Farewell to knife collecting

carbon2329

carbon2329

Joined
Mar 22, 2017
Messages
66
Hello all,
I hope this is worthwhile. I thought it might provide some fun discussion.

I have been collecting for years, but only recently started contributing here on BF. I've mainly been collecting pieces in the $300-$1100 price range and have always kept my collection very refined (8-12 pieces, Thorburn, Skiff, CRK Shiro, etc...) because I use every knife and if I have too many they just sit.

Anyway, I have been trying to get two pieces (Norseman & Rask) for about 18months + and have had about a dozen near misses in trying to get them
This has led to me being a little frustrated (first world problem, I know). So much so, that I am in the process of selling all my pieces because it's getting a bit too aggravating. Like I said in my sale thread, "I think I may be better off sticking with shooting etc.. things I can just get and not have to deal with secondary prices that are 2-3 times retail and 5 year wait lists". Let's be honest who is going to spend $7000 on a Rexford and actually use it when they move next week to open boxes or on the camp out when making dinner.(my guess is 1% of us, at most)

Money is not the main concern, but the principle is. I am not really limited by budget, but I personally just cannot spend $1700 on a Norseman when it sold for $575-ish. I plan to use each knife for:food prep, box tear down (I just moved), camping tasks (light tasks not batoning),....what they are designed for etc... Someone offered me a Damascus Norseman....for $3400...I said no thank you.

If I buy a knife I want to get something I like and not have ANY fear of using it...and fear includes fear of wasted money and wasteful behavior too (I hope that makes sense). For me that fear begins past $1399.00 :) (everyone's different)
So....I'm selling just about everything.

I may give a shot at getting a Norseman and Rask, still. If I could really do what I wanted, I would sell everything and just get a Rask & Norseman and just cut into the sunset and leave the aggravation behind. I still love the hobby, but I think I may just approach it like professional sports... just watch and not participate.

That's my story. Any thoughts, advice... connections ;)
 
It's easy for me as a newcomer to collecting to understand your feelings.
I look at any knife over a certain price point as "collectible" over "functional".

To me there is no point in using a custom William Henry as a camping tool. In fact I see no point in using it at all.
There are some knives out there that are some of the most beautiful items ever created by man. In my opinion they should be cherished, and appreciated as works of art.

I assume the bottom line to your post is... where do knives stop being knives, and become collectibles.
The other side of that coin is just as subjective... how much real earned cash do you sink into that world.

I am a little on the fence so I set my own limits but the amount of chipping at that foundation is showing.
Spend a grand once or a hundred 10 times, and the flake is the same size.

The only self reasoning/excuse I have is I plan to move into retailing knives. Hopefully this "hobby" will support itself.
 
I was a little confused when I read your sales post. Why give up all those sweet knives? Because you can't add an additional 2 other unobtainable ones?

I can understand the frustration, but to me it's like you're punishing the whole family when it was only the problem child doing what problem children do.

I'm guessing in 1-2 years the "hinderer effect" will be seen at Grimsmo knives. I too was interested in getting a rask, but I'm willing to wait until the price comes down.

Sorry to hear about your frustration, at least it's fairly easy to get back in the game if/when you want to.
 
I used to really have the collector mentality with everything

My cars ,bikes ,knives etc are maintained at a painful level

Than I started watching s0me of my friends fight illness

I started realizing that all this stuff I had shoved away in a cocoon was eventually just going to be sold off someday by my kids etc and someone else was going to enjoy it

I'm alive now and I'm gonna use the hell out of my stuff

I'm not gonna abuse it but I carry and use any piece I have out of my collection and enjoy it

It's just all stuff in the end
 
my observations tell me that a lot of people are starting to feel this way, and my gut tells me that a lot more are going to join them soon enough
 
sounds like you are disliking the fad/bandwagon because of the price gouging in the second hand market due to limited availability. i would agree and not participate in them. hopefully you can find good deals from newer makers that appeal to you and maybe someday you can sell them at an inflated price if they become popular :D if not, you got a good piece at a decent price.
 
I just found a knife I'd been looking 12 years for by Ken Onion....just as excited as the day I saw one on his table.

Best part it was about 1/2 as much as it was then...worth the wait. ;)

I've watched/participated for over 40 years now. I've put Knife Collecting on the back burner a couple of times but always enjoyed the people and never sold off my knives though...they never ate much ya know.
 
I think Joe has it right. I used to collect. Even though I collected I still used all my knives. They are always kept in nice condition so that when it comes time to let them go they can be used and enjoyed by the next person.
I always enjoy looking at finely crafted knives, but think most of trendy and overly artsy knives are useless in the real world.
 
I have to ask. If you COLLECT knives at that massive price range, why on earth would you use those knives at all, especially if it's just for "food prep" (kitchen knife), box tear down (box cutter) and light camping tasks (Mora or reasonably priced bushcraft knife)? It strikes me as nothing but an unnecessary way to lower the selling price of your knife. Okay if you use one of your top dollar customs for things like that, but I'm asking since you implied that you use ALL your knives. No offense, just curious.
 
I've stopped seeking to have a collection... It took a couple years to learn what I was seeking but today, I'm happy with 2 complete (fighter, waved folder, slipjoint, watch) EDC rotations and a few ancillary knives.

My knives range from $200 (ZT0620cf) to $1300 (DDR AXD) and all get used. At my present financial situation, I can't afford to own things that don't get used.
 
I'm surprised you wouldn't just move on for now or wait until one becomes avaialbe. Or another knife piques your interest.

Still to each their own.
 
Matt do you have to customize everything and make it look like it was done in the joint with a piece of concrete sharpened rebar?

That knife has great lines and you have lousy penmanship. Study what Rod Chappel did with an electric engraver before you ever trash another nice knife with your mangling. Knowledge and skills are a good thing.

People buy/use/collect knives for different reasons.

I have been fortunate to know passionate knife people who had three or four knives total(sometimes they used them/other times, all but one stayed pristine)and folks like Dudley, Dave Ellis and Phil Lobred who have/had more knives than can be counted.

There are working knives, those that I collect. They will probably not get used, but look for well-crafted pieces that would likely stand up well to hard use. Will not own a knife from a maker that I can't stand, but I do have a few factory knives that have had buttheads running the show. I do use about 14 of my handmade knives, mostly folders/about six fixed blades, and of course, a plethora of handmade kitchen knives.

There are art knives.....sometimes they are rendered wonderfully and the pull becomes palpable. Wolfe Loerchner comes to mind in this category. Sometimes, they are beautiful, but have issues that would make them uninteresting to me. Sometimes, they have no point, or edge.....and they seem...lovely letter openers. There are a fair number of collectors who ONLY collect art knives.

There are the "love" knives. These are pieces that (mostly new) collectors purchase at whatever price they feel comfortable with, post some pictures of them on instagram(these will not be used by the first, second or third buyer if there is one, EVER) and try to sell them at a profit. Can you feel the love?

If you are truly a "knife collector"....nothing can make you leave. It becomes too much of a burden to consider exiting a world that you have learned so much about, become such close friends with people who speak that language, and have developed skills unique only to this clan, such as thumbstud flicking folders open.

Regardless, it's a journey, and only you can be responsible for the direction it takes and the roads you walk on. Good luck and fair skies.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top