How I got into the knife hobby

adamlau said:
Ninja craze 80s when Benchmade was still Bali-Song and a number of local shops were selling nunchaku, shuriken and butterfly knives. Was too young to buy, so I snipped a bunch of hira shuriken (throwing stars) out of spare sheet metal and walked around town with a handful of 16d common nails in place of bo shuriken (throwing darts). Nunchaku were easy to obtain from one of the many kung-fu/karate dojos operating in the area. But no one would sell me a knife until I came across a mail-order catalog featuring the Benchmade Leopard Cub. No age verification was required short of marking off a checkbox confirming that I was indeed 18 years of age or older (I was not). The Leopard Cub was over $100 at the time and constituted my initial foray into the world of knives.
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Every Ninja needs his knives Mr Shinobi!;)
 
I only had one of those old Victorinox folding knives, those red ones with a screwdriver and bottle opener and stuff like that. That thing was at least 10 years old and the blade was completely blunt. so I thought it's time to buy a new knife. First I just wanted to get a cheap one, but I wasn't so happy with the quality. Then one thing led to another and now I'm more or less collecting, lol.
 
Glad your getting your health in order. Like someone else said I was born into knives. Have carried a knife on me everyday since I was 5 or so Dad was big on fishing and hunting. Taught me and my siblings to respect knives as a tool and to take care of your tools. Going on almost 46 years now with knive envy.
 
Got my first hunting knife for my 10th b-day,from my grandmother.Dang thing was as big as my forearm,with beautiful stag scales and some shitty steel,but it didnt matter.It was the most awesome gift i ever received and from that day i was hooked on knives.Used to carry it with me even in the toillet,and it got me in trouble when the teacher caught with the knife in school :)
 
Thanks everyone! It is fascinating reading everyone's stories. I wanted to share mine because I figured it wouldn't be the norm, since I figured most people started out young.
 
I would say it started when I worked and found, iirc Schrade, knife was cheap construction and had a chip in the blade but was fun to open and close and came in handy on the job. Then a couple years later my father gave me a CRKT Swindle and they action was great and was so much better a knife I found my next step up in the knife world. More time went by and I stumble upon some knife reviews on YouTube and the flood gates just opened. I will also add that I have always had an interest in bladed weapons namely those of the eastern world China, Thailand, Japan, etc.
 
Congrats!!!

I grew up on a small hobby farm/homestead. Nothing really big but we had a little of everything. Cows, pigs, goats, chickens and a huge garden. I grew up very rural and have fished and hunted all my life. I also joined scouts young and went all the way from webelo to life scout. I cut the tip off my middle finger at Boy Scout camp. I just kind of grew up around them.

I wouldn't say that knives were a hobby then like they are now but I always liked them and always had quite a few. As a kid I used a Buck110, a bunch of different stockmen (my favorite pattern), SAKs and an old Western BSA fixed blade. I used to stand in front of the SAK display case at the sporting goods store and dream of owning every one. I also used to enjoy sharpening even as a kid and did it all the time. My family emphasized keeping them sharp and my father and both my grandfathers taught me how to sharpen.

My current knife hoarding, forum bumming and completely geeking out phase started about seven or eight years ago. I had been carrying a Benchmade folder for about ten years that was a gift. It was the only premium knife I had ever owned and had not given much thought to getting another. One day the person who gifted it to me commented that he had been looking for the same model. I gifted it back and began looking for a replacement. I bought a Spyderco and here we are, elbows deep in knives and talking about it online. :)
 
I always had a very special place in my heart as a small boy for camping/hiking/outdoors and my father gave me a SAK when I was probably too young for one. That was my survival tool when I'd go out into the woods trying to make little huts and what not from the "American Boys Handybook." From there he gifted me his buck 110 and I loved that thing like crazy. Still have it actually. I got into throwing knives in high school and was constantly carrying a cheap pocket knife in the military myself. I didn't bother with the big names or expensive knives because I knew I was going to either break or damage them, so I stuck with cheap gerbers you can find in the NEX/PX.

When I left the military I worked in a hardware store while in college and got into the next step up knives as they would go on close outs and from there I was hooked. I still own the last two gerbers I used in the navy (an ez-out from around 01, and a multitool) but they have been beat to death. I look back on the dark ages of my knife addiction with fondness and try not to get too snobby about knives, and still rely on cheap under $40 folders for utility tasks. I use all my knives, even the expensive ones, but I just feel better using something that I won't cringe at when I scratch the finish.

Oh and congrats to the OP for losing all that weight! I struggled with my weight after the military, so I know that battle all too well.
 
