Ever escalating desires

Keith Montgomery

Keith Montgomery

Joined
May 9, 2000
Messages
29,205
Over the years the knives that I have added to my collection have definitely been moving more and more upscale. The original limit I would spend on a knife was around $500.00 and now it is in the area of $2000.00. In the next couple of years I will be getting a couple of knives that are probably going to be in the $3000.00 range.

Once upon a time I added four to six knives a years to my collection, now it is one maybe two. When the knives get into the $3000.00 range, it will definitely be no more than one per year.

My taste has moved in the direction of high end materials and will, but I have not yet made the move to embellishments such as engraving or carving. I'm sure that is my future though.

I have read from a couple of people (Anthony & STeven) that with a few exceptions, they like to limit there purchases to around the $1000.00 mark. There just aren't enough knives that turn my crank that are in that price range. What about you folks?
 
Good post, Keith. Ahhhh, it's a slippery slope, isn't it?

I must be an anomoly, as I handle SO much high-end work that itch gets scratched often. I see, hold, and appreciate the very best works at every price point imaginable.

Crazily, as I look at my past buying history, I am in the <$1000 general range often. But not exclusively. (My most $ spent was on the HP Khyber at $2800.)

Like all potential addictions one needs to pace themselves so they don't get into trouble.

I have found ownership value by spending less money, but I will support a smart purchase at any cost.

Let's hear more....

Coop
 
I still buy across a fairly broad price range from makers at varying levels. I rarely go over $2k on a single knife, but have done so a few times. I stil find a whole lot of goodness at or near the $1k level. At $3k you SHOULD be getting something very special indeed.

Roger
 
I dont buy or see near as many customs as some of you, but I find my "average" custom buy to be between 400 and 700 with a purchase or two a year of around 1K. Which I couldnt have seen myself hitting last year. I still find alot that I like between that range.
 
One driver for me is that the volume of my collection is becoming such that it is hard to enjoy and manage. I simply have too many pieces. So I would like to reduce the number of pieces by maybe 1/3, and keep the overal value.

The other driver is the same as yours - I am looking for more exceptional pieces.
 
The more you see, and handle, knives, the more you learn. And the more you learn, the more you can see how exceptional a knife is... or not. You begin with $500 knife, twice a year, and you end spending $1500 to $4000 up to 4 times a year ! Is there an anonymous knife-aholic association ?

Patrick
 
Joss said:
One driver for me is that the volume of my collection is becoming such that it is hard to enjoy and manage. I simply have too many pieces. So I would like to reduce the number of pieces by maybe 1/3, and keep the overal value.

The other driver is the same as yours - I am looking for more exceptional pieces.
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joss-does that mean you wanna sell any fogg's at rock bottow prices!......i find my tastes getting more expensive over time....i have been collecting knives for a couple years now.....i do find though that i am at the point now i can finally appreciate a cheaper knife that is very well made....after seeing so many knives and talking to makers over the years you can learn alot.....i am now finding that i'd rather look at and buy cheaper knives by lesser-known makers that are of high quality......ryan
 
I've become a little more disciplined over the years but my expenditure has certainly increased. I have spent mid 4 figures on more than one occasion yet I still have orders in for knives that cost less than $250.00.

Win
 
I really, really try to keep within or under the $1000 to $1500 level. Used to be the $500 to $1000, but my primary maker's knives just kept going up and up on the secondary market, so he decided, correctly, to capture some of that for himself in price increases. I never thought I would spend really big bucks on a knife. But confronted with an exceptional opportunity, I jumped. And the top end exploded when I suddenly had two primary makers - resulting in being able to see that baby in Coop's avatar every day, without turning on the computer.
 
In the past my purhcases of new custom knives have bounced around between $150 up to $12,500. (Antique knives excluded as they are a whole different ball of wax.)

Some months back I decided to take a hiatus from purchasing knives for a year or more because...
1. Money is always an issue. Very few people have an unlimited supply. I certainly don't. Even if I did... (see #2)
2. I was not making the effort to actually enjoy the knives I'd bought. A focus on accumulation with the 'fix' each new purchase offered produced a huge pile of knives such that in truth I wasn't even sure of exactly what I had - and I wasn't caring for them properly either. For sure I wasn't enjoying or appreciating my collection like I wanted to. And...
3. I needed some time to consider the implications of a couple of realities:
a. There are ever increasing numbers of very talented knifemakers joining a large cadre of already existing very talented knifemakers who continue to produce excellent work.
b. Multiplying the number of top-notch knifemakers by the number of knives they produce for sale each year suggests that a staggering number of good and worthy knives are constantly entering the market.

