How do you feed your appetite for knives for maximum enjoyment and satisfaction?

S

Stahlmann

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I'm curious how others feed their appetite for knives in order to derive maximum enjoyment and long-term satisfaction? I'm quite new to knife collecting as a hobby, although I've picked-up knives along the way my entire life. That's in stark contrast to firearms-collecting, which I have been serious about for decades.

When it comes to guns, much of my childhood collection came from relatives who were in the midst of deaccessioning their own firearms for social reasons. It also came from guns purchased for hunting and competition (e.g. Bullseye, HP Rifle and trap events.) Back in those days I wanted every gun I could put my hands on. I think that was quite natural -- very much a beginner's natural tendancy. Over the years, like many others, I kept a list of my "wants." I broke them down by: revolvers, pistols, other handgun, rimfire long guns, milsurp, traditional sporting rifles, modern sporting rifles, hunting shotguns, defense shotguns and black powder/muzzle loading.

It took decades, but I pretty much have what I want. Don't get me wrong, if a deal pops-up that I can't walk away from, or if something truly new comes along that interests me, I'm still a buyer, but I no longer spend time coveting or searching for certain arms. My focus is on enjoying my collection -- through actual use, by maintaining and fondling them, and by displaying them. I continue to love engaging in historical firearms scholarship as well.

That's in stark contrast to friends of mine over the years who remained obsessed with obtaining just about every gun they could put their hands on. Some had collections of well over a thousand pieces. In many respects the process of curation become one of heavy-lifting -- a huge burden, and not one of pure enjoyment. I never want that to happen to me. Others were serious traders -- always trading up it seemed. They had much smaller collections with highly exquisite (and expensive) firearms. Still other got VERY deep into collecting in certain areas (e.g. milsurp or double rifles.)

When it comes to knives I've long had a mental list of "wants." I codified that list and have been merrily collecting for a while now. So much easier and less expensive than firearms! My desires have definitely changed during the process, although I don't regret a single purchase, and I have yet to sell one of my knives. I'm only about half a dozen knives away from completing at least my current list of "wants." They'll no doubt be more as I continue to learn about knives in the coming years. I do hope I hit a level of contentment as I have with firearms.

I'm curious, how do others feed their appetites for knives for maximum enjoyment and long-term satisfaction? Thanks.
 
I don't regret a single purchase, and I have yet to sell one of my knives.

This tells me that you are reasonably new to this "sport."
I am on the other end... winding down...after years of hot and heavy....collections of at least 7 rather expensive favorite brands. I occasionally would receive
three new..maybe not quite new..in the mailbox in one day, and my obsession was running up to 1500 bucks per month... A recipe for disaster if you are
retired on soc sec and not much else coming in...
I have purchased, and sold, hundreds of primarily folders with a smattering of custom fixed blades over the years, and OFTEN have instantly regretted
a purchase. Doing this on the Exchange makes all the difference in the world, as so many used knives have barely left the wrapping paper they came in, when new.
I am older than God (almost), recently had a severe brain-stem stroke which left me with one arm and one leg, altho I am making some decent progress toward recovery. So...enjoy this hobby, meet many good friends along the way, and don't allow obsessive behavior put you into financial hardship...and divorce court...at the same time...
Your interests will change; favorite brands will change; you will learn much about knives and blade-steels, and you will have loads of fun.
WELCOME, FRIEND.
Don
 
I'm winding down myself and +1 to much of what Sonnydaze has said to various degrees.

I love old slipjoints and mostly used to hang out in Traditional. A key part of this hobby for maximum enjoyment involving little cost was going to yard sales, antique malls, flea markets, etc..

Now that I am older and winding down, I am trying to shrink my collection while knowing that the knives are going to good homes.

I still get a lot of enjoyment from the yard sales etc., though. Has to be a good find for me to purchase now, and you have to enjoy those type of things for other reasons as well, but that will always be the best fun for the least cost.
 
I have about 100+ knives that I have bought, received as gifts, or been gifted over the years. At 64, I still go to work and do what I need to do as a contractor, carrying and using a knife on a daily basis as a tool and part of my day's work.. I have been carrying a knife for about 60 years (not really the smartest decision on my Father's part since I cut myself pretty badly at 5 - 6 years old!) for play, and then for construction work. I use my knives every day in my construction duties, sometimes all day, sometimes just once or twice. The point being, constant use.

