Do you ever feel guilty selling your custom knives?

S

Shortknock27

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Specifically, do you ever feel guilty selling off a knife that you have worked with a maker to have made to your specs (as opposed to a knife bought aftermarket)? I realize most folks that have a knife made to their specifications usually intend to keep said knife, but in the end, does anyone else feel a bit of remorse when selling a true "custom" knife? Just something I've been considering, especially since I'm thinking about doing it myself (gotta fund more knives). Thanks for your thoughts.

Kindest regards,
Scott
 
dunno, NEVER done it.
('given' away- ok guilty as charged, and it felt awesome)
 
I wish I could keep them all. But I really don't have a big income and I pretend I have class by getting nice knives. :) I have to sell knives in order to get new ones. I did feel bad at first, but now I've done alot of it and its really just part of the game. Seasoned makers know this. They see many owners enjoying some of the same knives. When I sell a knife its usually not because of any fault of the maker, but just because I have that itch I need to scratch, and can only do so when purchasing a NEW knife for me.

I do feel bad sometimes about a particular knife leaving my hands because I love it so much. But sometimes you find what you consider an "upgrade" and just have to go for it.

My opinions of course..

This may be totally off topics but usually when I sell a knife and buy a new one, i throw in a couple hundred more dollars. That slowly increases the value of my collection.
 
I read in a book. . . .the best way to overcome the depression associated with the regret of selling a knife is to buy one to replace it. :D
 
No, in fact, I usually have a feeling of satisfaction when I sell knives as I consider it a win-win-win situation.

I display my knives in a secured room with each having it's own display which in most all cases I make.
Pitfalls of displaying your knives are that over time one does get tired of seeing the same knives day in and day out as opposed to storing them on a safe and only being exposed to them from time to time. And it does require significant space to display knives/sheaths/stands in a tasteful and non-cluttered manner.

So generally when I sell a knife it's because I'm just tired of seeing the sames knives and/or needing space for an incoming piece.

The Win's?
It allows me to update and often upgrade my collection and my buyer is always ecstatic with their new knife.

I also enjoy the investment aspect of collecting and I most always make a profit on the knives I sell while my buyer receives good value where at some point he/she will most likely be in a position to sell at a profit if they choose to.

I'm also helping the knifemaker by circulating his knives thus stimulating his secondary market in a manner that beneficial to his pricing structure. This is extremely important to them even though some don't realize it.

So everyone WINS, why feel sad/guilty!
 
There are things from my past that I regret having let go. Try to imagine the future, without said knife, will you miss it?
There are a few guitars I wish I still had, one off's that I will never see again.
 
Shortknock27 said:
Specifically, do you ever feel guilty selling off a knife that you have worked with a maker to have made to your specs (as opposed to a knife bought aftermarket)? I realize most folks that have a knife made to their specifications usually intend to keep said knife, but in the end, does anyone else feel a bit of remorse when selling a true "custom" knife? Just something I've been considering, especially since I'm thinking about doing it myself (gotta fund more knives). Thanks for your thoughts.

Kindest regards,
Scott
Click to expand...
In the context of your query, you are dead on. Yes, I would feel remorse. You and the maker had worked on this 'special' piece and it drew praise upon completion. Although you paid for the knife, there is an added 'gift' given; of time and energy to fulfill your personal and exacting needs. Gifts are not to be given away again.

So it is completely natural to feel some remorse upon selling this. It is human nature.

It is also business: That gift was a criteria for the sale.

Makers who are in this for the long run, will understand this phenomena, and should remove any judgements. Importantly for them is to view how this affects their resale in the aftermarket. As Kevin asserts, and I agree, you are making another collector (and potential client) happy.

It's a grey area which has no absolute answer.

Coop
 
It was difficult to put into words what my feelings were about this subject. So I consulted - what else - Google for a good textual explanation of guilt versus remorse.

Guilt is the feeling that you feel when you judge yourself for having done something that you believe is wrong.

Remorse, on the other hand, is what you feel when you deeply and genuinely regret a choice you made.

Remorse comes from your heart, while guilt comes from your mind.

Does anyone ever remember saying "I would never sell that knife", only to turn around a month later and have reason to sell it? I sure do. But I don't have any problem with it causing me to feel guilty. Stupid, maybe. Upset later, because I did a stupid thing, maybe. But not guilty. Because there is nothing "wrong" with making a decision to relieve yourself of your own property, as a general rule.

But remorse? My God, I've felt remorse with almost every knife sale, like losing a part of me, never to get it back. I've learned that by keeping the knives which truly mean the most to me, I can avoid remorse, and it was a good lesson to learn, too.

Bob

EDIT: I seldom sell anything that's been custom made by the maker specifically for me. That's a given. So guilt is minimized. Bury me with my knives, but it's ok to burn the money.
 
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I sold all of my custom knives, some knives I made and a few guns to purchase a power hammer. I did not feel an ounce of guilt after I turned the hammer on for the first time.
 
Thanks for the replies folks I just wanted some feedback, I have been at knives for about 10 years now but am only beginning to get very deep into the world of customs. I've been experimenting some with different knives, and while there are a lot of knives I like, I've begun to learn it's all about paring it down to what I will actually use and carry and saving some $$$ for the next potential "perfect knife"
 
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