Hey all you experienced collectors, I need your opinions please

[KrisOK]

OK, here's the deal.... I've been re-evaluating my collecting habits, and pondering some changes.

I've been collecting for about five years now, and my collection has grown to about 240 knives. In the beginning, I had a low maximum price per knife that I allowed myself, no more than $100. After I found BladeForums, I slowly became interested in more expensive knives. I've moved my max limit per knife from $100 to $200, and now to $300 for a few special knives. And although I like to claim that I rotate through ALL my knives for EDC, I find myself passing over many of the less expensive knives that I own in favor of the Spyderco's, ZT's, Benchmade's, etc...

Even in my Spyderco collection which has grown to 120 knives, and is now HALF my collection, there are quite a few knives that rarely get carried. For example, I went through a period where I picked one of almost every rescue knife that Spyderco/Byrd sells. After having them for a short while I came to the realization that I don't really LIKE rescue knives. I found that I sorely missed having a knife with a point on my person. I also found that I'm not all that big a fan of Cold Steel, and most of the CRKT's and lower end Kershaws get passed over.

So.... I'm pondering whether I should sell the knives that I really don't think that I'll be wanting to EDC, or just leave them in the collection as filler? These knives were all paid for long ago, and I don't have a cash flow issue for new acquisitions, so I don't need to sell them for the money. On the other hand, it just seems silly to keep so many knives that probably won't be carried.

What do you guys who have been collecting for a while do? Sometimes I'm afraid that I don't look at my collecting very logically and clearly. I've sorta followed the rule of "He who dies with the most toys wins". Which leads to ridiculous collections like over 70 watches, 1500 science fiction books, 40 RC cars, trucks, boats, planes, helicopters etc.... I keep thinking that a lot of these knives would get used much more if I sold them, and I really do believe in the idea that knives should be USED.

So... Should I pare down the collection to knives that I know that I'll carry? Or should I keep a more comprehensive collection?

 

[olybears57]

If they aren't being used, sell them. No sense in having things just to have them... If you aren't enjoying them, or using them, let someone else take joy or get use from them.

 

[gooeytek]

I only have knives that I carry, but lately I've been noticing the group of them that are getting carried less because I do have a good handful of favorites that I've been using more often. I'm thinking of selling a bunch of the less-carried ones, or giving one or two away here.

 

[Cereal_killer]

I say sell off your "lower end Kershaw's" and CRKT's and such but seeing as how "120 of your 240" knives are spyderco's I think you should keep all of those rescue knives, it seems like spyderco is your favorite so I'd say not to get rid of any of them, even if you never carry them.

Especially if you really do have all (or most) of the rescue knives, find a way to display that collection, those knives look so different/interesting it would make a great display.

 

[Bigfatts]

While I certainly see why you would keep a knife you like, even if you don't use it, I see no reason to keep one that you're not particularly fond of and have no use for. Even if that constitutes a large number of knives.

 

[Bob W]

If the knives have all been used and carried, they aren't really 'collectible', nor would I consider you to be a Collector. Basically, you have a large pile of User knives. Nothing wrong with that of course.

So why not get rid of User knives that you no longer find useful?

 

[Moxy]

I used to be exactly like you Kris. My collection probably peaked around 100 knives at one point. But then one day I looked at them all and thought "man I probably only carry around 30% of these".... a few weeks later my collection was down to 30 knives. The ones that remained were all higher end production knives.

The way I see it, if I'm going to buy something I'm going to want to get all the enjoyment I can out of that purchase in order for it to be justified. I can't really afford to buy all the knives I want. So not only do I like owning and fondeling the knives in my collection, but I want to have them with me when I'm out and about as well. I probably only need a knife a few times a day and even then I'm a urban EDCer so they rarely see really hard use. I've gotten over that feeling that I have to keep expensive knives in mint condition. My most expensive knifes are my Sebenzas; right around the $400 mark. I try to stay away from mid-techs and customs, not because I'm not willing to spend that much money on a single knife. But at that point it's so much money in my pocket that the fear of loosing it spoils the experience of carrying it, and the fact that it will be very hard to track down another one if I want to replace it. So right now I have a collection of around 30 knives, the average value of each is probably around the $175 or so. I don't like to think about how much money I've poured into this hobby. It makes me cringe.

So, long story short, if I don't carry it, I don't keep it. I'd rather sell off the ones that are just sitting around to buy another that I'll enjoy in my pocket.

