Ever do a complete collection flush and restart?

[cutter17]

I have, but not by choice! I think some of you know that I suffered a spinal cord infarction (stroke) in July 2012. I was in the hospital and rehab for over three months. I had/have good insurance but there were bills that insurance did not fully cover. I wanted to pay this off and not have to worry about it so I sold off my collection of knives, from high end productions to the customs I had. Needless to say, the bills were paid, but the knives were gone.

But it gave me a chance to rebuild my collection and get only the knives I really liked. And because I am now permanently disabled I have less income to spend on knives, so every dollar spent counts. I have grown a small collection of 7 primary folder's, 3 small multibladed folder's, and two Leatherman's, a Juice2, and a Wave. I also have one fixed blade. So a total of 13 knives in my collection, but each one a knife I really like.

So, though small, I am really happy with what I have. There were some knives I took a chance on that I ended up really liking, and a few I disliked. The disliked group either got sold or were paid forward. Also some knives I really liked I gave away. I do not know how much I will grow this collection, but there are some new brands I want to try out, namely Kizer, and some I have on preorder, ZT0801CFM390.

I have collected knives since I was 8 or 9, and in my teens I sold/traded to get a knife I wanted to try out. At 58 I still like to collect/sale/trade/pay forward, and I guess I will continue along this path until I grow weary of it, but more likely until the day I leave for good.

 

[ForeskinAvenger]

I used to think I'd perpetually grow my knife collection, but I've decided to cap off my own cash spent on knives, to as close to $1000 as I can control myself. (This cost excludes my Swiss Army Knives, which I consider more multi-tools than knives). Thankfully I haven't gotten into customs yet! However as time goes on I may instead decide to limit myself to a set number of knifes as opposed to a set monetary cost investment.

 

[upnorth]

Doing some more post secondary so there isn't a lot of cash to toss around. I have slip slid between lust buying and giving away because I have more than enough cutting tools. A complete flush ? I have seriously considered dumping most and just keeping the prime core. I don't even use half of them from one year to the next, so it is actually kind of fun to pick one out that has been ignored and use it again.

 

[Reignman]

I started selling a bunch of knives I had just sitting around to fund tools and materials for knifemaking (which will have to be delayed indefinitely while helping family members with financial issues) and I realized I'd kinda like to just sell them all and start completely over. Has anyone else done that, even after they've told themselves they had certain "keepers" that would be with them until the knife ceased to be functional?

Sure have..... Had plenty of Sprint run Spyderco Para 2's, Manix 2's, moonglows.... Tyrades (4 at one time) you name it....

Dumped everything and got onto a kick of just "Hard use" knives.... That didn't last. Now, I'm realizing my tastes have gone to the top of the food chain in the production knives and are quickly reaching custom level. It's kind of like when people say they wouldn't spend the money when they hit the lottery...... I call b.s.


It happens bro.

 

[Comeuppance]

I used to think I'd perpetually grow my knife collection, but I've decided to cap off my own cash spent on knives, to as close to $1000 as I can control myself. (This cost excludes my Swiss Army Knives, which I consider more multi-tools than knives). Thankfully I haven't gotten into customs yet! However as time goes on I may instead decide to limit myself to a set number of knifes as opposed to a set monetary cost investment.

$1000...

...I passed that mark a long, long, long time ago. Current sale thread? $1500. In the mail currently, which will be sold on arrival? $1900. Stuff I'm keeping right now? Lessee... 120 (Kizer, now my main carry) + 20 (Tuff Lite, rides sidecar) + 55 (Eraser, waiting on custom scales, will probably sell) + 55 (Eraser, same) + 45 (Pacific Salt, dedicated backpack knife) = $295. That's the lowest total value I've had since... This time last year? Nah, earlier.

I try to limit myself to just filling usage niches, but the problem is that I will find knives I think might fill that niche better, and then I hold on to them for a while, and then I get more, and then etc etc etc. Eventually it builds up and I have a giant sales thread.

 

[link2derek]

Heck, I've spent nearly $6,000 just on Sebenzas (not including Mnandis and Umnumzaans), $3,000 on Spydies, $3,000 on Benchmades, $5,000 on Bark Rivers, etc., etc., etc. But I figure, what the hell - you only live once... and knives are just freakin' cool! Well, that and I'm a little OCD! It's all good, tho'....

 

[ForeskinAvenger]

$1000...

...I passed that mark a long, long, long time ago. Current sale thread? $1500. In the mail currently, which will be sold on arrival? $1900. Stuff I'm keeping right now? Lessee... 120 (Kizer, now my main carry) + 20 (Tuff Lite, rides sidecar) + 55 (Eraser, waiting on custom scales, will probably sell) + 55 (Eraser, same) + 45 (Pacific Salt, dedicated backpack knife) = $295. That's the lowest total value I've had since... This time last year? Nah, earlier.

I try to limit myself to just filling usage niches, but the problem is that I will find knives I think might fill that niche better, and then I hold on to them for a while, and then I get more, and then etc etc etc. Eventually it builds up and I have a giant sales thread.

Heck, I've spent nearly $6,000 just on Sebenzas (not including Mnandis and Umnumzaans), $3,000 on Spydies, $3,000 on Benchmades, $5,000 on Bark Rivers, etc., etc., etc. But I figure, what the hell - you only live once... and knives are just freakin' cool! Well, that and I'm a little OCD! It's all good, tho'....

I KNOW that I'll be just as happy or maybe even more happy with a smaller collection of knives I really appreciate and treasure, than a massive collection with every knife my heart desires. If I only allow myself to own a handful of knives then I think I'll really value that handful. Yet I CERTAINLY DO lust after an enormous collection of knives!!!

