Hoarder, Hunter or Curator?

BDubbs said:
Funny, I want duplicates of a bunch of my knives like my BF 86 I guess so I can use one and have a brand new unused one in reserve. Reserve for what? No idea, but that’s how my mind works.
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PointyThings said:
Same mentality here. Think I got it from my dad, who did the same thing.
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I think the collector/user divide (I mean the mentality here, not the knives themselves-- one to save, one to use, etc) is a MUCH bigger difference than the various types of collector (hoarder, hunter, curator, etc). My wife is a user of things. She doesn't really collect anything, but I definitely have collector dna. She likes to say "You bought it to ride it"...in other words, don't be afraid, use your stuff. But the truth is, in many cases I didn't buy it to ride it, I bought it to have it. This is not to say you can't be both a collector and a user, even the biggest hoarder/collector will have some samples that get used. But for those folks who don't have any trace of the collector gene, they will never comprehend the difficulty we were just discussing in "de-mintifying" something.
 
BDubbs said:
Don’t mean to distract from the thread but this is kind of timely. I was watching a show last night on netflix about minimalism and they talked a bit about loved ones being burdened with “stuff” when someone dies and the guilt about getting rid of it.
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Collectors are certainly a distinct minority. Which was why it was so easy for Europe to plunge into the “Dark Ages” after Roman Empire collapsed. The idea that someone would expend that level of energy to research, hunt and collect cultural artifacts for fun is alien to most people. It really is hard wired into the collector’s DNA.

I believe the vast majority of the population are social herd animals; they don’t like to over think it and simply enjoy doing whatever the majority deems relevant. They like to expend their energies in sensing and keeping up with the Jones’s, and whatever happened last week, last year, or a thousand years ago is just not relevant to whatever is happening at the moment and not worth thinking about. Perhaps they are right, but I know that I am not wired for that.

n2s
 
JohnDF said:
I only buy or trade for knives I will use and carry, users are favorites.
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That is where I find myself now as well with a few exceptions.

BDubbs said:
Funny, I want duplicates of a bunch of my knives like my BF 86 I guess so I can use one and have a brand new unused one in reserve. Reserve for what? No idea, but that’s how my mind works.
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This is me as well, in more areas than just knives. I think mine came from my previous work background and the importance of redundancy.

Like many others, my knife preferences have evolved since my journey began. I began as a hoarder with an eye for knives that were "cool". Most of those knives never got used, but I was happy to have a cool new knife. Thankfully (at least in my case) that phase passed and I began looking for knives that I knew would be carried and used. Since then my collection has shrunk by over half, but now consists of knives that I know I will get used (even if they haven't been to this point), along with a couple of knives that were generous gifts from members of the forum that will never leave my collection.
 
I buy knives I truly like -or- knives that are an exceptional deal for the price -or- knives I think I might like (if the price is not excessive.) I don’t buy a ton of knives any more, but I don’t often sell them either. I have an informal rule that all my slip joints need to fit in one dresser drawer.
 
I suppose the next question to ask is whether your knife purchases are impulsive or carefully considered?

Put another way, a knife is available at a great price. It's one that you generally like, but not one you need to fill a spot in your collection or one you've wanted or planned to buy. And let's assume you aren't a flipper or an avid trader.

Can you walk away from the deal or do you feel compelled to buy it?

If you walk away, are you haunted by regrets?

I'd answer yes to all the above, depending on my mood.
 
Unfortunately, all of the above choices. I started out as a hoarder, buying up anything and everything I could get my hands on, regardless of whether it was valuable or collectible. I accumulated hundreds of knives. Last year however, with Covid restrictions putting a damper on knife shows and flea markets, I learned to appreciate more those knives which I already had. I found myself pulling knives out of the pile that I thought I needed to keep, and relegating them to project knife status, parts knives, or just plain tossing them as junk.

I will never not be a "hunter". I'm always in search of a hidden gem or a great bargain, but will also pay good money for knives that appeal to me. I have no focus in collecting, so I gather whatever I like when I see it.

