up being used? Nope. Does they sometimes become a "safe queen"? Yep.
 
Nope. I always seem to over research the knives I consider buying, and if it’s one I don’t think I’ll use, I won’t buy it. I have a few that I thought I’d use more than I do, but I didn’t buy them initially just to look at.
 
hell no! I buy my knifes with the sole purpose of using them, not to collect dust or sit around in a safe, but that's just me.
 
Nope I’ve never bought a knife I don’t intend to use. I have bought lots of them I hope I don’t need.
I started “ collecting” just to have a backup of my favorite knife since it was / is no longer produced and I have a bad habit of giving my pocket knife away. So I started buying like new examples when I found them so if I gave mine away or lost it I would have a new one to put in my pocket. Over the years I’ve probably given away upwards of 50-60 knives of one of the 4 different models I carry / collect so I’m always buying to I have one for my pocket. Granted I’m to the point now that I have way more then I’ll give away but I can’t seem to stop...just in case.
 
Not a shelf queen but more like I'll never strap em on because they're so freakin big.
I'll take it camping, or hiking, or to the beach, or keep it in the car...nope.
Boat anchors I mean Bowie knives.
Then again no collection is complete without them.
Bigass knives I mean.
Nowadays I try to keep my blades under a foot.
 
Yes. I collect fixed-blade knives from a couple of makers because I like the makers, like the knives, have fun chasing the drops, and they hold their value well (... they're still knives, so... that's a relative thing, of course... but I consider knives that I could resell in short order for 85%+ of what I paid to be 'holding value pretty well').

In my day-to-day life I don't have a need for larger fixed-blade knives, so because they're collectible items for me with no practical use and would lose value if I did use them, I don't use them.

Most of my folding knives I do use, regardless of what they had cost me.

So I suppose all my fixed-blade knives are safe queens and all my folders are users. I would also say that I tend not to keep many knives for more than a couple years. I think I've been able to pick a limit on what types and brands to collect and use, so maybe that will change.
 
I have one EDC (the same knife for 23 years), most everything else is on standby. Too many people have no idea how comfortable a simple EDC gets over time. You will always have the option to use other knives, but there is no need to mark everything up like a dog marking its territory. Do that and you will always have a special knife available for the occasion.

n2s
 
This shouldn't even be an issue, it's completely fine to collect things and not use them. They don't have to be expensive, either, there are some really nice knives that are cheap. It's yours, do what you want.

I buy to use, I buy to look at, but I don't flip knives. If I really hate something I'll trade it off, but generally if I buy it I keep it.
 
I do all the time. I collect mostly Buck Knives with stag or elk for the handles so they are for display. My carry knives are usually wood or a synthetic material as I feel they require way less care and have better grip.
 
Not really the same thing, but I've bought a few limited-run knives that I ended up not really liking when I got them in-hand, and rather than selling them on right away, I stashed them to sell later, when they're less available and potentially worth more. But, as a general practice, I don't buy knives with the sole intent to keep them and not use them.
 
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