What I found is that with all the knives I have, I go back over and over to the knives that perform. They don't have to be the best steel, but have to be solid, reliable and ready to work. I have a few traditionals, and a few larger work knives that I rotate back and forth to, over and over. Knives that were bought years ago on a whim, knives that I was pretty sure I would like (but turned out I didn't), knives that don't carry well, and on and on... they sit in a box. So out of all of my knives, I actually carry about 10 of them regularly and they absolutely do all I want and actually need. Just 10. And more than that, a couple I have been using regularly for a few decades.

I get a lot of pleasure out of putting an edge on my '76 CASE large coppehead and dropping it in my pocket. I will never have another knife that I have used and enjoyed as much as that one... I won't live that long! Part of the shield has worn smooth, a couple of the rivets have popped their heads off, and teh beautiful ruby colored bone handles are muddy brown and nearly smooth. Just holding it brings back memories. Sharpening my pencil with it when doing carpentry trim work in a house brings back even more. Can't put a price on that knife.

My Buck 119, same story. A couple of others, important to me for other reasons like one of my knives given to me by my father before he passed, and another by my best friend of many, many years. So those knives have a special place and meaning. The other 90 or so knives are nice, but I am slowly giving them away. I appreciate the once i carry most for their personal story to me and their utility value second. I am not a collector of anything... too pragmatic. Now, I have a special appreciation for things I never really considered as a young man, and certainly a personal history with me is a big thing now.

Buy quality knives that will last, and use the hell out of them so you can build your own history with them. It will be a kick to pull your knife out and remember what you did with it when camping on a rough trip, that time you had to use your pocket knife to skin a deer, when you were glad you had it to cut tinder on a wet campout, or even just your favorite knife you counted on day after day for a few years. I promise the knife that does that will be worth 10X times more than the "fill in blank brand" knife that you had to have just because it had red scales or it was a limited edition. Everyone enjoys their knives in their own way, and if you are where you are now with your guns, then you will get there with your knives soon enough! Have fun!

Robert
 
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I used to purchase recklessly and sell a lot of knives to keep buying new ones. I don't do that anymore. I know what I like, now, and I haven't sold a knife in many years. That's why I no longer renew my gold membership, here. I always bought it because this is the best place on the internet to buy and sell knives. But I no longer buy/sell secondary market. Too many burns. People aren't like they used to be.
 
By delving into the many different aspects knives have to offer.
Think things like research/history/learning, buying, selling, trading, using, throwing, chopping, sharpening, modifying, restoration, photography, or in my case all of the above.
Why limit yourself ?
 
For me it has been a three phased ordeal:
1. Buy a bunch of knives, all high quality. Use them and figure out what you really value in a knife.
2. Narrow the collection to favorite makers and patterns based on the results from #1. Sell off the rest, except any that may have developed sentimental value.
3. Focus on finding your favorites in ideal materials (if the maker has options). Consider back-ups and enough for some variety.

I’m somewhere between phases 2 and 3. I have four distinct patterns of fixed blades and four for folders (two modern and two traditional). I do have a lot of selling to do.
 
The need for sharp objects never ends.
I put a halt to my 'need' by purchasing the most expensive knife I couldn't afford and followed that up by purchasing another.
Psychologically, that sort of makes other knives excuse me, trivial and while I look, I have a hard time even thinking about purchasing a blade under four figures (self proclaimed knife snob!).
Otherwise it would never end (despite my snobbery, I just bought three knives for fishing; see what I mean!).
Spending that kind of scratch also insures that I REALLY want it and it's not going to be just a frivolous purchase.
I also make sure it's something I would carry.

My maximum enjoyment comes from carrying a knife knowing I'm the only one on this planet that has one and that it's unique to me.
I spent(d) so much accumulating knives, I DON'T want to see it in the EDC carrying thread.

I shoot trap also and when I decided to upgrade my gun, I did the same thing. I could have gone Perazzi, Kolar, etc. Instead I got me a DeVault, a gun no one else can get because the person that made it is no longer alive.
No longer even think about trap guns. Well, sort of.
 