Nos. 1 & 2 are easy for me to understand and address but no. 3 is something I have yet to completely sort out for myself. I understand that differing views exist and that for some collectors #3 is the best kind of good news. However, I see it as a more complex issue and, as I said, I don't yet know exactly what it means to me. I would guess this is one reason some collectors gravitate to the antique knife market.

During this self-enforced hiatus from new knife purchases I plan to create proper display and storage structures (eg. in Colorado you must use some form of humidification for 6-9 months of the year or watch your collection self-destruct due to drying out and shrinkage).

I will also re-photograph all of my collection since my gear and skills have improved. And I will follow-through on plans I'd made to write articles about some of the knives and their makers for the various knife publications.

Taking this approach will allow me to really enjoy and appreciate my collection, after which I will likely return to the aquisition mode, but hopefully in a way that better balances the thrill of new purchases with the enjoyment of said purchases over time. Like others I will also sell off a few here and there but by and large I buy to keep, not to sell.

Anybody else feel like I do?
 
Joss said:
One driver for me is that the volume of my collection is becoming such that it is hard to enjoy and manage. I simply have too many pieces. So I would like to reduce the number of pieces by maybe 1/3, and keep the overal value.

The other driver is the same as yours - I am looking for more exceptional pieces.
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Joss, you could not have more perfectly described what I was able to accomplish (over three years) without even realizing what I had been doing until about halfway there. And I now only look for the pieces I find exceptional.
 
Perhaps that's why I have been hearing a voice in the night:


"Haaaaaancock..........."
 
Joss said:
One driver for me is that the volume of my collection is becoming such that it is hard to enjoy and manage.
Click to expand...

I feel somewhat similarly. I still really enjoy my collection, but it is becoming harder to manage.
 
I have always heard "The Experts" say "don't buy the expensive knives, as when you sell there are so few buyers in that price range you are sure to lose money".

Well I have found it easier to sell and profit form knives in the $2500-$4500 range than the $800-$1500 range.

I maintain between 20 and 30 knives in my collection as I believe in acquiring high quality knives rather than accumulating a high quantity of knives.

Lesser quantity of knives equals less maintenance, higher quality per knife for collection/investment dollar spent, quicker/more profitable liquidation in case of emergency and higher visibility of your collection to add in the promotion of custom knives.

IMO, choose the right maker first, then the right knife then the right price/future profit is a result.
 
Kevin Jones said:
I have always heard "The Experts" say "don't buy the expensive knives, as when you sell there are so few buyers in that price range you are sure to lose money".

IMO, choose the right maker first, then the right knife then the right price/future profit is a result.
Click to expand...

1. Even a blind squirrel gets a nut once in a while.:D

2. Gotta be the piece first, Kevin, always. If you collected green river skinners, than you would know what I mean, when the crickets sang at your sales.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
1. Even a blind squirrel gets a nut once in a while.:D

2. Gotta be the piece first, Kevin, always. If you collected green river skinners, than you would know what I mean, when the crickets sang at your sales.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
Click to expand...

The "One;Two;Three" of Custom Knives is one thing you and I will never agree on, my Friend. ;):D
 
Over the years the knives that I have added to my collection have definitely been moving more and more upscale. The original limit I would spend on a knife was around $500.00 and now it is in the area of $2000.00. In the next couple of years I will be getting a couple of knives that are probably going to be in the $3000.00 range.

Once upon a time I added four to six knives a years to my collection, now it is one maybe two. When the knives get into the $3000.00 range, it will definitely be no more than one per year.

My taste has moved in the direction of high end materials and will, but I have not yet made the move to embellishments such as engraving or carving. I'm sure that is my future though.

I have read from a couple of people (Anthony & STeven) that with a few exceptions, they like to limit there purchases to around the $1000.00 mark. There just aren't enough knives that turn my crank that are in that price range. What about you folks?
Click to expand...

Keith, I am in the same boat amigo.. Now reach over and pass me the grog.
 
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