Hello, everyone. I'm the "stoopid" new guy

[Blind Donkey]

If you wish to skip all of my boring introduction stuff and just help me with some questions, please skip to the last paragraph

I guess I'll introduce myself. Hopefully that's a standard thing to do. I didn't see an introduction thread so maybe I'm already off to a bad start, lol. I am a complete FNG (frkn new guy) to both knives and internet forums so please forgive the ignorance I'm sure to exhibit in both areas!

One of my passions is backpacking and camping. I pack a little Morakniv companion for light work and a Schrade SCHF37 for heavier duty tasks. I also have that Bear Gryls survival thing sitting at home in a drawer. It just doesn't feel right in my hand and I put a little chip in it while doing some really light work which I guess turned me off on it. Up until last week a knife was just a simple tool to me that I never put that much thought into...but out of nowhere, I caught the bug.

I was having a bout of insomnia one night and I saw that Cutlery Corner knife show. On an impulse I purchased their "business in a box" set for $329. Surprisingly I was able to get my money back plus some by selling them to all of my local liquor stores and smoke shops. I was even able to keep some of the cooler knives for myself like the undertaker III. I'm fully aware these knives are junk. But I have to admit that having them around brought back a lot of childhood memories because my father was a knife guy and he always had knives strewn about everywhere. He passed when I was really young so I didn't get his collection...not even his Vietnam stuff, which is upsetting to me, but that's a whole different story for a different forum I imagine, lol. So that got me thinking that I wanted to go buy an old Vietnam knife. I spent the entire weekend in army surplus stores, a swap meet, cutlery shops and browsing eBay. And now I'm hooked. I'm overwhelmed...but hooked. There are so many knives I now want! Which FINALLY leads me to some questions about making my first knife purchase as a (wannabe) collector...

...I THINK I have decided on my first knife. I found a Camillus NY 4-1968. It reminds me of the knife my father had on him at all times. I know you guys aren't allowed to value knives for people but I was wondering if you were at least able to give me the yay or nay if I should purchase it? I see this knife selling on eBay between 40-100 bucks and the condition looks decent and they have the sheath. The one I'm looking at has no sheath and it's pretty beat up...but it's only $30. Is this an acceptable deal for a beater? What I like most about it is that I can have it immediately. I promise I am not trying to game the rules and sneakily sell this knife, but I understand if you aren't able to answer and I apologize if this is a violation on my very first post. Since I am the impulsive type and will likely be buying this knife either way, I also want to know if it would be dumb of me to put an edge on it and use it as my camp knife? Or is this something I should simply display since I already have functioning knives? I look forward to hearing from you guys about this Camillus or anything at all. I'm also curious if the undertaker III would be an embarrassment to a knife collection. I have a feeling the answer is yes but I would still love to hear your thoughts on it. THANK YOU!

 

[pinnah]

Regarding buying just to buy and display vs using, you should do whatever makes you happy. There are folks who buy so many knives that they need to have a separate building to hold them all.

The Camillus Survival knife is iconic and IMO, sort of sets the mold for the out-there overbuilt survival knife. Emotionally, if that trips your trigger and you have the funds, buy it if you want to regardless of its utility.

As for its utility as a camp knife, there are people who cut tomatoes with hatchets and those who clean moose with a small pocket knife, so really anything goes is you put your mind to it.

My recommendation is that you buy several inexpensive knives with different grinds and steels and use them side by side for the things you like to do with a knife like, say, preparing meals or making kindling for fires and so forth. Eventually you'll figure out if you have a prefernce one way or the other.

Personally, I prefer a much thinner blade for a camp knife, since so much of camp life (for me) revolves around food. I think the old Schrade H-15 is the ideal camp knife, but that's me and not you.

 

[abcdef]

Welcome. Time and lots of reading here will teach you more than you thought possible about knives. If you decide cutlery is really your interest, then proceed with patience. If not, just get what you want. That said, in addition to Mora, Opinel and Victorinox will always take care of you.

 

[Knicked Digits]

Pinnah has some good advice. Buy what makes you happy and try out a bunch of different knives until you find what you like.

As for your collection, until you get rid of a blade, it's part of your collection. Now if it were a question of displaying blades for company to see or what you want to show people, that comes down to your personal preference.

Now go buy some more knives and forget what we think! GO GO!!

 

[Emre]

Since the knife you're looking at is already a little beat up and is selling for 1/3 to 1/2 of what a clean one would go for ... I say go ahead and use it. From what you're describing, it doesn't really sound like a display piece anyway. Enjoy it as a tool.