I've been fascinated with knives and swords ever since I can remember. Got my first knife from my grand father when I joined the Cub Scouts and I've been buying/using/collecting ever since. My interest ebbs and flows over time, and as I've gotten older, I'm a lot more picky on what I buy.

Be thankful you're not into collecting guns... Got a couple friends who make my knife addiction look like spending $50 on a video game.
 
I was given my first pocket knife by my grandfather at the age of 6. Of course I lost it growing up, but I was hooked. I was glued to the display cabinet at every sporting goods and hardware store and always grinding pointed or sharp objects at the farm shop.
Recently I've built a blown gas forge and forged a dozen knives (And bought just as many more thanks to this forum!).
A sincere thanks to this forum and members who were able to decipher my recollections and figured out what my first knife was, then I was able to find one and buy it.
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I got my first pocket knife at age 5 and till I was in HS I lost more than I care to remember. I still have my HS 8OT Stockman and my OT 150 sharpfinger and my OT 165 Hunting knife!
 
After holding my friend's Swiss Army Knife at the age of 10 , I desperately wanted one of my own. Loved everything about it. A few weeks later , my stepdad bought me one and it was AWESOME !!! It was a Wenger. It had everything. I loved the saw. To me , it was the Sword of Omens.

Got my first fixed blade in 1991. A Buck 119. A true classic.

Anyway , that got the ball rolling and I've been interested in knives ever since.
 
My obsession started about 18 months ago with a lost SOG, a Spyderco QC fail, and @NickShabazz

I've always liked knives (I still have the Buck 110 my dad gave me when 12 years old and the Delica 1 I bought new in the early 90's) but I only carried when outdoors, fishing, camping, backpacking, etc. The SOG Flash 2 was my carry of choice, and I still think it is an excellent backpacking/camp knife.

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Most of the originals.

When my SOG went missing, the search for a replacement took me to Amazon where I started reading reviews and checking prices. I finally found an orange Delica 4. I'd never seen an orange knife and thought the color would be hard to loose! I ordered it immediately.

When it arrived, the Spydie hole was sharp, which numerous folks had stated in reviews. No biggie. Easy to chamfer. What bummed me out was a WAY too stiff lock spring. This led to YouTube research, as I wanted to bench-top it myself rather than send it to Spyderco.

Well, YouTube searches turned me on to Nick Shabazz. I thought his shtick was hilarious, so I started watching a bunch of his videos. This was in his early days and those few vids included the BM 940 & ZT 0450. They were way too expensive--I would never, ever consider spending more than $100 on a pocket knife

Well, one day I decided to pay a curious visit to a retailer. The 940 left me flat, but the second I gripped the 0450 and hit the flipper tab, it was like a chorus of angels started singing. It was marvelous! It was still way too expensive. So I left....but...I couldn't get the knife out of my head. It tortured me for 3 hours...until I went back with cash in hand.

The 0450 was my first gateway knife; it led to two additional "expensive" knives over the next few months (0801, PM2). I felt a bit guilty for dropping the cash, but was a budding enthusiast.

The second gateway was about 4 months later. I was passing through SLC and stopped in at Blade HQ (incidentally, I never even considered they had a storefront until Nick did a vid about it). I fell in love with the Spyderco Southard. It was way beyond way too expensive, but it eclipsed everything else I looked at. I couldn't get the knife out of my head. It tortured me for weeks...until I worked up the nerve to make my first purchase on The Exchange.

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The gateway knives.

That purchase was like a dam braking. I had some discretionary money saved from an old part time job and I hit The Exchange like a sailor on liberty. And just like a sailor on liberty, I didn't start to slow down until my money started running out. I'm super selective now, partly due to cash flow, partly due to escalating tastes, and partly due to wanting to enjoy the cool selection of blades I've already got.

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Mostly up to date collection.

I got to handle an Olamic Swish a few days back. It's way past way beyond way too expensive, but it eclipsed everything else I looked at. I can't get the knife out of my head. It's torturing me....
 
Lord_Balkan said:
How did you guys get into the knife hobby? Share your experiences! I imagine most people started out young.

I wasn't into knives until recently (about a year ago).

I am a software engineer in the video game industry. I mostly work with designers on gameplay and gameplay systems. I am also an avid gamer. I think Counter Strike GO skins was a gateway drug to knife collecting for me. I was going through some things (305 pounds, depressed, lonely etc). I got through my day with overeating myself into a sleep coma every day. It wasn't healthy.

I started going on a diet and counting calories about a year ago. An unintended side effect was not really knowing how to deal with my stress, since the way I dealt with it was by eating. I couldn't do that anymore because of the diet. Drinking was a no-go as well since alcohol has quite a few calories. I didn't know how to deal with things.

