How has your knife collecting philosophy changed?

H

hybr1d

Joined
Oct 27, 2000
Messages
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My interest in knives has waxed and waned over the years. For a period of time I'll buy, sell, and trade knives like crazy, check multiple knife forums multiple times a day, etc. And then for a period of time I'll only drop by knife forums once in a while, sell of some of my collection, and then spend my extra money in other interests.

I have noticed that my knife collecting philosophy has changed a lot though. Back in my younger days, I was really into collecting as many different colors, handle materials, brands, and locking mechanisms/knife features (i.e. Speed-safe) as I could. I guess I didn't want a boring collection, and I wanted to try out the different locks (Axis, compression, frame lock, etc.) and handle materials, etc. I would buy sprint runs because they often come in unusual colors, such as the red Benchmade 940 or the gunmetal-blue Spyderco Lum Chinese. But a lot of the knives ended up being safe queens.

I eventually sold most of those knives to use the money for other hobbies and because they weren't being used.

My new philosophy is: If I'm not willing to carry it, I'm not going to buy it, regardless of how much it pleases the eye.

Thus, my collection has changed, if you can even call it a collection. It consists more of smaller folders under 3" due to size and weight, mostly knives with G-10, CF, or FRN handles (which don't show a lot of wear like colored aluminum handles, for example), and after trying out lots of different brands, most of my knives are now Spyderco. :D What can I say? I love Spyderco!

How has your knife collecting philosophy or the collection itself changed over the years?
 
This and other forums have helped me change my philosophy. I used to buy strictly on impulse - what I liked at the time I was at the store, etc. I also stayed away from the very simple designs - I like the more complex and artistic designs.

Now it is function over form, and I research a knife deeply before deciding to make the purchase. I will not talk myself into buying a certain knife or blade shape knowing that I will never have a need for it.

For instance - I would really like to have a ZT 0301 - but it will sit in the box and never get used. I would also like to have a William Henry, but the expense of their knives makes it totally unrealistic.

I have also over the years developed a "likes" list that I keep in my wallet - this list contains all of the things I like in a knife - blade shapes, handle materials, locking systems, etc. If I make a purchase, the knife I am buying needs to meet most of the criteria on the list or I will not buy. I find this to be very helpful in overcoming the "impulse" to buy something that will sit.
 
My buying habits haven't really changed, not in the last 20 years anyway. Even though I do finally have some areas of specialized interest, I still love to Accumulate a wide variety of styles, materials, and ages.
 
When I first got into knives I thought big, one-handed, locking folders with a pocket clip was the only way to go. Now I am into smaller folders and most of my collection is slipjoints.
 
Bought my first "non-essential" knife about thirty years ago, but wasn't very actively collecting until a few years ago when I started to have more disposal income.

Started off like many do, buying a sampling of this and that to get a hands on feel.

After buying my first Fallkniven I started to focus more on knives with higher quality steel and superior fit and finish. A large portion of my collection is Fallkniven, but I keep my options open. Usually though, regardless of manufacture, I look at their higher end offerings.

Several months ago I decided to try to do more to support Canadian custom makers. I still follow this philosophy but find it a bit frustrating due to lack of availability and long wait times. Because of this higher end production knives still figure prominently in my collecting.

To date I have never sold a knife. I generally research what I want and have few regrets with my purchases. But, my collection is reaching a point where I may start to sell a few in the not too distant future.

Purchased my first ever Kershaw a few weeks ago, and have my first Bark River knives on order. Onward and upward.

Kevin
 
When I first really getting into knives it was all high tech folders. Then I reverted back to the knives of my youth slip joints and then rediscovered what really makes me happy!
 
My philosophy hasn't changed a lot either. I started out out collecting large, single bladed, locking, pocket clip equipped knives, and I still do. I have picked up a few slipjoints and I like what Case is doing now as far as overall quality, and I'll pick up some more in the future, but my main focus is what a lot of people refer to as a "Tactical folder"! Yep, I said it...Tactical folder.;):D
 
EiNLaNZeR said:
If I'm not willing to carry it, I'm not going to buy it, regardless of how much it pleases the eye.
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat. Years ago when I first got here, there where so many knives that were out of reach. Buying my first auto (LUDT) at 19 was close to breaking the bank. Now I have a D/A Socom p/e tanto that I have to get rid of because I can't see myself using it. I have a really early DDR Maxx that I carry whenever I'm in jeans. I need to get use out of what I spend. I wear my Rolex every day and I use my customs every day.
 
My knife buying philosophy is really simple. I ask myself two questions when considering any knife.

1. What role will this knife fill?

2. Will this knife work better for me than my current knives?

I see a lot of interesting knives that have cool features, but when I do a side by side analysis of what I'm considering and what I own, I generally find what I own will work better.

My "collecting" is geared solely towards use. The only shelf pieces I have are knives friends and relatives have bought for me over the years that I don't use because I have knives I like better, or want to preserve them due to sentimental value.
 
I started out collecting knives with 'interesting/unusual' opening/locking mechanisms, and tried to obtain one of every kind.
So I had lock-backs, liner-locks, slippies, autos (lever-lock, button lock, OTF, etc), a 'pull-open' rack & pinion Sarco, a Jiffy Jack Master trick knife, on and on...

Then it was smallish fixed blades, boot knives, etc.

Now I lean toward small slippies, high quality, and/or 'too-good-a-deal-to-pass-up' knives, etc.