I have always thought of myself as a curator of cutlery, preserving knife history in my own way. The knives I have represent snippets in time, where skilled craftsmen made things with their hands, or used ingenious machinery to do the same. Each cutlery manufacturer has it's own place on the time line. There are so many knife companies that have been forgotten, and only get rediscovered because someone happened upon a rare example.(I guess that could turn you back into a hunter, right?) If nobody was "curator", then many more of these companies would be lost to time. I don't have any allusions that my son will become a cutlery lover like me, and while I feel bad that he will have to deal with my "stuff" when I am gone, I hope that he can either gain appreciation of those things, or move them on to someone who does.
 
kamagong said:
Both? o_O

I've already figured out what I do and don't like. So when a knife catches my eye, I pounce. I've been at this long enough to learn that in this game, good things do not come to those who wait.
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My grandfather used to say "The best time to buy is when it is for sale" or something to that effect. I have definitely better understood the wisdom in that saying the longer I live.
 
dsutton24 said:
I have a carefully developed hierarchy that boils down to this: See knife, buy knife, try not to knock anything over.
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This^^^ :D
I'm pretty scattershot in my "collecting". There are a couple of patterns I accidently collected.

Regarding stuff disposal:
My Dad passed away almost four years ago. I spent two years traveling to Tennessee periodically to go through his and Mom's stuff. I resolved going in that I was going to have to be brutal about disposing of stuff, and not wallow in sentimentality. or I would never get it done. I thought it would be a big chore (it was! and still is :rolleyes: ) and although I did a minimum amount of wallowing, it actually turned out to be an ok way of saying goodbye to two of the finest people I'll ever know.
 
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I don't know what I am. I know that there is some part of me that likes to track down and collect a "series of things" but I will also sell those things if they do not get used (assuming it is a tool like a knife).
 
beezwax said:
I think the collector/user divide (I mean the mentality here, not the knives themselves-- one to save, one to use, etc) is a MUCH bigger difference than the various types of collector (hoarder, hunter, curator, etc). My wife is a user of things. She doesn't really collect anything, but I definitely have collector dna. She likes to say "You bought it to ride it"...in other words, don't be afraid, use your stuff. But the truth is, in many cases I didn't buy it to ride it, I bought it to have it. This is not to say you can't be both a collector and a user, even the biggest hoarder/collector will have some samples that get used. But for those folks who don't have any trace of the collector gene, they will never comprehend the difficulty we were just discussing in "de-mintifying" something.
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A lot of this resonates pretty strongly with, and describes me if I'm being honest. The feeling of a gorgeous knife fresh out of the oiled waxpaper, that seems to collect microswirls in the bolsters and shield mere microseconds later just from contact with the air and my fingertips always drives me crazy for a moment.
 
Quiet said:
A lot of this resonates pretty strongly with, and describes me if I'm being honest. The feeling of a gorgeous knife fresh out of the oiled waxpaper, that seems to collect microswirls in the bolsters and shield mere microseconds later just from contact with the air and my fingertips always drives me crazy for a moment.
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If you don't already know and use it: MOTHERS Mag & Aluminum Polish! Seriously the greatest thing ever for nickel bolsters, better than Flitz or anything else *for nickel silver* in my experience. I have no idea what makes the difference but it is straight magic. I used to be bothered by how easily swirl marks would start showing on bolsters, even with very gentle handling, but no longer. With a dab of Mothers and a few seconds of rubbing you can reset them to sparkling whenever the spirit moves you. (Jeez they ought to pay me a commission for this kind of enthusiasm eh?)

Astr0boy said:
I've got one or two users (keep in mind my collection is not very large) but quite a more in storage. I just cant get over the fact that some of these knives I've got like an Osage 15 barlow are "too nice" to be used
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"Too nice" to use is definitely in the eye (hand?) of the beholder, but I feel that pain sometimes. More accurately, what I feel is probably something like "too rare or valuable for me to comfortably consume through use"....but it's definitely a specific collector mindset that not all people suffer from :)
 
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JohnDF said:
I try not to let my knife hoard get over 40 pieces.
If I get too many, I sell a bunch cheap or gift them away.
I only buy or trade for knives I will use and carry, users are favorites.
I only have one true safe queen (Hartshead Barlow).
I pretty much stick to Medium Jacks and Stockman knives.
I enjoy hunting for bargains... $75ish GEC and $35ish Case knives.
I've lost so much money pursuing this hobby, but feel it's well-spent.
Not sure where I fit in the Knife universe... :confused:
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I remember, way back when;), your magic number was 20!!:D:D:thumbsup:
 
Great thread, i am liking reading everyone's thoughts and perspectives, i have a bit of my thought process in nearly every post. I just like knives. Have a good one everyone, and keep your thoughts coming.:thumbsup:.
 
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