Do you love knives, but have difficulty finding uses in your lifestyle?

I don't have a huge need for them on a daily basis and often use a razor(utility) knife or one of the knives on the coffee table or desk for the needs I have, but it is nice to have a knife when that need does arise. I certainly don't require all the knives I have to fill that occasional need, but that is where collecting comes
now my machete, that sees loads of use

 

For me it's the old Boy Scout motto of always being prepared.

I think of times like when I was on a road trip and my friends car broke down and we had to cut the old radiator hose off.

Or when I went camping with some friends and no one but me brought cutlery. So my knife was used in all the food prep.

It's the small things like that which a knife has gotten me out of a jam why I always have one.

 

In my lifetime, I've collected way more knives than I ever needed, and a lots those knives were knives that I had no use for. Except for 10 years in the army, most my life was in and around Washington D.C. working as a machinist. I had need of a knife, but any old small pocket knife would do. Cutting open boxes of parts to modify, cutting the grimy steel dust coated tape off the bundles of round stock by the lathes, peeling off the burrs on some delrin parts that got modified on the mill, trimming two sided tape for sticking parallels in vise jaws on the Bridgeport mill. Lots of uses for a knife, and most my co-workers used small pen knife or a Stanley 99 or a clone.

Most my backpacking, fishing, and camping cold be handled by any SAK or my old Buck 301 stockman. I had very little need of a fixed blade and in time I sold off my small Randall collection and most my fixed blades. I got rid of most my knife accumulation and now have a handful of a few traditional pocket knives and SAK's. The one fixed blade I kept, my old Buck 102 Woodsman, takes care of cleaning the fish I catch and campfire food duty.

I think a pocket knife is a necessary tool for anyone, urban or rural, but how much knife is the question. For most my life as a knife nut, I realize most knives I've carried has been serious overkill. I came to the conclusion years ago that more than a pocket knife with a few inches of blade is overkill. Opening packages, breaking down a box, cutting some twine, doesn't need that much blade. Heck, they even castrate bulls and field dress deer size creatures with a trapper size pocket knife.

BUT...having a knife on you is like having a spare tire in you car trunk; you may not need it today, or even tomorrow, but if you really need it, nothing else will do. Like in January of 1991, when a car driven by an idiot rolled three times and came to rest on the partly crushed in roof, and started to burn. Crawling into the car, it was no trouble getting the seat belt to release the baby seat with the screaming infant. But the obese lady driver was hanging upside down and her seat belt would not release by pushing the tab. I had to use my pocket knife to cut the seat belt as the car was filling with black oily smoke. Nothing else would've done, and there wasn't time to find something.

No, we really don't have much need of a knife in our modern suburban society. But when we do, it could be really important o have a little bit of sharp blade on hand. Like my old man told me when I was a kid, it doesn't have to be big, just sharp. But it does have to be there on you. It doesn't take any more knife to cut a seat belt than open a package. But you need to have it.

 

This cheap knife gets used multiple times daily and will probably see more blade time than every other knife I own combined. I have many nice knives, some for ‘edc’, some for outdoors, which I have tried to use at work and this little Milwaukee is the best suited unfortunately.

 

Take up whittling, you can spend hours with knives whenever you're bored (I mostly whittle while I'm watching television with my wife, or sitting out on our patio). You can buy new and different knives just for whittling, and if you're out somewhere with time to kill you can endanger your digits by grabbing a stick and whittling with whatever ludicrously impractical knife you're carrying. That 4" bladed stabomatic death shank might not be designed for it, but it will whittle if you're motivated.

The only thing that stops me from buying more knives is buying more guns. I should probably develop an interest in collection something cheap next time.

 

There's always fly rods. Not sure they're any cheaper, though.

 

I'm sure I could burn money that way, I'm good at silly expenditures.