 

[Firestrike]

Never purged completely, but I have given several knives away over the years when my collection builds up too much.

Currently around 25ish spanning Fixed, Folder, SlipJoint, Multi-Tool/Sak.

I randomly pick up knives at the store when I see a clearance, or good sale, even if they are lower quality, these are the first to go when someone needs a blade.

In the last 3 months I have acquired a Busse TGLB, Swamp Rat Rodent Solution (ordered and awaiting fulfillment), CRKT Kommer Free Range (on sale), Kershaw 1080 blaze (clearance), Kershaw 1082 Blaze (clearance), and Leatherman Expanse folder.

CRKT Free Range was given to a brother-in-law to replace the CRKT Ignitor I gave him 2 years ago (now broken, dummy threw it at a tree), Leatherman Expanse the Lady took, another Brother-in-law got my CRKT Ultima (I don't like him much and that's why he got that particular one), gave away my KaBar USMC to yet another Brother-in-law once I got the Busse TGLB in hand, KaBar Fin fixed blade went to a friend, CRKT Kaiyuh went to my best friend (not sure why he wanted it so bad), Leatherman Steens Fixed to my Lady (well she kinda just took it, and I said yes dear), and a Mantis Chaos 2 fixed to some guy that came to fix a broken pipe under the house for free.

Think I am going to keep the Kershaw 1080 nice little knife that needs a better sheath, the 1082 will likely get passed on to someone else though as I don't really care for the profile.

 

[22-rimfire]

No flushes or re-starts here. If I am disinterested with a knife new or old, I just dump it into my Rubbermaid tub with all the other unused knives from customs to cheapies. I probably have ten knives sitting in front of me on my desk and another 10 in the factory boxes on my book shelf. It takes a while for them to get dumped in the tub. The latest one is a Cold Steel Tuff Lite that the design has sort of grabbed my interest and I have been carrying it as an EDC the last week or so.

 

[treeshaker]

sold 302 knives one day last oct. 2013, Sold about 500 in 2013 from 45 years of collecting. need to do it again, it's just metal, and truthfully I have held all I care to. My brain injury, from being ran over by Tractor trailer, changed a lot of my old habits, or so they say. Ha. so they say......

COMEUPPANCE, WE HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE, TAKE CAN BROTHER. RB

 

[red mag]

No, not even in my wildest dreams.

red mag

 

[CJZ]

I just couldn't do it. Some knives I just wouldn't want to sell, like my Adamas and 0200, some have sentimental value, and others are just completely worthless. (Destroyed Imperial slipjoints at the bottom of my toolbox)

 

[fishiker]

I did once but not voluntarily. A piece of trash broke into my home and stole most of my knives along with several guns. I did get my long guns back but none of my handguns or knives. The only knives I kept were the ones in my pockets, truck, and various packs. I've recovered and have more knives now than before but there were several that can never be replaced due to their sentimental value.

 

[PURPLEDC]

I did. Numerous times. The first time I purged the collection was when I was not happy with the quality of my collection. It had no focus. Just a bunch of random knives and none of them of any measurable quality except for a few bucks. I sold them all to fund a couple decent knives which ended up being benchmade balisongs. The second time i purged the collection was when I made the decision to collect Kershaw speed safe knives almost exclusively. Then it was automatics then only dual action OTF automatics. Now Im on bearing flippers but I still kept two balisongs and a single junker otf to play with.

 

[ForeskinAvenger]

The real question is, how much money is actually lost in a purge? I would think little to none if your whole collection was purchased used, but quite a bit of money if you bought new.

 

[22-rimfire]

My general feeling about value is that a used knife that I own has zero value regardless of whether it is a custom or factory knife. Hence, any $ that might be acquired during a sale is a +. This doesn't mean I would sell you a $500 knife for $25 either. It is more of a mental perspective on money which is why I don't try to sell anything. Eventually all of them will probably go to the landfill when I croak.

 

[K.O.D.]

Never done a complete restart, but just sold one of the knives I never use, and have three more I'm selling. When they are sold I'll be down to 12 folders and 4 fixed blades. I did give away two knives last summer, Kershaw Scallion and Leek. Gave them to my cousin who really needed them.

 

[Comeuppance]

The real question is, how much money is actually lost in a purge? I would think little to none if your whole collection was purchased used, but quite a bit of money if you bought new.

I generally lose no money. I always and only buy at good prices, so I typically come out dead even after shipping.

 

[22-rimfire]

I figure shipping and sales tax money is flushed immediately. Maybe one of these days I'll sell a few that I never use. Some are fairly valuable on paper. This is a total opposite to my view of firearms.

I try not to look back and purges, flushes, and re-starts don't happen.

 

[Professor]

Yep. Had close to ten or twelve small regular CRK Sebenza's in various configurations and a few custom folders that I'd accumulated over the course of several years. I came to realize that as much as I loved them for what they were, they did not suit my specific purposes as well as some lesser-expensive folders, without going into detail on features, etc. I sold the CRK's with the exception of one that is near and dear (commemorates my 10th wedding anniversary - top one pictured below; the other two are gone), chunked the dough into savings, and have since had an absolute blast buying/selling knives here and there, production and custom, folders and fixed, and utterly enjoying the variety out there. By the time I sold them, they were long discontinued and drawing a good price. The makers here on the forum are some of the best folks out there, for what they create as much as who they are -- I love sampling their work. Great thread, by the way. I love to see I'm not alone.

Prof.