How do you decide to use it or keep it mint?

[FW JSB]

So much for the notion that investing in production knives is like chasing fool's gold. You just need to be an astute collector is all. And a little luck doesn't hurt anything either.

Oh, the notion still exists, defensive one, though you may want to enroll in a remedial reading class. For every Spyderco Q that exceeds some arbitrarily applied value, there are likely to be hundreds more production models that do nothing but decrease in value after purchase, though they surely bring pleasure and utility to the person who owns them.

My whole point (and here's where the remedial reading part comes in) is that I have nothing against collecting, engage in a bit of it myself. What I think is stupid is deluding one's self into believing there's always some monetary value in doing so. Buying the vast majority of buying production anything and hoping its value shoots up at some point is, indeed, chasing fool's gold. You may catch a good one once in a great while, but it will never make up for the value you spend on other knives that do nothing. But like I said, it's your dough, so knock yourself out.

 

[bld522]

What I think is stupid is deluding one's self into believing there's always some monetary value in doing so. Buying the vast majority of buying production anything and hoping its value shoots up at some point is, indeed, chasing fool's gold.

Thank you for your opinion. In many cases (as opposed to "always"), my experience indicates otherwise. Do your homework, buy from quality manufacturers, look for bargains and closeouts, be patient and wait for scarcity to set in, and based on a remedial understanding of the law of supply and demand, you may be surprised at how often your production pieces gain value.

As a side note, I'd recommend that if you disagree with someone's position, you argue against the position rather than attack them personally. Normally, the person doing the attacking ends up looking worse than the person being attacked.

 

[bld522]

Well, since the knife is, as the poster said, never used and since polishing removes metal, doesn't the excessive and unnecessary polishing defeat the point of collecting in the first place?

I'd say that all depends on what he's polishing them with. He could polish his knives with Ren Wax every day for the rest of his life and not remove enough metal to make a difference or have any impact on their collector values.

 

[cncpro11]

When you die someday after a good, long life, and your wife remarries, do you want her new husband to inherit your nice, NIB Rift in pristine condition, or a Rift covered with apple pie crust, hog blood and brake dust? I say that you remind him of who was there first.

950 Rift, bottom. Ready for apple pie.

I have got to get a contego!

 

[killgar]

Well, since the knife is, as the poster said, never used and since polishing removes metal, doesn't the excessive and unnecessary polishing defeat the point of collecting in the first place?

There are different forms of "polishing". Some forms of polishing involve changing a rough metal surface into a smooth one. And some forms of polishing are just intended to remove tarnish without removing any metal. Basically just a good cleaning.

People who own boats with brass fixtures polish that brass on a frequent basis. People who own silver tea sets, platters, eating utensils, etc, polish those items on a regular basis. And both brass and silver are a lot softer than knife steel.

It's not uncommon for brass or silver objects to be very old, like an antique brass pocket watch or silver tea set. And despite frequent and repeated polishing, not only do they not disappear, they also retain their surface engravings. I'm sure a knife would do just fine.

 

[whateatsrabbits]

If you think just owning it will give you enjoyment, wait until you start using it.
Seriously, think about the enjoyment you will get every time you pull it out of you pocket to cut something.

 

[pap11y]

Cleaning and polishing my blades regularly, gives me time to reconnect with all my beauties...

 

[K0W]

I tend to use all the knives i own for something or another. but theres always that feeling of babying a new knife, whether its 20 or 200 dollars. To get past this and make me WANT to use them, i generally trade and buy used knives.

 

[The Logical One]

I have several knives that are just too rare/precious for me to carry or use: Spyderco Chinook 1 serial numbered, Spyderco PM2 cf s90v, and a hinderer xm18 fde dlc. The spydercos are actually some of my less expensive knives in my collection, but for whatever weird reason I feel compelled to keep them in pristine condition. I guess it's one of those gut feelings (like the one you're having) that makes me decide which ones to carry and which ones to keep as safe queens.

 

[Pointshoot777]

I'm more of a user than a collector. But a few times, I bought knives to use that later were discontinued and became sought after. For example, I bought a Chris Reeve Mountaineer II hollow handle knife years ago for outdoors use. Its a quality piece, but IMO I found it too heavy for its length of blade, and I didnt like the feel of the steel handle under cold or freezing weather conditions. (I packed it up in the mountains a time or two, but never used it.) I think I sliced a few Post-It notes to check out its sharpness, and that's about it. Because of the factors I mentioned, I never thought about bringing it out to use after the first couple of times. Then, a few years later I thought I might use it - went online and saw that they discontinued them and the prices had shot up. So it definitely won't be used now.

 

[mdauben]

I don't buy knives I won't use. Safe queens just seem like a waste of money to me.