I randomly asked my friend about a pocket knife, for a couple of reasons.. I liked gadgets because I am an engineer at heart, and I liked the idea of preparedness. I am also the type to do research on the products I buy. As soon as I stumbled upon youtubers like ApostleP, NickShabazz and bladeforums... I was hooked. The community reminded me of the gaming communities I was apart of in the early 2000s. Small, passionate, eccentric. I found a new niche I could sink my time in, learn all the lingo, and be a part of a hobby that brings me joy (I picked up this phrase thanks to NickShabazz).

Anyway, this along with couple of other hobbies and niches I was able to pick up, I have completely turned my life around. I have lost over 100 pounds since last year, and am in a much better place. I don't know if I can say it is because of the knife hobby, but it sure helped.
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Congratulations on getting away from all that eating. I ride a bike for transpiration so I am lucky in that respect. When I would be in a deserts shop and take two or three to the table in one order and the person behind the counter would look at me with incredulity and a smirk I would just say "Look . . . I don't even like this stuff ; it's fuel for the bike outside."

You think I'm joking. I was pretty lean (still am) so they sort of bought it.

I can tell you that the older I get the less I am inclined to do that. I just don't crave the quantities that I used to.

As far as knives. I'm pretty boring. I once saw a knife I liked. I bought it and put it in my pocket. I take it out and use it fairly often.
Make more money . . . and repeat.
 
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At the end of college was when I started. I had no real need for knives (nothing a boxcutter couldn't do) and like most non-knife people I was a bit uncomfortable about them. But I liked the designs and the idea of being prepared. So I started cheap: CRKT, Kershaw, Cold Steel, Byrd, sampling the different blade shapes. Then I got a few cheapy fixed blades. Eventually I took the plunge past the $100 mark, then $150, around where I'm at now. There's plenty of blades in this range so I'm happy here, having already amassed a neat little collection. It's also fun being that guy who has a cutting tool handy when needed.
 
My fascination with sharp things began around age 5. My first "knife" was a popsicle stick that I sharpened on a street curb. I loved Flea Market stilettoes when I was a teenager. Base Bx(s) introduced me to military, and hunting knives. The actual knife 'sickness' started in 2011. I blame Nutnfancy, Wealljuggleknives, Cutlerylover, Cajun Blaze, and a handful of other enablers.
 
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I guess the interest has always been there, but it really exploded when I was 3.
I was at an amusement park and found a red Victorinox classic on the ground, my mom took it away " until you're old enough " and since it was always the coolest stuff she wouldn't let me have I wanted a pocket knife even more. I always had plastic and rubber knives to play with until I got my first pocket knife, and didn't even have to be taught that there was a difference between rubber or plastic and sharp steel.
It took 19 years for her to decide I was old enough but I finally got the red classic back this Monday.
I've tried to carry some kind of knife in my pocket whenever possible, and will never stop.
 
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As a kid, I carried switchblades. Grew up in Yonkers so you basically HAD to.
Move forward 50 years...

Three months ago I came across an old Gerber F.A.S.T. in a boat we were scrapping. I sent it in for repair, and they sent me a brand new one.
It wasn't an auto knife so I HAD to look up autos. Today I have around 20 autos, and 60ish other types/styles/vintages. A couple grand worth of eclectic knives

I also decided I need a sharpener, and nothing on the market appeared professional enough for my tastes so I bought around 700.00 bucks worth of metals, and granite to build my own. This is a project that begins on Monday.
This led into my establishing a web domain, SBA business plan, state wholesale tax ID, and a city permit to run a business from my appropriately zoned garage.
The new tooling is developing, and the old bust my arse marine fabrication business is being phased out.

Long, and short of it is, One found knife changed my entire life. 43 years of working in marine trades are over.

Thanks for the knife Gerber!
 
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My dad has always been into knives, so this past Christmas I did a bunch of research on knives and got him a small Sebenza 21.

I had so much fun researching and playing with his knives that I got into the hobby myself. Eight months and eight knives later, I now have my own Sebenza to play with =)

I was a gamer growing up too and I remember researching the heck out of whatever game I was playing, reading the forums, and obsessing over every minor detail of games. I have a wife, baby, and mortgage now, so I don't have time to be obsessed over something, but, I get a similar feeling from knives.

The funny thing is I rarely use all my knives. Less than once per day on average. It just feels good to carry them knowing they might come in handy.

Anyway, congrats on losing the weight and starting this next chapter of your life. I really enjoyed reading about your story.
 
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