Stahlmann said:
When it comes to knives I've long had a mental list of "wants.”….So much easier and less expensive than firearms!
Click to expand...

Umm, I wouldn’t go that far. Depending on what you’re after, they very much can be in the same price range. It’s not uncommon at all to see knives that are north of $10k. In fact, it’s fairly common.
 
Have too many, need to use them to see what I like and what I can do without, narrow the herd. But going back to some I bought just because they appealed to me, makes me realize that I am missing out on actually USING them, and not just collecting, and discovering the other joys of having knives. Like TrainedBullets said, somewhere between those points he mentioned. as I get older, I realize I bought several knives for the same reasons, just forgot them and kept collecting, so I am trying to be aware of why I bought some In the first place so as not to expand the collection.one idea that I have not implemented yet, would be before buying any new knife, you have to get rid of two. Either selling trading or giving them away. That way you really think about it, before accumulating more.
 
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Honestly, going out and using the ones I have brings the biggest satisfaction and postpones any purchases. It also helps guide future purchases because I better understand what I'm looking for, like, and desire after hours of cutting, sharpening, and handling knives.
 
Maximum enjoyment, eh? I think trying to find the balance between the stress of having too many knives and the enjoyment of the ones I have is my struggle.

After 25+ years of collecting, maybe I have figured it out. Lol. For myself anyways.

It started for me, in my teens, with collecting and accumulating a ton of “affordable” brand names. Almost 300 to be honest. Used only 2 of those ever.

Then I bought a CRK large Sebenza. That changed the game for me. Experiencing a tool that I didn’t need to tinker with every week was absolutely thrilling. I put that Sebenza to work. And work it did. That put me on track to accumulate a bunch more CRK’s, and I now felt the need to rid myself of the other knives in my collection.

I was lucky enough to have a friend with a hunting shop and I built a case for all my name brands and with his help sold them all off over the course of 2 years. That was a “over collecting” stress reliever.

Got into midtech’s but have mainly sold all those off now. Just kept my favorites.

In my late 20’s I retired that Sebenza (actually sold it 🤦‍♂️) and decided to use more of my collection. This helped me find out what style of handle, blade shape, cutting geometry and materials were best for me.

These days I am attracted to all sorts of knives, but I know what I’ll use and what I’ll pocket. Those are the ones I buy. I have slowed down in my buying and am considering selling off a large portion of my collection soon, for knives I really want.

All that being said...maximum enjoyment for me...none of my knives, kinda. The relationship’s with maker’s, BF members and other knife enthusiasts is the enjoyment for me. I have made a lot of good friends over the years, and continue to do so. It’s those relationships that give me long lasting enjoyment.

Gifting and gift receiving is also a big part of my enjoyment. I love to gift knives, tools and trinkets to people who I figure will enjoy them. I have a few knives in my collection that have been gifted to me, and they are the most important knives in my collection. Some get used a lot, and others occasionally...but they all see pocket or belt time.

Currently I purchase customs from friends I have made...there are some seriously talented down to earth makers out there. I would love to thank them all in this post, but I have a feeling it would be off topic and too lengthy.

I guess my whole point is that there are zero knives out there that will give me long time satisfaction, but the real gems are the people in this community...and Thank you all for getting to know me. It’s been a blast, and will continue. I look forward to it everyday.

Edit to add: I have lots of my very talented artistic friends embellish knives for me these days. It brings a smile to my face seeing their work on knives I own, and knowing that I have financially helped out a friend. :)
 
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I just wait for the next CPK preorder and buy an occasional auto when I see one that I think I'll love and can afford it. In the meantime, I peruse the forum here and sharpen/reprofile knives and scissors on my Wicked Edge 130. Sometimes I do stuff with my other hobbies. But being broke has me grounded right now. It seems like everything hit me at once, including my van going into the shop. Being disabled now, I have to pay for labor that I used to do myself. But I should get back into gear by September.
 
Sonnydaze said:
I don't regret a single purchase, and I have yet to sell one of my knives.