But, since it's a 'hobby', and spare $$ are scarce, nothing too expensive...so no Sebbies, Emersons, or high $$ autos....alas...
 
Like the OP, my passion regarding collecting has waxed and waned over the years. I'm probably in a waxing phase right now, since my knife expenditures have been pretty high lately. ;)

I don't think my "philosophy" has changed so much, as it has broadened. When I first got into knife collecting, my interested were focused on things like big bowies (CS Trailmaster, etc.) and fixed blade tacticals (F-S Daggers, etc.). After a couple years, I started getting interested in SAKs, and after that in pocket-clip/lock-blades (Spyderco, Kershaw, etc), then to medium sized fixed "camp" knives (Barkies, etc.), and finally to traditional slip joints (Case, Queen, etc.).

Right now my collection (and my purchases) remain pretty eclectic, jumping from boot daggers to jigged bone pen knives to kukris to G-10 framed linerlocks, depending on what catches my interest that day. I guess the only thing that really changed is I find my self leaning most often to "users". That is, knives I can actually use. Whether it's EDC or while camping, or for MA training. :D
 
I started as a SAK user, then I got a couple of fixed blades with toothed spines (Rambo era...), I had a phase when I used to drool over the tactical knives from Microtech, Masters of defense and Strider, fortunately I never had the chance to get one of those.

Then I grew old and my practical sense dominated, that´s when I got Leathermans, some more SAKS and Spydercos.

Lately I´m biased towards simplicity, sometimes a Victorinox electrician is all I have on my pocket and I'm looking forward to get the new G10 Dragonfly when available.

Regards.


Jaime Orozco.
 
For me it's shifted from active acquisition, to maintenance and tinkering, to hard use, to collecting, to stagnant, back to active acquisition. Then from lower end bargains, to multi-tools, to higher end collectables, to higher quality steel, and around and around we go......weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
 
My own interest has waned a great deal. I used to collect knives, espcially custom knives. The one day I woke up and looked around and asked myself what the heck am I doing with all this stuff?

I sold off and gave away most of my knives. Kids, grandkids, so on. Now I only have small pocket knives that I can really use on a day to day basis. My favorite edc is either a Case peanut of a small sak like a recruit. If I go camping, I have a folding saw or hatchet around for anything heavy.

The nice thing about carrying much smaller knives, is that I can carry more of them. Like a peanut in the pocket, a classic on the keyring, and an A.G. Russell pen knife in the watch pocket of my jeans. And in truth, how much blade do I really need for zipping open a bag of dog kibble, opening a UPS or Fedex box, or cutting a piece of jute twine for the tomato plants.

I guess my taste in knives has gone to the compact and practical.
 
Started with "tactical" & fighter knives, got on the "big is better" train as well. Wouldn't touch a Spyderco.

Now mostly use knives under 4" for almost all indoor & outdoor needs. Love the design & usefulness of Spydies. I also find that slippies make excellent EDCs.
 
I started out collecting the biggest folders I could get my hands on. I wanted a knife with a big handle and an even bigger blade. The only fixed blade knife I knew of was the bowie knife and I wasn't too interested in them.

Now, I have pretty much stopped looking at folders completely. I still carry a Kershaw Leek, and would buy another if mine got lost or broken...but they aren't knives I long after or drool over. I am 99% a fixed blade guy, and my last 4-5 knives have reflected that.
I also have moved towards smaller blades I can wear IWB or in my pocket. I no longer long for 9" blades that are impossible to tote around or much less use for day to day tasks. I like practicality and function, a 4" blade is usually more than enough. If I can't wear it on my person comfortably it's not really a knife I enjoy all the time.
 
I've more or less gone from "accumulating" to "collecting" over the past few years. There's some pretty expensive stuff around here these days as a result: Lots of Randalls (emphasis on the Bowies), a few Ruanas, and even a Loveless. I still have all the "users" too, but somewhere along the line I went from spending a hundred or two on a knife to a thousand or two. Oh well, you can't take it with you, right?
 
From the first day I actually bought my own knife, things haven't really changed much. I bought a new buck 110, as I knew it would function. I buy blades that I know will perform. The only time I will go out on a limb is if it is a greatly reduced price, just because sometimes you get more than you pay for. Other times, you don't.

So, I just buy what I think is functional, and to be honest, I hope that is how it stays!
 
I've gone from lower-end, to mid-high end stuff, as I've begun to appreciate the (sometimes slight) improvement an upgrade in materials can bring. For example, I have always carried an old beater Delica, and it works fine. Now I'm carrying either a Caly 3 CF/ZDP, or my D2 Paramilitary, because I can appreciate the improvement I get from better steel/handle materials. But mostly my EDC collecting has stopped, as I feel I've reached a nice endpoint for me. Mostly now I invest in woods users (fixed bushcrafting blades and axes/machetes/saws), that I like to compare and play around with. Even that is starting to reach an endpoint, as I have most blade categories covered to the extent that I need/like. Never been much of a "collector", in that all my blades are used, none are set aside. But my collection is small, and covers the bases for me, and I'm pretty happy with it (for now).
 
Recently I did a big selloff of accumulated knives that I thought were interesting, but I had too much tied up in them for non-users. I had been on a big fixed-blade kick, but with the funds I went on an EDC-folder-buying binge, picking up an orange Zing, a yellow Mini-Grip, an E4W, and looking at Blade-Tech Mice and other sub-$50 users.

With the next sell-off, I have to satisfy the curiousity and get a Sebbie.
 
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