Do you use your higher-end knives or keep them minty?

P

paltak

Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
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First, I wanted to thank BF and the fine members. In my 2-3 weeks on the forums, I've managed to pickup a Spyderco PM2 CF S90V, Large Sebenza and have a Mnandi Ivory Bark Damascus on the way. And the bucket list grows each time I browse and droll over everyone's collection.

The PM2 and Sebenza for sure will get plenty of use, but the Mnandi, while I'm sure is a very capable knife, is more like an artwork and cannot decide if I should keep it new or use it.

I'm sure this question has been asked a lot, but let's hear it anyway, maybe your philosophy has changed over time. So let's hear it. I'm leaning towards carrying it a lot but actually using it sparingly.

BTW, how does one stay away from the Exchange forum? It's making me broke :mad:
 
Yeah I use my more expensive knives. I did some unspeakable things to my Xm-18 recently :D The only knives I collect not to use are the annual traditional forum knives.
 
If I buy it, I carry & use it. Anything from a $30 Buck to a $500 Sebenza has to earn its keep here.
 
There's no right or wrong way of enjoying a knife (well, maybe the crazy serial killer way is wrong), just do whatever makes you happy.

Some folks, like my dad, only use a couple of knives and keep the rest of their colection in their original boxes and handle them with kid gloves (literally). Others use everything they buy, even if some of their knives only see some pocket/belt time once every blue moon (I'm in this group). And I'm sure there are tons of guys who fall somewhere in between or have their own unique way to have fun with this hobby.

Through the years I've learned that I can't enjoy a knife just by looking at it. I need to use it to really appreciate it. I had some safe queens and ended up selling them all. Nowadays, every single knife I own gets used (or at least I'm willing to use it) from the humble Moras to the expensive custom knives.
 
Yup, I use them. I don't beat the snot out of the nice ones, but they get used for light things.
 
I am in the user crowd. While I enjoy the aesthetics of a knife, its the use of it that gives me pleasure.
 
Although Kershaw is a lower price brand currently, I carry and have used most of them that were purchased in the late 80s right up the 2012 models,Case,Queen and Canal Street Cutlery on the other hand I assigned to drawer collections unused and protected with Renaissance wax polish, it is rather expensive but I have only used about 1/4 inch of a 2 and 1/4 inch tall container in approx 14 years. I do not keep them in their boxes but in knife rolls and store the invoices and boxes in a separate cardboard box. If they are drawer queens the original boxes are almost 1/2 the value, at least the big boys down at the pool hall told me that!
 
I use but not abuse my more expensive knives. I have plenty of less expensive knives for the tough jobs.
 
Normally for me if a knife does not get used I can't fully enjoy it. The Mnandis I've had got sold or traded because of it. I do have a knife that never really gets used now though... a Shirogorov 95 Hati. For some reason it's the first knife I've had that is a joy to own, even if seldom carried. Usually a knife like this looks more like money and less like a knife to me.
 
Use 'em! The only time I could see not using them is if they are irreplaceable, or you have more of the same knife for collecting purposes. They have a heat treat for a reason.
 
A knife that isn't used is a wasted knife in my opinion. If you just want to look at it buy a picture of a knife.
my0.02$

Peter
 
I am a user also. I know some collectors though who buy two of an item and use one.
 
I use all my knives. However, they get used differently if they are rare, expensive, or have more delicate scales (like ivory). If I am carrying a knife that falls into that category, I have another one with me that can handle everything. I don't understand the point of leaving them in their boxes!
 
I use 'em all, Dozier, Sebenza, Marbles... problem is the five or six dozen blades I have don't get used enough. There are just too many to go around, so when I find someone who can use a good knife, I often end up giving one away.
 
High-end or limited edition knives constitute a minority of my collection, and those are the ones I bought for their aesthetic, collectable, and/or monetary value. So I don't use those. The majority of my collection are users that I toss into an open box. And if at some point in the future I become comfortable EDC'ing a $400 knife, well, I'm free to do so.
 
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