 

[KrisOK]

Especially if you really do have all (or most) of the rescue knives

I have all of the current folder MODELS with the exception of the Rescue3. I was sorta over the rescue knives by the time that it came out. I only have one of each model. not all the colors. Here's a pic that shows them with the exception of the Salt saver which is in the storage compartment of my SeaDoo, and the Atlantic Salt is on my boat. Also shown is a D'allara rescue. I don't collect fixed blades, and I'd have NO use for a Whale Rescue blade.

 

[MrPocketsOfSteel]

It sounds like you are a knife accumulator instead of a collector. To each their own but I couldn't just buy a knife and never use it, just doesn't make sense to me, but of course that is just my opinion.

 

[KrisOK]

If the knives have all been used and carried, they aren't really 'collectible', nor would I consider you to be a Collector. Basically, you have a large pile of User knives.

Wow, that's harsh! Why does an item have to be new in box to be collected? I certainly think most people would NOT agree with that definition. While an item might be worth more as a collectable if NIB, I can't think of a single type of collection that precludes an item being used, or the collector from actually using the items in his collection. Books, Watches, Knives, Cars, Motorcycles, whatever.

Would you say that Jay Leno isn't a Car collector? He has tens of millions in cars, but drives each one. I may only have $20K or so invested in knives, but I certainly feel that I fall into the 'Collector' catagory.

col•lec•tor (kəˈlɛk tər)

n.
1. a person or thing that collects.
2. a person employed to collect debts, duties, taxes, etc.
3. a person who collects books, paintings, stamps, etc., as a hobby or investment.
4. solar collector.
[1375&#8211;1425; < Anglo-French < Medieval Latin]

 

[Sonnydaze]

So... Should I pare down the collection to knives that I know that I'll carry?

That's a excellent beginning. I carry the SAME knife every day. It's not boring...
If you wish to collect, try getting a set of CRK Sebenzas, one each of every model...model 25, 21, Classic, Regular...etc...or collect just CRK "Regulars" in various configurations...(regular slab grips, inlaid woods, Damascus blades, etc)
Perhaps a set of Spyderco Paramilitary 2 in each blade-steel?
But get rid of 95% of the stuff you never look at any more. Been there...

Why does an item have to be new in box to be collected? It doesn't, obviously. It is true, of course, that knives which are NIB are going to bring more money than a used one...everything else equal. Take a look at gun collections; it becomes obvious that many of them are more concerned with RARITY and not with NEW-ITY. Sometimes, even rust can be a good thing...

There are ALL kinds of COLLECTIONS, just as there are All kinds of COLLECTORS.

 

[olybears57]

Man you collectors are odd fellows. If you don't like or appreciate something... Why waste money on it?

 

[Cynic2701]

Holy cow that's a lot of knives. That's a lot of knives that you don't use.

Personally I get an anxious feeling when I hit about 13-15 knives and I start looking for ways to sell/trade some off to get down closer to 10. I only keep knives that I use--doesn't matter if they are sprint runs or limited editions.

I'd suggest selling off a good number of them to fund the purchase of a CRK. Carry and use that for a month and then go back and see if you have any desire to carry or use the knives remaining in your collection. Continue doing so (while funding the purchase of a very expensive knife) until you reach the point that your desire to keep and carry the knives remaining in your collection equalizes with what you actually carry and use.

 

[Bob W]

Wow, that's harsh! ...

Wow. I certainly never meant to be "harsh" or even critical. I use the terms "User," "Accumulator," "Swapper," and "Collector" to distinguish between different types of knife buyers. In no way do I think that one type of knife enthusiast is a lower status than others.
I'd actually guess that most long-time knife enthusiasts are some mixture of All Of The Above.

And aside from the perceived descriptive "harshness," I think my point is still valid: If a modern production knife is used, it's value as a collectible is greatly reduced.

 

[Cereal_killer]

I have all of the current folder MODELS with the exception of the Rescue3. I was sorta over the rescue knives by the time that it came out. I only have one of each model. not all the colors. Here's a pic that shows them with the exception of the Salt saver which is in the storage compartment of my SeaDoo, and the Atlantic Salt is on my boat. Also shown is a D'allara rescue. I don't collect fixed blades, and I'd have NO use for a Whale Rescue blade.

http://s1129.photobucket.com/user//Rescue_zps2078d2df.jpg[/IMG

What's the one below the assist/above the Byrd? That's a nice collection.

 

[Bob W]

Holy cow that's a lot of knives. That's a lot of knives that you don't use.

No, it's really not. At least not a lot compared to many of the Bladeforums members here who have been seriously collecting for decades.

Someone's 40 years old, they started collecting at age 10, and only bought one knife per month on average... they'd have 360. Now do the math for someone who's been collecting for fifty years and has averaged one knife per week... 2,600 knives. Now that's a lot.