This tells me that you are reasonably new to this "sport."
I am on the other end... winding down...after years of hot and heavy....collections of at least 7 rather expensive favorite brands. I occasionally would receive
three new..maybe not quite new..in the mailbox in one day, and my obsession was running up to 1500 bucks per month... A recipe for disaster if you are
retired on soc sec and not much else coming in...
I have purchased, and sold, hundreds of primarily folders with a smattering of custom fixed blades over the years, and OFTEN have instantly regretted
a purchase. Doing this on the Exchange makes all the difference in the world, as so many used knives have barely left the wrapping paper they came in, when new.
I am older than God (almost), recently had a severe brain-stem stroke which left me with one arm and one leg, altho I am making some decent progress toward recovery. So...enjoy this hobby, meet many good friends along the way, and don't allow obsessive behavior put you into financial hardship...and divorce court...at the same time...
Your interests will change; favorite brands will change; you will learn much about knives and blade-steels, and you will have loads of fun.
WELCOME, FRIEND.
Don
Click to expand...
Thank you for such insightful input...
 
I'm a collector by nature. I'm not a hoarder but I collect all kinds of "things."

Like the OP, I collected firearms for many years. I stopped buying/collecting firearms when I ran out of space in my safe for anymore long guns, which corresponded to when it became a PITA to buy/sell firearms and ammo.

I switched to buying/collecting knives just a few years a go and quickly amassed a very large collection of over 400 knives. I recently sold off about100 of those knives (mostly "in bulk") which were cheaper Kershaws/CRKTs that I purchased pretty indiscriminately when I started collecting them.

I can't say that I "regret" buying the knives that I've sold because it was a process. The cheaper knives got me into the hobby for not much $. It was easy to buy them by the handful and piqued my interest in "better" & more expensive knives.

I still own over 300 knives (mostly Spydercos, ZTs and "vintage" Kershaws) in the 4 basic categories of folders, autos, balis and fixed blades. While I have "slowed" down in buying knives, I am still looking for knives that I consider interesting and/or that will fill a "gap" in my collection.

So, while I have become more selective in which knives I will purchase, I am still buying/collecting and will continue to doing so until it no longer provides me any enjoyment.
 
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In the beginning all I knew was there is carbon steel and stainless steel. The early days of the Internet.. Equipped with this knowledge I started buying knives. Luckily I only bought a few cheap fixed knives, like Moras and Condors until more recently I realized I need folders other than a SAK. From that point I started educating myself and made only three regrettable mistakes since.

One was about realizing gray FRN doesn't belong on a gents folder. The other was about learning that Taichung compression locks suck and that I don't like G10/CF scales. The last one was about deciding I don't want Chinese knives in my collection.

I also decided to restrict myself to production knives only, and not to care about 'diminishing returns'.

With that out of the way, I like photographing, sharpening, cleaning and ofc using my knives, all sources of joy.

Sharpening can be a very rewarding hobby all by itself and I don't mind the time I spent learning free hand sharpening and money I spent on effective sharpening gear.

And photography can be even more involving and expensive than knife collection. :)

I appreciate knives the most when they meet my reasonable expectations. Good steel, good heat treat, good blade geometry, good build quality and affordability are a good start. I don't mind swapping out scales for something nicer myself later, if everything else is satisfactory, and I don't mind if the action is not perfect out of the box, because breaking a knife in is part of the fun.

Now that I have a quality collection that is both useful and beautiful I feel like I can slow down, enjoy what I have. Maybe cherry pick higher end offerings now and then.

The way I see it, the satisfaction comes only after the appetite is satisfied. When money leaves the equation is when we truly start enjoying our knives for what they are.
 
By far the most fun I have is clearing trails in my local parks. I rotate between using smaller fixed blades and larger ones, with the addition of a tomahawk and/or Silky saw if I know there are trees down.

My advice: Find your local volunteer trail crew and sign up.
 
I'll add that I truly enjoy a good deal on something that interests me. Recently a new offering caught my eye -- CS's Drop Forged 9.5" Bowie. Logical/interesting design. MSRP of $139.99. Widely advertised at $118.99. When I saw it offered for $89.99 and then $71.99 with free shipping, I just couldn't walk away...
 
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