How do you find inner peace being a knife nut?

I dip into knives I already own, but have spent a long time languishing in the interstices of my safe. Rediscovering what I’ve picked up along the way is usually more fun than getting something new.

Gifting a nice knife to someone, whether spontaneous or methodically planned, also engenders homeostasis.
 
Slice O Life said:
sustain your state of tranquility
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Interesting thread. I actually posted recently that I’m on a one year hiatus from knife buying 😮 but that it actually felt good. Tranquil would be another word for it.

I generally buy rarely but until this hiatus I was ALWAYS researching and thinking about what I’d be spending my money on next.

While that’s certainly fun - for several uninterrupted decades - I now understand that it actually lead to a certain amount of stress. I think it came from the knowledge that regardless of my research and efforts to find a knife I like, there’s always a reasonable chance that something on the knife will bother me, necessitating either a return/resale (both of which are stressful) OR a modification (which, while fun, is ALSO stressful)… I think you see where I’m going here… No need to do a whole year, and no need to stay away from knives and the forum, but it’s been pretty nice for me so far after a couple of weeks… You might want to try it.

K.O.D. said:
Honestly, my tastes are so refined there are few knives that interest me anymore, and those that do requiring rationing of funds
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Dude - I’m sorry to hear that.

I’m currently in my sisters living room and about to get some sleep on her futon. The last couple of days have been spent moving my 73 y.o. Dad (and his two dogs) from Cali to WA in his truck to live with her.
5113EC48-1089-459B-90E8-812A279F6AB9.jpeg
Of course, since I was going for a road trip I brought a couple of additional knives to play with.
0F590AD5-DA49-46AC-92E3-521A40758E2F.jpeg
One of them is a reasonably expensive knife (SYKCO in INFI) that I sent to Canada for a regrind from David Mary David Mary .

The other one (MAM Portugal) cost $17 and I modified it very slightly to my taste.

I consider both of them highly refined and fun to use.
 
Slice O Life said:
I can relate to the experience of repeatedly rebuying the same knife, and I see a parallel between this pattern and encountering familiar types of people when moving to different areas.

Just as you found yourself drawn to purchasing the same knives repeatedly, it's interesting how we can gravitate towards individuals who exhibit similar traits or characteristics, even in new environments. It's almost like there's an inherent comfort in encountering the familiar, whether it's through material possessions or social interactions.

When we move to different areas, it's natural to seek out connections and build relationships. However, it's not uncommon to notice recurring patterns in the types of people we meet. Perhaps it's due to shared interests, values, or even unconscious biases that influence our choices.

In a way, this repetition can bring a sense of security and predictability. We often find comfort in what we know and understand, and it can be reassuring to have a reliable benchmark to compare against.

By acknowledging this parallel, it becomes evident that our preferences and behaviors can manifest in various aspects of our lives, both in the objects we choose to own and the connections we form with others. It's a testament to the complex interplay between our personal inclinations and external influences, shaping our choices and experiences.
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Damn well explained!
 
At some point one will prioritize what matters. If your dying thought is "I wish I had one more knife" instead of "I wish I had one more hot glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut", I'm sorry.
 
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scdub said:
Interesting thread. I actually posted recently that I’m on a one year hiatus from knife buying 😮 but that it actually felt good. Tranquil would be another word for it.

I generally buy rarely but until this hiatus I was ALWAYS researching and thinking about what I’d be spending my money on next.

While that’s certainly fun - for several uninterrupted decades - I now understand that it actually lead to a certain amount of stress. I think it came from the knowledge that regardless of my research and efforts to find a knife I like, there’s always a reasonable chance that something on the knife will bother me, necessitating either a return/resale (both of which are stressful) OR a modification (which, while fun, is ALSO stressful)… I think you see where I’m going here… No need to do a whole year, and no need to stay away from knives and the forum, but it’s been pretty nice for me so far after a couple of weeks… You might want to try it.


Dude - I’m sorry to hear that.

I’m currently in my sisters living room and about to get some sleep on her futon. The last couple of days have been spent moving my 73 y.o. Dad (and his two dogs) from Cali to WA in his truck to live with her.
View attachment 2225819
Of course, since I was going for a road trip I brought a couple of additional knives to play with.
View attachment 2225816
One of them is a reasonably expensive knife (SYKCO in INFI) that I sent to Canada for a regrind from David Mary David Mary .

The other one (MAM Portugal) cost $17 and I modified it very slightly to my taste.

I consider both of them highly refined and fun to use.
Click to expand...
Don't be sorry. It's liberating in its own way. I haven't looked at knives since I bought an Alan Davis in May, over a month ago. I have a custom coming approximately im November and plan on buying nothing until then. Next year I plan to buy a Biryukov flipper in S390, and maybe one other. I like having a smaller, high quality collection.

I've a lot of changes happening in my life, and have been saving as much as I can. I had saved up for what I thought would be a trip to Blade show, and when it didn't work out, I spent a portion of what I saved on the aforementioned Davis and the rest stayed in savings. I'll most likely be changing jobs at the end of the year, and while I'll be making more money, I may buy a place. It's also my opportunity to finally get out of Illinois.
 
stop looking. well i wish i could, the forums is a daily part of life for me. ive been a part of it since about college.
 
I work in tech, most of what I do has been in a constant state of change the entire time I've been doing it. When I start focusing on some new niche and come back to an old one a couple years later, it is nearly unrecognizable.

Edged objects matured a long time ago. New steels pop up, someone comes up with a novel lock, someone else comes up with trendy design elements that propagate around (Dessert warrior, anyone?). But someone from the 1500s wouldn't have much trouble figuring out the latest from CPK, CRK or even Microtech.

If I were more of an obsessive collector, I'd be more bummed that I don't have limitless wealth to blow. But I've made peace with my inner hoarder. Fact is, I get to use some of the best knives ever made, and frankly get to have far more of them than any one human possibly needs. That's really very cool. I really appreciate the incremental advances, and also really appreciate that they happen at rate of change that doesn't require continuing education classes to keep up with.
 
DMG said:
Knives are unrelated to my inner peace.

Although it is comforting to know that the next few generations of my family won’t have to buy a cutting tool unless they want the latest, greater 23rd century super steel with dust from Mars mixed in.
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How do I get my hands in that super steel from Mars? LOL
 
As a less snarky reply, knives are very much a "for fun" hobby for me. If at any time I find myself getting stressed out about it, I just back off for a while and remind myself it's just for fun. Fortunately I've kind of found my perfect EDC knife in the small Sebenza. Still enjoy playing with all the crazy fancy steels (thanks Spyderco) and playing with sharpening and edge geometry. But that's just me being a nerd and having fun.
 
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