Also:

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/orvis-bamboo-1856-fly-rod

 

I carry a folder every day and use it a few times a day. I don't castrate bulls or dispatch sentries, but do open mail, cut rubber hose, and sharpen pencils. This morning, I pried open a box of Cheerios. DIYing, I slide a CRKT Razel in my pocket, but still find a Milwaukee folding utility knife gets most of the use.

I enjoy and appreciate my fixed blades, but don't get nearly enough chance to use them. Catch and release doesn't wear out my fillet knife. And I'm too bad a hunter to get much use of my skinner. They work great for opening the bacon package at the campsite, though!

 

I haven't ventured into bamboo. Graphite and fiberglass keeps me broke enough.
Actually, my current favorite is an inexpensive Reddington. I think the line cost more than the rod.

 

At work I still have plenty uses for the four folding knives I have in my edc rotation. In my away from work/personal time my usage has declined with age but I still go fishing and camping and use them for around the house chores that are necessary. I don’t hunt nearly as often as I did 10 years ago when younger and my lifestyle and circumstances allowed me to take advantage of it, now it’s only on occasion. Life changes have had a direct effect upon my lifestyle but I try to find opportunities to keep active in the outdoors where I can use my fixed blades and 110 folding hunter knives. Retirement is around the corner and then God willing I can have more time and opportunities to use them more. I’ll be ready with what I have in my small collection and might even upgrade some depending on the need.

if you find you don’t use your knives like you would like don’t give up ! Plan a vacation or a weekend get away to go outdoors and camp out a night or two at least a couple times a year, go fishing, or hiking, it doesn’t have to be hunting. Sometimes you have to make time for activities you enjoy rather than wait for a chance that might not ever come. If it’s something you enjoy and is beneficial for your health and well being then it’s important. I’ve seen many people who let life pull them along, avoiding the challenge and went with the flow till their age and health took away the ability to enjoy life. So set down, make a plan, and save some money, for your favorite outdoors activity for the coming year! Do it now!!!

 

It’s a good point @Lesknife. But some of us could go away every weekend for the next ten years and never take the same knife twice.

 

Same here. Many new knives just sit there never/rarely used. I had to throw away my box cutter so that I can use my Spyderco Police 4 more.

 

+1. Better to have a knife and not need it then need a knife and not have it. (Same for CCW but that is another story)

I tend to carry a pocket knife + LM Wave every day. I do use the blade and pliers at work quite often.

At home and running errands? I still tend to carry both but they don't see much use.

I have only bought 2 knives in the last two years while selling 5 during that time. I'm in downsize mode.

 

At work, I use a knife many, many times a day. When not at work, they still get some use, just not nearly as much. Some days not at all, some days quite a bit.

 

There is also the aspect of engaging with some very fine knife makers - supporting their talent/art/craft/enthusiasm.
I have wonderful and beautiful knives that their only real story is who made them. I treasure them just for that, though none of them are just safe queens. They just aren't daily or even weekly users. I do carry them all - always one or 2 on my hip or in my pocket. Then, that they are wonderful tools, very fine handmade pieces and to quote @jackknife - "you may not need it today, or even tomorrow, but if you really need it, nothing else will do".

'Nuff said to my way of thinking.

Ray

 

I don't think it's hard to understand at all.

I am a "collector" of many things (beyond my basic needs) and the reason I collect things (beyond my basic needs) is because I have the $ to do so and because the things that I collect provide me with certain pleasures and enjoyment (beyond my basic needs).

It's as simple as that.

 

Yup, living in the city my larger fixed blades just never get used.

 

I was cutting a package open the other day when my wife asked me if I was doing it just so I could use a knife. The answer was yes, of course.

But, I don’t find I have the strength in my hands that I used to. Nor the dexterity. So having a knife can come in helpful.

I have more knives and I will ever use. And I really am trying to scale back. Honest.

Other than a few knives that are family heirlooms my goal it’s only have six folding knives.

One dress knife, one large EDC, one small EDC. All of the budget variety. Then, repeat the same three except in something high-end.

Should be simple, right?

The problem is that my needs and my taste in knives keep changing.