 

[herektir]

One option is to sell them off sure, another is to perhaps donate some of the user grade rescue knives to a small town volunteer fire department as they rarely have the funds to buy beyond the basic firefighting gear, bunker suits etc. Any other gear carried are thier own personal stuff like flashlights, knives( seatbelt cutters), helmet attached headlamps and such. Many in the tiny town I live dont have anything but cheap stuff or nothing in that regard.

 

[NinjaRyder0920]

I never had anywhere NEAR the collection you have acquired, mostly for the reason that if I found myself not using/carrying a knife than I would sell it so that someone else had the chance to. Like you, I started on the lower end (the "never-more-than-$100-limit"...). And then I went through phases, really fell in love with a handful of Spyderco knives, then tried out ZT's line-up, then back to Spyderco with Kershaw intermixed along the way. I think I was more just refining my taste in what exactly I was looking for in my knife. And now, I think I have found it....titanium frame lock flippers :thumbup: Keep the best and move the rest. I have 3 knives now which will probably move down to 2 sometime soon.

So, following my philosophy, I would suggest selling/donating those that you never carry unless you really do want to keep them for a collection. I was never big on collecting, so I never had more than probably 6-8 knives at any given point in time.

 

[KrisOK]

I used to be exactly like you Kris. My collection probably peaked around 100 knives at one point. But then one day I looked at them all and thought "man I probably only carry around 30% of these".... a few weeks later my collection was down to 30 knives. The ones that remained were all higher end production knives.

The way I see it, if I'm going to buy something I'm going to want to get all the enjoyment I can out of that purchase in order for it to be justified. I can't really afford to buy all the knives I want. So not only do I like owning and fondeling the knives in my collection, but I want to have them with me when I'm out and about as well. I probably only need a knife a few times a day and even then I'm a urban EDCer so they rarely see really hard use. I've gotten over that feeling that I have to keep expensive knives in mint condition. My most expensive knifes are my Sebenzas; right around the $400 mark. I try to stay away from mid-techs and customs, not because I'm not willing to spend that much money on a single knife. But at that point it's so much money in my pocket that the fear of loosing it spoils the experience of carrying it, and the fact that it will be very hard to track down another one if I want to replace it. So right now I have a collection of around 30 knives, the average value of each is probably around the $175 or so. I don't like to think about how much money I've poured into this hobby. It makes me cringe.

So, long story short, if I don't carry it, I don't keep it. I'd rather sell off the ones that are just sitting around to buy another that I'll enjoy in my pocket.

I'm starting to feel like that to some extent. I really don't plan on reducing my collection even to double digits, but there are certainly dozens that I could remove and never really miss.

I'm also primarily an urban EDCer, and while I sometimes DO have heavy use projects, I usually know ahead of time, and will carry a less expensive knife in place of or in addition to a more expensive knife. Honestly, that's what I use my SanRenMu's and other Chinese folders for primarily. But I DO enjoy a large collection of knives, just as I enjoy a large watch collection. I'm TOTALLY not into any type of designer clothing, and watches and pocket knives are almost the only acceptable way for a guy to accessorize. For me, choosing the watch and knife for the day is like a woman with a large jewelery collection choosing which necklace, earrings and rings to wear. I really DO use the biggest part of my knives, but it's always a while before I get back to any particular knife. And sometimes I will go through a couple of weeks using the variants of a single knife. For example, I have like 13 different Delica's, and will rotate through all the variants before moving on to a different model.

On the other hand, I just don't feel the need as of yet to spend several hundred dollars for a single knife. I respect the CRKs, Striders, Hinderers, etc... , but I just don't as of yet feel those knives speaking to me enough to spend that much. It's absolutely not a matter of available cash, but more personal stubbornness. I guess it's kinda weird, because I'll pop $5K for a watch and not bat an eye, but I dig in my heels every time I seriously think about spending more than a couple hundred for a knife. LOL When I first started, my average knife cost $40-$60 and I set a hard limit of $100. I followed that rule religiously until I found BladeForums. Now a year later I've spent close to $300 on a few, but still can't push myself to buy a Sebenza.

That's probably part of why I haven't gotten rid of the less expensive knives that I rarely use. I'd have to sell so many to recoup enough to buy the average priced knife that I've been picking up recently. On the other hand, I hate to see any tool go to waste totally.

All in all, I think I'm working my way towards selling off the ones that I just won't use. I think...........

 

[KrisOK]

What's the one below the assist/above the Byrd? That's a nice collection.

That's the Breedon Rescue. He's the same kid that designed the Captain.