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

not2sharp said:
It’s a process; the first 10 knives that we buy, we use. The next 10 we certainly want to use, and the 10 after that we dream about using....but once you get into the hundreds of knives, they are safe queens, and there is little point in pretending otherwise.
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Pretty much the way the hobby goes even if you use your knives. This is just fine to me. I don't find it practical to try to use them all and see little point using something else when I am perfectly comfortable with what I am currently using. The accumulated knives serve as a resource for potential use and exploring the hobby.

I like knives, but since I know that I am less likely to use a new knife that I purchased, I have been slowing the buying down. It is almost June 2020 and I have purchased one knife this year to date. The recent thread about choosing blade thickness and Lucas Forge has gotten me interested in getting one of his Kepharts possibly. I'm not in a hurry. I may just order one and wait.....

The covid-19 virus has slowed acquisitions down as I normally attend a local knife show in March and Blade in early June. Not happening this year as most shows are canceled. In many ways, I am comfortable that I have only purchased one knife this year so far. I don't need any, so anything I buy is pretty much "just because" and no big revelation on choosing a new user. But it could happen and the only way to truly explore other designs is to get one and see how you like it.

Earlier in the thread some one mentioned "big knives" and not using them or seldom using them. That's me. I really like them and buy one the from time to time but see little use for them. I am pretty much set on my choppers that I use.

It would be fun to be new to the hobby and wanting just about everything. I'm way past that stage.
 
Most of us have more knives than we can possibly use so some of them end up not being used, whether they are bought as safe queens or not.
The person that buys the knife can buy it for whatever reason they want. If they just want to look at it, that's OK and they don't have to defend or explain themselves to anyone else. If you want to buy a rare Spyderco and carry it in a warehouse cutting boxes and strapping all day, that's OK too.
Back to the question though- for awhile I was buying custom hunting knives with no intention of ever using them so yes they were safe queens. These days I buy mostly folders and I buy them to carry and use. Occasionally I sell some and buy more. Right now I have 10 or 12 that I regularly carry and use for various things, and maybe a few that don't manage to get carried. And there are a good number that I still want to buy.
 
jpm2 said:
Never have, don't mean I never will, but running out of time...
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I think this my need to be a two part question.
1. If you Collect knives that are antique or rare or a modern if it is custom made and a true work of craftman. I doubt you would you them.
2. Average production knife even if expensive is bought for the quality giving better use.
 
jpm2 said:
Never have, don't mean I never will, but running out of time...
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BillZee said:
I think this my need to be a two part question.
1. If you Collect knives that are antique or rare or a modern if it is custom made and a true work of craftman. I doubt you would you them.
2. Average production knife even if expensive is bought for the quality giving better use.
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If you remove "average production" from #2, that would probably describe me.
In the mid 80's, I ground a blade from an m35 parting tool. This blade turned out to be so far ahead in blade properties from what was currently offered, production or otherwise, the hunt was on.
I followed up with m42 and T42. It wasn't till production of first M2, then M4, later k390, rex45, and maxamet came along that any production blade ever came close to matching those I made back in the day.
I also have a few customs from other makers.
For me, it's all about how it performs. My performance criteria consists of strength, toughness, and wear resistance, with corrosion resistance being insignificant.
When your focus is purely performance, I can't imagine any safe queens, because they have to be tested.
 
I have never planned to buy a knife I wouldn’t use, but it has turned out that way a time or two. I do have a few I haven’t used.

Usually if I don’t wind up putting something straight to use it winds up getting sold or traded off.

Like my bud Forrest said, “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.”

He’s 100% correct. What you do with your money is entirely your business. Enjoy this hobby how YOU want to, and who gives a damn what anybody else thinks.
 
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