Do you have a group of knives that you don't pay attention to?

C

csisland

Joined
Aug 8, 2013
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My collection isn't that big but I have 3 to 4 knives that I don't use or pay much attention to anymore. They just sit there and I wonder what I should do with them. Maybe give them away or use them for dirty jobs?
 
I was in the same spot once, then I downsized. I took everything I wasn't using anymore, and sold off and/or gave it away. Now I keep a lot less possessions, but I use what I have. If I have a real dirty job I don't want to use a "good" knife on, then it's time for a plain old Stanley Utility knife that I don't care if I break a blade.

No more "special" knives in the sock drawer or safe. I don't have a lot, but I use what I have.
 
I have a small collection of shell-handled knives that I don't use, they simply sit on display so I can enjoy looking at them; they are a reminder of what used to be. OH
 
jackknife said:
I was in the same spot once, then I downsized. I took everything I wasn't using anymore, and sold off and/or gave it away. Now I keep a lot less possessions, but I use what I have. If I have a real dirty job I don't want to use a "good" knife on, then it's time for a plain old Stanley Utility knife that I don't care if I break a blade.

No more "special" knives in the sock drawer or safe. I don't have a lot, but I use what I have.
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As I go along I have a better idea of what I like and will use and what will not get used. Also I don't like to stockpile anything and hate clutter, so maybe I'll sell a few and donate a few.
 
Since one of my main hobbies has become knife collecting and displaying in my domain with them, they are basically all non users... Their use being the beauty and interest they add to my decor. That said, I have purchased, or been given, a few here and there, that just don't fit (for whatever the reason). With ones given to me, and that don't fit my collecting scheme, I just have them stowed away. They were gifts, so I hold onto them as momentos of those friendships. But, the ones I've purchased and then not wanted, they end up being gifted away to persons that I felt would appreciate them :)
 
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I just sold an old Jimmy Lile knife I had because it had sat in my safe since 1999-2000. It was a nice knife, and I hated to part with it, but it was going to waste in my safe. My usual rule is that if a knife sits unused for over a year it's time to sell it or trade it. The only exceptions being knives with sentimental attachments. With money being tight (2 young boys), if there is a new knife I want, most likely I need to sell or trade one to get it. To me the beauty of a knife is in it's use and the memories attached to it.

Since rediscovering traditional knives a lot of my newer one-hand opening knives are seeing less & less use. My knife collection tends to reflect where I am at in my life. During my Army/EMT days it was all about the tactical one-handers. Then came my hunting/bushcrafting/hiking phase. Now that I've gotten older, so has my knife style :)
 
I use/carry about half of the dozen traditionals I have pretty regularly. The other half get some pocket time here n there. I love them all but I do find myself gravitating to certain ones more than others as far as frequent carry goes. Often it has nothing to do with how beautiful or the quality of the knife, it's just something hard to put a finger on. But some knives I just love to carry and use so they just end up in the pocket more often. A couple are very special to me as they're gifts from my brothers here. I especially enjoy how memories and sentiment eventually become associated with a knife as time goes on. These old classic traditionals bring me much pleasure and are a joy to use - taking that extra moment to open it and in the process enjoy its beauty and fine quality. Little things like that make it fun, rather than just being nothing more than a "tool", it's a part of me and my daily routines, a part of my personality and lifestyle.

Eventually if certain knives just rarely or never end up getting carried then they get traded, gifted or sold. My budget doesn't allow for a "collection" per se, nor do I really want dozens of knives laying around - to me they're meant to be enjoyed and used, not just sit in the safe or on display. My enjoyment is in dropping it into my pocket and using it.
 
When the Case CopperLock came out I thought it was cool (still do). I started collecting and have around 30 of them, all different, most very early production. All NIB, never carried one. Lost interest and now they just sit.
 
mobilerd said:
When the Case CopperLock came out I thought it was cool (still do). I started collecting and have around 30 of them, all different, most very early production. All NIB, never carried one. Lost interest and now they just sit.
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I believe my interest in collecting knives stays pretty strong because of how diverse it's become. Different patterns, different makers, different countries, different steels, different vintages, fixed, folders, big, small, tiny.... and it continues. Once I add something new to the collection, it adds my doing homework on them and the learning is half the fun for me :)

Maybe you could take some of those knives and start trading with them. Maybe start getting different types of knives to help in reviving your interest. If you can make trades that are even, item for item, then this would not cost you anything, except your time, and you may enjoy a new spark in your knife hobby :)
 
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PocketKnifeJimmy said:
I believe my interest in collecting knives stays pretty strong because of how diverse it's become. Different patterns, different makers, different countries, different steels, different vintages, fixed, folders, big, small, tiny.... and it continues. Once I add something new to the collection, it adds my doing homework on them and the learning is half the fun for me :)

Maybe you could take some of those knives and start trading with them. Maybe start getting different types of knives to help in reviving your interest. If you can make trades that are even, item for item, then this would not cost you anything, except your time, and you may enjoy a new spark in your knife hobby :)
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Oh I have not stopped collecting. The thread asked what knives do you neglect, (not carry or use) my CooperLocks fit that description. I have a vast collection, just as you described, big, small, fixed, folders, many different steels etc. My knife collecting jones shows no sign of diminishing after 40+ years.
 
I have a few. Still undecided on what to do with them, other than perhaps try to use them on pretty rare occasions. No safe queens here.
 
I have tons of knives that I dont use that much, but thats more a matter of having the time to carry them all, I just carry what im in the mood for usually around a week then change. I dont really have anything I wouldnt want to use (except a victorinox classic with yellow dont tread on me scales, which I bought just to have it)
 
I have a ton I don't pay attention to. They sit in their boxes or tubes on a shelf waiting for the day I decide to give them some carry time or sell them on. I've gifted some, sold some. Unless you're in a big hurry to get rid of them, need the money from selling them, or just can't stand clutter, you could always hang onto them for a while. Maybe in 20 years you'll decide you like them after all.
 
I do. As mentioned above they are gifted knives that I wouldn't have picked for myself, but they make me smile when I think of the people that gave them to me. Whether expensive or inexpensive, all the folks that bought me knives over the years were proud as they thought they were giving me the best gift possible. It's the thought that counts! The only gifted knives I carry are the ones purchased using a gift card to AG Russell's store given to me by my significant other.

I don't have the scratch to be a collector, so the rest of the knives I have are all users, just some more than others.

Robert
 
I have a brown mule that was my cheap take everywhere edc for a long time and was eventually retired a few years back when one of the handle scales came loose.
The handle has since been somewhat repaired but the knife has sat in my drawer since. Not sure why but I became so attached to it over the years that now I don't carry it for fear of losing it or breaking it. Seems crazy for a knife that cost me 9 dollars but it is worth a lot more to me now with all the adventures it has been with me on.
 
My tastes come/go all the time. Something that seemed great initially gets replaced by something better or more into my current tastes. I try to make better choices when it comes to purchases, but sometime I still say "what the heck" on a whim and order something. I have a hard time collecting as I like to keep things around I'll use, but some are just too beautiful to get rid of and those stay. A good knife won't loose much value.
 
I have a bunch of Benchmades and some of my larger Bark Rivers that I no longer carry, but I don't think I'd part with them. I've found over the years that my tastes change and if I wait long enough, I'll pick them up again.
 
Sure. I suspect that's true of most of us with some time here. This Trads forum has corrupted me, and lots of experimentation has been going on. Other than my SAKs, I've realized that my "current" favorite carries are all very low-cost, China-made offerings. Strange, but true! :)
 
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