 

[bld522]

I just realized something else I do. I'll buy a knife and decide it's too nice to use, so I put it away. As time passes and I buy nicer knives, I look at the knives I've put away and realize that it may be time to use them. After all, if something "bad" happens to one of them, I've got nicer knives to fall back on, right? I know that may seem weird to some people. Life is short. Shouldn't I use my best knives instead of those they've superseded? But I haven't been willing to do that, at least not yet.

Here's an example. I bought a Composite Leek and decided it was too nice to use, so I put it away. Later, I bought an A.G. Russell Folding Hunter in 154CM and decided it was too nice to use. But it's a nicer knife than the Leek. So I pulled out the Leek and slipped it into my pocket. Later still, I bought a William Henry and decided that it was definitely too nice to use and the time had come to carry my A.G. Russell. So I retired the Leek and put the A.G. Russell in my pocket. Then recently I purchased a custom folder and it's absolutely too nice to use. So now the time has come to carry my William Henry. And on and on it goes . . .

 

[Allen R.]

I use them or they get sold, I might not use them right away because I might be carrying a certain knife and wanna carry it for awhile, I have a few NIB knives, and have every intention of using them, when I get the urge too , I'm not a collector, I buy knives to do their job.

 

[bld522]

I guess I look at a knife's "job" as more than just cutting things. If I didn't, why would I need to own so many knives?

 

[killgar]

I consider the "job" of my knives to be to satisfy whatever my "knife needs" happen to be at the moment. Whether that need is cutting rope, or just giving me the satisfaction of holding it in my hand and admiring it's quality. It's not uncommon for me to take out a knife even though I don't need to cut anything and just look at it, admire it, or use it to recall fond memories.

At a cost of $2,500, I wonder what the "job" of this knife is? http://www.knifeart.com/b30mesozoic.html Although it's a very high-quality knife made by a very well known quality knifemaker, I don't imagine the future owner is going to use it to cut drywall or tar paper on a construction site.

Of course a knife doesn't have to cost $2,500 in order for it to be someones prized possession and make them want to keep it pristine. Each man decides for himself what HIS personal "treasure" is. And in that regard no man is ever wrong.

To each their own.

 

[bld522]

I couldn't have said it better myself. If we spend a lot of time around here, it's because we're collectors first and foremost. We can call ourselves users all day long. And admittedly some of us use our knives as tools far more than others do. But if our knives are no more than tools, how many hammer forums and screwdriver forums and drill forums do we hang out in? Is there something special about knives that makes them more deserving of attention as tools than hammers, screwdrivers and drills?

My guess is that REAL knife users don't hang out around here. They may come here long enough to figure out what knives they need, but then they go back to using them, not obsessing over more knives they neither need nor want. It's knife collectors that hang out around here . . . people who really LOVE their knives, not just use them. And that's the long and short of it.

 

[Locutus D'Borg]

The theory of evolution as applied to knives. Most interesting.

I just realized something else I do. I'll buy a knife and decide it's too nice to use, so I put it away. As time passes and I buy nicer knives, I look at the knives I've put away and realize that it may be time to use them. After all, if something "bad" happens to one of them, I've got nicer knives to fall back on, right? I know that may seem weird to some people. Life is short. Shouldn't I use my best knives instead of those they've superseded? But I haven't been willing to do that, at least not yet.

Here's an example. I bought a Composite Leek and decided it was too nice to use, so I put it away. Later, I bought an A.G. Russell Folding Hunter in 154CM and decided it was too nice to use. But it's a nicer knife than the Leek. So I pulled out the Leek and slipped it into my pocket. Later still, I bought a William Henry and decided that it was definitely too nice to use and the time had come to carry my A.G. Russell. So I retired the Leek and put the A.G. Russell in my pocket. Then recently I purchased a custom folder and it's absolutely too nice to use. So now the time has come to carry my William Henry. And on and on it goes . . .

 

[xICEMANx]

If I buy it, it is with the intention of using it. If I find I don't use it, I sell or trade it.

Of course, I am not a collector. If I were one, I'd probably buy duplicates of knives I wanted to use.

+1 to this. I started with the intent to collect, but then decided I'd rather use then then let them sit. If it doesn't get used, it's sold or traded. Trying out new knives is half the fun for me.

 

[bld522]

The theory of evolution as applied to knives. Most interesting.

I know it's strange. But I seem to have this need to give myself permission to use my REALLY fine knives. And the only way I can do that is to buy something even nicer than what I want to carry. Go figure!

 

[Omega Leather Works]

I know it's strange. But I seem to have this need to give myself permission to use my REALLY fine knives. And the only way I can do that is to buy something even nicer than what I want to carry. Go figure!

Doesn't sound strange to me at all. In fact it sounds familiar.