How has your knife hobby changed over time?

gunslinger387

gunslinger387

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5-6 years ago I had never spent more than $120 on a knife and that was a rarity, most were in the $40-$80 range. Then a friend showed me his FK1 and I was like you spent how much on a knife?! Afterwards I decided to take the plunge and I was hooked on CPK and and a few other quality knives in a similar price range.

At first I wanted one of each and doubles where I could, maybe even a couple of safe queens. I loved thick heavy blades. Now I’ve scaled back some and no longer feel the need for doubles just to have them. I have some doubles that serve different purposes. I have a DEK1 on my duty belt, one in the kitchen and one for walking on a nearby trail. To some degree they are all users except the K18 which I’m sure will get used someday, just not sure when. I enjoy my knives most when I’m using them or tinkering with them by doing an acid wash or making my own liners.

Recently I have started to move away from the "beast" knives. I sold my SDFK and HDMC in favor of my HDFK and MC.

I wonder where my hobby will be at in another year.
 
I finally found out who that "machinist guy" was that I'd been seeing posts about for a number of years.

And for now, that's the "rest of the story"...as the late Paul Harvey would say.


(And I include Jo...very much so, in that discovery.)
 
I used to by lots of blades, including some ‘grail knives’ (ex:Jason Knight Bowie and Ox Forge Bowie) that I found to be amazingly beautiful but did not use, so I sold/traded for more user type knives. It seemed no matter how many I had, I seemed to grab the same ones when heading out (unless for something specific). I found out quickly when I moved to AK that I don’t like metal handles, so I got rid of folders and fixed blades that I previously liked. I also don’t like smooth/slippery scales on folders as I don’t trust them staying clipped to my pants when clambering about. I like folders that can tolerate cold/snow/rain and can be cleaned out easily so I got rid of some fancy ones and now just have ‘users’.

I have some blades that have sentimental value and some that I am just attached to. I have been pairing down more that I will never use, and trying to find the ‘perfect’ knives for what I do and enjoy. I love the CPK Kephart and I think the SDFK will be ideal for roaming the woods. I am hoping to get a CPK edc type knife and the DEK II is right up my alley!

I wish I had found CPK earlier.
 
I do have a ton of knives. And while I like and enjoy them all, I kinda wish I didn't have a ton of knives.

On the bright side, having them doesn't alter whether we eat or not, or do anything we want to do...and selling off a bunch more, (like I did a couple years back), takes more motivation than I currently have.

Eventually there'll come a reckoning.
 
Blues said:
I do have a ton of knives. And while I like and enjoy them all, I kinda wish I didn't have a ton of knives.

On the bright side, having them doesn't alter whether we eat or not, or do anything we want to do...and selling off a bunch more, (like I did a couple years back), takes more motivation than I currently have.

Eventually there'll come a reckoning.
Click to expand...
Pretty much exactly where I'm at these days as well. But I might be getting motivated soon to sell off a bunch.
 
Fixed blades - srarting out was if they looked cool and were made to last/used hard then I would get it. Turns out I don’t use them all that much.
Most of them were not really good in the hand (mine) so they are getting sold and replaced with ones that are - CPK, which are aesthetically pleasing but also good in the hand and made with materials/processes that will handle anything I can throw at it. However they’ll probably gather dust and sit in my trucks go bag unless I can get an EDC sized one to carry out and about.

Folder wise, something that’s slim and tough.
 
gunslinger387 said:
5-6 years ago I had never spent more than $120 on a knife and that was a rarity, most were in the $40-$80 range. Then a friend showed me his FK1 and I was like you spent how much on a knife?! Afterwards I decided to take the plunge and I was hooked on CPK and and a few other quality knives in a similar price range.

At first I wanted one of each and doubles where I could, maybe even a couple of safe queens. I loved thick heavy blades. Now I’ve scaled back some and no longer feel the need for doubles just to have them. I have some doubles that serve different purposes. I have a DEK1 on my duty belt, one in the kitchen and one for walking on a nearby trail. To some degree they are all users except the K18 which I’m sure will get used someday, just not sure when. I enjoy my knives most when I’m using them or tinkering with them by doing an acid wash or making my own liners.

Recently I have started to move away from the "beast" knives. I sold my SDFK and HDMC in favor of my HDFK and MC.

I wonder where my hobby will be at in another year.
Click to expand...
Very similar to you. Started off on the lower end and slowly worked my way up. I very much use to like knives that were more of a pry bar than a knife, super thick and heavy and almost impossible to break. And I liked larger knives...the larger the better
I soon found that they just wouldn't cut anything and at that point well...what's the point? But I also didn't go in the opposite direction of super thin, laser beam knives that weren't meant for any rougher use. And coupled with that, I started realizing I liked smaller knives that I could carry easily on hikes and wouldn't be making a statement if I had it on my hip.

I started to fine-tune my tastes and steel choices and have become really fussy now which has helped me keep my collection small and refined. I like timeless designs, knives that strike a perfect balance between durability and cutting performance.
The more I tried other knives alongside CPK, the more I realized nothing else quite 'cuts' it. So now, other than a mora in my boot, I only have CPK.

I am also slowly getting into folders more.
My goal one day is to have about 4-7 or so knives total lol
 
I just came back here after 10 years off, and realized how many more makers are selling amazing custom work. In the past I would buy production stuff, but not that much because I really don't need it, and never felt great about loading up on mass produced crap. Here I can give myself an excuse as at least I'm helping people who do this more for the passion than the money. And also I think if you price their work in dollars per hour of labor, it's actually quite cheap. However I quickly found out how much better this stuff is than the typical knives on ebay, amazon, or Etsy. (except Kharkiv Forge" there stuff rocks). So now I'm in full acquiring phase.
 
I had a few, then I had a bunch, then I had too many, now I have less (but still too many).
Gradually selling off a few here and there.
I have a few users I will never sell, a few I rarely use but just really enjoy owning, every thing else is just temporary…
 
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